Kim Raver joins the
series in the second half of season 2. She and Kiefer Sutherland previously
worked together on “24.”
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| Kiefer Sutherland is Pres. Tom Kirkman on 'Designated Survivor' |
A "24" reunion is happening in "Designated
Survivor" when it returns on ABC after the holidays. Kiefer Sutherland,
who plays President Tom Kirkman, will be reunited with a former TV flame in Kim
Raver. Will romance spark between them?
Raver, whose casting on "Designated Survivor" was
announced in November, is no stranger to playing Sutherland's love interest.
The two actors worked together for several years as on-again-off-again
lovers in the popular series "24" on FOX as Audrey Raines and Jack Bauer.
The actress will debut as an Elon Musk-inspired character,
Andrea Frost, on "Designated Survivor" season 2, in the episode
airing Feb. 28. Her inclusion in the show comes just as Natascha McElhone, who
played the First Lady Alex Kirkman, decided to exit the series. Writers wrote
her character's death in the last episode that aired on Dec. 13.
Showrunner Keith Eisner confirmed that Raver's Frost will
strike a friendship with Sutherland's President Kirkman. But the widowed
president won't likely entertain thoughts of romance just yet.
"We don’t have an interest in throwing this president
into bed with someone else, immediately," Eisner told TV
Line. "We don’t feel that’s real, and Kiefer doesn’t either. Kiefer
feels like [Alex] is his life companion who has been taken from him, and he’s
not going to just start running around with other people.”
Eisner previously told TV Guide
that President Kirkman will have to deal with becoming a widow, a single parent
and the leader of the free world all at the same time before he finds new love
again. His new challenges will bear both personal and professional effects that
will become the story arc for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the ABC series significantly rose in the ratings
with delayed viewings. The show ranked at number three in total viewership and
number five in its demographic (ages 18-49) following "The Good
Doctor" and "This Is Us" after 10 weeks.
“Designated Survivor” airs Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. EST on
ABC. New episodes for season 2 will kick off on Feb. 28.
