Though this most recent fall season didn't boast the third season premiere for the political drama Designated Survivor, it's definitely still on the way thanks to Netflix. Fans should get pumped, too, with new cast members finally getting announced. NCIS and Motive vet Lauren Holly has been added for a key role in Season 3, and the well-cast Designated Survivor has also tapped The L.A. Complex's Benjamin Watson to play another new character.
Almost surprisingly, quite a bit of interesting information was revealed about Lauren Holly's character. For Designated Survivor, she'll recur as Lynn Harper, the struggling wife of Mars Harper, the new Chief of Staff for Kiefer Sutherland's President Tom Kirkman. The daughter of a famed Virginia senator, Lynn is aiming to get her husband to spend more time at home, which is obviously an impossibility, given his right-hand-man position for the POTUS.
Lynn had previously face back surgery, which get her up close and personal with pain medication. As it happens, she got a little too dependent on the meds, and is now dealing with an opiate addiction. It'll be interesting to see how closely Lynn's issues compare with the ongoing national opiate crisis.
Meanwhile, we have up-and-coming actor Benjamin Watson as the twenty-something Dontae Evans, a Digital Officer who has a full handle on all things Internet-related, making him a standout within the Administration. According to Deadline, he's smart, and he's not afraid to be as outspoken as he needs to be.
Having recently come out as gay, Dontae isn't extremely close with his family. However, he suffers no lack of self-confidence because of it, and he isn't afraid to voice opposition to President Kirkman's policies and opinions. Least of all when it comes to the Administration's lack of attention to black citizens and the LGBTQ communities.
It should be a fairly topical year for Tom Kirkman and his crew. For Netflix, Season 3 will focus on the campaign trail as Kirkman seeks to see how well he fares when democracy comes into play, when he won't be able to land the big job due to a White House attack. The season will break down how smear tactics and dirty dealing can affect things, with "fake news" even getting some of the focus.
Designated Survivor had previously cast another veteran of a major network drama, with ER's Anthony Edwards, who joined Transformers vet Julie White. Here's hoping they can land someone from Law & Order or CSI next.
Also known for films such as Dumb & Dumber, Lauren Holly's TV career has been a lengthy one. She had some big mainstream success thanks to the oddball CBS drama Picket Fences, and later moved on to Chicago Hope. For several seasons, she recurred as Jenny Shepard on NCIS, and went on to star in the Canadian drama Motive. She more recently had appearances in Lucifer and Good Witch.
Designated Survivor will return to fans for Season 3 at some point in 2019, with an exact release date yet to be announced.While waiting to see when it'll air, head to our fall TV premiere schedule and our Netflix premiere rundown.
