I have had the chance to watch on DVD ABC’s Commander in Chief—an American political drama television series. It chronicles the rise of the first female US President in the person of Mackenzie Allen (portrayed by Geena Davis). Allen was the Vice President of Teddy Bridges (Will Lyman) when the latter died in office. But it was not easy for Allen to ascend to power, because before President Bridges finally bid goodbye for the world beyond, he asked Allen to resign and to give way to the the Speaker of the House of Representative, Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland). At first, Allen was almost convinced to give way, but when Templeton ridiculed her capacity to lead for being a woman she decided to take her oath of office. And from then on, she amazed her staff, her rivals, and her country with how she responded to all sorts of challenges.

The Commander in Chief is one of the most engaging series that I have seen for quite a long time. I got addicted to it from the time I started playing the first episode up to the final (18th) episode. What makes it engaging is how the series allow televiewers to peek through the White House. It allows us to see the US president’s life up close—from the Oval Office, to the White House kitchen, to her bedroom. Of course, some critics would say that Commander was a copycat of The West Wing shown at ABC’s rival channel, NBC. But then, Commander is more intriguing because the chief executive happens to be a woman.

The lead character is one of the plus factors of this series. For one, Allen is not your predictable president. Each episode gives us a glimpse of how this female US president reacts to challenges in her office. While at first you think you know what she’s up to, on second thought, she does something else—and sometimes truly surprising. Of course, I am also reminded of Hilary Clinton. The grapevine says, this series is in preparation for Senator Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid. But then, that may be just gossip.

The last episode focuses on President Allen’s attempt to amend the Constitution, but we may never know what happens next. The show was unceremoniously put off the air. And that is the sad part.

Watch Out

I don’t know if the following will make it to the Filipino silverscreen, but here are some of the movies we may want to watch:

Wall-E. Here, mankind decides to leave Earth. But nobody remembers to turn the last robot off. And this robot is Wall-E. He then begins discovering what he is meant for, as he adventures across the galaxy chasing his dream. It stars Jeff Garlin, Benjamin Burtt, and Fred Willard. Director is Andrew Stanton.

The Dark Knight.This one is a fitting follow up to “Batman Begins.” Expected to hit the US silverscreen on July 2008, this film reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale. The Dark Knight takes Batman across the world in his quest to fight criminals and its mastermind The Joker (Heath Ledger). Of course, the same old Batman story may be repeated here with a little twist on effects and ammunitions.

Dolphins & Whales Tribes of the Ocean 3D. Now, if you love watching life under the sea, you may want to dive with this new offering from Jean-Michel Cousteau. This documentary will take you to the dazzling coral reefs of the Bahamas, to the warm depths of the waters of the exotic Kingdon of Tonga for a close encounter with the surviving tribes of the ocean. Daryl Hannah narrates the story as the camera captures in 3D the never-before-seen lives and habitat of sea creatures. TY