5 Reasons ‘Veep’ is the Best Show on TV
Washington, D.C. is a cesspool. This I hope we can agree on, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, socialist or libertarian. Nowhere else in the country will you find so many narcissistic vampires solely focused on advancing their own self-interest, everyone else be damned.
Which brings us to Veep, HBO’s hilarious and brilliant comedy currently wrapping up its fifth season. Veep’s not the first show to take aim at America’s political system—but none have done so as cleverly.
The basic premise: Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Selina Meyer, the foul-mouthed, constantly trampled-on Vice President of the United States who hates the first word in her title and has big eyes for her boss’ chair. She and her staff of egocentric nincompoops do eventually make it into the Oval Office, but not without multiple stumbles along the way.
That’s the synopsis, though it doesn’t do the show’s genius justice. Veep is the best show on TV. Here are five reasons why.
1. Because Julia Louis-Dreyfus is one of the best comedic performers. Ever.
JLD has been awarded four Emmys for her role on Veep, and for good reason. There’s not another actress in the world who could turn Meyer into the character that she is—astute, but also a buffoon; awful, but also likable and sympathetic.
One moment she’s lobbing a chain of terrifyingly obscene threats at a congressman.
The next she’s unable to control her giddiness upon hearing that she’s finally about to become the President of the United States.
The delivery, the facial expressions, the way she seems to always know exactly how to contort her body ever so slightly so the emotion she’s trying to convey feels so real—Seinfeld fans will recognize this talent, but that she’s figured out how to channel all that into another character is what separates her from the rest.
2. Because never have writers succeeded in packing so many A+ jokes into a 30-minute slot.
Forget the visuals. Want to know why the show is so damn good? Just take a few minutes and listen to some of these one-liners.
The hardest part about watching Veep is making sure you don’t laugh so hard at the initial punchline that you miss the even funnier tag to the joke that comes just seconds later.
3. Because sometimes it feels too real.
Veep is the perfect satire. Clearly preposterous, yet also a solid portrayal of life in DC with just a touch of obvious exaggeration. I have no doubt that these career-obsessed egomaniacs are exactly the people we’d meet if given a peek behind DC’s curtain, and that clips like this are a fair representation of how these people make decisions:
4. Because there are no political parties.
The smartest call Veep’s writers ever made was electing not to have political ideology become a part of the show. In this world, abortion isn’t an issue you’re pro or against; it’s a landmine you try to successfully navigate without losing your job. The words “Democrat” or “Republican” are never mentioned in the series, and at no point is there even a hint as to which party Meyer is a part of. Doesn’t matter. In Veep, all anyone cares about is themselves.
5. Because the only way to stay sane during an election season like the current one is to make fun of the whole process.
Without jumping too deep into the shark-infested waters of political discourse, it’s safe to say that politics suck right now. Yes, they’ve always been depressing and yes, there was that time way back when that a senator beat one of his colleagues with a walking cane. But the ongoing presidential campaigns have been—and are going to be—even more infuriating and torturous than anything we’ve seen before.
If laughter is indeed the best medicine, we’re going to need a lot of it over the next few months. One way to power through it: watch as much Veep as you possibly can.
