Crisis, on NBC
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So, I guess the main reason I wanted to check this show out is because Gillian Anderson is in it. Anyway, there's this group of high school kids who are going on a field trip, when suddenly their bus is hijacked and they're all kidnapped. Many of them have rich and/or powerful parents, and one of them, Kyle Devore, is the son of the President of the United States. Another, Amber Fitch (Halston Sage), is the daughter of Meg Fitch (Anderson), CEO of a major company. Another is Beth Ann Gibson, whose father, Francis, was a CIA analyst who some time before the series starts had been screwed over by his own people, given the blame for some botched mission or whatever, when it wasn't his fault. So he lost his job, and was left by his wife and daughter. Another kid is Ian Martinez, who I guess is a good friend of Beth Ann's. And of course there are plenty of other kids.

Francis was one of the chaperones on the field trip, and at first it looks like he's a hostage, along with the kids and one teacher. But we soon learn that he's actually the mastermind of the abduction, though none of the other hostages know this. The interesting thing is not just that he has a right to be pissed at the government, it's that his plan apparently serves a greater purpose. It's not just about revenge, but about righting certain wrongs that are still being perpetrated, even if he has to do some very bad things to accomplish his goals. Basically, this involves proving CIA Director Gabe Widener was responsible for a very immoral and illegal top secret program. Anyway, each week it seems Gibson and his team force at least one kid's parents into doing things to further his agenda, with the promise that he'll release their child if they do what he demands. (And he's good on his word, except with Amber, because apparently Meg is more important to his plans than any of the other parents.) Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to find the hostages, of course. The main people involved in the operation are FBI agent Susie Dunn and Secret Service agent Marcus Finley, who become partners on this case. Dunn is the sister of Meg Fitch (though the two women are estranged). Finley had been part of the team guarding the President's son, when the abduction took place.

And... I'm not sure what else to tell you about the plot. I found the premise interesting from the start, but as the series continued, my interest waned a bit. It had been announced from the start as a limited series (13 episodes), and I definitely think it was worth watching for that long. Of course, as so often happens these days, there was the possibility of the series getting renewed. Except that it didn't. It was announced that it had been cancelled, which really makes no sense to me, because the only way to cancel something that was only meant to last one season is to not show the entire season. And they did show the whole thing. True, there was one little thing at the very end that seemed to leave the door open for it to continue in a second season, but the event was so minor, I'd compare it to the question mark you might see at the end of a cheesy B-movie after the words "The End". The actual storyline for the season was wrapped up fairly tightly, so there's absolutely no need for it to continue... which is, unfortunately, much rarer than it should be, with limited series. So... I really like the fact that this series really was limited, and told a complete story. (Even if it did hedge just a little, in the final moment.) Anyway, I can't really say there was anything specifically wrong with the show, but... meh. I dunno. I guess I just never managed to care about any of the kids. Nor about any of the characters, with the slight exception of Gibson. And I guess I didn't really care much about the story, just the premise. Still, I'm glad I watched it.