Commander In Chief Part I

Geena Davis has come a long way since her days on the baseball field in 1992's A League of Their Own. Today, Davis is indeed in a category of her own. At 50-years-old, Davis has made one of the most impressive comebacks. Perhaps not on the movie front–but certainly on the small screen with the ABC hit series Commander In Chief"”this consequently, earned her a Golden Globe award for best performance by an actress in a television drama series. But alas, despite the shows critical success, Commander In Chief was cut off at its umbilical cord due to poor ratings. Which begs the question"”did a female president not resonate with the American people?

If there were problems with the show, they certainly weren't with the show's casting. Producers for the show could not have asked for a better leading lady"”Geena Davis. Davis was a great choice for Madam Mackenzie Allen, President of the United States. The girl's got movie star presence. Her powerful, strong physique goes without saying. Davis was so believable as the first female president, I would've voted for her. Donald Sutherland was amazing in his own right as well–convincingly playing the corrupt, conniving and sly Nathan Templeton and Speaker of the House of Representatives. Watching Davis and Sutherland was like watching a friendly duel in the form of a slow death waltz. It was as if you could feel the tension between them, it was beyond palpable. One thing is for sure, their personal vendetta’s for each other were always so well concealed.

Other main characters such as the president's husband, Rod Calloway (Kyle Secor) and the president's Chief of Staff, Jim Gardner (Harry J. Lennix) amongst others, were equally as talented and intriguing to watch. The daily controversies and backstabbing was icing on the cake to an already beautifully crafted political drama.

Personally I think Commander In Chief was a provocative and compelling show. Never before has television cinema tackled such an unknown political atmosphere. Producers executed Commander In Chiefwith a delicateness and poise that seemed to work for some people, but unfortunately not all. The show may have struck a nervous chord spawned by rumors Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to run for the 2008 elections as a primary democratic candidate. You be the judge.

Even if you don't care for Davis, Sutherland or anyone else from the cast, you can't say it wasn't a gutsy show after all. I'm not even a real fan of Davis or Sutherland myself. Don't get me wrong, I always admired their work. After watching Commander In Chief I now have a new appreciation–not only for these fine illustrious actors, but for political dramas. I genuinely liked this show. I

only wished it had stayed on the air long enough for people to see its true promise.

As someone who's rather lackadaisical about politics and especially political dramas in general, Commander In Chief was a pleasant surprise. I had initially had my doubts about Commander In Chief but with every new episode, I grew to like it even more. As the plot thickened, so did my interest.

DVD Grade: B

Overall Grade: B