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Veep: The Complete Second Season
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - HBO Review written by and copyright: Ethan Stevenson (21st March 2014). |
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The Show
 Ben: Ma’am, the President has left the building. Selina: Who gives a flying f**k? In an early episode of the second season of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2001-present), which ultimately lead to a multi-episode arc, Larry pitched an idea for a new TV show to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was guest starring as a barely-fictionalized version of herself. At the end of his pitch, she agreed on the condition that they set the eventual series up at HBO, reasoning, “I want to be able to say 'f**k', you know? And I wanna say ‘What's the big deal about saying 'f**k?'" Already amusing because David had similar thoughts when he brought “Curb” to HBO as a comedy special, then a full series, the meta-comedy of the scene and subplot has become even funnier, and more “meta” in retrospect. In a weird case of life imitating art, and/or vice-versa, about a decade after Louis-Dreyfus made those comments on “Curb”, she found herself with the ability to say, and do, just what she wanted, playing the lead in a half-hour comedy series on the most premium of premium cable networks. On “Veep”, in which the actress plays the titular character, the VP or veep, Vice President Selina Meyer, she flagrantly abuses her newfound power, and drops the f-bomb, and a host of other horrible curses, as though it were an A-Bomb; like the last line of defence in a war of mutually assured destruction. In the warped and weary world of “Veep”, where barbed insults and eclectic epithets are part-and-parcel of the bigger political-minded picture, “f**k” is used as a form of formal punctuation; as an accent; and a filler word tacked on to something even worse. But "Veep's" looseness and general lewdness of language is hardly surprising. The series is the brainchild of ingenious insult-generator and writer Armando Iannucci. He’s the mastermind behind a similarly scathing political skewering on the BBC called "The Thick of It" (2005-present), which is decidedly smaller scale than the White House-adjacent “Veep”, set in the offices of some backwater British bureaucrat. Iannucci also wrote and directed that series’ Oscar-nominated big screen pseudo-adaptation, “In The Loop” (2009), in which “Thick’s” mad, foul-mouthed adviser Malcolm Tucker, played by Peter Capaldi, took a trip across the pond and found himself face to face with pulp-headed politicians and other absurd American government officials all arguing over action in the Middle East. Conceptually, “Veep” isn’t too dissimilar from “The Thick of It” or its feature-film adaptation. “Veep” is partly-improvised, shot in a mock-documentary style, and reliant on a metric shit-ton of swearing and heavy-handed satire, posited around the peculiar cross-over between inter-office politics, and… well, actual politics. Ideologically, “Veep’s” a bit different than its ancestors; a necessity to mold it for the general absurdity of the American political system. In trying to find what side to take in the dogmatic two party prism, ultimately settling on an opaque neither/both, “Veep” went through a few versions before the one starring Louis-Dreyfus came to be. The first wasn’t even called “Veep” at all. “Arrested Development” (2003-2006; 2013-present) creator Mitchell Hurwitz attempted to adapt “The Thick of It” wholesale for American broadcast television, but without the protective cocoon of pay cable or the BBC’s post-9 PM profanity clause, the ABC-destined “Thick of It” faced censorship; Iannucci wasn’t involved beyond lending his name to the credits. Supposedly, the pilot was a disaster, although few outside of the industry have seen it. In the second go-round, Iannucci took on a more active role, writing/directing/producing it, and set his sights on HBO. With a majority of his writing team from the BBC series––Tony Roche, Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong, etc.––Iannucci totally revamped the “Thick” concept, turning out what eventually became “Veep”. Sadly, Malcolm Tucker didn’t make the transition. With “Veep”, Iannucci and his writers turned their eye to the office of the first female Vice President of the United States. Although sort of boundary-breaking––Selina’s not just the first female VP; she’s also a divorcee––the first season often belittled Meyer, and in fact everyone on her staff, by making her a bumbling buffoon; the victim of her own incompetence. This was a problem, not because politicians are not incompetent near-cartoons at times. They totally are. American Vice President’s are especially marred by some rather silly, unfortunate acts of absurdity and stupidity. Look no further than the last four: from Dan Quayle’s infamous incident of illiterate idiocy (misspelling potato with an “e” at the end) and misguided misogynistic speeches, to modern day bumbling court jester Joe Biden; from Al Gore’s dubious albeit distorted claims about inventing the Internet (more a tall tale than total truth, but still forever attached to him with shame), to Dick Cheney’s infamous man-sized safe and that whole shooting-a-dude-in-the-face thing… Both sides, Democrat and Republican, have had some pretty poor VP's that were more punchlines than anything. It’s