The very, very, very best of Veep S1-7
Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a woman on a mission in Veep (2012-2019, all 7 seasons are on Showmax). She’s a career politician with her eyes on the biggest prize: the White House and becoming the most powerful person on the planet. Does everything go according to plan? Not a chance! Does Selina come back time and time again, each time conveniently forgetting her past mistakes and making brand-new ones? You better believe it!
“The point of this show is to pull back the curtains and show what are these people really like behind closed doors,” says Julia. “The language [swearing] helps to illustrate the difference perfectly between behind the scenes and in the public eye, behind and in front of the camera.”
The show has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards in 2019, and there are only 65 episodes to stream. They’re short, sweet, hilariously outrageous and totally un-PC. So if you’re looking for a charming romance drama, you’re in the wrong place. Grab the popcorn, it’s entertainment time! Look out for these Plum Pick moments – one from each season.
Politicians need to be charming to get their way and talk people into agreeing with the laws they’re trying to get approved. Not Selina.
She’s raw and bossy and rude and to the point – and her staff bear the brunt when she lashes out, screeching, “I’m the Vice President of The United States, you stupid little f**kers! These people should be begging me! That door should be half its height so that people can only approach me in my office on their goddamn motherf**king knees.”
Veep’s always on point with current affairs, using them for cheap laughs. Even fantasy series Game of Thrones wasn’t immune. Selina’s Chief of Staff Amy tries to have an earnest conversation during a plane trip to get Selina to realise how people see her.
Amy: Some paper is calling you the Europhobic Khaleesi from DC (Game of Thrones’ warlord princess Daenerys Targaryen’s title)
Selina: Europhobic? Seriously? What is that supposed to mean… that I’m scared of subtitles?
The fact that Selina is more concerned about language barriers than being a ruthless warlord proves how perfectly aloof some politicians can be.
Politics is meant to be a man’s world and it takes a tough woman to survive – that’s what they say. And Selina proves that when she bluntly explains just what kind of discrimination women face not just as politicians, but in the everyday world, telling her co-workers: “If men got pregnant, you could get an abortion at the ATM. Let’s state the obvious”.
Politicians play with peoples lives, especially when it comes to war. While they’re back at home, sitting pretty in their air-conditioned offices, the men and women they command are marching head-first into battle and possible death.
That’s never been a problem for the veep, until she meets Richard The Easter Bunny at the White House Easter Egg Roll. He’s an ex-Marine who tells her how his best friend died. While it doesn’t strike a chord at first, you can see Selina’s conscience taking over and she realises how much power she wields.
The season’s biggest moment didn’t centre on the veep. Instead, her daughter Catherine (Sarah Sutherland) takes the spotlight. She’s sat back and taken every mean comment, every snide remark and below-the-belt punch her mom has dished out until now.
Now it’s her turn: she’s not just a lesbian – she’s in love with The Veep’s body double! No one saw that coming, including Selina who doesn’t even know her double’s name. (It’s Marjorie.)
Every president writes their memoir once they’re out of office. It’s a way to stay relevant. And a way to accept that they’ve moved on in their careers. For Selina to write, she needs a presidential library. And what better place to build one than where her not-dearly-departed dad’s barn stands?
Wielding an oar is the perfect cathartic exercise to get rid of the family demons that’ve held her back all her life, destroying her father’s barn at the same time. And having her hapless Director of Communications Mike (Matt Walsh) screaming “Why does soup cost so much?” as part of his tirade is the cherry on top.
Wherever Selina has gone during the seasons, her aide Gary has been at her side. He knows the veep better than she knows herself. And he’s not about to let her get depressed about something that hasn’t happened yet: her death. And he uses the most devious tactics to make her realise that she’s going to be alright…
Selina: My vision for when I die…
Gary: if.
Selina: No, I am gonna die.
Gary: <sad puppy eyes>
Her actual funeral flash-forward is the best: