Designated Survivor Recap S1 E05 “The Mission”

(SPOILER ALERT) for S1 E05 “The Mission”

This episode we witness some of the military might that we’ve been itching to see! Two significant story-plots progressed quite nicely, so I’ll sum up their main points.

We’re at War!

It started off intensely! President Kirkman orders the airstrike on Majid Nassar’s compound but quickly has to call it off when it’s discovered that Nassar’s no longer there. Desperate to move, he tells his generals to find his location immediately, and they soon discover he’s now hiding in a basement of a hospital in Algeria. Most of this episode highlights Kirkman’s desire to keep everyone as safe as he can, especially people he orders. He agonizes over the decision to send in a SEAL team to extract Nassar, dead or alive. Again, we see the President’s ethics and moral code standing out. He is probably one of the best Presidents this nation has ever seen and ever will see (thanks, 2016). Too bad he’s fictional.

We see Kirkman’s sorrow when one of the men in the operation is killed when a hostage situation turns deadly. They corner Nassar in the basement only to find out he’s got his goons’ guns pointed at several children. The standoff erupts and the commander shields several of the kids with his body, taking the bullets instead.

Devastated that his order ended a soldier’s life, Kirkman seems to feel the weight of his burden even more. A bit of consolation comes when the fallen soldier’s subordinate tells the President not to grieve, but to honor and respect his sacrifice.

“Don’t doubt your decision,” he tells Kirkman, “We never did.”

Sacrifice brought them Nassar, however, who is now in American custody.

Room 105

Last time we learned that Room 105 was significant. This week we learned why.

After doing her thing, Agent Hannah Wells learns Room 105 was a safe room built into the Capitol Building. It is intended to be a place where congress members could relax or de-stress or remain during a long night. However, it was exactly where Congressman MacLeish was found, almost as if he had been in the room. What’s more, all of the contractors that worked on the recent renovations have died in the last two months, all by unnatural causes. Sounds like a cover up to me!

And then, the kicker. The room was built with the same material and structure as a bomb shelter. That means that someone was supposed to survive that bombing… and that person was Peter MacLeish… But why?

Parting Thoughts

  • Jason Atwood, the Director of the FBI, is visibly shaken by the revelations that Hannah uncovered. He asks, “Have you told anyone else about this?” Seemingly innocent, but this ain’t my first rodeo. That what people ask right before they kill the person who brought them the news, usually to hide their involvement. Is Jason Atwood an enemy? What’s his angle?
  • Congresswoman Hookstraten is getting increasingly agitated with President Kirkman shutting her out. She’s going to cause some serious problems in the future, I’m sure!
  • Scandals are ahead. Drama for drama’s sake. Oh goodie.
  •  MacLeish turned down the offer for Speaker of the House, saying he wasn’t good at the political minefield. But it seems that in the next episode, Kirkman will offer him the Vice-Presidency. Is this a long-term play to get into the Oval Office? Once VP will MacLeish try to orchestrate the demise of President Tom Kirkman? Is charming, clean-cut Peter MacLeish the mastermind behind the bombing? Man, wouldn’t that be a twist!?

What are your thoughts? Feel free to share them below!