Designated Survivor season 1 episode 5 will not air on 19 October

In episode 4, Tom Kirkman had to deal with threats of both the international and domestic kind.

Designated Survivor ABC — Kiefer Sutherland plays US President Tom Kirkman on ABC's new political drama Designated Survivor. ABC

President Tom Kirkman is preparing for war. Or that is what we would like to believe as the reason why this Wednesday's (19 October) episode of Designated Survivor has been cancelled. It will, however, resume with episode 5 on 26 October.

Last week, in episode 4 titled The Enemy, Kirkman had to deal with threats of both the international and domestic kind. After using a show of force to control the threat of communal riots, the president turned his attention to find the true culprit behind the attack on the Capitol.

Majid Nassar of the terrorist group Al-Sakar released a video claiming responsibility for the bombing and was later traced to Algeria. Kirkman first tried to handle the situation diplomatically by asking the Algerian president to arrest the terrorist but the leader denied having any knowledge that Nassar was hiding in his country.

After an abducted US operative's body was released, it was time for the Commander in Chief to take stronger action. The synopsis for The Mission reads: President Kirkman attempts diplomacy with Algeria but fails, forcing him to make a difficult decision that will define his years in the White House. Meanwhile, more secrets than answers are uncovered as Hannah continues her investigation into the Capitol bombing.

In the upcoming episode, 20 Navy Seals will be deployed in Algeria to capture Nassar. In the trailer, we see Kirkman having a conversation with the leader of the team, who assures him that they are the best at what they do.

In another part of Washington, FBI agent Hannah is set to discover more about the lone survivor of the Capitol bombing. Every time she believes he is innocent, she finds new information that could point to his involvement in the attack.

To find out how Kirkman's first military offensive goes, watch episode 5 of Designated Survivor on Wednesday 26 October at 10/9pm CT. You can also catch the show live online on the network's official website.