Why Designated Survivor won’t replace Natascha McElhone’s Alex Kirkman

When Designated Survivor returns to ABC with new episodes in late February, you will quickly be reminded of a void. Alex Kirkman is gone. In the closing minutes of the winter finale her car was struck and her husband Tom received the phone call. He may be the President of the United States but he still bleeds like any other man; this was one of the most painful moments of his entire life. He lost an anchor, and someone who just completely rocked out her testimony earlier in the episode.

Alex Kirkman is not a character who can be replaced; with that, we’re rather thrilled to see that this is not something the producers of the show are considering to begin with. It seems as though the plan for the second half of the season is to focus on the President as a widow, an idea that hasn’t been explored in many other forms of popular country. What does that look like, and is there a way that the President can do his job while still coping with immense grief?

If there is one many who can achieve this, it’s probably President Kirkman. If you are to go all the way back to the pilot for the series, he is a man who landed this position because of the deaths of many others. While he may not have had the same close connection with any of those men and women as his own wife he understands how to navigate through difficult periods of grieving. He also has a support staff who largely feels the same way.

The idea of Kirkman moving on maybe something that Designated Survivor explores … eventually. Maybe if Designated Survivor returns for a third season it could be a story point at some point down the line, but there are some optics that Kirkman has to think about there as President. Even if he does ever get to the point where he is ready to move on, he also must realize that the rest of the country has to feel the same way. If he ever wants to be elected by the people, such things as an emotional connection with the voters matter. The writers aren’t immediately replacing McElhone because 1) that would be a disservice to the character and 2) there are many other stories to explore now with the President as a widow.

Want more news regarding Designated Survivor?

While McElhone herself has not spoken out about the departure just yet, you can read more news about the inner workings of her exit over at the link here.

For more Designated Survivor news over the course of this winter hiatus, we suggest that you visit the link here to like CarterMatt on Facebook. (Photo: ABC.)