What I’m Watching: Veep

Veep: Season 4, Episode 3 “Data” (B+)

This show has always been very adept at addressing current issues that are considerably more serious in real life with a humorous, skewering slant. The juxtaposition of Selina having to deal with the personal details of the girl with AIDS being leaked and her casual request to the press to go easy on her daughter was pretty startling, and, as with most things that catch Selina by surprise, she was not at all pleased to learn about it. Catherine complaining about being bullied by her mother not to speak out about being bullied was particularly hilarious. The hunt for a scapegoat was a rough one but Ben seemed completely ready to take the fall and step down. That would have been a shame since he’s one of the strongest characters, most memorable in this scene for his seriously-uttered remark that Dan was having an erotic dream and that he and Kent were about to turn into women and start making out. Dan, on the other hand, is better when he’s seen scrambling, trying to make sense of everything he’s learning from his three iPads. I’m sure he won’t be gone for long, and I’m eager to see what he does next. I like the relationship between Jonah and Richard, one that is defined mainly by neither having any real clue what the other actually means when he says anything. We don’t see much of Sue anymore, and her brief report with her brother-in-law’s update about his organization pulling out was well worth the short screen time and chance to hear her deadpan delivery.