Matt Smith reviews the eighth episode of Veep season three…
Modern American politics, some may argue, has taken face value and image too much into consideration. While TV appearances and book deals appear from all potential world leaders in American politics, there’s a lack of substance that is frankly damaging to the country’s core. An indictment of both politicians and the system of politics in our world today.
It’s in this vein, but with a joke writer, that Veep arrives on our television screens this week. Selina Meyer staff, under the worry of ever growing with the appearance of wellness consultant Ray for a few weeks, has apparently replaced him with a joke writer. A zinger machine. A constant splutterer of one-liners, to be put into use when another politician falls over or accidentally hits the nuclear launch button instead of the alarm.
Selina, representing this idea of modern American politics, has a new haircut. Seemingly more excited about that than the upcoming debate, she walks round her office taking in rounds of applause while forgetting what she’s actually going to say, despite the hilarious role play used by her main staff.
It’s here that Veep really gets stuck in to both the characters and politics itself. As the staff sit around, each playing another candidate for Meyer who has her joke teller annoyingly intervening, the game plans of each opponent plays out like something that could very well happen.
What really should shock, and what really comes as a play out of nowhere, is the objective truth telling by one of the candidates. It takes Meyer by surprise and, probably, took the viewer by mild surprise. Is this an opponent Selina Meyer won’t know how to fight against? In terms of plot, this week’s episode is a step up, a raising of the stakes as the race for the White House gets into a higher gear (to add a third, needless metaphor).
At the end of it all, Selina and Veep once again give us a look at what American politics might very well be like behind closed doors. Another instalment, another set of hilarious (and in this week’s case, purposefully awful) one-liners skewing politics at the end of a stick.
Each week of this new series we get a new bit of the timeline as Selina Meyer moves towards the end of the race. Will she win? The problem being is that there doesn’t seem to be any worry or tension concerning the possibility that she won’t make it to the final votes at this point. What happened earlier in her life? During the opening credits we see another time where Meyer might’ve been President. A breakdown might’ve been entertaining to watch, so will the writers choose a character focused finale or will they keep their focus on the political system?
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Originally published September 9, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
