Last year I watched the first season of Veep and, while I enjoyed it, I must admit that it felt far too warm and safe compared to what I hoped for and what I thought it should have been. I recently got round to watching the fourth season of The Thick of It and it hit me how far short of the mark that Veep had fallen in regard its tone. I say this because from the very start this season of The Thick of It is bitter, acerbic, cruel, cynical and very funny with it – although not always because of it.
Reportedly the last season that will be made (although some specials may come in the future), we have the cynical edge really pushed to the fore so that the usual inept firefighting and anti-action that usually goes on, gives way into an enquiry where various fates befall various characters – although for some this is merely their ineptitude becoming public. This is given an hour long special as the penultimate episode of the short run and, while it is one the least funny of the season it is also one of the most engaging as it is really well acted and scripted and shows that the cynicism in the writing is still present even when the rapid fire dialogue and swearing is dropped. That said, it is still the great dialogue and delivery that gives the show a lot of its energy and it is far from being just swearing – it is too poetic and creative for that, with so many quotable lines and phrases that just hit the ear right.
The delivery of the various characters is near perfect. Capaldi is brilliant yet again and the final few episodes he shows that he is a very good actor even if it is his foul mouth that gets the headlines. Smith is equally strong as a terrible wet, frustrated character although I don't care too much for Addison. Front is spot-on as are Allam, Scanlan and others. The writing is great and it has retained all of its strengths despite Armstrong and Iannucci no longer being directly involved in the writing.
Great stuff and a reminder of how good Veep should have been. If this does bow out on this season then it is a great way to leave it and it will stand for time thanks to the comic cynicism that forms the base for every plot, character and piece of dialogue whether a sweary put-down or a question in a Government Enquiry.