The Politician Reviews: Meh

About Jessica Lange's performance: In the big picture, the collaborations between Lange and Murphy have been predominantly award-worthy highlights, but this performance is a broad miscalculation at every turn, one of several turns that teeter into cartoonish with no grounding at all.

OUCH!!!

TVLine liked it

Why on earth would anybody ever think Ben Platt could carry a series?

This is why Barbra Streisand opted out. She was very interested early on, but after asking friends to read to the script, they advised her not to take it.

Wait, that man driving me in OP photo is the star of the show? I thought he was my personal driver. Who is he?

More on Lange:

[quote]Lange, sporting off-the-shoulder sweaters and teased blonde hair, is thoroughly enjoyable as another one of Murphy’s brassy, tippling dames. - Entertainment Weekly

[quote]There are lots of great characters to be found on the fringes, especially the great Jessica Lange as Infinity’s pushy grandma Dusty, who doesn’t hesitate to use her granddaughter’s cancer diagnosis to jump the reservation line at Olive Garden. - TVLine

[quote]Jessica Lange is striking as [Dusty Jackson]. - BBC

[quote]A side plot about Payton’s running mate, the chronically ill Infinity Jackson (Zoey Deutch), quickly goes off the rails; though it’s fun to see Jessica Lange play her deranged grandma, the resemblance to Hulu’s The Act (and the true story it’s based on) falls somewhere between parody and appropriation. - TIME

[quote]Murphy concocts one implausible scenario after the next to put Platt’s pipes on display. Similarly, he struggles to find things for Lange to do, so he gives her a lot to react to, at increasing levels of scenery-chewing insanity. - IndieWire

[quote]If Jessica Lange’s residency as the Looming Evil in Ryan Murphy productions ever feels akin to typecasting, it’s likely because there are few actresses that have honed the slick drawl and glare of dubious intent to spine-tingling perfection. As Infinity’s grandmother Dusty, Lange blurs the lines between unhealthy love and toxic self-interest while perpetuating a wholly relatable “eat the rich” mentality. Does she ultimately need to be defeated? Sure, but not without stealing at least three more scenes on her potential way out, please and thank you. - AV Club

[quote]As if one Hollywood titan wasn’t enough, Murphy signed up Lange - who previously played Joan Crawford in Feud and starred in American Horror Story - to play the unstoppable Dusty Jackson. Dusty is the grandmother of Infinity, a cancer-suffering teen picked to be Payton’s running mate in the school election. At first, she seems every inch the overprotective, if opportunistic, grandma. But as her family life slowly unravels, so does she, with Lange becoming increasingly maniacal and unhinged. Expect to see her on plenty of Best supporting actress shortlists next year. - The Evening Standard

[quote]I can definitely see folks being big fans of the performances given by Gwyneth Paltrow and Murphy's more frequent collaborators like Jessica Lange and Dylan McDermott. - CinemaBlend

[quote]Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan have fully capitalized on their arsenal of top-notch talent to make the first season, particularly when it comes to Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Lange, and Zoey Deutch. All three of these actresses are at their best in The Politician. Lange embodies a level of camp that will make any American Horror Story fan swoon. - Decider

[quote]Jessica Lange [goes] full monster mom. - Thrillist

[quote]Jessica Lange, who I will worship until the end of time, work[s] a room. It’s Jessica Lange going to bat against these other incredible partners. - Hypable

[quote]A maniacal and enthralling Jessica Lange. - Exclaim!

[quote]Memorable performances abound, from Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina, Payton’s rich but joyless mother, to Jessica Lange as Dusty, Infinity’s manipulative grandmother. - Slant

[quote]The only real competition for plaudits is Lange and Paltrow. Even when they’re stuck in one mode, they have the wherewithal to still make a meal out of it. Lange is allowed to go full lowkey-villain as we’ve seen in, say, American Horror Story: Asylum, as the obviously manipulative grandmother of Deutch’s character. She’s trashy, she’s cheeky, she’s chewing up the scenery when she can and please, sir, may I have some more! - Collider

Ben Platt "I don't feel beautiful enough to play GOOP's son".

Just watch "Election", from which this is clearly cribbed.

I like it so far. Campy fun.

altho I live for ms Lange, I cannot watch a damn thing Goop is in, she is an insufferable wench and bore.

Why do people even use Paltrow in their films anymore? When her plain jane turdy face fills the screen (tv), its like flowers die.. immediately.

shit. They would have to kill off the hottest guy on the show. FUCK !!! nebbish whoo plays the politician shoulda suicided instead....oy

I fast forwarded thru anything Lange Is not in.

