Designated Survivor Recap 11/30/16: Season 1 Episode 8 “The Results”

Designated Survivor Recap 11/30/16: Season 1 Episode 8 "The Results"

Tonight on ABC their new conspiracy thriller Designated Survivor airs with an all-new Wednesday, November 30, 2016, episode and we have your Designated Survivor recap below. On tonight’s Designated Survivor season 1 episode 8, Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) deals with fallout from a leaked report of Majid Nassar’s death.

Did you watch last week’s Designated Survivor where President Kirkman negotiated a hostage exchange involving the CIA, the Russian government, and an American track-and-field coach?  If you missed the episode we have a full and detailed Designated Survivor recap, right here.

On tonight’s Designated Survivor as per the ABC synopsis, “On the eve of the country voting to elect a new House of Representatives, an unexpected development forces Kirkman to consider canceling the elections entirely. Meanwhile, news has leaked about Majid Nassar’s death, and Kirkman has to handle the fallout.”

So make sure to come back to this spot between 10PM – 11PM ET for our Designated Survivor recap.  While you wait for our recap make sure to check out all our Designated Survivor recaps, spoilers, news & more!

Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!

#DesignatedSurvivor starts with Nassar’s body being prepared for burial. An army man tapes the procedure. His body is loaded into a helicopter that takes off. Seth tells the press corps about the elections for the House of the Representatives and says please get out and vote.

Seth is asked about a flu breakout and then one guy asks if Nassar is dead. Chaos breaks out in the press room. Aaron was listening and Emily comes in too. The reporter says a source at an airbase told him he was dead. Seth has no choice but to confirm but denies any talk of torture.

Aaron and Emily run in panicking and Kirkman says he and Seth talked about this. Aaron says they have to address this. He says Atwood will be there soon to talk. Hannah looks at photos of the suspect and a guy comes in asking about Atwood but then he shows up.

Kimble is angry

Hannah heads to his office and asks if Luke is okay. He lies and says he was just at a friend’s house. He denies there being anything to it. Hannah says she’s there for him. She sees two phones on his desk and one buzzes. He asks for privacy and she leaves.

Atwood says look into the Wettle case. She asks why but he won’t say. The blackmailer calls and says to wait in your office and Luke will be okay. He’s terrified. Hannah asks Tom to get her stuff on the Wettle case so she can keep on task.

Kimble asks why she wasn’t told about Nassar and he says it’s being investigated but they don’t know what happened. He says it’s bad and he knows it but they need to focus on the elections and rebuilding the company.

Crisis after crisis

Kimble agrees to help get the Congress seated then she leaves. Aaron comes in and says it’s an emergency. He has someone from the CDC with him – there’s a synthetic toxin that’s been released. It’s ricin. It’s an act of bioterrorism.

A group updates Kirkman on the Kansas City victim and they don’t seem to be related. Homeland Secuirty is working on her and Emily wonders if it’s Al Sakar seeking retribution for Nassar’s death. Mike walks Leo into school and a reporter accosts Leo and says Kirkman isn’t his father.

Mike has the guy hauled away. Mike says crazy stuff happens and advises him to ignore the rumors. Leo goes into school. Atwood gets another school and is told to go to his car. He demands proof of life. She hands Luke the phone. He says hi to his dad.

Hannah stalks her boss

Atwood is sent to an old abandoned factory and Hannah follows at a distance. He goes inside and she creeps up to follow. Atwood gets onto an elevator and Hannah takes the stairs to the roof. She looks down on him talking and pulls out a camera.

The woman hands Atwood a paper and says do this when you meet with Kirkman. He says no. She says he has an hour and his son will be safe at home – or not. Atwood says they won’t get away with it but she walks off. Someone spots Hannah on the roof through a scope. It’s a guy in a car.

Kirkman talks to his wife about the ricin attack. Leo comes home – he skipped school. He asks if he’s his real father. He says a reporter asked him at school. Kirkman asks him to sit but Leo won’t and asks why a reporter said that. Alex tries to calm him down.

Voter ricin

Leo asks if they know who’s kid he is. He storms out. Alex says give him a second. Kirkman gets a call about the ricin and they found the link. They are all poll workers and the ricin was put on voting machines. Kirkman says it’s an attack on the election.

Kirkman meets with his team and they worry if all the machines can be vetted. Kirkman wants to find a way to save the election. Aaron says they need to try. PTOSU agrees. He says to put together a joint task force and mobilize them immediately.

He says to keep it out of the press. Kirkman tells Seth about the reporter confronting Leo. Seth says he’ll find out what happened. Hannah runs out of the warehouse and sees Atwood’s car is gone. Her phone rings and it’s Tom. He says the Wettle case was closed eight years ago.

Atwood at the White House

He says a drug cartel kidnapped someone’s kid to get off at trial. It worked. Atwood was leaving her a bread crumb. Tom helps Hannah track Atwood and they realize he’s headed to the White House. Hannah takes off to try and intercept him.

Ricin has made the news and Seth talks to the lady reporter about the Leo story. She says she killed it but that doesn’t mean someone else looked into it. Seth says Jared works for her paper and he walks away annoyed.

Hannah pulls up at the White House after Atwood but they won’t let her in. Hannah calls Atwood and leaves a voice mail telling him she looked into the Wettle case and can help him. He doesn’t listen to it and heads in to talk to Kirkman.

Atwood arrested

Kirkman asks for answers about Nassar. He says the guy was poisoned and he did it. Kirkman asks what is he saying. Atwood confesses again. Kirkman asks why would he do it. He says he knew they wouldn’t get anything from him so he did it for his country and family.

