At this point, every episode of Veep is perfect or near perfect, and last night’s “Alicia” was no exception, even if the results don’t necessarily show up in the best quotes of the week. So much of what makes Veep so exceptional goes beyond the writing, and rests in both the performances and the context. Kent’s hilarious obsession with Sue, for instance, can’t be reduced to a punchline, and there’s no way to capture last night’s best scene in screen shots: Mike being reduced to singing “Goober Peas” in an effort to persuade Jonads not to run the “cow” story. That was sublimely hilarious.
It may be an exaggerated reality, but when I watch Veep now I can’t help but believe that conversations like the ones in last night’s episode are typical, from calling citizens “normals,” to the blow-out melt-downs petulant politicians might have when the party decides to dictate their campaigns. Veep is not just one of the funniest shows on television — if not, the funniest — it’s definitely its best satire.
Here were the best lines from last night’s episode (and one possible Seinfeld reference).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Bonus — Was the pony B-plot on Saturday Night Live a sly nod to this scene on Seinfeld (at the 1:50 mark)?
