Ryan Murphy's The Politician Season 2

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Without Jessica Lange, no one cares.

I can't think of a more annoying series.

Couldn’t even get through the first season. I usually find some enjoyment from Ryan Murphy’s shows, but this one was just unwatchable. Ben Platt is a terrible lead.

Wow. Can't wait. I'm all in for Judith Light & Bette Midler.

miss platt is so nothing....he screams sad

[quote] Couldn’t even get through the first season. I usually find some enjoyment from Ryan Murphy’s shows, but this one was just unwatchable. Ben Platt is a terrible lead.

I watched all of it. It didn’t get better. I can’t imagine that it left anyone with a desire for a second season. Maybe that was negotiated up front.

Platt is uncharismatic and unattractive. There’s no one for whom you want to root.

why do queens put "previous thread"......what diff does it make? kind of annoying....'oh look at me'

David Corenswet's role in this is being the world's sexiest Jiminy Cricket, Payton's conscience.

It's already been shot? That seems a bit fast, doesn't it? Does that mean they'll be putting even less thought into the script this time around? Hard to imagine.

Platt is best on fast forward but I will watch for Midler.

Platt is best on fast forward but I will watch for Midler.

I'm only watching Bette and Judith's scenes. Ben Platt can choke.

Unwatchable....plus that cunt Paltrow is in it.

I see the name Ryan Murphy, I think Gunter from Friends as a cunty TV producer.

Wish I could be excited or interested in this, but I’m not.

It seems like they're postponing all of the shows I was looking forward to watching, so I'll at least give this one a shot.

R18 Were you waiting for Animal Kingdom too? What’s up with that?

R19, I was naively expecting the return of Russian Doll and Cobra Kai.

Anyone watching yet? What episode is the threesome with Corenmakesmewet?

Is it still TV-PG or TV-14? I'm not expecting anything too salacious.

Why do they insist on making Ben Platt appear straight? Hey Netflix, this thumbnail doesn't make me want to watch

R23 I would sooner believe him a vampire than straight.

Poor David Corenswet had to kiss that doughy dork.

Will not be watching. First season was shit. The show is also homophobic.

R21 in episode 2 but not really

R25 But that is acting, pity poor Noah who has to do it on his own dime.

More entertaining and less pretentious than Hollywood. Although Murphy is suffering from Woody Allen syndrome in that he has gorgeous goy boys itching to get into the pants of fugly Jewish nebbishes.

I haven't watched season 2 yet but I'm curious if what this article is about is still true.

Much better than the first season, mainly because of Judith and Bette, but also Goop was pretty good, and the guest spot with Robin Weigert was great, too.

Did not like that they pretty much tried to straight-wash Platt's character, but doesn't matter much...he is the weakest link. He's hard to look at, and he cried or got teary WAY too much. I guess he can sing well enough, but that's about the best I can say about him.

I threw the new season on and am a few episodes in. It’s as quintessential Ryan Murphy as ever- baffling and poorly plotted and deeply nonsensical but with a great aesthetic and a fair amount of fun (however ludicrous it may be). This season may be even more bizarre than the last.

That all said, there’s been a scarce few scenes with David Corenswet and he’s as sexy as ever. They also made a point of saying *spoiler* that, per “Payton”, the River character wasn’t likely gay or bisexual? And then Ben Platt’s character goes on to say he was never attracted to River *that* way and suggest he, himself, is neither gay nor bi.

That is a weird ass backpedal and seems seriously homophobic under the guise of being “woke” and progressive about sexual fluidity. I’ll probably keep watching to see what the fuck they do from here, but this is seriously irritating. And made by a gay man- wtf. Ryan Murphy wants the straights to want him so much it’s pathetic.

I thought Ryan Murphy loved putting gays in his shows? You'd think this were a Greg Berlanti series.

I thought that Payton's feelings for River would turn out to be the entire lynchpin of the series, when, in the finale, it's revealed Payton killed River, demonstrating Payton would do anything to get ahead.

The crippled kid is hilarious.

Does Ryan Murphy secretly hate gay men and therefore himself? The social hierarchy in the Murphy universe is straights > trans > lesbians > gay men

Who is the blonde who looks like someone let air out of Megan Trainor? I forgot. She left her fiance at the altar I think at the end of last season. Were she and Payton a thing last season?

R37 She was River's girlfriend and a rival of Payton's. I think they had a bit of a thing too.

