‘Veep’ finds laughs while wandering away from the White House
Selina Meyer (Julia LouisDreyfus) is wandering in the woods, metaphorically speaking, on the sixth season of HBO’s “Veep.”
After losing the presidency in a House of Representatives vote a year before, she’s now a private citizen and foundering in her role of ex-president.
We first see her ona CBS morning show be interviewed by former aide Dan (Reid Scott), where she babbles about an autobiography, a vague foundation and even vaguer plans. The loss was “devastating,” she says with a catch in her throat. She truly misses power.
Selina had fallen upward to the presidency. A number of scandals had put the former congresswoman into the White House. It was her unbridled tone-deaf ambition and that of her staff’s that made the show so hilarious. The selfish gang never cared a whit about substance except when it came to votes. As you watched their dysfunctional ambition actually succeed —
usually to the detriment of the people — you got the feeling that is how things work — or really don’t work — in Washington.
“Our show started out as political satire, but it now feels more like a sobering documentary,” Louis-Dreyfus joked last
year while picking up her fifth consecutive Emmy win in the “Lead Actress in a Comedy Series” category for her role as Selina Meyer.
And that was before the results of the presidential election — and the scandals, Russian allegations and revelations since.
“Veep” has taken a more difficult road this season. Most of Selina’s staff has scattered except sycophant Gary (the brilliant Tony Hale), not that he would or ever could leave her.
Press secretary Mike (Matt Walsh) has become a stay-at-home dad with the two Chinese orphans he adopted. Chief of staff Amy (the wonderful Anna Chlumsky) is now engaged to neophyte politician Buddy Calhoun (Matt Oberg) and managing his campaign for governor out West. And former aide Jonah (Timothy C. Simons) can’t help but being Jonah, crying foul at every turn but somehow a Congressman from New Hampshire.
Now Selina’s only ambition is to get out of the woods.
“This is the worst place an ex-president has ever been stuffed, and I’m including JFK’s coffin,” she gripes about her new office.
In some ways, “Veep” — like many things postelection — has taken on some added pathos, especially when you consider this was set up last year whenHillary Clinton was expected to win the presidency.
Nevertheless, it’s still laugh-out-loud funny, the best comedy on TV. One episode will have her monitoring a free election in a former Soviet republic. The irony just drips. And all you can say about Louis-Dreyfus is that six isn’t too many.