This article is 4 years old

The Politician Wins Over Viewers’ Hearts

Entertainment

Rarely do we come across a show that combines the talents of people among the caliber of Ryan Murphy, Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow. When all those mega-talented people are in the same room, you get a show like The Politician. The Politician focuses on the drama of a student election — something Berkeley High School (BHS) got a taste of last year — but underneath all that, it touches on the power of friendship, love, and identity.

In some aspects, The Politician reads similar to Euphoria, in the sense that the environment of a modern high school only adds to the story rather than creating it. Both shows feature a relationship that stands out in their differentiation from what is frequently portrayed on screen dynamics. In Euphoria, that is the complicated story of Jules and Rue that takes up a lot of screen time and provokes a wide range of emotions. In The Politician, this type of intense connection is shown by Tony Award winner Ben Platt’s character, Payton, and his mother, Georgina, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. In both situations the relationships are portrayed authentically, and in both shows the intensity of their love borders on reliance. Typically, a romantic relationship would take up much of the screen time and significance, but The Politician focuses on family, adding to the show’s appeal.

The Politician also mimics Euphoria in the new talent that the buzz worthy shows thrusted into the spotlight. Two stand out up-and-comers from The Politician are David Corenswet, who plays River, and Rahne Jones, who plays Skye. The pair played their characters so honestly and authentically.

A good TV show has just as much talent behind the screen as it does on. At the forefront was Ryan Murphy, best known Glee. Murphy, along with Ian Brennan and Brad Fulchuk, made sure that each storyline was fleshed out as well as the characters that went with it. They understood that we only believe the story if we believe the people who are telling it, which was helped by the addition of Ben Platt as one of the executive producers. With this added element in the show, each character was more believable. This is collaboration at its finest.

Throughout its run, The Politician made the viewer want to see the next episode. Right before it left our screens until the next season, a cliffhanger was dropped right into our laps. Frustrating, but isn’t it part of the fun to wonder?