He said his son shouldn’t have to live in a world with that kind of evil. He says he acted alone. He tells Kirkman to press the button and he kneels. Secret Service comes in and surrounds him with guns drawn. They hustle Kirkman out and then arrest Atwood.

POTUS meets with Aaron and Emily and the toxicology screen supports his confession. Kirkman says it doesn’t make sense. He says to reach out to Atwood’s colleagues and then he’s told Walter Lynch is the ricin poison suspect and has been arrested.

More bad news

They found ricin and a list of polls in his house and he posted anti-government messages on social media. Aaron wants to go public but then he’s told he’s part of the Liberty Defenders and other members of the group might have poisoned other machines.

POTUS gets another update that one of the poll workers just died from the toxin. Seth brings Jared to the White House who’s excited to be there. Seth says he will be banned for life if he ever sandbags the President’s son again.

Jared says Lisa gave him the tip and told him to run with it. Seth kicks him out. Hannah can’t find a match for the woman’s photo. Hannah gets a call from Aaron and he asks her to come to the White House on urgent business about Nassar’s death.

Big results

Aaron, Emily and Seth come see POTUS to decide about the election. Seth says they have to have the election. Kirkman says only one person can poison a station and infect thousands. POTUS wants to have a press conference and Aaron says an election has never been canceled.

Alex comes in and says she has the paternity test results but Leo wants to talk to him alone. She says she didn’t look at it and hands him the envelope. Kirkman says he’s afraid he’s going to lose his son. She hugs him. He goes to see his son.

Kirkman says he doesn’t need to open it because he’s his son from the day he was born and that doesn’t change anything for him. He tells Leo he’ll always be his father and never mentioned it because it didn’t matter to him but it might matter to him so he’s sorry.

Test results

Kirkman slides the envelope over to him and says open it or don’t and I respect your choice but I love you. Leo says he has homework to do. Kirkman listens to the news about the woman that died. Her daughter is speaking and says her mother wanted to help the elections.

He sees a photo of her and then Seth tries to calm the press that has been waiting. Kirkman shows up 45 minutes late. He greets the press and says law enforcement is working on it but many Americans are still scared. He says one poll worker lost her life.

He says many poll workers were scared and didn’t show up, but she did. Kirkman says he just spoke to her daughter and says her mother would not have let fear stop her from carrying out her civic duty. He says he’s been advised to cancel but she inspired him.

POTUS comes clean

He says the elections will go forward as planned and he will vote tomorrow as well. He says we owe it to Mindy and others that gave their life to protect their democracy. He says we can’t and won’t live in fear. Kirkman tells Kimble about Atwood’s confession.

MacLeish is there too. POTUS says they’re checking into Atwood’s confession. Kimble says the new Congress can investigate but MacLeish says that’s not a good idea. Kirkman disagrees. Lisa greets Seth and he confronts her about lying.

Lisa says she didn’t run with the story and says it’s news. She says she likes him but she won’t choose him over the truth. Hannah gets a text from an unknown number that says tell Mr Shore nothing. She sits down with Aaron and he tells her about Atwood’s confession.

Leo thinks about the results

Hannah says that’s not possible. Hannah is visibly upset and Aaron asks to help them understand why he murdered Nassar. She asks to see Atwood but is told no. Tom traces the text that she got. He has someone hacking it for him. He gives her a phone number.

Leo talks to Mike and worries about his dad voting at the polls tomorrow. Mike tells him his dad called him every day to check on him after he joined the Secret Service. Leo says he knows what he’s doing but Mike says his dad made him who he is today.

Mike says he didn’t know him until he was three and his mom married him. He says he never met his bio-dad. He says those tests don’t tell you who your dad is, just biology. Leo looks at the envelope and considers it.

Election day

It’s election day and Kirkman is ready. He and Alex head to the polls talking about Leo. Neither knows if he opened the test results. Kirkman says when he took the oath of office the only thing he was scared of was what it might do to the family.

Alex says their new house can’t hold any secrets. They pull up at the poll. Kirkman gets out smiling with Alex and his staff and they all go out to vote. Inside, it’s pretty empty. Seth says maybe it’ll pick up later. Aaron isn’t so sure.

Kirkman talks to Alex about the election once they’re back home. He worries about electing a Congress with so few voters. Leo comes in and looks upset. He says he couldn’t sleep last night with that in his room and hands back the envelope.

The results are in

Leo says he doesn’t need to open it, he knows he’s his dad. They hug it out. Leo leaves and Alex says he’s her son and Kirkman says not funny. Aaron comes to get POTUS. Kirkman opens the envelope. He reads the results.

Kirkman sees the news that the election has picked up and most say it’s because POTUS went to vote. Seth calls it a victory for democracy. Kirkman meets with Lisa and offers her the test results and says he’s his son’s biological father. He lets her stay in the press corps.

Lisa is happy to still have her credentials but Seth is cold to her. Hannah calls the anonymous texter who won’t meet her but tells her to look into 11:14 pm. MacLeish goes to see Kimble and tells her he won’t support an investigation.

MacLeish meets the blackmailer

Kimble realizes that MacLeish is hoping that Kirkman will fail and he’ll land in the White House. Kimble says when she takes him down, she’ll take MacLeish down with him. The blackmailer meets MacLeish and she says stay on top of fallout and further investigation.

She tells him he’s a heartbeat away from the presidency. He asks how many more people need to be destroyed and she says just one. She walks off.

THE END!