R37, I think you mean Julia Schlaeper. She plays Alice, his girlfriend.

Just finished S2 and I found it more enjoyable than S1.

I don’t think Payton is straight washed. He told his mom in S1E1 that he’s “not even gay.” We assumed he was gay or bi. I found it refreshing that he isn’t gay. That indicates he has an honest, intimate relationship with his Mom that the lie would belie.

There are too many blondes on this show

Halfway through the first episode. Can’t stand this shit. It’s worse than Hollywood. It’s worse than Hitler.

At least Hollywood had a decent gay storyline.

So just got to episode 2. Can't fucking believe they retconed River and Payton like this.

Also, I just realized how many lesbians (or bisexual women) there are in this show

Found this and mostly agree

Any dongs presented? Nowadays I only watch movies/tv with dongs presented and nothing else.

R46, you need to check out "Dong King" on KLC. It's about a guy who runs a ranch in Arkansas where guys with big dongs run wild naked for people willing to pay him thousands of dollars to observe.

I keep watching and falling asleep to wake up 2-3 episodes latter...

I was reading this fairly scathing review and basically nodding along with all of it

But then the end came and claimed this season doesn’t have a flash forward or any tease for another season the way that season 1 does... and *spoiler* but it literally does exactly that. Even reviewers are so disinterested they’re hinging the end of their reviews on blatant fallacy, I guess

R49 of fuck, link:

Honestly, I don't blame them for not finishing the season.

S2E4, not impressed at all thus far.

Watched all of season 2 - overall I enjoyed it but Spoilers Ahead:

1. Judith Light and Bette Midler carry this season. As flawed as their generation is shown to be, the millenials in the show are shown to be far more toxic and smug.

2. Platt just cannot play straight. The ending with the wife and child is like something from a horror movie - you're waiting for a meltdown from him

3. The show can't decide if Payton is a complete sociopath or not. The scenes with him singing in the piano bar come across as more improvised - Platt seems to be playing himself. He's more relaxed, smiles, shows actual normal emotions etc. It makes no sense at all, and is really an excuse to have scenes where he sings, with no realistic connection to anything else the character does

4. How they handle Platt's nudity is weird. In the scene with Corenswet in bed you never see his chest from the front, and in both shower scenes he wears a weirdly fitting red tshirt, but then there's the still image of him shirtless in a speedo.

5. The girl playing Alice cannot act. At all.

6. Midler's boyfriend/original throuple member is hotttt, and very tall. Spicy lube indeed.

This shit is awful!

They should have scrapped Platt altogether and created a new lead character.

R53 while I’m still feeling really critical with this season, definitely agree on all this. Light and Midler were the best and most watchable of this season, full stop.

And yeah, ending with him now married to his whacked out on again off again girlfriend who basically got pregnant on purpose because of jealousy and them having a kid together and being the perfect all American pseudo straight step ford family was... an interesting choice, especially with a gay leading actor. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop on that plot line. Was shocked they didn’t at least end with some kind of hint at him seeing a man on the side or something.

ben platts face makes me homophobic

Definitely disappointed with this season and doubt I'll watch the next unless there's a huge gay male twist.

I really doubt there'll be another season. But I would watch the shit out of a drama where Judith Light plays a presidential candidate. Someone make that instead.

Paltrow is hilarious in this, and her campaign for governor feels very on brand for her. She clearly has a sense of humour about herself, playing a character totally encased in a west-coast bubble of privilege largely disconnected from the real world. I was waiting for the vagina candle to make an appearance.

Didn't someone on another thread say Judy Light plays down her soap past?

I turned it off, after episode 2. I’m watching Love Victor instead.

I think they pretty much have given up on this show.

There wasn't much promotion for the new season at all, not even by Netflix.

And it's not even in the Top 10 of Netflix's most popular shows in the US right now.

Considering Ryan Murphy’s contract with Netflix, I’d be shocked if it didn’t get a third season as crappy as the show is.

That said, can’t rely on lack of Netflix advertising or top 10 as a good indicator the very 1st day something is out, especially right now. I don’t think the top 10 metric reflects real-time- it seems to update each new day with the top 10 from the past 24 hour period. 13 Reason Why, for instance, wasn’t in the top 10 the day it came out on the 5th, but was #1 either the 6th or 7th and has pretty much stayed in the top 10 since. We should have a more accurate idea in the next couple days where this show is ranking.

