Leader of the She World
With the arrival of "Commander in Chief" tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC, the United States of America will have three presidencies to follow - the Jed Bartlet administration over on NBC, the Bush White House in Washington, and now the Allen team taking over for recently deceased President Bridges in Rod Lurie's well-meaning new drama about the first female to hold the nation's highest office. There's no question that President Bush remains the most dramatic and interesting one to follow; unlike his television counterparts, Martin Sheen and Geena Davis, Mr. Bush manages to bring to his daily duties a sense of uncertainty and theater that makes a presidency realistic. His human failings make Mr. Bush, if nothing else, the most compelling of the three; he may not be the most likable, but at least he doesn't run his presidency to ensure that a network executive will pick up his administration for more episodes.
Still, I can't deny that I like the idea of a gorgeous president. Geena Davis has been a stunning Hollywood presence ever since she turned up in Dustin Hoffman's dressing room in "Tootsie," wearing nothing but a negligee and a toothy smile. With that broad, expressive face, she brings to this righteous role a dimension that expands on Mr. Lurie's script - she's tough, decisive, and even a little nasty when necessary. But she can't escape the earnestness that pervades this enterprise; everything in "Commander in Chief" is designed to get our vote, and the result feels less like a drama than a paid political message.The conflicts raised before one commercial break are resolved by the next, and by the pilot episode's end, all is right with the world. Why should I tune in next week - to watch her fix more of the nation's problems in 42 minutes?
Mackenzie Allen (she's variously called "Mac," "Ma'am," and "Madam President") served as a member of Congress and the chancellor of a major university before Teddy Roosevelt Bridges asked her to be his running mate; once she became vice president - the first woman, and the first political independent, to reach that level - we're led to think President Bridges froze her out. When he lands in a hospital with a bleeding aneurism, it's expected that the vice president will resign to allow Nathan Templeton, the speaker of the House, to assume the presidency. We're told that Templeton's politics more closely resemble those of Bridges, though we're given little clue what those beliefs might be - an early and significant failing of "Commander in Chief" - in contrast with the clearly liberal leanings of President Bartlet over on NBC. Instead we get a taste of Templeton's snarky disposition; played with an unexpected lack of subtlety by Donald Sutherland, a future battle of wits seems less likely than a fight over who has the superior haircut. (I'd vote for Mr. Sutherland's mane over Ms. Davis's bob.)
The new president also has to contend with the question of what to do with her husband, Rod Calloway, who had previously been her chief of staff. Scenes of the new first gentleman (Kyle Secor) touring the White House kitchen and bemoaning the pink furniture of his predecessor's office seemed out of place in the pilot, where time could have been better spent fleshing out more provocative matters of policy. Among other things, "Commander in Chief" appears to be struggling for a proper tone; The balance between humor and portent seemed off in the first episode. So did the presentation of the new president's family life, with her three children coping in predictable ways to their mother's new role. ("You'll be John-John and I'll be Patti Davis," says Allen's eldest daughter to her brother at one point.)
Writer Rod Lurie created last season's quirky and terrific crime drama "Line of Fire" for ABC; he has great storytelling talent, and an ear for vivid and powerful dialogue. Perhaps the pressure from ABC to develop another hit drama for the newly empowered "Desperate Housewives" network led him to make so many obvious choices here; it's much harder to develop bold programming for a successful network than a struggling one, where innovation can often prove the only solution to a ratings crisis. Let's hope that if "Commander in Chief" finds an audience on Tuesday nights, Mr. Lurie will find his footing soon afterward, and a way to deliver an ongoing series with more complexity and vision than the pilot. He's got the skill; now all he needs is the imperative.
***
Last week's season premiere of "Lost" demonstrated what we all knew before the second season even started - that the creative minds behind ABC's amazing show have more entertainment value to offer than the producers of "Threshold," "Invasion," and "Surface" combined. It's still the best show on network television. Contrary to its producers' promises, "Down the Hatch" (or whatever the episode was actually called) answered no questions at all. It merely raised a whole new set of them - deepening the mystery and adding layers of complexity to the show's mystical mythology. My personal favorite new mysteries: Why was the "Quarantine" sign on the inside of the hatch door? And why does Desmond seem partial to the music of Mama Cass? I can't wait for Wednesday night.
