Veep

Veep works because it is a compact ensemble comedy, filled with the sort of overheard details and wonk verisimilitude that has a way of making the show seem just real enough, even when it has played coy about whether its lead character is a Democrat or a Republican. In that way, it stands far apart from much of what passes for political comedy these days.

The fifth season of Veep doesn’t just win the expectations game, it just wins. The rapid-fire, acid-tongued dialogue hasn’t changed, nor has the almost unfathomable ratio of zingers per minute. With a cast this talented--Julia Louis-Dreyfus remains at the height of her talents--the only thing that could go wrong is the writing, but it’s as assured and hilarious as ever.

Veep doesn't just feel like it's firing on all cylinders, it feels invigorated and out to prove something. And that's potentially bad news for other comedies, but the best news for viewers.

Any fears that the departure of series creator Armando Iannucci would result in a diminishment of quality are immediately allayed. New showrunner David Mandel demonstrates a firm command and light touch in keeping the new episodes centered around Louis-Dreyfus and Selina’s bursts of anger, her deflations of despair, and her reactions to both the stupidity and shrewd mendacity of her staff.

Needless to say, the show remains very, very funny, and that’s thanks to an incredible cast whose timing remains impeccable.

Every year, it has seemed like Veep wouldn't be able to top itself, but the innovative and unrelenting comedy just kept doing it anyway, every year, without fail.

Hilarious, as always, and unexpectedly, maybe an instructional guide to the current political landscape.

The four episodes made available for review keep Veep in its wheel house of low comedy executed at a high level.

The show is at its manic best when a room is packed with loud, opinionated voices, all trying to be heard and protect their jobs; in season 5, the story pivots to bring the core group back together.

Its fifth season is in fine, familiar form.

The energy this season feels a little unfocused at times, but when Veep is smart, it’s very smart.

Veep manages to curse almost as creatively as HBO’s beloved cult series “Deadwood,” and, with its raging boss and conniving sycophants, is the heir to NBC’s “The Office” we didn’t know we needed.

The show’s fifth season is still sharp, well-plotted, and peppered with laugh-out-loud moments of obscenity. But like so much current satire—from SNL to The Daily Show to Scandal’s Donald Trump analogue--it’s struggling to match the unpredictable political pulse of the moment.

The show, now maybe more than ever, is constructed as a simple reason to get a bunch of funny people in a room and shoot rat-a-tat barbs at one another for thirty minutes at a time. The political satire, the write-that-one-down cursing, and the myriad, exceptional cast are just icing on the cake.

Veep doesn’t have as many pointed one-liners as it did in the past (could the absence of creator Armando Iannucci be the reason?) but it still boasts a cast that’s as sharp as ever. The addition of John Slattery as a possible love interest is clever, but some installments get bogged down by a parade of guest stars trying to share a bit of the fun.

Overall, it's a convincing enough portrait of the absurdity of modern American politics. But it's exactly this authenticity that makes the contemptuous characters feel aggravatingly one-note in comparison.