What I’m Watching: Veep (Season Premiere)

Veep: Season 4, Episode 1 “Joint Session” (B+)

It’s a pleasure to have this hilarious show back, with its main character now in the role of president but still far less secure and stable than one might expect and hope the leader of the free world would be. It’s great fun to see someone else playing second fiddle as vice president, literally racing to the White House to storm a meeting after not being told about it until it was too late for him to make it in time. Of course, that means that Gary is being shut out, separated from his bag and all of his bag man duties, and everyone else is focused on making sure that Selina represents herself well when they can’t even get numbering or lettering a speech right enough to provide her with the correct draft. I’m pleased to see two new members of the cast, Zak Orth from “Revolution” as speechwriter Jim and the incomparable Patton Oswalt as the VP’s chief of staff Teddy, who, like most others, does not like Jonah. I’m leaning towards Sam Richardson’s Richard as my favorite character of the moment, embodying stupidity at its finest at every turn. Diedrich Bader’s Bill Ericsson telling Amy that he may take her job was intense, and I’m sure she won’t go quietly. My favorite line in this episode comes down to a tie: “Can mice levitate” from Sue and “Kent majored in fortune cookies” from Ben, both masters of unamused sarcasm and experts in delivering this show’s particular witty and biting dialogue.