If ever there was a show I was meant to love, it was “Political Animals,” which got more hype than a presidential campaign.
But, as in presidential campaigns, some come out winners and some come out also-rans. The jury is still out about whether this show will get a second term.
That’s because “Political Animals” is the John McCain of TV series. Sometimes the best candidate doesn’t win, and, like McCain, sometimes it’s because the candidate is surrounded by incompetent know-it-alls who don’t do their homework.
Unfortunately, “Political Animals,” like a bad campaign, does suffer fools gladly. And therein lies the real problem with the show, which finishes up its first and perhaps last season tomorrow night.
Is “Political Animals” a family soap? Yes. Is it high-stakes politics? Sure. Does it have fine actors playing the movers and shakers in DC? You bet. Is it being ruined by incompetent know-it-alls who probably have never been in a newsroom or the White House for more than an hour? It sure seems like it.
Although tomorrow night’s season finale has a shocker that will set you on your ear — it’s that good — that incident should have been a cliff-hanger, not something plopped into the middle of the episode.
So, yes, despite the gigantic tragedy that befalls the nation, Secretary of State Elaine Barrish Hammond (Sigourney Weaver, whom I love), still has half-an-episode left in which to shmooze with her slack-jawed ex about their former and present sex life; deal with her wandering, tortured sons; and make time to have girly, heart-to-heart talks with reporter Susan Berg (Carla Gugino, my favorite actress), who manages to constantly betray Elaine (unwittingly).
Even so, Elaine still ends up calling Susan after each betrayal and meets her in secret at the elephant area at the zoo in the middle of the night (don’t they close the damned zoo at night?) to trust her with other top- secret information.
It makes zero sense.
And why does Susan betray the Hammonds this time? Because she tells the one person in the newsroom she hates, who always betrays her — mean girl Georgia Gibbons (Meghann Fahy) — off-the-record info.
Not-for-nothin’, but no reporter, let alone a Secretary of State, would ever drop off-the-record info to anyone who has betrayed them even once — let alone every time. This makes two supposedly brilliant women into fools — and worse — they’re crying fools (for the men in their lives, who also always betray them as well).
If high-placed government officials and the best reporters acted this way, DC and the news biz would both be in big trouble. Oh wait . . .