[9.2/10] A-plus farcing around here. I loved all the spinning plates between the family vacation on the one hand and the negotiations with the Chinese on the other. There was a real Arrested Development vibe to this episode, and it really worked.
I was particularly happy to see Minna come back! I’ve said before, but her role as the no-nonsense, devoted public servant, baffled by the incompetence and mercenary qualities of Selina and her coterie is just consistently great. She brings such a dry humor to the proceedings that I absolutely love.
Plus, the episode devolves into so many superbly cringe-worthy moments. Catherine discovering that not only is Selina conducting international negotiations, but that she gave away the Hague pen to the Chinese is not only a great turn in the story, but it’s well set up for maximum awkwardness on both sides. Can’t say enough about the writing of this one. Again, Selina once again sacrificing her family for her political career (not to mention the unemployed people in Ohio and North Carolina that she sells for Tibet without a second thought) is done wonderfully, and the show really commits to her sheer focus on this at the expense of nigh-literally everything else in her life.
And hey! Jonah’s a Congressman now! I love that the NRA attacking the widow Sherman is done is played as an X-mas miracle. It’s that kind of cynical take that makes the show work. And the elation moving to horror for Dan and Amy when Jonah gets elected, and immediately lets the power go to his head, is utterly great.
Overall, this is a very well-written episode that stands out in both the season and the series.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2017-05-22T01:23:13Z
[9.2/10] A-plus farcing around here. I loved all the spinning plates between the family vacation on the one hand and the negotiations with the Chinese on the other. There was a real Arrested Development vibe to this episode, and it really worked.
I was particularly happy to see Minna come back! I’ve said before, but her role as the no-nonsense, devoted public servant, baffled by the incompetence and mercenary qualities of Selina and her coterie is just consistently great. She brings such a dry humor to the proceedings that I absolutely love.
Plus, the episode devolves into so many superbly cringe-worthy moments. Catherine discovering that not only is Selina conducting international negotiations, but that she gave away the Hague pen to the Chinese is not only a great turn in the story, but it’s well set up for maximum awkwardness on both sides. Can’t say enough about the writing of this one. Again, Selina once again sacrificing her family for her political career (not to mention the unemployed people in Ohio and North Carolina that she sells for Tibet without a second thought) is done wonderfully, and the show really commits to her sheer focus on this at the expense of nigh-literally everything else in her life.
And hey! Jonah’s a Congressman now! I love that the NRA attacking the widow Sherman is done is played as an X-mas miracle. It’s that kind of cynical take that makes the show work. And the elation moving to horror for Dan and Amy when Jonah gets elected, and immediately lets the power go to his head, is utterly great.
Overall, this is a very well-written episode that stands out in both the season and the series.