Here’s Michael J. Fox’s Designated Survivor villain explained. Following his early success with hits like The Lost Boys, Flatliners, and the Young Guns movies, Kiefer Sutherland’s career hits something of a dry patch during the late 1990s. It was only when he was cast as Jack Bauer in hit series 24 that he returned to the limelight. The show was somewhat grounded for its first couple of seasons, but the antics of Jack and the various villains he faced grew increasingly outlandish in later series, with Jack surviving death on multiple occasions.
After eight seasons, a video game and various other tie-ins, 24 came to an end in 2010. There was a plan to make a movie out of the franchise, with one rejected concept dubbed Die Hard 24/7, which would have teamed Bruce Willis’ John McClane with Bauer. This was ultimately rejected, but while development on a solo movie continued, the idea of condensing the show’s real-time formula into a movie proved tricky. Instead, Sutherland returned for the final - so far - time in miniseries 24: Live Another Day. He then moved on to political drama Designated Survivor, where he plays Tom Kirkman, who is thrust into the office of President.
The premise of Designated Survivor has Kirkman as the designated survivor when an explosion during the State Of The Union finds him suddenly sworn in. Having had no ambition to become President, Kirkman is naturally overwhelmed by the job during the first season, and while tracking down those behind the attack he has to face intense skepticism from political enemies -and allies - alike. Designated Survivor had a great hook and strong cast - including Natascha McElhone, Kal Penn and Maggie Q (Nikita) - though the show’s overall reception was mixed.
Michael J. Fox (Back To The Future) joined Designated Survivor for five episodes in season 2 as Ethan West, a powerful Washington attorney called in to investigate Kirkman’s fitness for the office. West is experienced and famously ruthless in his job, and whereas he has decades of experience in the way Washington works, Kirkman is still something of an everyman. That’s what makes Fox’s West such a compelling villain, as he politely goes about trying to take Kirkman down.
Its always a pleasure to see Michael J. Fox work, especially in a darker role than audiences typically see him in. Even West is somewhat impressed by Kirkman’s decency - especially in the world of politics - and encourages him to run for re-election in the finale to the surprise of everyone. Sadly, the character didn’t reappear in the Designated Survivor’s third and final season. The show also marked a reunion between Michael J. Fox and Kiefer Sutherland, as the two previously worked together on 1988 drama Bright Lights, Big City.
Next: What To Expect From Designated Survivor Season 4