kind of part of the job description. (The other part being… what, not dying in the off-chance they become President, if the Commander-in-Chief does depart his office prematurely?) No, the mean-spirited belittling was an issue because the circumstances under which Selina often found herself in comedic situations usually made the character both the unlikable protagonist and an awful antagonist unto herself; she had very little opposition, and too much of it came from within. She was too foolish; without any of the smarts that she’d have needed to get as far, professionally, as she had. She was also shrew-ish at times, and backed by a sense of satire that was too broad. Of course, the first season was still funny, but it was never as clever as Iannucci’s witty, rapid-fire insults spewed in sparring matches between the pundits on podiums. And the series underlying comic-commentary sort of felt tame in a time when you can turn on the news and see real life versions of these characters saying more insane, inane things. Of course, as with all things, the issues lessened, and things improved over time. Even the last episode of the first season showed growth compared to the first. The second season is an improvement overall in just about every conceivable way. Small teaks have shaped Selina into a more well-rounded character, given purpose––the season is structured around the increasing probability that she’ll likely be running for President herself in the next major election––and a proper antagonist in the form of cold, calculating senior strategist Kent Davidson (Gary Cole). And, with 18 episodes behind them, the creative team have tailored the character to type, more befitting of Louis-Dreyfus’ comedic abilities. She’s molded Selina into a slightly smarter, cynical creature. She’s less a victim of her own stupidity, and more a powerless puppet, often at odds with an even more incompetent POTUS (who has yet to, and likely never will, make an on-screen appearance). Some of the tweaks to character and conceit seem a direct response to the more glaring criticisms of season one. Much of the perceived improvement probably comes down to the fact that everyone has simply had more time in the “Veep” world; myself included. The first season’s eight episodes were not enough to really get a sense of it, and how it would deviate from "The Thick of It" where need be. One thing that’s always been true is that the cast is terrific. Backed by one of the best ensembles currently on TV, Louis-Dreyfus gives her best performance in a long time; perhaps of her career. But it’s really Selina’s supporting staff that make the series as sharp as the barbed back-and-forth retorts. The collective cast of characters, and actors, include Amy (Anna Chlumsky), the veep’s acerbic chief-of-staff, who tears down everyone in her path, except, of course, Selina, who she continually props up with soothing sayings that she hopes will remove self-doubt; Gary (Tony Hale, basically playing Buster Bluth; and that’s totally okay), is a literal bag-man, and a little like a puppy at the veep’s heel every beck and call; Dan (Reid Scott), Selina’s deputy director of communications a delightfully deceitful soul who wants so badly to be part of the D.C. elite he’ll self-destruct Selina’s office like a suicide bomber if need be; Selina’s secretary, Sue (Sufe Bradshaw), whose sense of self-importance is second to none, except maybe the veep; and of course too-tall Jonah (Timothy Simmons), the White House liaison whose freakish physical stature is dwarfed by his relative insignificance in the policy making and political scheming around him. But it’s probably Matt Walsh, as Selina’s director of communications, the miserable Mike McLintock (Matt Walsh, who needs an Emmy) deserves the most praise, Mike’s morose, major subplot of the season involves his quest to climb out from under crushing debt (which he accrued overtime with the assumption he'd ultimately kill himself and never have to pay it off), the funniest part of which involves a scheme to sell a broken down sailboat… on eBay. The second season also makes major strides in stepping outside of the veep’s office, both literally––whereas most of the first season centered on the inter-office issues between staffers, the second takes the show on the road, and imbeds Selina and co. in a few international scenarios making a greater, not always positive impact on the geo-political landscape––and metaphorically, as we get to understand more of Selina’s personal pratfalls as a mother and (ex)wife. Her daughter, Catherine (Sarah Sutherland) gets embroiled in a minor controversy when she writes a anti-Israeli term paper that leaks to the press––oh, and introduces her Palestinian boyfriend to the world. Selina’s ex-husband, Andrew (David Pasquesi), causes an even bigger problem when some of his shady business dealings are exposed, supposedly surreptitiously linked to Selina’s campaign. All the while, Selina and her family have to make nice for the cameras, under command of Davidson, whom Selina says at one point has pasted a Post-It note to a Meyer family portrait. The note, pinned on Catherine's forehead, said "glue"; it's one of the meanest, most amazingly cynical jokes in the entire series, because the dehumanization of people as pawns in the game of politics rings all too true. Even with the improvements, the second season is a little uneven at times. The debut, “Midterms” sets things