Impeach this show

Posted on October 26, 2005 by Gene

I gave it another try — I recorded “Commander in Chief” last night, hoping that it would be better than the pilot. I was mistaken.
Let’s start with the cheesy acting. Donald Sutherland is perhaps the best actor in this show, but that’s only because his over-the-top cheesiness is appropriate to his character. Every other cast member is simply dreadful, Geena Davis included. There is no subtlety in this show, we’re hit over the head by a calibre of acting that’s usually only seen in mid-day soap operas.
Then there’s the completely unbelievable atmosphere of the show. This White House seems to be populated by incompetents who have qualms about being rude and argumentative with the president, some openly hostile. Security is non-existent, high level discussions take place in the Oval Office with the door wide open, a deputy press secretary steps on the press secretary’s briefing to give his own; later he is drunk in a bar with a reporter. While the president is talking on the phone about a highly classified matter, her daughter interrupts the call playing in the Oval Office. Even the little things irk me: the teenaged daughter of the president has stickers stuck all over the walls of her White House bedroom. I’m sure the National Park Service would be a bit peeved at that, but again — a little thing. Not so little is the fact that she is making out with a boy at 11:30pm in her room and the staff doesn’t seem to know it.
I understand the desire to explore the issues faced by a female president, but does it have to be so ridiculous, silly, and unbelievable? I don’t think I’ll need to ever watch another episode. I’ve learned my lesson.