Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 21 Review: Target
Jasmine Blu
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A lot happened during this hour.
Was it entertaining? Sure, but the biggest issue is that they threw another three or four plots at us during the last episode before the finale. There was too much happening on Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 21, and there is no time to address any of it adequately.
We also are unsure of whether or not the series will be picked up for another season which means if they're banking on loose threads, unresolved plot points, and a cliffhanger then fans are going to be livid. You can count me as one of those fans.
"Target" was an installment that finally gave us some more insight into Kendra. Only a teeny bit of insight though. For one, she has been seeing Trey.
Apparently, the two of them have been getting friendly and eventually fell into bed together. All of this has taken place offscreen, of course. I have commented multiple times on the underuse and misuse of Breckin Meyer.
He's there, wandering around the White House on occasion, and sometimes offering a supportive word to Kirkman. Their relationship is interesting when they show it, but the series has barely scratched the surface with it.
One of the reasons Trey supposedly returned was to take over Alex's place in her foundation or something, and he hasn't been shown in that capacity at all. So, after all of that nothing, the least the show could do was flesh out this Kendra and Trey romantic relationship.
Personally, I would have taken that over Seth and Emily or Hannah and Damian. The chemistry between Kendra and Trey is palatable. I wouldn't have opposed seeing it develop if we had to watch romance in this series. At least it would have given Breckin Meyer something to do.
It's a pity that it took this long for some Kendra background. If we traded half of the random, useless background information on Lyor and split it with Kendra, Lyor still would have come out on top. However, it's grating that this background came with a price. That price is Emily's life being in jeopardy.
Kendra: How can I make it up to you?
Trey: Dinner this time?
Kendra: Only if we skip the tequila first, and the home invasion.
Trey: It's a date.
I'm compelled to point out that the series is erratic and clumsy. It's perpetually in an identity crisis and doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a political thriller? Is it a legal drama? Is it a crime show?
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Despite everything else going on right now, including everything that they have just overcome, a bitter family abruptly came after Kendra over her prosecutorial role in a murder case however long ago. Mike and a detective had the daunting task of investigating the matter.
I do love that Mike has been out in the field more this season. Mike is the most underrated character of this series outside of Chuck. He's equally as beloved, too. Mike is fantastic when he's getting in on some action.
He almost caught a bullet, to my displeasure, but he took down Micky for good. All's well was supposed to end well, but we needed shock value and a cliffhanger.
I didn't expect that the father would take advantage of the Marshals relocating the killer, nor did I expect him to kill the guy and come for Kendra next. I certainly didn't expect for him to shoot Emily instead.
It was a shocking development, but it was a frustrating one as well. They dropped this case in when there is already a million other things happening.
Is there any real impact anymore with this sort of thing? Killing off and nearly killing off characters is getting old, and I find it emotionally manipulative and lazy. I hope Emily isn't dead, but I don't understand why this had to be a thing.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have Hannah who loses everyone all the damn time. At least she makes sure to mention it on occasion. She's unable to let go of what happened to Damian because there was no closure.
I had to laugh at the woman. She had that dramatic scene with Aaron where she handed over her badge and all of that and spent most of the hour regretting it.
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Hannah forgot how difficult it is to investigate matters without the proper credentials. That's how she found herself arrested. It's a good thing her new bestie, Aaron, was able to pull a favor and get her out.
Damian died in my arms, and I didn't get to say goodbye. I never do. I'm not looking for evidence, Aaron. I'm looking for closure.
Hannah
Valeria used Hannah's detainment as a way to ransack her apartment (and Damian's apartment) before disappearing. The showdown between these two women is bound to be epic.
From the sounds of it, it'll take place in England. Hannah finally discovered what Damian was reaching for the night she shot him. He was trying to give her a USB drive that had information about his daughter. To his dying day, he trusted Hannah with everything, including the life of his daughter.
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He knew Valeria would go after his daughter when he died to tie up loose ends. Of course, Hannah is jetting off to England to rescue the girl.
It's too bad Hannah isn't sticking around to see the fall out at the White House because she's part of the reason everyone is gunning for Kirkman.
On top of everything else, election time is around the corner, and everyone is super focused on who will be putting their bid in for president. They also want to know whether or not Kirkman is running for reelection.
You know what's utter bullshite? Tom catching flack for being an Independent. I'll spare you all a rant about the two-party system, but the lack of bipartisanship with the most even-keeled president out there is a royal pain. Even on Designated Survivor Republicans and Democrats can't get it together.
Related: Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 19 Review: Capacity
Lyor's solution is to go along to get along, and in all of this time, he hasn't figured out that Tom Kirkman doesn't compromise for anyone. He wanted Tom to pick a side, and Tom refused. I'm glad he stuck to his guns on this.
Lyor: I think you need to pick a party, Mr. President.
Tom: And if I don't.
Lyor: Then we stumble to the finish line with no allies.
Of course not picking a side means he won't have too many people backing him when he runs for reelection. Now, he'll have to face off against this archnemesis Moss. If you wondered how Moss could run for president again despite serving in the position already, it's because he only had one term and never ran for reelection.
Try as they might, they can't seem to get rid of the guy. The White House wanted to take him down, but I knew the second Kirkman arranged for Ethan to be special counsel investigating Moss for leaking information to the press that it would backfire. It backfired spectacularly.
Ethan interviewed everyone and looked into things thoroughly, but what he took away from it is Hannah Wells is the White House's secret weapon. I believe he referred to her as a Swiss Army knife, and it could not be more fitting.
Ethan: Did you leak classified information to the press?
Moss: No.
I like Hannah, I do, but I also can't resist pointing out how ludicrous her character is. Thankfully, the show is addressing it to some degree. It turns out Hannah's methods are catching up to her. The worst part is that they're catching up to Kirkman, too.
Political Conspiracy. This man just overcame a hearing to determine whether or not he was competent to remain president, and now Ethan is telling him that he could be facing charges.
Kirkman can never catch a break, and it may be too much drama for me. It's also redundant.
What are your thoughts, Designated Survivor Fanatics? Do you think the series has enough material for another season if they get picked up? Did they kill off Emily? Hit the comments with your thoughts.
Don't forget, you can watch Designated Survivor online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
