Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Veep: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

"More apologizing? Really? I apologized less after banging my brother’s fiancé."

David Fincher's fiercely addicting House of Cards and its merciless VP revel in the kind of Machiavellian machinations and political prescience that haunt conspiracy theorists' fever dreams, but it's Armando Iannucci's Veep that nails the realities of U.S. politics in the increasingly connected, media-saturated 21st century. Not too shabby for a half-hour HBO sitcom, even one that's quickly solidifying its place among TV's funniest comedies. Veep's seemingly effortless sophomore season dispenses dim-wittedness and bumbling bureaucracy with the best of 'em, and does so while promoting almost every character to indispensable mainstay. Familiar faces deliver: Julia Louis-Dreyfus is at the top of her game as the most powerful woman in America; Tony Hale swipes entire scenes from a dozen talented scene-stealers; Matt Walsh gives Hale a run for his money; Anna Chlumsky and Reid Scott, two sides of the proverbial coin, bring exasperated normalcy and reckless opportunism (respectively) to the team; and Sufe Bradshaw and Timothy Simons prove their worth over and over again. It isn't all series regulars, though. Newcomers Gary Cole and Kevin Dunn fight to push Louis-Dreyfus and her co-stars out of the frame, and a lineup of smartly cast guest stars (among them Alison Janney and Dave Foley) take Selina and her staff to task. And the writing? Razor sharp as ever, only with more ferocity, direction and timeliness. Season Two tops Season One, yes. It also puts Season Three in a perfect position to beat them both. I can't wait to see where Vice President Meyer and company go next.

"I need that stuff that junkies use. You know, when it takes a cop fifteen bullets to put him down."

• Midterms: Fresh off successful campaign appearances for midterm elections, Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) sees an opportunity to expand her role, but must first curry favor with the president's icy senior strategist, Kent Davison (Gary Cole). Meanwhile, the staff's personal lives have some new developments.
• Signals: Vice President Meyer attends a pig roast in North Carolina as part of the President's "Listen to Rural America" initiative. Deputy Director of Communications Dan Egan (Reid Scott) takes up Pilates to get face time.
• Hostages: As a hostage crisis in Uzbekistan heats up, Selina and Secretary of Defense General Maddox (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) have trouble getting on the same page at their joint appearance at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. Sue (Sufe Bradshaw) testifies at a Congressional hearing on governmental efficiencies; Dan and Gary (Tony Hale) jockey for the Veep's ear.
• The Vic Allen Dinner: Selina is rankled when the White House releases an unflattering photo of her. Mike (Matt Walsh) and Kent bond over sailing; Jonah (Timothy Simons) gets an executive parking space; Sue has a job interview. Selina takes steps to keep her staff happy as they prepare for her appearance at the Vic Allen dinner.
• Helinski: Selina and her staff head to Helsinki to finalize a trade agreement, but are worried whether Selina will be received warmly in Europe. Dan calls Mike for advice on charming the press and Mike leans on Jonah for help. Kent and White House Chief of Staff Ben Cafferty (Kevin Dunn) argue over how to deal with new intel.
• Andrew: After an allergic reaction shuts down her budget negotiation with Majority Leader Mary King (Mimi Kennedy), Selina moves the talks to Catherine's (Sarah Sutherland) 21st birthday bash. Meanwhile, Amy (Anna Chlumsky) and Gary fret over how Selina will handle seeing her ex-husband Andrew (David Pasquesi) at the party; Mike fields press inquiries on Selina's role in the Uzbek hostage crisis.
• Shutdown: With D.C. in the midst of a government shutdown, Selina is forced to furlough some of her staff. A damaging story leaks about Selina's ex-husband Andrew, though, while her rivals take advantage of the shutdown. Meanwhile, Gary and Jonah go on a run to retrieve Selina's trash.
• First Response: After being prepped for a "puff piece" interview at the Vice Presidential residence with her staff and family in attendance, Selina is thrown for a loop by reporter Janet Ryland (Allison Janney) and her "gotcha" questions.
• Running: Undeterred by a message that POTUS wants Selina to limit her public appearances, the Veep continues her plans. Dan attempts to play both sides of Selina's rivalry with politician and future presidential candidate Danny Chung (Randall Park).
• D.C.: In the second season's finale, the administration finds itself in full crisis mode. With Selina's future in doubt, the entire staff goes on a frenzied job hunt, working to secure new opportunities as Selina's hopes of sitting in the Oval Office take a hit.

Veep: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Veep isn't angling to be the next great video presentation, but its fully competent 1080p/AVC-encoded is perfectly faithful to its source. Colors range from drab to natural to... drab, despite the presence of some welcome primary punch when more ideal lighting presents itself. Contrast is sometimes a bit dull, sometimes a bit too hot, but in a weirdly consistent single-camera mockumentary sort of way. Black levels are deep (mostly), skintones are nicely saturated (mostly) and detail is refined (mostly). Edges are well-defined and free of any significant ringing, although a hint still creeps in, and textures are satisfying. I also didn't encounter any real issues, aside from a few instances of uneven noise and crush. Ultimately, The Complete Second Season falls in line with its first season counterpart. Fans will be pleased, while those hopping on board for the first time will be pleasantly surprised to see how well the deceptively bland, utterly mundane cinematography works.

Veep: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Veep invests all its efforts into establishing a tone of absolute, faux-incompetent normalcy, and HBO's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track responds in turn, offering a remarkable experience that readily embraces the unremarkable. Dialogue is believably nestled in the stuffy halls and chambers of the White House and the wider, more forgiving rooms and foyers of Meyer's home and the brick-n-mortar acoustics of her off-site stomping grounds. And yet it all sounds as pedestrian -- read: convincing -- as it should. Moreover, the LFE channel and rear speakers follow the sound design's lead without exception, serving up an expertly crafted presentation of the oh so ordinary trappings of the reality the series' satirizes. Directionality is accurate, pans are smooth and dynamics are quite good too, all of which makes for an unexpectedly immersive experience that nevertheless refuses to draw attention to itself.

Veep: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries: Four spirited cast and crew audio commentaries kick things off, and each group of speakers is engaging and informative. Personal stories and lighthearted banter sometimes overshadow more pertinent writing and production details, but it makes for a fun listen. Commentary tracks include:
  
  
  • Midterms with creator/executive producer Armando Iannucci, co-executive producer/writer Tony Roche, producer/actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and actors Kevin Dunn and Tim Simons
  • Hostages with Iannucci, Roche, Louis-Dreyfus, Dunn, and EP's Chris Godsick and Frank Rich
  • First Response with Iannucci, Godsick, Roche, Louis-Dreyfus and actor Matt Walsh
  • D.C. with Iannucci, Roche, Louis-Dreyfus, Walsh and actor Gary Cole
  
  
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 40 minutes): A generous collection of deleted scenes are available, and draw from the entire season. Choose between watching the scenes episode by episode or in two "Play All" chunks.

Veep: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Meyer and her staff may border on incompetent, but Veep does not. Smart, biting political satire at its finest, Iannucci's HBO sitcom is even better in its second season, taking advantage of opportunities as ripe for ribbing as the Midterm elections, the government shutdown and other hot-button political snafus from the past year. HBO's Blu-ray release brings its A-game as well, with a faithful AV presentation and a solid complement of special features, including four cast and crew audio commentaries and 40-minutes of deleted scenes almost as funny as those that made the cut. There's no need to start from the beginning if you're new to Veep (although it's worth it if you have the time). Iannucci's series is hilarious and deserves a bigger audience than it's accumulated on TV.