off on a shaky start, and spends most of its runtime in an intentional reset, in which senators and congressmen (and congresswomen), all loyal to Selina’s party, are almost unanimously not re-elected. It’s less concerned with jokes and more about introducing new characters like Davidson and bitter, burned-out White House Chief-of-Staff Ben Cafferty (Kevin Dunn), who’s somehow even more of a miserable loser than Mike. But “Veep’s” second season seems to find its footing early on, and every episode after the first is better. The season is as funny as the first. More so, actually. But the bigger, better plotted arc concerning Selina’s likely candidacy, which is far more compelling than her odd and sterile clean-jobs initiative plot in season one, and surer characterisation make for an all around improved show. Mike’s horrible boat seems a perfect metaphor for the sinking ship that is the series’ current President, and Selina’s equally ill-chartered voyage alongside him. But as the season ends, things look brighter, better on the horizon at least for Selina, and some of her staffers. Most definitely clearer for Iannucci and his team, and “Veep” as a whole. Although the question now is, with the season presumably after next necessitate a name change for the series to "POTUS"? All 10 episodes of the series' second season are included in “Veep: The Complete Second Season” on two discs, split into 5 episodes per disc. The average length of an episode is about 28 minutes. Episodes are: – “Midterms”––Fresh off successful campaign appearances for midterm elections, Selina sees an opportunity to expand her role, but must first curry favor with the President’s icy senior strategist Kent Davidson. Meanwhile, the staff's personal lives have some new developments. – “Signals”––Selina attends a pig roast in North Carolina as part of the President’s “Listen To Rural America" initiative. Dan takes up Pilates to get face time with Kent. – “Hostages”––As a hostage crisis in Uzbekistan heats up, Selina and Sec. of Defense General Maddox (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) have trouble getting on the same page during their joint appearance at the Marine Corps base at Quantico. Sue testifies at a congressional hearing on governmental efficiencies; Dan and Gary jockey for the Veep’s ear. – “The Vic Allen Dinner”––Selina is rankled when the White House releases an unflattering photo of her. Mike and Kent bond over sailing; Jonah gets an executive parking space; Sue has a job interview. Selina takes steps to keep her staff happy as they prepare for her appearance at the Vic Allen dinner. – “Helsinki”––Selina and her staff head to Helsinki to finalize a trade agreement, but are worried whether the Veep will be received warmly in Europe. Dan calls Mike for advice on charming the press, and Mike leans on Jonah for help. Kent and Ben argue over how to deal with new intel. – "Andrew”––After an allergic reaction cuts her budget negotiations with Majority Leader Mary King (Mimi Kennedy) short, Selina moves the talks to Catherine's 21st birthday bash. Meanwhile, Amy and Gary fret over how Selina will handle seeing her ex-husband Andrew at the party; and Mike fields press inquiries on Selina’s role in the Uzbek hostage crisis. – “Shutdown"––with D.C. in the midst of a government shutdown, Selina is forced to furlough some of her staff. A damaging story leaks about Selina's ex-husband Andrew; Danny Chung (Randall Park) takes advantage of the shutdown; Gary and Jonah go on a run to retrieve Selina’s trash. – "First response”––After being prepped for a puff piece interview at the VP residence, Selina is thrown by reporter Janet Ryland’s (Allison Janney) “gotcha” questions. – "Running”––Undeterred by a message that POTUS wants Selina to limit her public appearances, the Veep continues her plans to run a marathon and possibly a presidential campaign of her own come election time. Dan attempts to play both sides of the Selina/Danny Chung rivalry. – “D.C.”––In the season finale, with the administration in full crisis mode and Selina’s future in doubt, the entire staff goes on a frenzied job hunt.
Video
“Veep” is shot very quickly (according to one of the commentaries, episodes are in front of the camera for less than a work-week; “First Response” was shot over 2 very long days), with multiple handheld HD digicams running at once, capturing seemingly candid moments in a fly on the wall fashion. HBO's 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encodes, framed at 1.78:1 widescreen, appear to be free of any serious flaws and have a reasonably high bit-rate ––probably higher than the crisp and grain free transfer really needs to render its unassuming image. Colors are neutral; aside from the bust of partisan red and blue, rarely bold. Contrast is modest, with deep blacks but on a modicum of depth; whites flatten out. Much of the series is naturally lit, which often pushes the limits of the Arri Alexa camera sensors, resulting in some faint but generally unobtrusive noise. Focus dips in and out, and detail occasionally softens, but the presentation is pleasing overall. Although it doesn't necessarily make for stirring stylized visuals, the cinematography supports the improvisational mockumentary nature of the material, and translates to high def disc without issue. “Veep” probably won’t rate high in the picture-quality polls, but that’s really down to the series’ low key look than anything else.
