#adumbscotts

omg i thought this was veep until i realized it was superstore

did you see mike pence cite mulan as a reason why women shouldn’t join the military? w i l d

In past seasons of Veep, I was always impressed by the nuance of law captured in the show. They followed the legal tenet of Selina carrying out her Vice Presidential responsibility of swearing in senators. They showed her being the tiebreaker in the passage of the Clean Jobs bill, referencing the McCalughley amendment. In the season four finale, the forethought and attention to detail in the plot line regarding the electoral tie was phenomenal. After learning of a possible tie, the characters laid out what would happen according to the twelfth amendment. Based on the accuracy in previous episodes, I expected equal attention to detail in season five regarding remaining loyal to the Constitution.

An excellent article called Parsing Constitutional Games on Veep addresses all of the Constitutional missteps in the finale. The article explains them much better than I will, but basically: Laura Montez would be elected Vice President and serve as acting President until another House vote. Selina and O’Brien could have lobbied for votes and one of them could have won the Presidency. Montez would never actually be elected President. Doyle could not have broken the tie in the Senate because the Constitution specifies a simple majority of senators--Doyle is not a senator so he can’t break the tie. Furthermore, the 12th amendment implies that the House vote would occur directly after the Electoral college count, which didn’t happen. The House should have kept voting until a President was chosen.

All this would have been fine if there were a greater payoff or if it didn’t seem like yet another attempt to do exactly the opposite of what the audience anticipated. I could offer more leeway if it made sense in the context of the narrative.

Additionally, in this season, the writers seemed to take enormous pleasure in writing in events for shock value or simply to subvert the viewer’s expectation. Perhaps this is a useful tactic if used sparingly, but it was used time and time again in season five and eventually felt very tired and obvious. Let’s recall: Catherine is a lesbian; Selina has hate sex with Tom James; Dan has sex with Amy’s sister because of a CBS/CVS mix-up; several twists and turns involving Mike’s potential children; the tie in the House; Doyle’s orchestration of the senate vote; Montez’s being elected President. A few of these twists were necessary for a larger plot, but the Selina having sex with Tom James ended up having absolutely no bearing on the plot as their intercourse didn’t stop Tom James from orchestrating the state abstentions in the House. Dan sleeping with Amy’s sister seemed like just a cruel way to tease fans of Amy and Dan or simply for the punch line of Dan mixing up CBS and CVS.

This brings me to another qualm I have with season five, that is a bit more relevant to fans of the show, so bare with me. In seasons one through four, the main cast never officially got together, allowing the audience’s imaginations to run wild about potential inter-office relationships and how such routes might be fleshed out. Having Selina sleep with Tom James was extremely jarring and did a disservice to many of the punchlines in season four about Selina being completely tone deaf regarding the nature of their past relationship. To me, shifting focus from actual office politics to romance is a decision that demonstrates a lack of trust in the audience. For four seasons, I watched because it was a show about flawed people making mistakes and I appreciated that romance didn’t need to be tangled up in everything. Granted, this is complaint is one of more personal taste.

On that note, it’s important to point out the storylines awarded to women in this season. Amy and Selina’s storylines were largely restricted to their romantic lives or their physical appearance. Selina had not one, but two, sexual partners throughout the course of season five compared to none in season four and one in every past season. Furthermore, a gag in several episodes revolved around her appearance like the pimple and the eye lift. It was even shown that a few of Selina’s professional decisions hinged completely on her love life. Note that it was done in an unoriginal away, much different from season three’s Ray rubbing off on Selina. Selina was also pitted against Monica, Andrew’s new girlfriend… just because? I read in an interview that part of why Montez became president is because it would irritate Selina that she was younger and had a happy family… the indication seems to be that Selina would despise her largely because she was another woman.

Amy suffered a similar feat. In past seasons, Amy’s displayed perpetual disdain toward Dan with occasional and very brief warmth towards him. Recall the “Dan is a shit” monologue from the pilot; or how she manipulated her way into getting the campaign manager position over him; etc. All of a sudden, the audience was supposed to expect that because of a brief relationship several years prior, Amy was hung up on Dan. Sending him “Nightcap?” an unreasonable amount of times and being especially forward with him throughout the season and constantly bringing up the fact that he slept with her sister. Furthermore, Amy made several remarks that shamed other women and their bodies. Her rivalry with Candi Caruso was especially trite. I recall Amy saying she wanted to freeze her eggs when in the past she showed little compassion and remarkable disdain towards children. Furthermore, Buddy Calhoun was introduced as a love interest seemingly just for the gag of juxtaposing Amy’s foul mouth with his southern charm.