Platt's eyes so close together, scarey

So Miss Splatt’s rich father is still paying out.

Is that fug wad January Jones' face I see in this show????? How ironic....must be some kind of hideous joke.

Maybe it gets better, im on ep 3 and im not impressed so far, below par for mr murphy.

Ryan Murphy is a fucking hack who is only able to hire friends. No wonder people don't want to act on any of his shitty shows. He can go straight to hell for what he did with The Politician. What he did to River in the FIRST fucking episode is unforgivable. Fuck him and his shitty show(s).

How did the guy die in the first episode? Cant watch till later.

R18 He shot himself (suicide). Great way to kill off a gay character in the first episode, right? Shameful that a gay showrunner would do this. Has he never heard of bury your gays? Of course Peyton continued to imagine him for the rest of the show. Veeery convenient, that way Murphy can avoid portraying a gay storyline where the gays actually get to kiss and have sex!! LOL. Fuck Ryan Murphy and his shitty tv shows. He can go straight to hell.

R19 apparently it was originally supposed to be on network TV before Murphys Netflix deal went through. Though kissing should be fine, under those parameters we wouldn't see them have sex.

Ryan Murphy is a pretty messed up gay guy (defends his own underage relationship with an older man when he was a teenager) and a misogynist but he’s largely been given a pass over the years. Although that’s changing because he was criticized roundly on Twitter for casting Gus Kenworthy in AHS (was seen as white gay men looking out for their own.)

R20 I expected a gay storyline. What we got was a peck in the first episode, then NOTHING. To say I'm extremely disappointed is an understatement. The show is SHIT. Oh well, in a way I'm thankful the hot gay character shot himself in the first episode. Saved me from watching the rest of this dreck. I can't believe I would have wasted hours on a show from a hack writer who has no qualms of burying his gay characters. Fuck him, his shitty shows and his lame ass, borderline homophobic writing.

I'm excited about that Hollywood show coming out next year but a bit hesitant cause one of the leads is a gay character in the 40s. How will he portray another gay character in that special way he does?

R221 I hope he will get dragged hard over his choice to kill off a gay character in the FIRST FUCKING EPISODE. I expect this shit from clueless straight writers, not gay. Nah, this shit is unforgivable and he's cancelled. I will never watch a single one of his shows ever again.

Reviews? Who cares what some stranger thinks? I don't and never have.

I guess Jess won't be up for an Emmy next year.

Murphy is running out of ideas.

I don't think this was even his idea, I think Ben Platt brought the concept to him.

How is it that Ben Platt has Greta Thunberg face in this show? How could they have planned for that?

Disastrous. I barely made it through the pilot before resorting to skipping through most scenes to get to Mama’s bits. Of course, she was fun, fierce and poignant. And of course, I ended up wishing the show had been centered around her.

This is a new low for Murphy in a career made by trashy work - minus Feud: Bette and Joan, which is his masterwork as producer and director - but he’s always made his trash tantalizingly fun. This is not.

I’m sure Mama will still nab an Emmy nomination in Supporting but I almost don’t want her to. Not for this.

Barbra would have played Jessica Lange’srole which is more than loosely based on Dee Dee and Gypsy RoseLee. If she went I think I would have died It is truly terrible but so far I’m kinda enjoying it. If you compare this to HBO Euphoria The Politician is pure trash. I liked Be. Before this show but after the 2nd episode I’m getting sick of his face

She went through it So bad it’s good. I liked Ben before this. Trying to correct myself

Martina as Fish Stick’s love interest? Yuchi’s !

Cute FTM tranny playing the good friend of Ben Platt's character.

Gwen’s hair is distracting. She should have have had a different style for role. Believe it or out she is a bright spot in this series I hate it but I can’t stop watching. I told myself I would stop watching when Bette appears but I m on7 and she hasn’t been seen. IMDb says she is on 7 or did she get smart and had her part edited out.

ISI Infinity a Broadway Star ? She sang really good. Is this the first time Our Jessica has been awful inner role as Dee Dee. She makes Patricia Arquette look like Meryl Streep.

It looks like every other thing Ryan Murphy did. Same old.

Last episode is bizarre. Part of it with the always good Judith Light and Bette lays like a failed pilot.

Look! An Asian !

The hott dead guy looks like a much hotter Matt Bomer.

All of a sudden the show has turned into The Graduate. I never got that Ben was in love with the blonde girl. Yep,typical Ryan Murphy show but it usually has a good first season.

The last episode was the best although I dont think Ben makes a very good politician. No way could a public figure hide a three way marriage. At first i was so disappointed Barbra didn't do this now I'm glad. Wonder if Murphy changed role when Lange took over.