Audio
Likewise I doubt anyone will be wowed by the English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track (48kHz/24-bit), but it gets the job done. Driven by rapid fire, foul-mouthed dialogue, the mix is front centered, but clean and supported by subtle ambient effects: ringing office phones, the drone of Air Force Two’s jet engines, etc. Bass response is minimal, only really present in the opening theme. Overall, the track, as understated as it is, sounds appropriate for the material. Each episode also includes options for French DTS 5.1 surround and Spanish DTS 2.0 surround, and English, French, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles.
Extras
In terms of overall content, compared to the first season––which offered 12 audio commentaries on eight episodes, a handful of featurettes, deleted scenes and more––the streamlined supplemental package of HBO's second set of “Veep” is a bit of a letdown. However, those 12 audio commentaries from the first season release were wildly inconsistent; some funny, others tedious. Although the quantity is diminished, quality is maintained. A digital copy of the second season has also been included. Each of the 10 episodes in “The Complete Second Season” set have a short preview and deleted scenes. Just 4 episodes from this season include audio commentary with the cast and crew. Although the commentaries are hit-and-miss, “Veep’s” deleted scenes are certainly worth checking out. There's a whopping 80 or so scenes (some as short as 10 seconds) spread across the the two discs, and all together they amount to about two episodes worth of additional material. Some of the series’ best jokes actually ended up on the cutting room floor––if some of the worst, too. All the cut bits are collected in episode-centric reels. For the sake of clarity, I’ve grouped extras under their respective episode titles. DISC ONE: “Midterms” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 32 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 3 minutes 24 seconds). – Audio commentary with creator/executive producer Armando Iannucci, co-executive producer/writer Tony Roche, producer/actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and actors Kevin Dunn and Timothy Simons. The track on the season premiere is unfortunately pretty dry, stumbling right out of the gate with an overly elaborate meta-commentary on the commentary that goes from funny to just awkward very quickly. Insight into the improvisational process and a handful of anecdotes can't make up for the rather disappointing, dull and bumbling (even mumbling) delivery. “Signals” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 31 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 25 seconds). “Hostages” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 31 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 53 seconds). – Audio commentary with creator/executive producer Armando Iannucci, executive producers Chris Godsick and Frank Rich, co-executive producer/writer Tony Roche, producer/actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and actor Kevin Dunn. This second track is an improvement over the first, kicking right off with a fuck-ton of foul language that the series is becoming known for; delivery is lighter, airer, and all around more relaxed. There's some discussion relating to the introduction of Dunn’s character Ben, and writing and plotting the overall arc of the season. “The Vic Allen Dinner” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 32 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 4 minutes 14 seconds). “Helsinki” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 31 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 3 minutes 27 seconds). DISC TWO: “Andrew” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 31 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 5 minutes 31 seconds). “Shutdown” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 31 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 25 seconds). “First Response” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 32 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 53 seconds). – Audio commentary with creator/executive producer Armando Iannucci, executive producer Chris Godsick, co-executive producer/writer Tony Roche, producer/actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and actor Matt Walsh. The commentaries seem to have an alternating pattern; this one goes back to the dryer and quieter atmosphere of the first. “Running” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 31 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 4 minutes 14 seconds). “D.C.” includes the following episodes: – Episode preview (1.78:1, 1080p; 45 seconds). – Deleted scenes (1.78:1, 1080p; 3 minutes 27 seconds). – Audio commentary with creator/executive producer Armando Iannucci, co-executive producer/writer Tony Roche, producer/actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and actors Gary Cole and Matt Walsh. Two-on, two-off: the last commentary volleys back into the rowdier court, with plenty of funny anecdotes and a livelier delivery from all involved.
Packaging
HBO Home Entertainment brings “Veep: The Complete Second Season" to Blu-ray in a two disc set. The dual layer BD-50's are housed in an Elite keep case, which is encased in an outer cardboard slip-case. A digital copy of the entire season has also been included.
Overall
“Veep’s” second season is a step up from the funny but not always consistent first outing. The dialogue is as barbed as ever; but the actors seem to have a better sense of who their characters are, and the writers have plotted a more compelling arc this time around. The Blu-ray offers fine video and audio; there are less extras than season one––more deleted scenes, but no featurettes and just 4 audio commentaries, only about half of which are really any good. Recommended.
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