The point is that these gendered storylines did a disservice to Amy and Selina. Before they were written as bad people who happened to be women and suddenly they became simply bad women.

It’s also worth mentioning that while Amy and Selina’s storylines did a disservice to their characters and women in general, Sue had no storyline whatsoever. I saw some fans referencing her status, calling her “one line Sue.” It’s unfortunate that the only woman of color on the show’s role was significantly reduced for the sake of boosting screen time for other characters. The cast is not very diverse as is--which is something I’m willing to overlook as it’s a satire and supposedly reflects the inequality that exists in real American politics--but you’d think that the only woman of color would get more lines per episode.

This brings me to the issue of unequal distribution of screen time as a common theme throughout the season. Sue’s lines were significantly decreased as were Amy’s and Dan’s and to a lesser extent Kent and Ben. Everyone else received greater screen time or approximately the same amount. The beauty of past seasons of Veep was the writers’ ability to distribute storylines among the characters, giving everyone a chance to shine. This also ties into the issue of disappearance of the brilliant ensemble dynamic of past seasons. Recall some of the best scenes were ones where almost the whole gang was present — the scene on the boat in The Choice; almost all of Election Night; and so on. At the very least, it would have been nice to see different characters trade off and interact with each other instead of being so disjointed.

Another major issue was characterization. Often characters felt very flat or as if they were a caricature of themselves. Suddenly the flawed individuals of past seasons became either black or white in their representation. These were no longer people I rooted for so their losses had a significantly lesser impact.

Before Selina was a flawed character, but still trying to do her best (even if for the wrong reasons), then she seemed downright vindictive and evil at times. Each episode felt like another opportunity to demonstrate what a bad person she was or what a bad mom she was… and that was the entire joke.

Mike in past seasons got in some harsh digs at Jonah, but this season it just seemed one episode after another of how dorky and incompetent he is. Mike is dorky and incompetent but that’s all he was. He didn’t get to be mean like everyone else and everything suddenly tied into his desire for children.

Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I thought Kent became a stock nerd character offering answers when needed, biker gang aside. I might add that the biker gang choice seemed out of character and a sitcom-esque choice.

Dan’s personality was practically nonexistent, only his defining characteristics showed through — desire to achieve and his womanizing. The entire season he was just there to torment Amy or further Jonah’s congressman plot line.

Amy was done the greatest disservice of all. Her characterization fluctuated between episodes and the only thing that remained consistent was her devotion to Selina. While not necessarily a feminist per se, Amy wasn’t one to dish out insult after insult towards other women because of their bodies and I would never expect her to despise Candi Caruso simply because she was younger or prettier or had a fiancé. Amy’s priority was her job above all else. Even her sleepwear fluctuated between episodes--biker shorts and a Penn t-shirt one episode and a frilly night gown the next. Like Dan, Amy didn’t really have a consistent story throughout the season besides being hung up on Dan. It felt like the writers didn’t know what to do with her.

Furthermore, and this goes in hand with everything mentioned above, the dialogue was lackluster at times, feeling more like a sitcom than anything else. I remember in the season five premiere there was a line where Mike says something typically Mike: “we need less of those and more votes for you, ma’am” (or something to that effect). Normally that would be it, but Selina then said “Ya think?” giving the audience time to pause, catch the joke, and catch up. The breakneck speed of past seasons was left behind in favor of more set-up, punchline jokes. It felt like the writers didn’t trust the audience to be smart enough to catch the jokes. (I might add that the amount of jokes packed into an episode is what made Veep such a re-watchable show. Every time you'd catch something new.)

Not only is the dialogue sitcom-esque and more simplistic, but the feel to the show is different. Previously Veep felt like a satire, but now it just feels like a typical workplace sitcom. In past seasons of Veep there was a point: to draw attention to flaws in American politics--the power grabbing types; the gridlock; the complicated laws; the press; the system of succession. All that seems to have been dropped in favor of… what? I don’t know what Mandel is trying to say about American politics.

