HBO's Veep (1 Viewer)

Aired last night; good episode with a backdoor dealing Veep who just works to find her way from the center of political power in the senate to her new role in a job literally at the center of power.. with no power. If you've seen BBC's "In the Thick of It" you have a feel for this show. I have to admit, I laughed at the spoons that bent every which way because it was made of corn starch

There were some funny, funny bits here and there (the spoons being one of them). But, MAN, this group of characters are SO unlikeable. I don't know if I can continue watching.

This was divine, wall-to-wall killing me. "When a sexual harasser dies, we sign his wife's card, OK? That's how Washington works."
"Is there anything you can't do?" Chlumsky: "Foreplay, direct sunlight..."
And a new verb in my life: Pencil-fucking.
Matt "I will redact your fucking face" Walsh will be the one to watch, though. His very quick, retracted handshake was fantastic.
I was a bit worried that Iannucci's words wouldn't sound right coming out of these people, but I think most of his actors did a great job. Very funny show, and it'll be fascinating to see more of his rather unique, "outsider-looking-in-on-U.S.-politics" viewpoint.
(Also, this coming on directly after GoT is patently unfair to other networks. Screw DVRs ruining "appointment TV"...from 8-10:30 PM Sundays, my life is on lockdown. And I'm DVRing. Stick that in your Nielsen box.)

mattCR said:

If you've seen BBC's "In the Thick of It" you have a feel for this show.

Click to expand...

Although I miss the scathing acerbity of Malcolm Tucker, I'm glad that they didn't try and recreate him. I would, however, love to see him in one episode just ripping them all apart.

That entire redaction sequence was gold. But, yes, "pencil fucking" is the takeaway.

Outside of knowing that Julia Louis Drefuss was playing the vice president, I had no clue as to what to expect from the show and I thought it was really funny.
I enjoyed all the gags mentioned above but for some reason, I liked the semi-running joke of asking her secretary asking if the President had called.

Julia...wow. North of 50, and as smokin' hot as ever. I think there's something about hearing her curse so freely and refer to her left tit that makes her even sexier.
Patton Oswalt on Twitter: "[Julia Louis-Dreyfus] is a MILF the way Jimi Hendrix was a 'guitarist'."
I want to pray to the gods that Brad Hall prays to. She was on SNL during, uh, a very developmental time in my youth, and 27 years later? Still...um...developing me.
"Yes, ma'am. Front and back, very little romance." It amazes me that it's taken this long for anyone to find a good role for Matt Walsh.
("Next time, put an espresso machine in your fucking bitch-bag.")

I also liked at one point the dismissive way the veep refers to the daughter she seemingly has almost forgotten she has.
Anna Chlumsky is an Iannucci veteran from In the Loop. Some former child actors look nothing nothing like they did in their (very precocious) glory days, but you can definitely see see My Girl in her. She's got kind of terrifying eyes, but it works for the character.
Somewhat surprisingly, the vice president is the most relatable character on the show. She's the audience's window into the wacky banality that is Washington.

Here in the UK I have been waiting for Ianucci to do a fourth season of The Thick of It - didn't realize he was doing a show in the US but despite it being very similar, its a great show.
I too would love to see a Malcolm Tucker character or someone like him but understand why Ianucci probably didnt want to repeat himself. Still a Tucker rant would certainly make for an interesting scene.
If you enjoy the, check out the film In The Loop which is brilliant and the UK show mentioned above.

"SPRIIIIIINKLES!!!"
Matt Walsh being called a "gay Irish fireman."
Also, I plan on using "gold-plated shit-gibbon" in mixed conversation at some point tomorrow.

not as good this second episode - shame

I don't know, I think I had more laugh out loud moments in the second episode than the first. The closing journey from the yogHurt shop to the limo with the vice president trying not to leak from any orifices had me laughing harder than I've laughed in a long time.

Right now, Jonah seems to be challenging Schmidt from New Girl for being television's premiere douchebag who's hysterical as a fictional character, but if you knew someone like that in reality, you'd absolutely revel in the horrible things happening to him.
("Hey, that police-sketch rape-face gets '8's! Consensually!")

The bit about the cock blocking widow was a hoot

"You know, I can see right through your shirt -- is it designed that way?"
Also:
"It's amazing, you're trying to control the weather. You're not fucking Thor, Mom!"

I loved that even the Veep's daughter, who's so vague and non-committal with just about everybody surrounding her mom, was as vicious toward Jonah as everyone else. She just sensed the douchebag coming off him.

I like the President, but he is absolutely busting my ladyballs.

Killed me.

Along with her graphic depictions of the new boyfriend.

Just added HBO to my Dish package, partially because of Veep.
First episode I'll get is #4. Anybody have time for a brief summary of episodes 1-3?

Brief summary of where we are right now Stan (and check out the on demand)

JLD plays the Veep; she was once a fairly powerful well managed senator, who ran a presidential campaign that didn't break her way but put her 2nd, and her party's standard bearer made her the VP.. at first she thought she'd be near the center of power, a stepping stone to the white house, and now she's finding she's the punchline of those around her.

Her goal has been to drive forward initiatives that she can put her name on, several of which she carried over from her time as a senator - Clean Energy and Filibuster Reform.
There are a few issues with this though.. the President needs a different take on Clean Energy, which means she has to put on some oil executives on the Clean Energy board she wanted (which chafes her former colleagues) and her Filibuster reform is going nowhere.. at the same time, she has a tendency to put her foot right in her mouth when she least needs it.

Mix in some great supporting cast moments - a staff member who escapes the office by pretending to have a dog, the fact the president never calls, an estranged daughter, the joy of how power seems to enhance her sex life, and some great dialogue
Some choice phrases last night:

“I went to bed at 7 PM on a Saturday night. Even people dying of malaria stay up later than that.” ~ Amy
“I had more windows in my first apartment than the VP has in her current schedule.” ~ Sue
“I blame George Washington. If he hadn’t started this whole form of government we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.” ~ Dan
“I am gonna throw up a leg. And then I am going to take that leg and beat Scott to death with it.” ~ Selina
"busting my ladyballs" ~ Selina
“I have no idea who you are so I don’t know whether it’s a pleasure or not” ~ Sen. O’Brien
“If you had neighbors who came into your backyard to crap a butt full of drugs and beans all over your flowers, you might consider building a fence.” ~ Sen. O’Brien


Best lines from the past:

“I’ve met some people. Real people. And I gotta tell ya, a lot of them, are fucking idiots.” ~ Selina
“I would mix ape shit with bat shit, raise it to a whole new level of fury, then I would rip your face off and use your eye sockets as a sex toy.” ~ Sen. Doyle
“Fuckity-doo-dah, Fuckity-yay” ~ Amy
“His Facebook status is, ‘May God have mercy on my boxers.’” ~ Amy
“Dan, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I gotta say: You kinda look like an asshole.” ~ Mike
“That would be like persuading a guy to fist himself.” ~ Sen. Doyle
“You, my friend, have your cock out at a funeral.” ~ Mike

Matt, thanks for the story.
The lines you quoted had me laughing my ass off, particularly the "busting my ladyballs". So nice to have pay channels that can get away with dialogue like that. Really looking forward to this show.
I've got to get the earlier episodes, that dialogue is hilarious.
Thanks again