Veep: Thanksgiving
May 23, 2016 9:40 AM - Season 5, Episode 5 - Subscribe

It's Turkey Day, and Salmonella Day, and Surgery Day.

Vice President Doyle has to be the face of the administration after Selina has eye surgery that gives her two black eyes, and he leverages it into a play to become Secretary of State. Meanwhile, the death of a New Hampshire congressman means Jonah's uncle has to find an idiot to run against the widow while keeping the seat warm until his son Ezra gets back from Afghanistan, and there's no warmer idiot in all of the Granite State than Jonah Ryan himself. Jim O'Heir (Jerry/Garry/Larry/etc. from Parks and Rec) appears delightfully as Amy's dad.
posted by Etrigan (5 comments total)
 
After the superlative, jaw-dropping brilliance of 'Mother', this wasn't quite as great. However, Ben's line "We need to shut this down like a fucking public school for the arts" got me right where it hurts...
posted by prismatic7 at 2:59 AM on May 24, 2016 [3 favorites]


Given the popularity of minute-by-minute horserace threads over on the blue I continue to be surprised this show doesn't get more love on Fanfare. This wasn't a great episode - I feel like we've seen the "Selena has to be hidden away because of something silly" plot before, maybe more than once, and the holiday thing always kinda feels like a gimmick whenever it appears - but folks who love to gripe about the toxic culture and corrupt, unpleasant people that thrive in DC should be all over this.

Things I liked this time:

The VP on his enlightened management style: "I try not to act like an alcoholic father who's just stepped on a Lego." Then he goes on to a more insidious manipulation and we (finally? he's been so golden boy until now) get to see his own corruption. For zucchini and farmed salmon.

The tiny hotel management running gag with Gary (he's such a hilarious actor), the House is full of prostitute abusers, "it was not a nervous breakdown, more like psychological indigestion," "I love it. Domestic abuse jokes, they just tickle me!" and Thanksgiving dinner at Johah's ("Splett?" Splett.")

It wasn't the best episode, but the satire of idiotic career politicians, while repetitive at this point, is still pretty high level, and consistently offers a half-hour of snorts and giggles and "oh shit what an asshole"s every week. Still one of my must-watch shows, and I bet lots of other political junkies still watch it even if none of us seem compelled to talk about it much.
posted by mediareport at 6:21 AM on May 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


Agreed, mediareport! I watch religiously and immediately added this thread to my activity so I could see what people have to say. (I guess we're just saying "hah!" when we watch.)
posted by Zephyrial at 10:00 AM on May 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Let's talk about it more next week :)
posted by mediareport at 7:25 PM on May 25, 2016


Why do I find it so funny when Richard says his last name? Sam Richardson is just delightful.
posted by amarynth at 8:44 AM on June 6, 2016


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