Netflix must be having buyer's remorse - Murphy clearly needs reigned in a bit by networks and collaborators - now even his first seasons lack consistency.

I'm looking forward to The Prom and The Boys in the Band, because he's adapting material by someone else. I fear Ratched will be a mess

R30 EXACTLY. The show is deeply homophobic. In the days of Mayor Pete, this is a major step back. I will not be watching.

R45 That tweet fucking NAILED IT. The entire show is queerbaiting. None of the gays get to be happy or have a love life. Fuck this pretentious homophobic show.

R23 LOL, what more do you expect from this homophobic shitshow. Ben Platt as straight is fucking laughable. As laughable as having Miles Heizer play straight for three seasons on 13RW.

R39 I blocked you for being a homophobic bigot. He was obviously meant to be gay, Ryan Murphy straightwashed him. How you can defend that is beyond me.

R67. Mary!

Since he’s blocked me, I’ll clarify for everyone else. I am a gay man and not a self-hating one.

This development, while odd since Ben Platt plays straight like a prissy televangelist, is acceptable to me given the pragmatism and fluidity of many characters on the show. I prefer his and Alice’s relationship to be authentically intimate—not one of convenience. Moreover, Payton’s mom and he share few, if any, secrets. Thus, I am happy that he didn’t fall into the “bi is a stop on the Chattanooga Choo Choo to Gayville” trope that is outdated. The Hobarts are indulgent people in all ways including sex.

*keep few secrets

For a long time it looked like Barbra was going to be on the show. I was so glad when I saw the crappy show she had dropped out. I actually felt sorry for Jessica Lange doing a lesser version of the Mommie Dead and Dearest. I bet she doesn’t return Murphy’s phone calls anymore.

when Paltrow is fired, then I will watch the thing......she gone yet???

Definitely one of murphys most lames shows.....icky as fuk

Why is Bette's hair so bad in this.

Platt was okay in that Pitch Perfect movie. He needs ‘special’ directing.

I love Judith Light not not a big Bette Middler fan as a person but I like her movie sork but season 1’s cliffhanger ended with three 70 year olds having sex and no one wants to see that. Murphy must be obsessed with old people sex no one wants to see that. He gave Patti LuPone a sex scene in Hollywood! Haven’t really given much thought about watching season 2 but I believe this thread Middler also has a throuple. Yuck !

How do you have access to this amazing cast and fuck it up so badly?

I think Netflix gave him a ton of money and it went to his head. He got a lot of help on his best received projects and maybe the big check turned off the real people who made the projects good and they no longer work with him.

Nobody fucking dresses like this! It’s not the 1960s, Ryan!

It is so hard to buy Teddy Sears and Ben Platt as having any interest in women whatsoever. They cannot act straight.

This is a whitey production

Also, enough with young blond zombie actresses! They are worse than the writing and that’s saying something!

[quote]That said, can’t rely on lack of Netflix advertising or top 10 as a good indicator the very 1st day something is out, especially right now. I don’t think the top 10 metric reflects real-time- it seems to update each new day with the top 10 from the past 24 hour period.

I'm sorry, this isn't entirely correct.

It already updated for the day (today) and it's still not in the Top 10 in the US.

Also "The Order S2" returned the same day as "The Politician S2" and it has been in the Top 5 since it returned so whenever they do take that metric, they're doing it sometime after the new episodes of a show debut at night.

If it was always the day before then The Order wouldn't have been there either.

And Netflix's advertising after the first season is still designed to let people know when shows are returning. New shows get a lot of attention. Returning shows less attention but they'll still send the cast of 13 Reasons Why out to do press because it was one of their most popular shows.

How do you waste Jackie Hoffman?

Rock, Paper, Scissors? I’m out!

Was this always billed as a farce? Was it originally a satire, or did they call it a comedy?

It’s like Glee, but written by Deplorables

Can't believe this show failed to live up to this advertisement

Why is Ben always in red? What’s that about, is it written into his contract?

A “We are the World” pop song to lower the age to be Vice President from 35? These writers should be shot!

