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‘Designated Survivor’: 5 Reasons why letting Virginia Madsen go is a major mistake

By Cody Schultz

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Photo Credit: Designated Survivor/ABC Image Acquired from Disney ABC Media

When ‘Designated Survivor’ returns for its second season Virginia Madsen’s Kimble Hookstraten will be MIA and whether the writers want to admit it, writing Kimble out of the show is a major mistake on their part!

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Someone start filibustering because we’re going to need to veto the latest Designated Survivor casting move! In an unexpected cast shake-up, fan-favorite Virginia Madsen has revealed that she will not be returning for the second season of ABC’s hit political drama – revealing via Twitter that her character Kimble Hookstraten will not be a part of the show’s new narrative.

"“I won’t be back for Season 2,” Madsen replied to one fan on Twitter who reached out to champion her character, before explaining to another: “I guess they had other stories to tell. It’s a big show, so I wish them well. But I would like return to kick some ass.”"

The news of Madsen’s exit from the show is one that comes as a major surprise as her character played such a crucial role in the show’s first season and was one of the show’s greatest assets. While her time as Speaker of the House had come to a close, Kimble had been brought on as the Secretary of Education towards the end of the season and always remained a fan-favorite candidate for VP – even when the writers began boxing the character into a corner.

While it is not uncommon for young shows to shake things up ahead of their second season – especially when being taken over by a new showrunner as Designated Survivor will be – the idea of losing Virginia Madsen’s Kimble Hookstraten is one that we’re not ready to accept. Kimble played such a key role in the show’s first season and if the writers were to take a step back, they’d realize that the move to cut Kimble is a major mistake – here’s why!

1. Her Story Had Only Just Begun

Let’s be honest, Kimble’s storyline was one of the most interesting aspects of Designated Survivor‘s first season. From the moment she first introduced herself as the other Designated Survivor, an instant intrigue was formed and fans immediately wanted to learn more about this brash congresswoman. Although, we watched her go on a career roller coaster ride throughout the season rising from congresswoman to Speaker of the House and later to Secretary of Education, every twist her story brought added more depth to the character and it feels like there are still so many stories to be told.

2. Kimble Challenges President Kirkman

While the entire cast on the show is great, no character managed to challenge President Kirkman quite like Kimble. She never strayed away from telling it like it was and who doesn’t love a strong independent woman who is unafraid of getting her point across – even when it’s being stated to the most powerful man in the country. If the writers want to keep Kirkman on his toes, they need Kimble around because there wasn’t any other character who challenged him quite like Kimble and the scenes shared between Madsen and Kiefer Sutherland were some of the best Season 1 had to offer.

3. She’s the Perfect Ally

In addition to challenging Kirkman to be the best president he could be, Kimble proved to be a reliable and worth ally to our nation’s newest leader. Sure she may no longer have the power of the House behind her in her new position, but Kimble has proven time and time again to be a voice of good reason and an ally Kirkman can actually trust. While her focus may now be on the educations of the youth of America, her opinions and knowledge of the current state of the nation won’t just disappear and she could continue to be an asset to the Kirkman administration.

4. She was the Most Compelling Female Character on the Show

While the work done by Natascha McElhone (Alex Kirkman), Italia Ricci (Emily Rhodes) and Maggie Q (Agent Wells) was wonderful and enjoyable, there is no denying that Kimble Hookstraten was the most compelling female character on the show. As already mentioned above, Kimble added a needed flare to the show and she was never backed down from a fight. Her introduction on the show immediately pulled us in and every episode she popped up in was better because of her involvement. What made Kimble so compelling – aside from her personality and drive – was the fact that you never really could figure out whose best interests she had in mind. We spent most of the season trying to figure out if Kimble could be trusted and, despite the unknowns of her loyalties, we couldn’t help by to admire and root for the character. Even after she seemed to prove her loyalty to Kirkman, audiences were intrigued by the motives behind each of her actions.

5. Virginia Madsen is a Scene-Stealer Worth Keeping

Perhaps the reason that Designated Survivor‘s decision to write Kimble off stings as much as it does is because it means the show is losing one of its greatest assets in Virginia Madsen. Madsen was an absolute scene-stealer throughout the show’s first season and her portrayal of Kimble was what helped fans fall in love with the character in the first place. Her appearance in a scene immediately pulled you in and no character had quite the memorable one-liners and zingers that Kimble seemed to have. No matter who else was in the room, your eyes immediately went to Madsen as she commanded attention and never failed to deliver!

Designated Survivor returns for its second season Wednesdays this fall on ABC . 

Are you disappointed to hear that Virginia Madsen will not be returning to Designated Survivor when the show returns for Season 2? Do you think the writers are making a major mistake and what are you going to miss most about Kimble? Keep the conversation going in the comments section below!

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