I generally don't find political comedies or dramas to be too entertaining, largely because the political bias of the writers and actors can't help but make themselves obvious on the show. I do find myself enjoying Veep though, and watching it on a regular basis. This is largely because of the performance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She absolutely steals the show as Selina Meyer. Having once been a rising political star with Presidential aspirations, Meyer is now the vice president. Rather than being a stepping stone, it feels more like a humiliating demotion. Dumb, bumbling, and narcissistic, she tries to preserve her career and her ego by making the most out of the unimportant tasks that she is handed as vice president. The president never calls her, but constantly undermines her limited agenda and sends his errand boy to deliver orders. Her character isn't very original, but she is well written. Her phony public smiles followed by behind-the-scenes meltdowns almost perfectly fit the cynical picture in our heads of what politicians are actually like.
One of the constant sources of comedy is the triviality of everything that happens. Meyer and her staff are constantly scrambling to finish tasks that seem like they would have no effect whatsoever on the country. Filibuster reform? Meh. Who cares? Meyer's Green Jobs initiative gets undermined so that she can get filibuster reform done, and then filibuster reform gets dropped. The occasional gaffe ends up on the news in highly embarrassing fashion. It is bureaucratic inefficiency at its worst, and it can be doggone hilarious.
While I generally find the writing to be funny, I often feel like I'm watching the movie Juno or an episode of Gilmore Girls. If you have seen this type of comedy, then you know what I am talking about – usually witty, often quick exchanges of dialog, filled with pop culture references (word of advice – make darn sure you have subtitles turned on!). As often happens with that brand of comedy, sometimes the writers try a little too hard. An exchange of jokes will go on about two or three lines longer than it should, as if the writers don't trust you to get the joke right away. Another problem is that there is too much profanity. It doesn't seem like a realistic portrayal of behind-the-scenes politics, as much as an occasional lazy attempt on the part of the writers to generate comedy. If anything, cleaner dialog would have probably made the show's cynical hijinx funnier.
Overall, I can recommend Veep for people who follow politics, but tend to hold their nose while doing so. It is ultimately a show that lets us have a laugh at the expense of the people who we feel have screwed up the country. For the most part, the comedic hits outnumber the misses, and Veep ends up as good entertainment.
