When the greatest television shows of the 21st century are discussed, HBO’s Veep – a brilliant political satire – must be mentioned.
Yes, we obviously have to include those powerful groundbreaking dramas like Breaking Bad, the Sopranos, the Wire and Succession, but when it comes to comedies, Veep is at the top.
Created by Armando Iannucci and starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as its main character, the show follows the rise, falls and blunders of Selina Meyer, a former U.S. Senator from Maryland who becomes Vice President, then President, then loses her reelection bid in historic fashion, and then makes one more run to reclaim the White House before the show wraps up in its seventh season.
As Meyer, Louis-Dreyfus delivers perhaps the most iconic role of her career since Seinfeld, but here, she’s at the center of the frame and gets to flex her ability to deliver scathing insults, her outstanding comedic timing and prowess, and her unmatched level of sarcasm. She won six Emmys for her performance as the deeply narcissistic Meyer and provided the perfect vehicle to deliver Iannucci’s brand of comedy – effortlessly mixing hilarious and sharp one-liners with incredibly well-written stories and plots, and then drenching it all in cynicism and absurdity – to American audiences.
Alongside Louis-Dreyfus, Iannucci assembled a top-notch ensemble cast – a mix of talented character actors and comedic masters – to put around her that fit his tone, bringing in Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, Sam Richardson and Clea DuVall. Guest stars like John Slattery, Dan Bakkedahl, Patton Oswalt, Hugh Laurie, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Randall Park, Diedrich Bader, Sally Phillips and Rhea Seehorn elevated the show too.
In all, Veep was nominated for 59 Emmys and won 17.
Leading up to the 2024 Presidential Election, Veep – which ended in 2019 and is completely fictional – is experiencing a surge in viewership due to some of the parallels it shares with Kamala Harris’ rise from U.S. Senator to Vice President, and now to the top of the Democratic ticket. Days after Joe Biden stepped out of the race, Veep saw a 353% viewership increase on Max, HBO’s streaming service.
If you’re new to Veep, here is a ranked list of the 10 most essential, hilarious and best episodes you need to watch.
WARNING: CLIPS BELOW INCLUDE VERY NSFW LANGUAGE.
10. Helsinki, Season 2, Episode 5
“Finland, you are hefty.”
9. Pledge, Season 7, Episode 3
This episode also features Selina’s “Man Up!” rant.
8. Library, Season 6, Episode 2
“The Kennedy Library is a reference point …”
7. Veep, Season 7, Episode 7
It’s the series finale, and as far as insults-per-minute goes, perhaps no scene has a higher rate.
6. Testimony, Season 4, Episode 9
I have no idea how any of the actors in this scene kept a straight face.
5. Running, Season 2, Episode 9
While being incredibly funny, this episode is the one that defines Selina’s motivations as a character and destroys the glass ceiling/door metaphor/pun. It also features one of Randall Park’s best performances as Danny Chung.
4. Election Night, Season 4, Episode 10
Here’s what FTW’s Michelle Martinelli wrote about this episode in 2019:
(It’s) something special because, as she’s trying to avoid getting rejected by the American electorate for not the first time, nor the last, her incompetent staff is left frantically Googling what happens if there’s a tie in the Electoral College. Everyone’s reaction to the potential tie is quintessential digital age, and the possibility of her losing the election ultimately to her running mate is supremely Veep. And the fact that “Continuity with Change” — almost as bad as “Some New Beginnings” — is plastered on the stage of their election rally just before the tie is announced is just *chef’s kiss*.
3. Mother, Season 5, Episode 4
Another episode where Selina really shows her true colors. In a matter of seconds, she morphs her lackluster attempt at consoling her grieving daughter into gleefully celebrating the continuance of votes being counted in Nevada. Nothing really says more about who Selina truly is than her laughing uncontrollably in the same room where her mother’s corpse lies.
“Honey, if I wanted to talk to an unconscious person I’d book myself on Charlie Rose.”
2. Kissing Your Sister, Season 5, Episode 9
This is the episode where Selina’s daughter, Catherine Meyer – played by Sarah Sutherland – really gets to shine as Veep transforms into a mockumentary in the vein of The Office for one episode. Catherine takes viewers behind the scenes of Selina’s failed campaign, Jonah Ryan using some foul language in front of elementary schoolers, and Catherine’s own budding romance with a Secret Service agent.
1. Congressional Ball, Season 5, Episode 7
The whole episode is great, but this scene should go into the Hall of Fame for insults on television, where Selina clears the board in a game of political chess and brings the knives out, completely dressing down Congresswoman Penny Nickerson.