Ew. Can anyone else produce a show besides Ryan Murphy? The guy creeps me out. I know so many talented, unproduced writers

[quote]there are so many things wrong with season 2 but one of the many fucked up things of this season by far is the fact that river and payton weren't attracted to each other like "that". ryan murphy really queerbaited us into the show by introducing river and payton as a thing in the trailers, killed river off extremely early on, and then in the second series literally says river wasn't even gay or bi and that payton wasn't attracted to him in that way and tried to play it off as them being touch starved and depressed which presents an extremely dangerous thought process to younger queer kids who are questioning ESPECIALLY those who have mental health problems. it's completely valid for someone to experiment in teenage years and be like hey I think I'm straight, if it had been presented in that way it wouldn't have been an issue. but they knowingly presented these characters as queer and then ripped them away whilst still profiting from making them seem bi.

[quote]I also KNOW at some point on the politicians instagram they had a promo picture that had astrid, payton and river and labelled them as bisexual, however it is now deleted so I can't get the proof but I am still digging because I know it exists. they constantly focus their advertising as the show being so lgbtq+ inclusive, when the majority of the characters they are advertising as that aren't actually canonly those things. the fact that I'm having to say these straight characters are being presented as queer as advertising says enough

[quote]fuck ryan murphy and fuck his biphobic queerbaiting ass

Roshambo!

I lost interest in Season 1 fairly quickly, and Season 2 goes on several episodes too long. Platt is not a great actor but he's also more of a straight man (in the comedic sense) in Season 2, so he mostly reacts to the other actors, which works better. Light and Midler are good, as well as Goop. Otherwise, the cast is a bit too big.

Honestly, they should've gotten rid of the trans character. Added nothing to the season.

So, do we think Ben begged Ryan to prove he can play straight, or is Ryan using this as a way to get people to think of Platt as straight for future projects where he casts him as the straight heart-throb?

Ben Platt is no heartthrob, gay or straight.

R95 Murphy thinks otherwise judging by that Glee reboot IG post

There's no being alive even without a gaydar that doesn't see Ben Platt singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow as a lifestyle. Ryan Murphy habitually writes gay for the mainstream and thinks it works. He doesn't understand that as people become more "woke" and actually have gay friends that his serious baiting looks cheap and antiquated. He thinks he's making a difference because in his mind he's infiltrating gay into the mainstream. But most audiences especially young one ones are way ahead of him. They already know one of all of us. Murphy thinks he's saying something new to them in code just cause no one has done it directly before. But it's already happening.

OK, I fell asleep multiple times and missed stuff and I tried to avoid spoilers here and read around things while watching, but something from somewhere just came back to me and I’m not sure where from? Did it come out that Ben’s character actually killed River instead of it being a suicide? Did I dream that? If not anyone remember where in season 2 it happened?

That never happened R98

Gave up after E3. Went from milady amusing to absurd to tiresome to MEH.

R100 Were you expecting different from a Ryan Murphy show?

R100 Who called him milady? Missed that episode I guess.

R90 NAILED IT.

gag, who wants another season of this weak shit.....

This show tries to have its cake and eat it by tying some sort of emotional truth/reality to satire. Goop's character winning an election and going on to be president after having no interest in politics shouldn't be framed as a good thing, yet it's what the show ends with.

Light and Midler knew exactly how to pitch their performances - the episode about the voter was brilliant.

I had a vibe Platt killed that guy who died early on because his death wasn’t shown at all. But with typical Murphy he changed that storyline because ‘it didn’t stick to the wall’. I have no interest in S2.

It is not good but I don’t have a huge problem with sexual fluidity of the characters. It’s supposed to be satire I guess but is just so glib it’s blunted. I think Ben Platt’s character was more focused this season. And I am so desperate I fancied him in his Speedo’s. Nice penis.

I don't get people who have said there's no need for a season 3. They clearly set up the President/VP race.

[Quote]They also made a point of saying *spoiler* that, per “Payton”, the River character wasn’t likely gay or bisexual? And then Ben Platt’s character goes on to say he was never attracted to River *that* way and suggest he, himself, is neither gay nor bi.

I just got to this scene and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They go out of their way to emphasize how NO HOMO! River and Peyton hooking up was, they aren't bi okay, just two bros who wanted to feel close.

What in the hell?

This show feels a bit like an afterthought at this point. This season was only 7 episodes and Ryan Muphy is ready to finish it with season 3, don't think he is really inspired by it much.

This was fine, it was nice to see Judith and Bette work. But didn't make a big impression.

[Quote]A “We are the World” pop song to lower the age to be Vice President from 35?

Yes, this took the show to a level of just complete farce. Do they not think Ben can just play 35? Dress him a little more maturely. I guess they don't want a flashforward of that much time.

Isn't Ben about 40 anyway?