Poor Jessica. This role is just another dog scrap. It’s so sad she can’t get decent work.

R40 Mama is having fun now at 70. She keeps her two Oscars, three Emmys, Tony and the rest of her endless hardware well polished while she whisks herself off to Paris, Mexico, London and on various road trips throughout the US, indulging masterfully in her other creative outlet: photography.

Also, from her recent interview with EW:

[quote]Do you know what you’re going to collaborate on with Ryan next?

[quote]Yeah. We’re trying to develop this piece on Dietrich, from those kind of Las Vegas years to the end. We’ve got a really good script that Michael Cristofer wrote. At one time, Ryan thought he might want to direct it but he’s got a thousand other things that are going on. I don’t particularly want to wait. So, if we can get this going next year it’ll be great. Ryan will produce and I can sing like Dietrich because she had a very limited range.

I really hope she gets this project going next year. I think she’ll be sublime.

The children on social media are living for her in this show, which is always wonderfully refreshing and validating to see. At 70, she’s still got it.

I love that she’s not a try-hard. She does what she wants, when and how she wants it, and always does it electrifyingly. She has the luxury and the receipts to that now.

I’m most excited for her upcoming project, The Lonely Doll, with Naomi Watts under Gia Coppola’s direction. I was saddened that she decided to back out of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” but I heard the role, eventually played by Brenda Vaccaro, was smaller than a bit part. I’m still secretly pissed off at her for that, though. I mean, turning down a chance to work with BOTH Tarantino AND Pacino.

Only a true Queen gets to do that.

The way you speak for her Matt is creepy and makes you seem like a stalker. Her playing Dietrich for Ryan Murphy in Vegas is sad. Didn’t she already do that Schlick on AHS as Elsa? Sad end to a sad lady.

"Pretty but hollow"

R42 Oh, darling, there’s nothing creepier, sadder and more pathetic than you. I see you’ve resorted to trying to address others by your name.

Tell me, does your pathological hate for Ms. Lange keep you up at night? Does it make you feverishly finger yourself to completion?

I do wonder, however, how you manage to weather the deserved love and adoration Ms. Lange receives from all quarters. It must drive you more insane than you already are. I can just picture you darting to your only true home (here) or to some social media platform or other to post your rants and rages only to find they fall on deaf ears.

It’s okay. Your life will be over soon...

And Ms. Lange will always be a legend, one I particularly love.

Uh huh. M for Matt ^

For Ryan Murphy to start off his huge $300 million deal with Netflix with this clunker is disastrous for both him and Netflix. The network execs must be livid. Someone is going to lose their job over this. This is the last thing they needed with Disney, Apple and Amazon breathing down their necks.

Ben Platt's acting career has ended before it even began. I guess it's back to Broadway for him.

Netflix just picked this up from his deal with Fox. It's made by Fox productions. If "Hollywood" isnt great then that's a problem cause that is Ryans first Netflix made production.

R45 Right, Matt.

M for Meryl, especially at the 4 minute mark. Last about 30 seconds...

I wish this show had been better. It kind of lurches all over the place. None of the characters are particularly likable except maybe Infinity. Too bad.

I tried to watch it, but Ben Bratt, or whatever his name is, was too damn old for his role. Was the casting director blind that he was hired? Or is he Murphy's fucktoy?

Murphy has no substance. I work in film and TV and have to lie everyday that I find this guy a genius at the risk of being ostracized, when in reality I find him to be shallow, unimaginative and tacky. He has never written a show that wasn't superficial fluff, even the pilot episode of AHS which had some substance on gothic feminism was lost in his lack of subtlety. Popular, Glee, AHS, Nip Tuck, even the pilot of Pretty Handsome, a trailblazer on trans issues was terrible. I think he has some talent, but substance isn't one of qualities. The Politician is your typical Murphy fluff.

I loved The Assassination of Gianni Versace, but he didn't write that show, that's why it's so good.

As for the content with Netflix and Fox it has nothing to do with the deal. Murphy himself decided this show was meant to be "family friendly", so being the self hating gay that he is, he wrote straights having sex and the gays are dubious "fluid" people who can't have sex and of course the bury the gays trope right at your face.

He can write whatever show he wants at Netflix as far as content is concerned. The Fox Productions you're talking about is not what you think it is.

[quote]Murphy has no substance. I work in film and TV and have to lie everyday that I find this guy a genius at the risk of being ostracized, when in reality I find him to be shallow, unimaginative and tacky.

Craft Services?

Meh!