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Commander In Chief Season 1 Episode 16

The Elephant in the Room

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9.3

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 5/31/06

Mac suffers a burst appendix while aboard Air Force One. Since there is no Vice President in place, Templeton becomes acting President since he is the Speaker of the House and next in line. Meanwhile, there is an air strike that is crippling travel on Memorial Day weekend and Templeton ends up overstepping his bounds and handles the situation the way he wants to.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

What happens when Mac faces a health crisis?

8.7

By cookaberry, Aug 15, 2006

Uhoh! Mac's appendix has just burst, and with no Vice President, who will take over the duties of the Oval Office? Donald Sutherland! errr... I mean, Templeton!

One of the more exciting episodes in my opinion. It's quite exciting seeing Mac in the hospital, though it has the feeling of like ER, or some medical show, for a little while. Still it was really exciting to see how much Templeton could screw up in the few hours he was in office. The airline strike had me confused, but there is just some stuff I can't make sense of. One of the better episode, in my opinion.moreless
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good come bakc for this series after the halt of the production

9.6

By raimondo, Jul 18, 2006

with this episode made me feel on the edge on my seat for the full hour. I saw how well written the plot was and how tha actors and directod deliver tous a nerv wracking apisode. Sometimes we forget that our head of state are humans and not imune to death or medial illnes. The lost of a president of the united states has waves or reprecution all over the work in finatial and political territory.moreless
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Getting better and better.

10

By roslin70, Jun 08, 2006

This episode was one of the best ones so far. Showing the real characters in a very good episode. Both Donald Sutherland and Geena Davis had wonderful moments in this episode and the scene when Geena came back to the Oval office to tell Donald off was wonderful. I can't wait to see what happens in the episodes that are left. I can't believe that ABC has cancelled this show! It is one of the best new shows to air on american television for the last couple of years and they cancel it!? I guess it shows that all they want to produce are cheap docusoaps where people dont have to use their brain when they watch it. It's truly a sad development in television. I just hope they do what they are concidering and make some TV movie's of it so you still get to follow what happens.

Bring this show back ABC!!

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Classified tearjerker for ME because I'll be crying when the show is gone!

10

By lovethalis, Jun 05, 2006

After seeing this episode, and how great it was, I see that the person most responsible in the weaker storylines of Commander in Chief, that later trasferred into lower ratings, was indeed Steven Bochco. This episode felt very "Rod Lurie" and brought me back to the show I fell in love with back in September. Dee Johnson did a great job with an excitement and nail-biting episode. Here we have the President gone for a day and a chance to see what Templeton would do given the power he so much desires. We see that he would in no way make as good of a President as Mac. But now, we're down to the wire and Commander in Chief will soon be gone. With such great performances given in this episode, I'd be surprised if ABC doesn't go back on their decision to cancel the show. They would be complete morons not to renew if for a second season!!moreless
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Classic Good vs Evil episode.

8.0

By tiredoldguy, Jun 01, 2006

Once again we have Mac pitted against Templeton. This time the twist is that Templeton gets to be President for a Day.

While acting as the President, Templeton decides to settle an airline strike, and get great face time by going with arbitration which Mac was trying to avoid at all costs.

While the action was good, IMO, the hospital operation sequence was made way to dramatic. If Mac had that much of a problem, I just don't see her getting out of bed the next morning. I mean come on, she was on the operating table for several hours, and had complication while on the table.

Another problem I had is that while Templeton is 'All Powerful' he is not stupid. I just don't believe that 1) he is willing to risk open warfare with a sitting president, and 2) no matter how powerful he is I just don't think he had the ability to get the arbitation set up in one day!

Overall however, not a bad hour of Television.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Caitlin Wachs	Rebecca Calloway
Donald Sutherland	Nathan Templeton
Ever Carradine	Kelly Ludlow
Geena Davis	Mackenzie Allen
Harry J. Lennix	Jim Gardner
Jasmine Jessica Anthony	Amy Calloway

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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James G. MacDonald	Agent Bennett	Guest Star
Cristine Rose	Congresswoman Alice Marlow (R-CA)	Guest Star
Jim Haynie	Congressman Bill Pasternak (R-OH)	Guest Star
Polly Bergen	Kate Allen	Recurring Role
Anthony Azizi	Vince Taylor	Recurring Role
Natasha Henstridge	Jayne Murray	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- The current order for the succession of a President was established by The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, signed by President Harry Truman.
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QUOTES (2)
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- Rod: Don't you do that ever again.
  Mackenzie: I don't think I can. I'm pretty sure I only have one appendix.
  Rod: Smartass.
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- Kate(referring to Mackenzie's office): I don't think you should be in here.
  Templeton: Well, I can appreciate that. But I'm doing work on your daughter's behalf.
  Kate: On your best day, you couldn't replace my daughter. You so much as move a knickknack on this desk, and I'll--
  Templeton: You'll?
  [Silent Pause]
  Kate: I'll call your wife.
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