When his Netflix was announced, RM said he wanted to do a "glossy gay soap opera." I guess that fell through.

So far, it doesn't seem as if his shows for Netflix are connecting with audiences nor critics. I liked Circus of Books, but he had nothing to do with the making of that documentary.

Those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it. Virgin Records foolishly offered Mariah Carey 100 million and when she released shitty albums, they bought out of their contract for 50 million. Wouldn't be surprised if Netflix does the same for R. Murphy Shaymalan Peele

R100 Went from satire to parody to farce. All done badly. How did Netflix give this hack a BILLION dollar contract?

Corenswet appears in exactly two scenes in S2. His final appearance is literally a run through. The whole lynch pin of the series was supposed to be Corenswet being Platt's "conscious". WTF? Murphy can't even stay true to his own concept. A cluster fuck in a shit storm indeed.

Bette Midler has only one speed: Over-the-top.

And I found the "He loved you more than me, but isn't gay" & "I was hoping he would put his dick in my ass, but I'm not gay" bullshit really annoying and homophobic.

I'm done.

The only watchable parts were Judith Light and trouple, Bette, Goop and Corensweth.

Anything to do with Payton &Co. was either boring or beyond preposterous. No amount of onscreen claims that Payton / Platt is "charismatic" can make him so.

Light and Midler were doing Golden Girls without the wit or charm.

Hawt couple !

Murphy found his Mary Sue.

Turned this shit off 15 minutes into episode 3 and went online to see what happened at the end. Not even Midler and Light could save this shit.

It's nice that the show makes efforts to be inclusive - the disabled actor, the trans man, the fat black lesbian, older women having sex - but the show itself is the worst thing Murphy has been involved in to date.

It's not good when your leading man is also your weakest link.

I think Ben Platt is best seen on Broadway -- from no closer than Row EE.

R120 Did Ryan get hair?

Whoever cast that "throuple" was an idiot.

There was NOTHING believable about that threesome.

Because the dialogue/plots were so ludicrous, I find my self comparing Judith and Bette's plastic surgery. Judith's is far better (granted, she had more to work with). Her neck was much better.

But the idea that Teddy Spears would want to fuck either of them was silly. I only made it through a few episodes.

Would Britney Spears be a better alternative?

Poor Britney, they'd have to prop her in a corner and CGI her mouth for dialogue.

R124 Teddy Sears comes across as gay in every role he plays....turns out he is married.

Who knows?

Honestly, he could do so much better R127

R127 He was hot AF in Masters of Sex.

Murphy said he wants to wait a "few years" before he does a third season, so that Platt "can get a little bit older."

This is likely his way of saving face when Netflix doesn't pick it up for another season.

Heald off on commenting until watching a few episodes. I've been, since day one, saying Payton murdering River is the lynchpin of the entire series. So, it's been buried. It will come back.

Nebbishes and crones don't make me hard. Pass.

This show needs Bette to sing some new show-stopper ballad, and then to fade to black.

It should have ended with an assassination.

The whole cast should wander into a AHS set and have the whole cast killed except Judy Light and giver her some Emmy winning courtroom scenes.

No where near enough Shirley Bassey, buttmunching or celebrating Halloween in Season 2 for me....

Infinity is the single most annoying character I have seen on a television show in years. And that's within a cast of annoying people.

R137 Why did I think she died in season one? Or was it that she murdered her mother and ran off with the boyfriend?

[quote] Why did I think she died in season one?

R138, wishful thinking perhaps?

I had to fast-forward or mute her annoying face and voice whenever she came on screen.

R139 I’m really feeling like I remember her going to jail at the end. Her hair growing back, getting contacts instead of the bad glasses and she could really walk and not need the wheelchair? Wasn’t she based on a real person?

^ Yes, based on Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Wow. Just finished this last night and, dear, god, it's ridiculous. But strangely watchable...sort of hate watching. First of all, I had the same reaction to the homo-no scene. WTF? And then, it's mass hysteria over a state senate race? How many people actually know who their state senator actually is? Or care? Congressperson , okay... That would make sense. And what was Payton doing singing in a gay bar all of a sudden? My partner turned to me before the last episode and said at least they didn't have Ben Platt singing in this season, and bam..there he is. But why? Hilarious. And all these guys sitting at little tables listening quietly. And then, magically, Light meets up with Platt in the park before she even takes office as VP and tells Platt that she wants him as her VP in 4 years, even though he won't be old enough. No problem, let's change the constitution. And why didn't they give Jackie Hoffman more to do!?! I had the same problem with this as I did with Hollywood. If you want it to be a wacky off the wall farce, you have to set it up that way. At least with this, there weren't any real people in it. I had to turn Hollywood off after two episodes because I was so offended they way they treated famous people as if this was true. Disgusting.

