Review: The Politician Season 2

If you watched season one, you might have felt like it was more of a set up than a season. The whole show was a waiting game to get to the last episode, where we finally meet Bette Midler as the unhinged campaign manager (Hadassah Gold), leaving you wanting more.

In season one, Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) is clawing his way to the top to become the class president of his high school. Now in season two, Payton is older and looking to become the senator of New York. Unfortunately, he has not learned from any of his past mistakes. And his ambition continues to be just as frightening now as it was then. 

Payton is behind in the polls against the long-time incumbent Dede Standish (Judith Light). He has a conniving team and dirt to smear over her campaign. While the set up may seem exciting, unfortunately, each episode is just as bland as the next. It’s almost tiring to watch until, once again, the final few minutes save the series.

Most of the season felt dull instead of exciting. In a series of seven episodes, there is only one that stands out. With the political climate as it currently stands in real life, episode five is the most relatable out of the two seasons. Centered around the voters, it paints a picture of the generational gap in which we find ourselves today. It was refreshing to take a break from the main cast and see who’s really inside that ballot box, and what it could take to change their vote. 

Other than that, almost every episode is cringe-worthy and filled with a bunch of he said she said moments. There’s a “fallout” with his team that’s more like a slight disagreement and doesn’t last more than a few minutes. And any plot points set up seem to dissipate instantly instead of driving the story.

The main reason to watch is Bette Midler. Her character fueled the series. She had a complete story arc and completely stole the show in each episode.

I believe the Politician will have a five-season arc. If that’s the case, I hope the show can gain some clarity for its story. I would also like to see why people have so much faith in Payton. The writers had two seasons to make him likable, and so far, they failed to do so. If it wasn’t for Ben Platt being the ray of sunshine he is, the series might just be unwatchable. Maybe we need to see him thriving in a political position, but until then, we’ll have to wait.

In conclusion, The Politician is a political satire, so the story is expected to be a little too far fetched. But there’s a fine line between satire and stupidity. Unfortunately, the show tends to teeter that line more than a few times. Instead of an enticing drama, everything seems to feel underwhelming. And once again, this felt like a lackluster filler to get to a better story.