Binge Watch is a new, collaborative column in which our contributors take turns recounting a season (or several seasons) of a series that they have just binge-watched. We begin with the first two seasons of HBO’s Veep.
Veep (HBO)
Where to binge: Seasons 1 and 2 available on HBO On Demand
Until last week, Veep lived comfortably in my mind’s “I’ll Get To It Eventually TV” world. It had a nice house right beside Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, and the old crotchety neighbor down the street, The Wire. This is a place made up of all of the shows my friends and family have been raving about for years, but I’ve long neglected due to time (or interest) restraints.
Over the course of just a few days, my wife and I devoured the two seasons of HBO’s critically-acclaimed comedy gem, Veep. Of course, the only problem is that once you’ve seen a show like this, you instantly become another voice in the annoying choir singing to the high-heavens that everyone must watch this show! So, at least you’ve been warned.
Veep marks another chapter in the television run of Seinfeld and New Adventures of Old Christine vet Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a former U.S. senator who runs for president, suffers an embarrassing and as-yet-unexplained public embarrassment, and “settles” for becoming vice president. The show follows the Veep as she interacts with Washington, D.C., politicians and lobbyists and tries to manage her increasingly semi-incompetent staff. The ongoing riffs about the Veep’s insecurity and often overlooked political prowess are what drives most of the jokes in any given episode.
In a role tailored perfectly to her comedic stylings, Dreyfus is a delight, bouncing back and forth between playing a wounded politico and confident (vice) leader of the world. Whether she’s ripping into one of her assistants or, in the show’s best running gag, asking each day if the president has called for her (spoiler: he hasn’t), Dreyfus handles each line reading as if it were her own stand-up routine. And amazingly, in Dreyfus’ hands, the trials and tribulations of a vice president actually seem relatable: she’s a single mother of a college-aged daughter trying to figure things out. She just has to do all of this while overseeing the rescue of American hostages in foreign countries.
The story lines from the first two seasons have been all over the map: Veep uses her daughter’s birthday party to stage a budget negotiation, Veep gives her support to Israel while standing in front of a roasting pig at a North Carolina barbecue, etc. But this tactic also keeps the viewer invested in Selina and her circle. That circle, including My Girl’s Anna Chlumsky as chief of staff and Arrested Development vet Tony Hale as bag man, is turning into one of TV’s best ensembles. The ongoing story line about Mike the Press Secretary’s financial troubles provides consistent laughs over the first two seasons, and Hale — affectionately remembered for his portrayal of Buster Bluth — is the star of almost every scene he’s in.
Where does Veep stand in the history of TV comedies? Too early to tell. But this one feels right. Drawing inspiration from some great shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Party Down, and the aforementioned Arrested Development, Veep seems to be moving full-speed ahead. As with all binge watches, it’ll be difficult to stomach the week-to-week wait for new episodes now that I’m caught up. But I plan to be there each step of the way.
Veep returns for season 3 on Sunday, April 6, on HBO.