VEEP Not Second-Choice Release Today

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Veep - The Complete Fourth Season' on Blogcritics.

HBO’s Veep is about to begin its fifth season, so, not coincidentally, The Complete Fourth season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD this week. The series is a hilarious send-up of an inept politician who is in the job below the one she wants. With a stellar cast and sharp writing, somehow the program gets better with each subsequent year, and the fourth season is no exception.

As this run begins, Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is Veep no longer, having taken the Oval Office after the president’s resignation. Despite getting to the job she wants, things do not get any easier for Selina as she bumbles through having actual authority and faces stiff primary challenge in the upcoming election. Unlike what she’d hoped while aspiring to the highest office in the land, everything doesn’t fall into place and she finds her difficulties to be greater than ever. Which makes for ripe comedic ground, this show relying heavily on mistakes and errors.

With Selina’s elevation, the staff is in disarray, too. Dan (Reid Scott) and Amy (Anna Chlumsky) struggle for control of the agenda, and while one gains an early lead, that is far from the end of their drama. Mike (Matt Walsh) may not be suited to the larger spotlight, while Gary (Tony Hale) feels edged out. Jonah (Timothy C. Simons) continues to hang on the fringe, looking for his in. Kent (Gary Cole) and Ben (Kevin Dunn) continue to attempt to do what’s best, but they aren’t always right, and aren’t always listened to when they are. Only Sue (Sufe Bradshaw) remains relatively unfazed, but that’s the role she plays in the crazy group.

Veep likes to bring in fresh faces, and why not? Any comedy actor should love to get on a series with this high a profile and this much acclaim. Sam Richardson (Spy), who has appeared on the series before as Richard, is given a larger presence in The Complete Fourth Season, being promoted to a full-time player. The terrific Patton Oswalt recurs throughout the season. Most notable, though, is Hugh Laurie’s (House) amusing turn as Tom James, Selina’s running mate who keeps overshadowing her. Is it on purpose or by accident? Is Tom angling to edge Selina out and take over, or is he just not as good as she hoped he’d be? You’ll have to watch to find out.

As usual, there are plenty of comedy-of-error moments and slapstick intermixed with witty dialogue and clever bits. Veep is both smart and dumb comedy, excelling at all levels of humor, and providing constant entertainment. It is certainly one of the most consistent series in the genre, rarely having a lesser episode or scene.

As with most sitcom television shows, there isn’t a huge difference in quality between high definition and standard. Obviously, the picture and sound are a lot crisper if you go for the Blu-ray version, but with few special effects or sweeping vistas, it’s not very noticeable. That being said, standard definition is starting to look like it’s from another era and it’s not something I’d ever recommend for a modern show when HD is available.

Where this set fails is in bonus features. Besides some deleted scenes and digital copies of the ten episodes, there is nothing else in this release. With such a phenomenal ensemble and all the Emmy wins, one would think somebody would sit down and talk to those involved about the series. There have got to be some good stories about things that happen on-set. Sadly, though, nothing along those lines is included, making this one of the worst groupings of extras I’ve seen. It’s not enough to sway me into not recommending The Complete Fourth Season; the episodes are still plenty worth it on their own. But it it regrettable.

Veep: The Complete Fourth Season will be available next Tuesday, April 19th at retailers everywhere.

"Some New Beginnings" for VEEP

Article first published as TV Review: 'Veep' - 'Some New Beginnings' on Blogcritics.

HBO’s Veep returns for its third season in fine form this week with “Some New Beginnings.” Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is out hocking a book “she,” actually her staff, wrote, trying to raise her national profile, while still not being allowed to announce she’s running for president since the POTUS hasn’t publicly said he won’t seek re-election. This is particular self-serving, since the season premiere takes place on the day of Mike’s (Matt Walsh) wedding, which she is missing.

Selina is neither a good person nor a bad person; she’s just a politician. She plays the game and plays it pretty well, or else she’d never have achieved the Veep position, even if she isn’t the best at what she does. But she doesn’t always treat her staff so good. She’s nice enough that they remain loyal and hard-working, but not so nice that anyone volunteers to travel with her, the whole group attending the nuptials of their co-worker, rather than being out on tour.

We see this especially in Selina’s performance at a congressman’s funeral, which she attends after blowing off a line of people waiting to have her sign their books, which she’d grown tired of. She’s basically there to recruit a campaign manager, but he’s already left, and so she ends up making a speech as well. It’s a touching tribute that makes a lot of people happy, but for Selina, it’s all about winning over supporters, and she’s not shy at all about using the same words again when talking to Mike later that evening.

It’s worth noting that two of her staffers, Amy (Anna Chlumsky), who’s been with Selina forever, and Dan (Reid Scott), who ends up doing her a great service in “Some New Beginnings,” are both trying their best to earn the campaign manager spot. Selina is having a rough time deciding between them, but their feelings or efforts don’t really weigh into her thought process. Instead, she’ll go with whoever helps her the most, perfectly willing to toss both aside when a respected, experienced candidate appears to be available.

Does this make her undeserving of the highest office in the land? Well, that’s debatable. There’s something to be said for being good to those who are good to you. Then again, all of these characters work in Washington and they know how the system operates. They willingly chose to participate, so cannot just cry foul if Selina follows a typical path.

Viewers likely won’t have to worry about this, anyway, because the series is called Veep, not Pres. The premise is so successful because Selina never gets what she wants, always bumbling by in the funniest of manners. If she were to actually meet her goals, it would kind of ruin things. The title of her book, which doubles as the title of this episode, proves that yet again. So either the president will have to change his mind again, or Selina will wind up on the ticket below someone else, likely because of her own missteps, more than because anyone else is more deserving.

The best part of Veep is that these characters have become so well-defined and entertaining. The sibling-esque rivalry between Dan and Amy is excellent. Gary (Tony Hale) can’t help but slip right into his old habits in service to Mike’s bride, Wendy Keegan (Kathy Najimy, King of the Hill), for the day. The way the staff can’t let go of their phones, even for an hour, is so fitting. Jonah (Timothy Simons), of course, crashes the party, at which he is not wanted. And Ben (Kevin Dunn) may be new to the main cast, but he slips right into patter with Selina as if he’s always been there. Ditto guest star Sam Richardson (The Office) playing Selina’s on-the-road assistant, Richard, whom I hope we see again.

What may be the most unexpected development in “Some New Beginnings” is that Dan gets Jonah fired. It’s entirely Jonah’s fault, being indiscreet about info he leaks concerning the White House, but Dan helps the annoying guy dig his own grave, and delights at his downfall. Now, I hate Jonah as much as the next fan, but we need him present to hate. His being escorted out of the West Wing by security is laugh-out-loud funny, but he has to stay in the series somehow because he’s way too good an antagonist to let go. Hopefully, this will work itself out next week.

Veep is one of the smartest, silliest sitcoms on TV. It’s high-quality, HBO-level slapstick, with a brilliant cast of actors and writers. I cannot stress enough just how much I love it, probably having become my favorite half-hour premium-cable program currently running. If you’re not watching, you can probably jump in at any old point in the run without being too lost, and I highly recommend doing so.