Political Animals 1.03
Aug. 1st, 2012 08:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakContinues to be a highly enjoyable political soap, now with bonus Vanessa Redgrave!
I was worried that Elaine and Susan had become bffs a bit too quickly, so this episode was reassuring that Susan still has her own ambitionis and agenda without vilifying her for it, that she didn't held back the "Elaine Barrish intends to run" story or revealed the intel about the Supreme Court offer for newfound friendship but because she was looking for a bigger, more long term scoop. Similarly, Elaine may be grateful for the heads-up but still doesn't think anything of lying to Susan point blank (as she should, even without their backstory - this is a reporter, after all).
Also, it was nice to see my hope that Georgia was meant to be more in the Cat Grant vein, not an enemy but someone who gets to have a point now and then despite being introduced as at odds/hostile to our leading reporter lady proved justified. The one really looking bad right now is Alex the scumbag editor with his self pitying "you remember the politics, I remember how beautiful you looked" and jerky, unprofessional behaviour when Georgia brings a good story. And I was very satisfied that Susan later told George it is a good story. (As for why Susan had sex with the scumbag editor: to soothe her wounded ego from the way he cheated on her and gave Georgia her intel in the pilot, imo. ) Given that as opposed to the Cat Grant and Lois Lane model, Georgia is much younger than Susan, I wonder whether they'll eventually develop a prickly protegé and mentor relationship.
We get to see Elaine's relationship with her mother fleshed out in the same episode that introduces us to Elaine's mentor, the Supreme Court Judge played by Vanessa Redgrave. Yes, the issues between Elaine and her mother are familiar from the time Shirley McLaine played Debra Winger's mother onwards, but I don't mind - how many father/son relationships does Hollywood again? And Vanessa Redgrave was sublime. Also it's good to show Garcetti as smart - preempting Elaine as an opponent by making her a Supreme Court Judge instead was a good move.
Speaking of fathers and sons, 'twas what this week's fish outing and flashbacks were about. (Looks like we're getting flashbacks in every episode? Not that I mind. I'm a fan of flashbacks when they're offering new material.) I must say TJ continues to be the dullest member of the Hammond clan. (Note to Greg Berlandi: yes, that's what addicts are like. They lie and they lie and they lie. But in fiction, you have to offer more if the guy is supposed to be interesting. For a good example of an interesting addict, see: Jesse Pinkman.) So it was fortunate that the emphasis was on Doug and his relationship with their father instead, complete with an interesting explanation forClinton's Bud's gaffes in Hillary's Elaine's last presidential campaign. Given how it resolves, I wonder whether Doug won't confess to Bud first about his mistake when giving Susan a leak.
Lastly: Someone in the scriptwriting department has huge Obama issues. First Elaine's "sometimes, I'd like to work for the man who beat me" last episode, and now her remark on how Garcetti doesn't have the courage of his convictions. Note we've yet to see a Republican on this show. Probably because the bunch contending at the primaries when the scripts were written was too bizarre to be believed in fiction. Has Romney managed to insult someone in Poland yet?
P.S. I don't think Hillary Clinton will ever comment on this show, but I'm curious whether Maureen Dowd will, I have to confess.
I was worried that Elaine and Susan had become bffs a bit too quickly, so this episode was reassuring that Susan still has her own ambitionis and agenda without vilifying her for it, that she didn't held back the "Elaine Barrish intends to run" story or revealed the intel about the Supreme Court offer for newfound friendship but because she was looking for a bigger, more long term scoop. Similarly, Elaine may be grateful for the heads-up but still doesn't think anything of lying to Susan point blank (as she should, even without their backstory - this is a reporter, after all).
Also, it was nice to see my hope that Georgia was meant to be more in the Cat Grant vein, not an enemy but someone who gets to have a point now and then despite being introduced as at odds/hostile to our leading reporter lady proved justified. The one really looking bad right now is Alex the scumbag editor with his self pitying "you remember the politics, I remember how beautiful you looked" and jerky, unprofessional behaviour when Georgia brings a good story. And I was very satisfied that Susan later told George it is a good story. (As for why Susan had sex with the scumbag editor: to soothe her wounded ego from the way he cheated on her and gave Georgia her intel in the pilot, imo. ) Given that as opposed to the Cat Grant and Lois Lane model, Georgia is much younger than Susan, I wonder whether they'll eventually develop a prickly protegé and mentor relationship.
We get to see Elaine's relationship with her mother fleshed out in the same episode that introduces us to Elaine's mentor, the Supreme Court Judge played by Vanessa Redgrave. Yes, the issues between Elaine and her mother are familiar from the time Shirley McLaine played Debra Winger's mother onwards, but I don't mind - how many father/son relationships does Hollywood again? And Vanessa Redgrave was sublime. Also it's good to show Garcetti as smart - preempting Elaine as an opponent by making her a Supreme Court Judge instead was a good move.
Speaking of fathers and sons, 'twas what this week's fish outing and flashbacks were about. (Looks like we're getting flashbacks in every episode? Not that I mind. I'm a fan of flashbacks when they're offering new material.) I must say TJ continues to be the dullest member of the Hammond clan. (Note to Greg Berlandi: yes, that's what addicts are like. They lie and they lie and they lie. But in fiction, you have to offer more if the guy is supposed to be interesting. For a good example of an interesting addict, see: Jesse Pinkman.) So it was fortunate that the emphasis was on Doug and his relationship with their father instead, complete with an interesting explanation for
Lastly: Someone in the scriptwriting department has huge Obama issues. First Elaine's "sometimes, I'd like to work for the man who beat me" last episode, and now her remark on how Garcetti doesn't have the courage of his convictions. Note we've yet to see a Republican on this show. Probably because the bunch contending at the primaries when the scripts were written was too bizarre to be believed in fiction. Has Romney managed to insult someone in Poland yet?
P.S. I don't think Hillary Clinton will ever comment on this show, but I'm curious whether Maureen Dowd will, I have to confess.
