Veep (TV Series) D.C. (2013) User Reviews

Season 2: Funny, but yet still lacking that real sense of cynicism

[bob the moo · 23 June 2014]

For me the second season of Veep continues in the same vein as the first, which will be good news for most but a rather mixed blessing for me. On one hand it remains funny and produces many good laughs in each episode, however on the other, it remains surprisingly gentle in content and tone. There is a reasonably good through-line to this season in terms of narrative and the plots are pretty good in terms of politics and maneuvering and from this point of view there is a lot to engage with; but the single issue remains – it really lacks teeth.

People say that Americans don't get satire and cynicism, and that this is why Iannucci's Veep is a little softer, however for me this logic doesn't play in a country with such great topical comedy shows and things like The Simpsons in the mainstream. So I'm not quite sure why it is the case, but the second season of Veep continues to lack a consistent edge. I say 'consistent' because this is not to say that it is never there, because there are plenty of barbed moments and lines, but these are parts of the show rather than the whole tone of the show. Instead the tone of the show is more of a gentle, although foul-mouthed, comedy with regular sight-gags and misunderstandings. It still works and I still enjoy it, but it is difficult not to want more from Iannucci in the context of what else he has done.

The cast continue to do well and of course Louis-Dreyfus is very strong in the lead. The supporting cast continue to do well but the standouts for me were Cole, Dunn and Bakkedahl – all of whom had smaller roles but seemed to inject foul-mouthed energy and laughs when they do. Walsh, Scott, Hale and Chulumsky all continue to do well, but the smaller roles seem to be able to be wilder in content. Season 2 continues to be a very enjoyable political sitcom with swearing that HBO permits. I'll continue t enjoy it if the third season does more of the same, but I'll also be hoping that it can find its dark cynicism and have a lot more bite in the material then these seasons have.

Would've been a perfect finale, but has a spoonful of lazier writing moments

[yavermbizi · 6/10 · 23 February 2021]

My overall rating of "Veep"'s Season 2: 5/10

This episode is probably the best of the season, and has all the trappings of a perfect finale. Pretty much all characters are gathered together, their stories getting significant payoff all at once, and the final stretch which combines so many elements and characters is purely excellent. It even gives payoff to bringing these two presidential strategist characters into the show in a joke - while I'm still not convinced they were that needed, I appreciate what they were supposed to reflect, although it's a bit subtle and/or contrived, depending on how you look at it. There is just so much hilarity throughout the episode in even the subtlest moments of characters reacting to other characters' lines, in the changing body language, in the off-hand phrases - it's a golden example of the Iannucci political comedy, with its unrelenting joke-a-second pace. Additionally, the plot itself is dynamic and quite smart as a whole...

...but not in all parts. Selina's dialogue with Furlong, and Chang's sudden arrogance and mockery are lazy narrative devices; and while I obviously don't know D.C. political culture well enough to say for sure, everybody immediately starting to look for jobs is a bit strange, considering how the event they're abandoning ship for is 2 years down the line... Are they all thinking there's no point to stay simply because the end is in (distant) sight?.. Bizarre.

And, as always, there are problems with shot continuity, the most egregious being the shot of Jonah and Mike walking towards each other at the fair, where they teleport away from each other for a bit.