A misuse of Judith Light's talents. Bette was well-cast though -- a perfect role for her where she gets to be over-the-top and hamming it up.

Was it just my imagination or did Judith Light's accent slip in and out?*

What accent?

Finally watched it.

I like more about The Politician than I like about nost Ryan Murphy shows.

That was until the second season took such an inexcusable—yet totally Ryan Murphy—nosedive in its last few episodes. My God, that is B-A-D writing.

The Infinity girl is rivaled for me by Leslie Grossman in AHS as most annoying person on TV. (Several other AHS actors could get honorable mentions.)

I don’t mind Ben Platt at all. I only mind that in both the first and second season, they shoehorned in gratuitous singing performances the way they’ve done for Jessica Lange in AHS. Just inexcusably terrible.

I missed Jessica Lange and her breathy, cunty deliveries this season.

Jessica Lange isn't a singer, so I assumed they did not to shoehorn in singing because that's her thing, like with Platt.

Besides, her singing the Name Game was the highlight of the whole series.

I forced myself to finish it but I can't stand any of the characters on Ben Platt's staff. The lisp on that Infinity chick, the hippy queeny manager they tried to pass off as straight, the nerdy fat Gloria Steinam knock off and then there's him with his face for AM radio and hideous acting. Like that screaming troll looking queen could knock up one woman much less two without the help of someone else's cock or cum.

R149 They did shoehorn it in! Lange said in an interview she was basically bored with the show and Murphy was like “WHAT DO YOU WANT TO STAY? ANYTHING!” And she told him she has always wanted to sing. And so from that point on he gave her featured performances. Seriously.

I think that is part of what’s so bad about his shows after season one. Season ones start with a story and the cast is built around it. After that, he caters to the casts and characters and abandons any care about the plots of his shows.

R150 LOL...dear, the “hippy queeny manager they try to pass off as straight” is a trans man.

WTF??

R153 Are you retarded? It's obvious the character is being played by a trans. With his Tim Tebow ass.

Only in Murphy World would they be a couple.

But according to season 2 episode 2, neither was actually in love or even gay or bi (at least in River's case)

Remember when he had that big girl the love interest of the child molester. I forge his name.

R151 you may be on to something. Seems like everybody wants to play a villain and they do. Then again what do I know? I stopped watching before the Gaga season started and I love her. I just like trash talking the series.

I did I give Politician s1 a try to see what role Barbra would have played it was very painful.

R157, sounds drunk and I think is talking about Mark Salling on Glee. I just wonder how many Ryan Murphy shows I will be disappointed by before I stop watching.

R158 What shows have you watched? I stopped watching some of them when he was poppin’ ‘em out like baby bunnies, but I still have watched a few newer once because others recommended them.

Nip/Tuck—Saw a few episodes and it didn’t really do it for me.

Glee—Was shocked that I LOVED the first season. Then it was a slow downward slide and then I lost all interest by season three.

AHS—Loved season one, loved season two, season three was fun until halfway through, when it became offensively bad, and I haven’t liked any since. I stopped watching during Freak Show and dipped into a few thereafter and thought everything I saw was too poorly written to even try to care.

Crime Story—Didn’t bother.

Scream Queens—One episode and done.

Pose—Very surprised that I like this show a lot, although it has the didactic Afterschool Special teachy quality that has made me turn off other shows.

Politician—Liked season one, enjoyed season two until the last few episodes. I want to thank the brilliant producer who reduced it to seven short episodes.

Hollywood—Did not bother.

If I’ve overlooked other series in this list, I didn’t watch them.

All his shows have a certain style and whimsy and camp factor that can be a little appealing. But God, the writing is so poor. The series always degrade to ‘lessons’ explained by characters who you never liked in the first place, and so why would you listen to a lecture from them even if they had a point?

And he seems way more interested in style over substance, character studies over fully developed characters, and in every series he loses all grounding for his plots over time.

I was ALL IN on American Horror Story until Coven, when almost every single character died during the first half of the season—and yet there they were, still living throughout the second half of the season. The whole idea was to avoid dying, and then they all died terribly and remained alive? So fucking bad. And the politician goes from high school class president to New York State Assembly (?!) to Gwyneth becoming POTUS on pure charisma and personally amending the US Constitution so that her young son can be VP? There’s farce and then there is just shitty writing.

OMG! Gwenie is President? That is way over the top even for a Murphy show. I thought her character said goodbye forever in S1.

R160 Sorry! I mentioned that above at R159...but someone else detailed the whole season plot earlier in this thread and so I figured there was no point of spoiler alert.

The Crime Story seasons and Feud are probably Murphy's best work.

Is Popular worth watching?

It's notable that Murphy didn't write any of the ACSs.

Popular was fun but it was years ago. Don't know if it holds on rewatch later on.

I love the drunk Ryan Murphy Hater Mary on this thread. More, please!

Thoughts on 9-1-1? The New Normal? Popular?

R164 Was The New Normal a Ryan Murphy show? I remember having liked it and I was disappointed that it was canceled.

I liked Feud more than I disliked Feud. It still frustrated me for the same reasons everything he does frustrates me. Murphy has some good concepts and he gets interesting concepts greenlit. He finds and casts interesting people. But then he becomes totally loyal to those people regardless of how well suited they are for their roles. Jessica Lange stole the show in her small scenes in the first season of American Horror Story. She was given bigger and bigger roles, and became the anchor of what is an ensemble series, and her presence IMO overwhelmed everything despite her being really talented. I feel like she was miscast as Joan Crawford. She vaguely resembled her at times, but her voice was nothing at all like Joan Crawford's voice, and her mannerisms did not call to mind Joan Crawford. Susan Sarandon, despite being annoyed by her as a person (much like GOOP) is a very talented and versatile actress and I really *did* feel like I was watching Bette Davis when she performed. So Feud dramatized a historic relationship that I find compelling, yet I felt like I was watching Bette Davis interact with Jessica Lange playing a crazy person, and it was incredibly frustrating for me throughout much of the series. There were very few moments when I felt like Lange was the right person for the role. And then of course, the series suffered from the didactic approach of all of Murphy's work. I would be so much more interested in watching an amoral story that shows us how the women behaved as far as we know rather than one that teaches "important lessons" all along the way.

Yet as frustrating as I find watching his shows to be, the reality is that a show like Feud probably never would be made at all without Murphy making it. And I did enjoy more about it than I didn't enjoy.

I wish Murphy were kept to developing show concepts and left out of the casting, and left out of the writing room once the first season reaches its midpoint. All his shows tend to start off strongly and then just nosedive in really frustrating ways.

And re Sarah Paulson...I think she is...fine. She's a good-enough TV actor. She's pretty versatile. But I think that Murphy has overused her and over-served her in the same way he has done for Jessica Lange.

It may just be a matter of personal taste, I realize, because Paulson seems to have a whole lot of super-fans. But she doesn't have the kind of charisma to me that would ever make me consider her a star. I don't get real, authentic layered emotion from her, and so she seems like a good standard TV series player. But I do wonder if my impression is due mainly to watching her in poorly written Murphy productions. I've always found her annoying and mostly not very convincing in AHS. On Coven, I thought she was a terribly impotent choice to take Lange's place as the reigning witch. I watched just the beginning of the 'cult' season, and I could not watch it because Paulson was THAT annoying to me. All she did was fret and shake and scream, and in the kind of way I saw in my Acting I class in college.

I don't really remember her in Game Change. I did watch Mrs. America and while I found her mousy and irritating throughout most of the series, I did appreciate the way her character grew and her characterization did have some emotional effect on me.

But I still find her to be a pretty surface-level actor overall and I don't understand the critical and popular praise she gets. It may just be a case of me not 'getting' her for some reason. I've seen some interviews with her, and she seems pretty cool and laid back, with a sense of humor, and I'm glad to see a gay actress who is so familiar and who is not always cast as The Lesbian. She's sort of the anti-Gwyneth in a way to me: meh actress, very likable as a person.

+cant watch platt....ugh

gimme that cornswet boy tho

I find James Charles to be the perfect potential Joan Crawford, I would love to see Ryan do something with that. Maybe just a gay boy who idolized her and grows up to want to be her and fantasy slips into reality as he starts to live life as her.

