LAST WEEK’S REVIEW: ‘Veep’ Season 4 Episode 3, ‘Data,’ Cans a White House Staffer
Immediate Reaction:
Ben and Amy owned this week, which is somewhat ironic because they’re at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their respective mental states. Ben, who “was up all night belly-dancing,” took too many Ambien and struggled to care about almost anything that happened during the staff’s time on Air Force One. Meanwhile, back at home, Amy lost her mind because she was so far out of the loop. Repeatedly, the power-hungry campaign manager made references to her own dwindling self-esteem, and no one was there to help her (though we thought maybe Dan would help relieve some stress before he, instead, added to it). Everyone else fell somewhere in between these two extremes, including the President, who devolved from uncontrollable glee to such a great level of frustration as to deny her own daughter the joy getting engaged. It’s good to see these characters in perfect harmony with one another so early in a season that added new people to the mix. What’s coming next should only be better.
READ MORE: Armando Iannucci to Leave ‘Veep’ After Season 4
Politically-Correct Reaction:
President Meyer went on a Middle East peacekeeping trip to Israel and then a made “surprise” visit to Iran — a stop poor fired Dan set up — even going so far as to “save” Leon West in the process. Unfortunately, in her exuberance to get good press from a detained (and thus uninformed) reporter, Meyer spilled the beans about keeping Leon in captivity for an extra day in order to further her own Middle East agenda. Combine that with her D.C. staff bumbling a VP press conference to the extent that they “had” to share the data breach with him — to keep him attached to the ticket, after Kent polled other vice-presidential candidates without a pass from the Pres —and Selina’s got numerous domestic issues waiting for her back home after what would’ve been a stellar international trip.
Jonah Put-Down of the Week
The above line, on its own, isn’t that scathing or even very funny. But when heard after Jonah’s all-too-public complaint about in-office sexual harassment, Bill’s dismissal takes on all new meaning. Jonah has been holding this in for weeks, and clearly it’s been troubling him deeply. Now, when he finally lays it out in the open, his plea for help falls on not just deaf ears, but mouths who label his PR complaint as a “funny story.” Oh, Jonad. If you’d just stand up to Teddy yourself, none of this would have happened (including the excellent kicker when he asked Catherine about what she didn’t actually hear).
Simile of the Season
Poor Amy. Between this and her line about “screaming into the night,” the world’s most disrespected campaign manager had one awful week. But is it better than last week’s simile? You decide below in our poll for the Simile Smackdown of the Season. Not to sway you one way or another, but Amy could really use a win right now.
Rhetorical Abuse
It didn’t take Dan all that long to get back on his feet (just six weeks and three days). Sadly, his new home seems less accepting than his old one. His boss is a cold, confusing, joker who likes to lash out at his underlings…not unlike Dan himself. Who would’ve guessed Dan wouldn’t get along with a douche-ier version of himself? How long he can hold out under the demanding new conditions will be fun to see, especially when he’s forced to dig up dirt on his former colleagues.
Power Rankings
1) Ben Cafferty
– Only Ben could sleep through an episode (or, more accurately, try to) and still hold onto the top spot. It helps that his exhausted “word things” were hilarious, of course.
2) Bill Ericsson
– Bill supplants Amy this week if only because he’s proving himself visible while she’s doing the opposite. He may face a bigger threat from newcomer Karen Collins than the sitting campaign manager, which is worse news for Amy than Bill.
3) Amy Brookheimer
– “Again, the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing and the freakish middle hand is punching me repeatedly in the tits.” Well put, Ms. Brookheimer.
4) Sue Wilson
– Sue wasn’t around much this week, but she did edge her way into the embarrassing Jonad phone call.
5) Kent Davison
– Kent bumbled the Vice Presidential polling, but it’s really not his fault if no one told him. Plus, this was the week he got to call someone else a robot (Bill).
6) Mike McClintock
– Mike would’ve had a two-day weekend at the cottage with Wendy had he not been stranded in Iran to snack on cookies with Gary. Poor Mike. Always expendable, despite his title.
7) Gary Walsh
– Will Gary’s absence from Selina’s day-to-day life remind her of his value? It’s already started as Ben told her she looked “very tired” after a night on Air Force One. “You know, Gary usually sugar coats that.” “Tired?”
8) Dan Egan
– Dan did it! He got a job! After promoting himself to everyone he could (include the local bartenders), Dan snagged a position as a lobbyist for Sydney Purcell. He may not be in the White House, but he just needs a job to be one ahead of Jonah.
9) Jonah Ryan
– “I fucking hate Kent. I want to wipe that…neutral expression off his face.”
Grade: A
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