I’m weary about the season to come because it’s supposedly about Selina’s adventures as an ex-president. It’s going to be more about her personal life and how she deals with being out of public office. You know what, great. That is, if you’re writing a spinoff. Veep is about politics. It’s about highlighting flaws in the political system. How can that be done as effectively with Selina not even in the executive branch?

Armando Iannucci set a pattern for raising the stakes in every season of Veep. In season two, Selina was promised more influence as Veep; in season three, Selina ran for President; in season four, Selina was President. Every year things were bigger and better. The scope widened and the show benefited for it. A fuck up in season one meant having to get back a card for the widow of a dead senator because Amy signed her name instead of Selina’s. In season four, it meant funding an obsolete sector of the military with billions of dollars. Note the difference? The stakes are lower than ever now that Selina’s out of office. This begs the question: Why should I care?

Before, Veep was about failing upward. The ability of these incompetent people to fuck up day after day and still stumble their way into victory. There was a good balance between wins and losses. They got more wins than they deserved because that’s what it’s like in the real world. Life isn’t fair. Bad people don’t get what they deserve and that’s what made this season so disappointing. Selina got what she deserved… politicians rarely face the consequences of their actions in real life. Case and point: Donald Trump’s success as a politician and all of the incompetent senators and congressman who are elected over and over again just because they are the incumbents. This is how politics work. Bad people are rewarded. So I’m not upset because I’m attached to Selina and I had to see her lose. I’m upset because this drastic loss doesn’t reflect what Veep is about.

2: Who sleeps in the other’s lap?Selina. I think she’s probably the one who falls asleep first while Amy stays up working. So Selina just kind of passes out and gloms onto Amy. Amy’s slightly irritated but works around Selina for her comfort.25: Which one competes in some sort of activity and which one does the overzealous cheering?I think… neither. Amy is the type to get too embarrassed and self-conscious to cheer really loudly. Like she might start out cheering enthusiastically and realize how stupid she seems and scales it back. Selina on the other hand would attempt but it would just be a train wreck. She’d be cheering the wrong way or her voice’s pitch would waver because… she has no idea what she’s doing. Amy is more or less Selina’s life cheerleader, though.4: Which one tells the other not to stay up all night and which one stays up all night anyway?Selina tells Amy not stay up all night and Amy stays up all night. (Remember in 1.05 Nicknames when they worked late and Selina was like “Amy you don’t have to come in early tomorrow… But you will right?” And Amy says “of course.”) So… Selina would tell her not to stay up, but ultimately… probably wouldn’t care whether or not she actually did.9: Which one drives the car and which one gives them directions?SELINA DOESN’T REMEMBER HOW TO DRIVE. So Amy is the de facto driver even though she, herself, is a bit rusty. Selina gives directions, but… she’s not good at it.12: Which one of your OTP overdoes it on the alcohol and which one makes the other stop drinking?This could go both ways, I think. Amy’s probably more dependent on alcohol than Selina is, but Selina would be less likely to tell her to stop. IF Selina did overdo it with Alcohol, Amy would discourage her from continuing if she was still semi-sober. Either that, or they both enable each other and have drunk sex.

Jenny Slate photographed by Joyce Kim for Day Space Night

real talk, they really set a solid foundation for the future of the amy/selina dynamic in 501. that shit with candi caruso was fucking ace. having selina acknowledge that amy got under her skin with her 405 freak out should’ve come much earlier and i wish her ignoring amy was more pointed and deliberate. having selina just repeatedly hang up on amy is stupid because selina does care about her! more than she would ever, ever admit! if selina’s going to make amy’s life hell, amy needs to know that the hell selina creates is purposeful.

so i’d be okay with the non-story that they got as long as there were hints that selina is fucking with amy on purpose. that scene in 506 can serve as a pivot point to an ultimate confrontation in which selina tortures out of amy the fact that she’s desperate to be there only to have amy point out selina’s deliberate attacks against her; selina’s desperate to have amy there, too. that’s it... it’s a la gary/selina east wing confrontation where they’re dynamic sort of just goes back to normal from there (except not really because... they care! there doesn’t even have to be any romantic implications! they admitted that they want each other’s company... and that causes a possible perception of weakness and juicy tension. maybe we can even allude to some offscreen occurrence a la labor day).

they could’ve done so much with amy and selina this season of veep... rip (in their defense though... there’s still time for a meaningful, emotional scene between them in the s5 finale)