In the season 1 finale of political conspiracy thriller series Designated Survivor – which aired on Netflix in May – President Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) decided it was finally ‘time to tell the American people the truth’.
This declaration of absolute truth came after FBI agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) found and killed former CIA agent turned terrorist Nestor Lozano (George Tchortov), and the traitorous mole in the White House, Homeland Security Advisor Jay Whitaker, was finally apprehended.
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It was a thrilling finale to what was an entertaining first season but, as the final scene revealed, the Pentagon is still under threat.
Before he was caught, Lozano hacked the defense system’s most classified server, meaning the country is now more vulnerable than it’s ever been – with details of covert assets and nuclear capabilities out in the wild.
So what does this mean for the upcoming second season, which hits Netflix on September 28?
Here’s what fans of the show can expect from the storyline, the cast and the Netflix schedule.
When does Designated Survivor air?
The show’s second season will air on Netflix from September 28.
New episodes will arrive on the streaming service every Thursday, less than 24 hours after they originally air on ABC in the US.
Season two will feature 22 episodes in total, which will continue into 2018.
Which cast members are returning?
Most of the major players will all be returning for season 2 including Kiefer Sutherland as POTUS (obviously), Italia Ricci as White House Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes, Adan Canto as the recently reinstated Aaron Shore, and the always amusing Kal Penn as quick-thinking Press Secretary Seth Wright.
Virginia Madsen, who played alternative designated survivor and Speaker Of The House Kimble Hookstraten, announced earlier in the year that she wouldn’t be returning for season two.
Considering Kimble is still alive at the end of season one and wasn’t conclusively written out of the series, there’s still a chance Madsen’s character could make a comeback at a later date.
Other returning characters include Natascha McElhone’s First Lady, as well as Maggie Q’s Agent Hannah Wells and LaMonica Garrett’s Secret Service Agent, Mike Ritter.
Three new characters will also be joining the cast this season.
Zoe McLellan (NCIS: New Orleans) will play sharp-witted attorney Kendra Daynes.
PauloCostanzo (The Night Of) will star as Lyor Boone, the new White House Political Director.
And Ben Lawson (The Deep End) will be MI-6 operative Damian Rennett, who meets Hannah while undercover in Amsterdam.
What do we know about the ongoing storyline?
While the show’s first season was all about big conspiracy twists and what-happens-next cliffhangers, season two will take a small step back to focus more on the characters, according to the show’s creators.
The relationships between the members of the Kirkman family and the White House staff will be further explored, building on the already established dynamics.
So it’s going to be a more character-driven season, now that Tom is widely accepted as POTUS, rather than fighting for his right to lead the country.
It’s still Washington DC though, so we can expect plenty more backhanded political manoeuvrings.
The conspiracy might be out in the open but, with billionaire Patrick Lloyd in possession of the country’s defence secrets, it’s a race against time to find him and ultimately stop him.
Lloyd is set to take over from Lozano as the show’s main antagonist, though we can also expect plenty of other shady characters across the 22 episodes.
With more intimate character arcs this season, could there also be scope for a little romance?
Emily hastily hit the brakes on a potential relationship with Aaron when he was suspected of being the White House traitor, but all those longing looks suggest there’s still something between them.
Exact plot details are scarce but this is the kind of show that likes to shock and surprise as we go along, so hold on to your seats and get ready for another thrilling season.
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