Political Animals

:

Season 1
  • Network: USA
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 15, 2012
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 50
  3. Negative: 8 out of 50
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User Reviews

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  1. OhThatGuy
    Jul 16, 2012
    0
    This was completely awful. The writing is completely incompetent. They are probably trying to be "edgy" with the sex and vulgar language, but it just comes off as pathetic. It's just a lame soap opera with no depth, insight, or redeeming value. I watch a lot of shows on the USA network, so I thought this would have that same level of quality. It really doesn't. How this got any goodThis was completely awful. The writing is completely incompetent. They are probably trying to be "edgy" with the sex and vulgar language, but it just comes off as pathetic. It's just a lame soap opera with no depth, insight, or redeeming value. I watch a lot of shows on the USA network, so I thought this would have that same level of quality. It really doesn't. How this got any good reviews at all is a mystery to me.… Expand
  2. nautico
    Jul 16, 2012
    2
    This has got to be one of the worst mini-series efforts in the history of TV. The writing is absolutely abysmal, and the dialogue is laced with the most gratuitous profanity I've ever witnessed. The ex-prez character who's a transparent parody of Bill Clinton is especially offensive and ludicrous, a buffoon who can't utter a sentence not laden with obscenities. A disaster.
  3. podaddy
    Jul 24, 2012
    1
    Horrendous. It was exhausting trying to make it thru one episode. Atrocious writing and bad acting. As much as I'd like to place the blame of Sigourney Weaver's wooden and day time soap worthy acting on the writing, great actors sometimes give noteworthy performances, even when they are handed god awful scripts. The Clintonian President is so off target and comes off as a crude andHorrendous. It was exhausting trying to make it thru one episode. Atrocious writing and bad acting. As much as I'd like to place the blame of Sigourney Weaver's wooden and day time soap worthy acting on the writing, great actors sometimes give noteworthy performances, even when they are handed god awful scripts. The Clintonian President is so off target and comes off as a crude and brainless buffoon. I saw Sigorney pitching this show to John Stewart on The Daily Show and was quite intrigued, and actually looked forward to watching it. Now, I look forward to never having to sit thru another episode of this drek ever again.… Expand
  4. Blahsum
    Jul 17, 2012
    1
    At one point a character compares the Middle East to IKEA instructions, basically saying: "who knows?". But this was not a person from the street. Instead it was uttered by a staffer in the office of the Secretary of State. You'd have thought someone in that position would have something more insightful to say on the subject...

    Political Animals wears everything on its sleeve. The    At one point a character compares the Middle East to IKEA instructions, basically saying: "who knows?". But this was not a person from the street. Instead it was uttered by a staffer in the office of the Secretary of State. You'd have thought someone in that position would have something more insightful to say on the subject...

    Political Animals wears everything on its sleeve. The writing is shallow and really serves little else than to stimulate some shallow drama. It is riddled with cliches - drug addiction, marital affair, eating disorders and it couldn't help but go for the 'blog vs. newspaper' angle. It's a painfully shallow experience.    … Expand
  5. RealContext
    Jul 18, 2012
    0
    We are very near the end of civilization as we know it. To think this dreck was greenlighted and that Sigourney Weaver consented to appear in it is mind boggling. My wife and I found ourselves wishing an alien would suddenly pop out of her chest and change the direction of this assault on the intellect and three of the five senses. It was cartoonish, tawdry and lame.

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best TV Season of 2012
46
#46 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
67
#67 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 33
  3. Negative: 2 out of 33
  1. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Gail Pennington
    Aug 27, 2012
    100
    Fast-paced, darkly funny and scathingly sharp, Political Animals seamlessly blends family drama with real-world issues, including an early crisis in the Middle East.
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  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Daniel Goldberg
    Aug 13, 2012
    63
    If you found the parallel universe in Lost perplexing, Political Animals's sheer optimism might leave you utterly baffled. Yet Weaver's grounding performance goes beyond maternal warmth and shrewdness, because Barrish doesn't just see the best in people; she demands it.
    Read full review
  3. Denver Post
    Reviewed by: Joanne Ostrow
    Jul 16, 2012
    60
    Think the Clintons meet "Dallas" in D.C. And that, for six episodes, may be enough.
    Read full review
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