The ABC political drama series “Designated
Survivor” had a lot going for it upon its 2016 premiere. It had the interesting
premise of a low-ranking Cabinet official becoming President after everyone
ahead of him in the line of succession is killed in a seeming terror attack.
The lead character of “accidental President” Kirkman is played by Kiefer Sutherland
(“24”). Where it stumbled was in the telling of its overall plot, leading to
ABC cancelling after two seasons. Netflix rescued the series and secured it a
10-episode season 3 that premiered last week. The platform move and necessary
retooling gave the show a markedly different atmosphere.
Right from seeing the new episode
naming convention of using social media hash-tag, one can tell that the new season
of “Designated Survivor” on Netflix is changing tack on its storyline. Rather
than focus on an ongoing storyline (like discovering the truth behind the
Capitol attack that sent Kirkman to the Presidency), season 3 tries to be more
episodic in its narrative. While there is still an arc – Kirkman running for a
full term as President – the challenges are compartmented and framed around
current issues. This was a decision of the new show-runner, Neal Baer.
One of the little issues that
weave into the plot threads of “Designated Survivor” is the close-to-home
matter of ethnic identity. Kirkman’s Chief of Staff Aaron Shore is running as
his independent-ticket Vice President. The thing is, Shore is a Mexican-American
Latino whose ethnicity is working against him on campaign even if he is
competent enough (leaking a classified video notwithstanding). The current
conflict facing Shore is beautifully portrayed on-screen by Adan Canto, a
Mexican actor through and through. But his striking physical presence on his
scenes, carried over from the ABC run, can easily keep the audience riveted with
the eye-candy and ready to invest in his character arc.
Canto started acting in his
native Mexico in 2009 on both television and film. His star appeal was quickly
noticed north of the border. By 2013 he was in “The Following” on Fox for 10
episodes. In 2014 he was a bit-player mutant in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
for marvel and 20th Century Fox. He has been a constant US TV and
steaming presence since then, with his impressive acting range that goes way
beyond the expected Latino archetype roles. In fact, his “Designated Survivor”
character of Aaron Shore really shines a good spotlight on the real-life general
situation of Mexican-Americans even in the viewpoint of a fictional program. It
speaks a great deal on Adan Canto’s acting prowess.
“Designated Survivor” season 3 is
wholly available stateside on Netflix since June 7. Canadian mass media company
Entertainment One handles its non-US distribution. Elsewhere and recently, Canto
has also started in “Hypnotist’s Love Story,” a new drama pilot for ABC.
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