President Selina Meyer adlibs her way through a Joint Session.
Veepis in a separate class from most TV comedy.
Thats important when an actor is playing someone who can never be real.
Politicians cant be real.
Their handlers wont permit it.
A single gaffe can ruin an election, regardless of how its been gerrymandered.
Anyone whose heart has been frozen in the cryogenics of the political world, that is.
Tonights episode, Joint Session, could be basically aSeinfeldepisode about aTonight Showgig.
The speech before the joint session could be a marble rye.
We know the speech is going to be fucked up.
Its the joy of wading through the nothingness of Washington that makes it worthwhile.
Especially when they are doing their best.
The new season opens with the support staff as ducks-out-of-uncharted-waters.
But they are all enablers.
Selina has an easy excuse for every screw-up because her staff is universally regarded as less than ept.
Ad content continues below
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is comfortably funny in front of a crowd.
He owns it now, just by admitting that hes never seenReservoir Dogs, even as hes quoting it.
Kevin Dunns Ben is the only person I would trust on my staff besides Sue.
Kent majored in fortune cookies.
Dan Egan, played by Reid Scott, has grown.
Chlumskys eyes make even the most serious readings a kidney punch line.
Gary is locked out of all the presidential meetings.
Leviathan, the presidential bag, is allowed in, but not the bag handler.
So he resorts to stalking Madam President in what looks like a snipers perch.
A room that was designed for the first ladies to spy on the chief executive boardroom.
With balls that hang like his, how could he not?
The episodes word of the night was balls.
Last season there was an episode that explored scatology like it was a college major.
Every imaginable version of shit was shat.
The fifty billion defense cuts become a sixty billion plan for giant metallic dildos.
Every decision is infuriating.
But the congressional district where the project is being built blocks anything reasonable.
A review is supposed to tell you whether a show is worth watching or not.
This is a very good episode on a show that is consistently super.
Its worth watchingtwicebecause there are so many jokes that hit dead on target.
The throwaway lines are all keepers.
The entire government is George Costanza not wanting to give up the office with the private bathroom.
Joint Session was directed by Chris Addison.
Story by Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell and Georgia Pritchett.
Teleplay by Simon Blackwell and Georgia Pritchett.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
