Will there be of Designated Survivor season 4? Renewal possibilities explored

Designated Survivor season 4 isn’t likely to happen anytime soon despite the show’s popularity. The political thriller premiered on ABC in 2016 and received rave reviews for its layered narrative. It was followed by a second season in 2017. However, the network decided not to proceed with the third installment.

Netflix then acquired the rights to the series in 2018 and renewed it for the third season, which hit screens on June 7, 2019. Unfortunately, season 3 marked the end of the show as the streaming platform decided against going ahead with Designated Survivor season 4.

The series centered on Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who becomes the US President under unprecedented circumstances.. The cast included Natascha McElhone as Alex Kirkman, Adan Canto as Alan Shore, Kal Penn as Seth Wright and Italia Ricci as Emily Rhodes. Designated Survivor was produced by Richard Klein, Ann Kindberg and Tommy Burns.

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Why did Netflix cancel Designated Survivor season 4?

Streaming platforms usually cancel shows if their viewership isn’t up to the mark, but this wasn’t the case here. Designated Survivor was one of Netflix’s most-watched shows and impressed the audience with its twists and turns. However, the fourth season didn't fall through as Netflix had 1-year contracts with the actors.

In 2019, Sutherland confirmed this on Scala Radio, saying:

“The reality is, because the contracts were so complicated and different from network television to Netflix, they didn't book a lot of the actors who were on the show and they took other jobs."

Sutherland added he didn’t blame his co-stars for moving on to other assignments after wrapping up Designated Survivor season 3.

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What would have happened on Designated Survivor season 4?

Designated Survivor season 3 ended with Tom Kirkman returning to power despite the odds being stacked against him. Aaron Shore joined him as the Vice-President. However, in a shocking development, Emily Rhodes learned that Kirkman had suppressed information to paint Cornelius Moss, his fiercest rival, as the villain.

Designated Survivor season 4 would have further explored Kirkman’s transformation from a naive family guy to a manipulative politician. It may also have given viewers a look at Shore’s changed equation with him. Kirkman’s son Leo was also possibly returning from abroad, only to realize that his father was a changed man.

However, Emily’s attempts at trying to come to terms with Kirkman's questionable actions would arguably have been the most intriguing aspect of Designated Survivor season 4 had it materialized.

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Is Designated Survivor worth watching?

Designated Survivor holds an approval rating of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 63 reviews.

The critics' consensus reads:

"Kiefer Sutherland skillfully delivers the drama in Designated Survivor, a fast-paced, quickly engrossing escapist political action fantasy."

The second season holds a much lower approval rating of 60 percent. The critics' consensus reads:

“Kiefer Sutherland remains commanding enough in Designated Survivor to get him re-elected, but this White House series' escalating earnestness may strike viewers as glaringly naive.”

Designated Survivor season 3 also holds a mediocre approval rating of 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews. However, the critics’ consensus isn’t available.

Meanwhile, the show has an IMDb rating of 8.1 based on 3,524 votes.

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All three seasons of Designated Survivor are available to stream on Netflix. Viewers also have the option to purchase them from Amazon Prime Video and Vudu if they don’t have access to the streaming service.