At this point he should just make a show called Ryan’s World and have characters he’s developed from all his shows just wander around and bump into each other. It would have as much coherence as any of his regular ones.

wanna see David Corensweth's ass /tit and him smokin? a movie called AFFAIRS OF STATE couple of yrs ago. him HOT

Agree, R169. And he could do terrible spinoffs of that terrible show: Ryan's Old Divas; Ryan's Old Gays; Ryan's Straight Twinks Playing Gay; Ryan's Neglected Character Actors

MIMI rogers is good in that movie, david c. fuks her !!!!

Platt and Corenswet should switch roles.

and fire Goop

GOOP is great in the role (and most roles), hate her or not.

Her husband co-produces the show and I feel like her character is his view of her: total nutso narcissist with occasionally insightful perspectives and an unfairly charmed life.

bummer ending to that cornswet movie.....but dam his ass and ev thang so hot , Affairs of state, brief glances but ....he fuks she way to the bottom

R159, I've watched almost all of them. I never saw Popular, but I started watching nip/tuck for the camp storylines and the eye candy. Mario Lopez and Julian McMahon showering together is one of the greatest things ever shown on television. I truly loved Glee, even acknowledging the sloppy writing and character development used to fit in certain songs and storylines. I skipped several seasons of AHS. I stopped watching Scream Queens. I didn't know 9-1-1 was his.

As disappointing as I've been with Hollywood and The Politician, however, it's still representation. Also, I still find it hard not to get excited about alleged upcoming projects about Halston, Warhol and Marlene Dietrich. I guess I've answered my own question.

Nontheless, Platt is awfully hard to swallow, and the insipid Paltrow....well..

The two of them could not act their way out of a loosely tied paper bag (to quote george cukor)

How many of Murphy’s stock players have escaped to get roles in the non-Murphy world?

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

^^^ I thought she was the grandmother?

R177, not really. Average at best.

If you watched The Act their version made Murphy's unwatchable and it wasnt that good. Lange did play the grandmother usually she makes Murphy's productions entertaining. This time I was embarrassed for her. I doubt she will ever work for Murphy again.

Sarah Paulsen was really good in Game Change. I see her as one of the best character actors we have.

OK, I feel a little guilty about this because it seems somehow like a "wrong" thing to do...but after seeing that Corenswet is a Jewish name, and knowing Ben Platt, GOOP and Bette Midler are Jewish, I wondered how many of the cast of The Politician are Jewish, and it looks like ALL of them, except Rahne Jones, who plays the black lesbian Skye.

I just find that fascinating given that Jewish people are only two percent of the US population. It seems like that had to be an intentional casting decision...are we supposed to read something into it storywise?

No, I don't care at all about their ethnicities or religions. It just seems like there must be some sort of point for such a strong throughline among the cast.

[quote] Platt is uncharismatic and unattractive.

Platt's lack of conventional good looks is the least of this show's problems. Most politicians in real life look like Death Itself, so he would be an aesthetic upgrade in the political world...

Yeah, R184, when I think of the prototypical politician, I think more Ted Cruz than Adam Kinzinger, and I can buy Platt as a sociopathic politician.

I think the acting in the show is perfectly fine. It's the writing that's inexcusably poor.

R154, what’s a “Tim Tebow ass”?

Meh, I really liked season one but then season two happened and wrecked everything. Not only do I agree with y'all that the show is queerphobic AF, but also Infinity and Ricardo were the best parts of season one and they got paid DUST. Fuck this show.

“Queerphobic” oh dear.

Ben Is the greatest talent of a generation, screw his hot brother. Nepotism doesn’t exist and Jewish favor is fake news. Look at this cast, I’m plotizing. Where’s S3 already?

geez, think of all the studs murphy could have cast in platt's role in the Politician......nice guy, sings well, but .....no.

low ratings due to ...uh...his ....'sincere' face...

Maybe Murphy should have had Platt in a reboot of Glee. Maybe some lives would have been saved.

I enjoyed Season 2: cute, lightweight mockery of almost everything in the USA. My favorite is "cancel culture" episode re six-year-old Payton in Geronimo costume committing "cultural appropriation" crime.

S2 is really good (script, acting and directing style). I only didn't like the last episode that wraps up into a happy end. But overall, I find it better than S1 which I also liked.

For love of mary kill off the platt character and bring back from the dead david cornswet. k?

Bette Midler is too big for the small screen. She is the best part of this horrible Season 2 of "The Politician." She is hilarious and wasted on this crap.