Calissa Jones
It’s got it all: LGBTQ representation, songs Glee-style, love triangles, rich kids, mental illness, suicide, poison, and even a hint of politics. These, plus an array of events and subtopics covered in spoilers, all culminate into one whirlwind of a show: The Politician.
On September 27th, Netflix released a new series called The Politician, which follows Payton Hobart (Dear Evan Hansen’s Ben Platt) on his quest to become president of the United States. First, though, he has to win his class president election and get into Harvard, tasks which prove more and more difficult as various obstacles get in the way of his success. This is where The Politician gets interesting.
Amongst other things, Payton’s known for his ambition and wealth. The adopted son of a billionaire, home life quickly shifts his social life, and the game changes. When events occur with the other class president candidate, the game shifts again. Over and over, this cycle continues, allowing the series to snake back and forth between many topics and themes. The audience never expects what’s about to happen. It’s a mess of messages, but that’s the point: it’s reality at its extremes.
Mimicking a real political campaign filled with secrets and backstabbing, the series also often mirrors reality in news coverage, poking fun on how today’s politics are often more absurd than the drama of television. In the first episode, the admissions dean of Harvard comments on his, saying that now “the air of impossibility (of being president) has been removed.” As with Ryan Murphy’s other works, the show balloons into an exaggeration of these extremes, to the point where absurdity becomes commonplace. Thus, comedy is made afresh.
Another great highlight of the show is representation, once again put to the extremes per Murphy’s usual style. There’s more LGBTQ characters than not, but, since everything else is already blown out of proportion, it creates a fresh perspective traditionally not seen in television. Additionally, mental illness and physical disabilities are given their own spotlight. It’s a mashup of ideas, values, and perspectives that collides into a spectacular explosion of expression.
The Politician is a dark comedical masterpiece in the works. While it does have its flaws (the episode, The Voter, having many of them) it does many things right. It’s an acidic satire with a Gen-Z twist, all the while mimicking Murphy’s fast-paced Glee (or at least the first season). With episode eight setting the show up for a drastically different second season, The Politician is an evolving Netflix show to be on the lookout for.