Designated Survivor season 2 spoilers: The tone of Kirkman’s new journey

Designated Survivor season 2 will premiere on ABC this fall, and there are obviously going to be some changes thrown into the mix. Not only are there some new additions to the cast — including Royal Pains alum Paolo Costanzo alongside Zoe McLellan and Ben Lawson — but you’re also going to have a chance to see a very different story with Keith Eisner as showrunner. Remarkably, he is the fourth person to be behind the scenes running the ship, but we like the way he’s thinking and his desire to bring the show closer to The West Wing. You do want there to be twists, however you also don’t want there to be so many twists that it starts to overwhelm the viewers and the rest of the story.

One of the big changes coming to Designated Survivor season 2 is simply a matter of tone. The writers are going to focus in more on some of how they want the show to progress, and that includes allowing President Kirkman to be a little bit more comfortable in his role.

In speaking on this subject more in a new interview with TVLine, Eisner had the following to say about some of his specific plans:

“Last year, in a great way, was more this ‘deer caught in headlights,’ Frank Capra/Mr. Smith Goes to Washington thing, whereas this year is more about Tom Kirkman’s journey from outsider to insider.”

Eisner also made it clear that even though there are going to be differences between the old show and the new one, there are also no plans to completely turn the story on its head. Much of what you liked about the first season, (per Eisner), will still be there.

Will Designated Survivor season 2 work?

We think that the premise is well-placed, and beyond that we like some of the new additions based on their past work. The new approach should help to ground the show, given that over time, Kirkman should become more accustomed to this role — or at least as accustomed to the role as anyone is going to be.

More than anything though, the big challenge is finding ways to make this show feel timely, relevant, and interesting at a time when politics are heavily covered everywhere you look. You do have to worry about the fact that the political climate is such right now that there are some who simply want to avoid the subject matter and turn to television as an escape. Hopefully, the show’s fans can separate the craziness of this show from the craziness of reality. Designated Survivor is going to be back in a few weeks, and we’ll see where some of the chips fall and what happens with the show from here. Expect great things and nothing less!

Want some more CarterMatt – Designated Survivor season 2 scoop?

Then be sure to head over to the link here, given that this is where you can see the latest promo and some of the ratings expectations. (Photo: ABC.)