Veep season 5 is in full swing over at HBO and although the show is drowned out amidst all the Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley hype, the comedy remains bitingly funny and shouldn’t be overlooked. That’s especially impressive because the show’s creator departed for season 5, and a new showrunner took over. But, to the show’s credit, you really can’t tell. The new leader is just as good as the old leader, and Veep is as good as ever.
Veep Season 5 Review: As Good As Ever
After season 4, Veep creator Armando Ianucci left the series. It wasn’t out of any creative disagreement—he just wanted to spend more time in London with his family instead of (apparently) languishing away the year in America. He was replaced by David Mandel, who has impressive credentials of his own—he worked on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm for years. And those credits really influence his success thus far on Veep season 5. And his quick rapport with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who of course won her fame on Seinfeld, bodes well for the series.
Veep feels a little different this season, as of course it would. Jokes like President Selina Meyer being unable to pronounce ‘Nevada,’ even after repeated correction, feel like Seinfeld-esque bits… in a good way, mind you. Same deal with Catherine’s constant filming of the president around the sidelines, which will surely pay off in some unfortunate way for Meyer. The awkward situations with Charlie Baird are straight out of Curb—but the show was so much like that already that you’ll never really notice. It feels extremely natural.
That’s quite a feat. Ianucci shows have a very definite tone of their own—comic but very bleak, and filled with selfish and self-involved characters. They feel like little else. Well, Ianucci managed to find someone else who could continue to create that same tone. And he came from Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. It makes a lot of sense. And it’s great news for those of us who love the show. Let’s hope Selina Meyer wins that recount—or at least the vote in the House.
