The Politician | Series review

With so much content on Netflix, it can be hard to choose what to watch, and a summer full of knockout returning shows has left us spoilt for choice. But that trend is only set to continue with Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy’s Netflix Original debut. Dark and delicious satirical comedy The Politician only comes to our screens at the end of the month, but it has already been picked up for a second series.

Set in a high-pressure, high-achieving school in America, the series follows aspiring POTUS Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) in his first-ever election – to become Student Body President. Hobart, alongside devoted girlfriend Alice (Julia Schlaepfer) and friends McAfee and James (Laura Dreyfuss and Theo Germaine), plots his way into high-school political success by choosing a running mate who he believes will get the sympathy vote, all while navigating his way through the recent suicide of his competitor and potential love interest, River (David Corenswet).

From the first episode, the series strikes as something incredibly unique and special. The characters’ sexuality is handled with care, but in a swift side-glance: Murphy has created an idyllic world where no one cares who you like, as long as political alliances (or grievances) can be agreed. While contemporary fashion – with brightly coloured suits and flashes of the brands Veja and Comme des Garçons – is a stand-out feature of the show’s aesthetics, it also sets the characters as culture-conscious powerhouses. Each of them has depth and personality, provoking a revolving door of emotional responses. Payton is ambitious and determined to make something of himself, but it soon becomes apparent that his confident persona is entirely fake. As 18-year-olds dealing with issues of gun control, male suicide and college admission, Payton and company don’t seem too dissimilar to America’s youth today. This multi-faceted series leaves nothing to chance and will have you hooked from the opening scene.

Grace Walsh

The Politician is released on Netflix on 27^th September 2019.

Watch the trailer for The Politician here: