Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment, HBO
Episodes: 10
Duration: 27 min (per episode) + extras
VEEP: Season 4 (DVD) – Series Review
Each and every one of us find ourselves connected to political drama one way or another. The popular and controversial show Scandal may have added some fire on the fuel and allowed theory crafting. VEEP on the other hand takes that potential theory crafting and mixes it in with comedy without the artificial laughter as we follow the first female president Selina Meyer and her entourage go through the political nightmare.
VEEP is a political satire with a pinch of comedy following the Vice President of the United States (VP in short). The series focuses on the career of Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who has worked her way up from being a senator to Vice President of the United States. In the third season, we found out that the President decided not to run for president for a second time, presenting a golden opportunity for Selina and her entourage. After months of hard work, attending a plethora of debates and fundraisers, Selina finally landed the exclusive title of being the first female President of the United States. The fourth season of VEEP tells us that being a president is a tedious task, especially if you find yourself surrounded by a crew that is utterly brilliant as well as incredibly stupid.
President Meyer finds herself prepping for a state visit with the Israeli Prime Minister, hoping for a peace offer while all hell breaks loose at the White House when it becomes known that there has been a data breach. Standing fully behind her Families First Bill, Selina must somehow find a project that is not worthy of the billions and quickly finds one but life as a President is not easy with an unprepared crew and she fails miserably in her mission to find funding for her bill. Things are more messed up when the Vice President of Selina’s choice, VP Andrew Doyle (Phil Reeves), ups and leaves during convention season. This particular event allows for some chaotic drama in which President Meyer excels at. A few more political dramas has found their way to the crew but Selina is an impatient and outspoken woman that lets nothing deter her from her goal.
Main story aside, there are a few smaller arcs that bring in some of that wanted tension without ever touching the subject of personal dramas. In fact, the one and only personal drama you will find in the series is the rocky mother-daughter relationship President Meyer has with Catherine Meyer (Sarah Sutherland).
Once calling herself the Vice President’s trouble shooter, Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky) has risen up in the ranks, beating her rival Dan Egan (Reid Scott) for the spot of campaign manager. Both passionate workers find themselves in several tight spots causing some hilarious scenes and smaller arcs that contribute to the main storyline.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus does a stellar job portraying the ever-impatient and often insensitive Selina Meyer but the selfish trait of Madame President can also be irritating to some. Oblivious to the ignorance surrounding her causes for some dark comedy in the likes of Charlie from Two and a Half Men. Other than Anna Chlumsky and Reid Scott, there are quite a few other cast members that need to share their screen time with the protagonist in the spotlight. Hugh Laurie, whom is best known for his peculiar role in House M.D., absolutely shines and is the first character in the season that actually charmed us but Tony Hale portraying Gary Walsh, Matt Walsh portraying Mike McLintock and Kevin Dunn playing the every-witty Chief of Staff Ben Cafferty are all wonderful additions. Each character, no matter how small the role, is portrayed in such a passionate way that they almost feel like actual human beings. The amount of traits found in the series truly brings in an unthinkable dynamic.
On a lighter note, the series is incredibly fast-paced and you’ll not be able to multitask while watching an episode unless you have an odd fetish for being confused. In all seriousness, the series packs a punch and it torpedo’s through the storyline never seen before in TV-shows. Miss one episode and you feel like you’ve missed a complete season. While you’re getting comfortable with the idea of a speedy show, the end is already near and you have yet to feel bored.
The DVD-box of the fourth season of VEEP comes with sketchy humorous deleted scenes, extending your view time for another fifteen minutes.
Conclusion
VEEP is not to be compared to comedies such as 2 Broke Girls or Two and a Half Men, although the humor may be comparably dark, nor can it be compared to Scandal. The show simply sets itself apart with the lack of artificial laughter and fast-paced storyline. The crazy amount of character traits brings in an amazing dynamic but it also saddens us when these quirks barely see the spotlight due to the show focusing on one protagonist. The humor in it all is questioning. Is it dark, sexy, dry or simply not there? Personal opinions aside, the series is great in its whole and certainly a great stress-reliever.
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