Asia learned a hard lesson in “The Last Ball on Earth”: the pride of helping the rest of the queens execute their visions is nothing next to the dread of elimination, or the shame of presenting a look you can’t stand behind to one of your childhood favorites (in Asia’s case, Tisha Campbell Martin). That lesson is…
What does a comedy owe its audience? Ultimately, comedies are judged on whether they make people laugh, but what happens when those laughs come at the expense of character and canon? At the expense of viewers’ common sense? After five strong seasons, Veep has struggled this year, unable to build up the momentum and…
Selina Meyer was a terrible president. She had no clear agenda, she dithered over what should have been easy decisions, and every significant accomplishment or morally sound choice she made was driven by self-interest. Veep may have started with Selina as a well-intentioned but powerless figurehead, but as soon as she…
When Selina agreed in “Justice” to attend Gary’s fortieth birthday party back home in Alabama, the idea was a tantalizing one: a full episode centered on Gary and his background, with Selina stranded among Walshes and unable to escape. Whether the writers would follow through on that idea and actually show the party…
Veep may be Selina Meyer’s story, but over the past few seasons, Jonah Ryan has risen through the ensemble to become arguably the show’s second lead. As real world politics have grown increasingly absurd, the notion of the incompetent and odious Jonah not only surviving, but thriving in D.C. has become depressingly…
In a rather impressive display of shooting the remnants of her career in the foot (figuratively, unlike Jonah’s hilarious, literal mishap in “Camp David”), Selina returns to global politics in “Qatar” and manages to not only sacrifice any goodwill she may have earned for herself in “Georgia,” but also burn bridges…
Poor Selina. She may be a terrible person and an even worse mother, but when Selina spends “Chicklet” lovingly reminiscing about her father, only to discover lies and betrayal hiding behind each memory, it’s hard not to feel for her. It’s impressive that six seasons in, Veep can still prompt such sympathy for its…
Selina has spent the season searching for what the next phase of her life will be. “Omaha” and “Library” showed her rocky attempts at championing the increasingly nebulous Meyer Fund; Selina is clearly not suited to charity work. “Georgia” gave her another path to pursue, becoming involved in international politics…
Reunited, and it feels so good. Veep has been struggling somewhat in its sixth season, with Selina listless in her new role as ex-president and the rest of the ensemble scattered to the winds. “Georgia” contrives to bring the far-flung characters back together, restoring the pairings that have worked best in the past…
Fresh off of having her hopes of returning to public office dashed in “Omaha,” Selina finds new purpose in “Library,” setting her sights on building a presidential library commemorating her brief, but historic presidency. One episode into this likely season-long project, Selina is already taking $20 million…
Veep closed out its terrific fifth season by having Selina Meyer lose her presidential campaign and return to civilian life, a bold shake-up that presented a significant but intriguing challenge for the series moving forward. Then the 2016 election defied expectations and presented the Veep team with a new and much…
Alternate reality episodes are among the most reliable and popular genre television standbys. The cast gets a chance to break out of their typical performance styles, the writers can indulge what-if scenarios, and everyone, audience included, is given a little space from whatever drama has been driving the narrative.…
Television’s golden age of white male antiheroes may finally be over, but pessimism still reigns on TV. The shows with the largest audiences and the most critical buzz are overwhelmingly grim, gritty dramas that feature self-destructive protagonists or are set in cold and unforgiving worlds. From HBO’s new crime drama …
Since the season four finale, Veep fans have been preparing for the twist teased throughout season five, Tom James’ finagling of Constitutional fine print to become the acting president after neither Selina nor Senator O’Brien manage to be elected by the House of Representatives. Instead, showrunner David Mandel goes…
All season, Veep has shown Catherine lurking in the background of scenes, filming Selina’s staff for her documentary. Catherine has caught a number of embarrassing or incriminating scenes on camera and fans have speculated all season whether she would leak the damning footage or whether the Chinese hackers would…
Veep has had an incredibly strong fifth season so far, maintaining the show’s distinct voice and rhythms despite its change in showrunner. Unfortunately, the season hits its first tonal speedbump with “Camp David,” as Selina heads off to the famed retreat for a family getaway, her vacation a cover for secret…
Television loves a black tie event, an opportunity for the cast of a given series to dress to the nines and mingle, dancing or escaping the hubbub for a quick word in private. Given its setting, Veep has shown surprisingly few galas and state dinners, but those it has—season two’s “Helsinki” and season four’s “East…
In “Thanksgiving,” Veep introduced the idea of Jonah Ryan running for Congress and already, it’s paying comedic dividends. There are several ways the writers could have gone with this new arc, making Jonah surprisingly adept at campaigning or insecure and tentative in his new role. Instead, he’s the same defensive,…
On paper, “The Miracle” looks like a great capper to what has been a promising first season of The Path. Eddie and Sarah trade positions in the narrative, Eddie presented with spiritual truths he can’t deny and Sarah stripped of her faith in Cal and the new phase of Meyerism. Hawk commits to the movement, resignedly…
