by Jon Partridge
John Nance Garner once famously described the Vice-Presidency as being “not worth a bucket of warm piss”. For three years, Armando Iannucci’s HBO series has reinforced this sentiment. A brilliant satire of the US political system delivered by a marvelous ensemble headed by Julia Louise Dreyfus as Vice-President Selina Meyer. The fourth season of the show shook up the format and thrust Meyer and her hapless staff into the limelight as a resignation leads to her taking on the highest office in the land. Her influence now exceeds that of a bucket of warm piss, but her abilities remain as hilariously inept as before. With season 5 approaching on April 24th, HBO is releasing Season 4 on home video just in time for you to get reacquainted with the Meyer administration.
VEEP Season 4
Having become president after her predecessor stepped down, it remains to be seen whether her term will outlast that of America’s shortest-serving president, William Henry Harrison. With the stakes for Selina and her team higher than ever before, she must still run for election, and over the course of the season’s 10 episodes they will grapple with how to make her seem “presidential.” The series, created by Oscar® nominee Armando Iannucci, features an ensemble cast including Emmy® nominee Anna Chlumsky, Reid Scott, Matt Walsh, Timothy C. Simons, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, and new series regular Sam Richardson. Recurring guests this season include Hugh Laurie, Patton Oswalt, and Sarah Sutherland.
Season 4 deals with Selena Meyer’s elevation to the Presidency. The public doesn’t show much faith in her ability to lead the country and neither does her party. Her taking office comes towards the end of her predecessor’s term, so while coming to grips with her new role, she’s forced to engage in a primary season where, as sitting President, she isn’t even considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
From one perspective, everything has changed, from another, nothing has. Gone are the days of being kept at arms length from the President and used as a glorified PR puppet. Meyer takes on real power, but brings with her the baggage and fixations that so often threatened to derail her career in the past. The fallout from something as simple as a questionable outfit, to a faux pas with an overseas ambassador can no longer be swept under the rug, instead they are amplified into an international incident.
Veep portrays the West Wing as a workplace much like any other, susceptible to bickering, backstabbing and juvenile behavior. What has beggared belief before is cranked up a notch, layers of political maneuvering, pithy banter and backstabbing as the stakes are higher than ever. Meyer’s staffers have raised their game, and worryingly their ambition, since tasting real power.
The mistakes that form the core of each episode usually end with shifting of the blame, one staffer falling on their sword to shield the President, who remains as self-absorbed as ever. This time with things being more serious there are longer lasting repercussions, a buildup of resentment and shifting of allegiances as the season progresses. It all comes to a head at the season’s climax as the group turn on each other. It’s an impeccably crafted season that rolls into a finale which brings about perhaps the biggest clusterfuck imaginable in US politics.
Veep has assembled a pitch perfect cast who fully inhabit their characters. Julia Louise Dreyfus (deservedly) gets plenty of praise but from the supporting cast to recurring characters, there is pure talent throughout the show. Any showrunner would be thankful to have the talents of Anna Chlumsky, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Tony Hale or Gary Cole at their disposal. To have them all and more is an embarrassment of riches. Season 4 takes several twists and turns with the shifting makeup of the President’s staff and as such the ensemble changes, pairing up regulars with new characters which only serves to highlight how great they are even when pushed outside of their usual dynamic. There is notable fresh blood, too. Hugh Laurie most significant as Tom James, Selena’s new running mate who proves infinitely more likeable and capable. Lennon Parham is head-bangingly hilarious as Karen Collins, a sycophant of the highest order that fills a void in the crumbling administration, while Patton Oswalt takes his role by the balls (literally) as Teddy Sykes, Chief of Staff to the current VP.
Armando Ianucci continues to showcase his phenomenal grasp of both politics and satire here with razor sharp writing delivered by a one of the best ensembles on TV at breakneck pace. I’ve previously praised his magnificent In the Loop, which I do not hesitate to recommend, not just to Veep fans but anybody with a modicum of good taste. He continues his evisceration of politics but as comical as the characters and situations get, it never feels anything other than utterly believable. The frustration, the gridlock, the self-serving nature and ineptitude in Washington are all laid bare. As ludicrous as things get, as buffoonish as people see, it all feels so believable. The hallmark of good satire.
THE PACKAGEVeep is stylistically reminiscent of The West Wing, primarily being a walk and talk style affair through the corridors of power, occasionally taking in a courtroom, office or photo opportunity at some American local. As such it’s not the most visually exciting of shows, but the transfer is a crisp one. Good detail, flashes of color pop and no visible issues.
Special features are limited to around 20 minutes of deleted scenes spread over the two discs and a digital UV copy of the series. Frankly disappointing considering the better offerings in this week’s similar release for Silicon Valley.
THE BOTTOM LINEDespite a rather lackluster set of special features, Veep remains a must buy. The cast, the writing and show as a whole shine as one of the smartest political satires not only on American TV right now, but to ever grace our screens. A truly exceptional comedy.
Veep Season 4 is available April 19th, 2016 on Blu-ray and DVD
Get it at Amazon:
VEEP Season 4 — [Blu-ray] | [DVD] | [Instant]