The Politician
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Its a vicious little gem.
The Voter was a bitter pill, but The Voters is something else entirely.
It is both warning and praise, a call for action and optimism.
This time our subject is not an apathetic compulsive masturbator.
We latch onto a mother and daughter, each passionately committed to one of our two candidates.
Shes a longtime Dede Standish supporter who values pragmatism and experience.
From there, the episode splits in two.
Maybe they wouldnt vote.
Maybe they would, but would walk away dissatisfied.
Maybe theyd both switch to the other candidate.
But Andi and Jaynes stories arent parallel.
Yes, they each get a dose of disillusionment, but the two doses are fundamentally different.
Jaynes is about the reality of politics.
That doesnt stop Jayne from cheering wholeheartedly.
Andis reckoning is something else entirely.
Shes confronted by herself.
Thats the place from whence the optimism of The Voters springs.
So theres a twist ending: Andi votes for Payton.
Its your turn, she says.
And no matter which candidate wins the election, in this one household, change does.
The Politicianis a hell of a mixed bag in general.
Its soapiness can be a lot of fun, even when especiallywhen its ridiculous.
And for all Paytons considerable flaws, he responds honestly.
He listens, and he doesnt lie.
Sadly, thats perhaps the most optimistic thing, not just about The Voters, but aboutThe Politicianin general.
People speak, and every once in a while, Payton listens.
And that, my fellow Americans, is better than nothing.
Talking Points
James gets fired in profane fashion.
Its no surprise that Weigert is great here, but so is Perkins.
Lots of actors are surprisingly bad at pretending to talk on the phone.
Another great thing about both The Voter and The Voters: their short run times.
They are exactly as long as they need to be, not a moment longer.
At this point its a safe bet that the third season will also include a voters episode.
Maybe itll be about voter suppression?
An episode that takes place entirely in line at a polling place?
A question that somehow hadnt occurred to me until now: this is a primary election, yeah?
Costume of the episode:I havent been giving enough love to McAfees amazing suits.
This one in particular gets a thumbs-up.
Skye looked stylish as hell, too.
