Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Veep: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie Review

The satirical gift that keeps on giving...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown April 2, 2015

If I've learned anything from Veep it's that I'd never, ever, ever vote for Selina Meyer. I can't imagine many would. But I gotta say, I hope she stays in office. Three seasons in, Armando Iannucci's hilarious, side-splitting political satire isn't just one of the smartest, sharpest, funniest comedy of errors on television, it continues to reinvent itself, capitalizing on its every strength to usher in a bold new age of bumbling politico skewering. The cast? Brilliant. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Reid Scott, Matt Walsh, Sufe Bradshaw, Timothy Simons, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole... the whole lot of 'em. Masters of their craft. The writing? Full of wit and deceptively pointed jabs; Iannucci and his writer's room at their finest. Meyer's run for president? A comedy godsend. Ripe with laughs and bursting with dim-witted, cringe-inducing hijinks and missteps. And the outlandish, media-tainted political gamesmanship at the heart of each episode? Much-needed therapy for those all too aware of how accurate Iannucci's glimpses behind the Washington curtain happen to be.

'Veep' follows the whirlwind day-to-day existence of Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as she puts out political fires in her public and private life while launching her campaign for president after learning the Commander in Chief will not seek reelection. In Season Three, Selina and her staff head off to meet America in Detroit and Silicon Valley, go on a drug bust with the Maryland Coast Guard, and fly to London to confer with heads of state. Meanwhile, as Dan (Reid Scott) and Amy (Anna Chlumsky) battle for the role of campaign manager, everyone helps Selina define who she is and where she stands on fracking, education, reproductive rights, and her hairstyle. With the entire country watching her and her team's every move, even the most banal action can set off a ripple effect that has unexpected and far-reaching consequences.

The punchline of nearly every episode... scratch that, almost every scene in Veep? Iannucci dangles victory, triumph, adoring crowds, political capital, reelection, controversy-free campaigning, juicy carrots to any politician in front of Meyer and her staff, only to rip it all away at the last second. The fun of the series, of course, is in watching it all fall apart -- the plans, the strategies, the carefully mapped speeches -- when something as simple as an off-handed comment, a botched interview, or an ill-timed information leak upend everything Selina is working to control. The panic and hilarity that ensues is priceless. The stuff of comedy gold. Perfect for an audience; an utter nightmare for Meyer and her lackeys. Thankfully, Louis-Dreyfus and her co-stars strike that ever-difficult balance between likable and despicable, hovering just above irritating without making us feel too sorry for the Veep gang when their (not so) well-laid plans come crashing down.

Season Three strikes a difficult balance of its own too, defying the title of the series and catapulting its Veep toward the highest office in the land: POTUS. Watching Meyer scramble for political clout she never earned, fend off rivals hungry for the same seat in the Oval Office, take stances on issues she couldn't care less about, deal with the challenges of 24-hour media scrutiny, juggle family drama and office turmoil, and try to slap together a viable campaign strategy, all while staying one step ahead of her critics -- none of which works the way she hopes -- gives the show a zany, delirious momentum other comedies strive for but struggle to achieve. The cast's knack for improv and Iannucci's shrewd choices also keep the series feeling fresh and spontaneous at every turn, even when characters' roles change or various subplots perform a breakneck 180. Yet all that fast and loose teasing, twisting and turning is far more deliberate and calculated than it might seem, with the kind of control reserved for the most tightly scripted dramas. I'm hooked. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

Veep: The Complete Third Season features ten episodes spread across two BD-50 discs:

• Some New Beginnings: In Iowa, Selina courts possible caucus voters at a book signing for her new autobiography, while her team attends a staff wedding in D.C. As the day proceeds, she and her staff get word of a rumor that could affect the next election.
• The Choice: After a quick visit to their new campaign HQ, Selina and her team go on a ride-along with the Coast Guard, where they learn the president has flipped on a major issue, which makes Selina reexamine her own stance. Meanwhile, Gary questions his role with the Veep, and Jonah's new political blog causes trouble.
• Alicia: While Selina and her staff prepare for an Annapolis event where she will announce her candidacy, Dan gets word that "Saturday Night Live" has done a not-so-flattering sketch about her.
• Clovis: On a fundraising trip in Silicon Valley, Selina is challenged by an anti-fracking mom and visits the campus of Clovis, a tech company with an ambitious young CEO. In D.C., Jonah makes a crude viral video of the Selina-mom encounter, and Dan, with Ben's (Kevin Dunn) help, gets an idea for a rumor he can spread against Chung.
• Fishing: Selina enjoys a secret lunch with a major strategist that she hopes could become her campaign manager, even though Amy and Dan are vying for the job. Maddox invites the vice president to his country estate.
• Detroit: Selina heads to Detroit for a economic summit. However her personal trainer comes along for the trip and annoys the rest of her staff and her family. Jonah and Mike try and organize a photo opportunity between Maddox and the vice president.
• Special Relationship: To commemorate the 100th centenary of World War I, Selina visits the UK. Whilst on the trip, Ben is called back to Washington, putting Dan on edge. Jonah is also sent to London and spies on the vice president for Maddox.
• Debate: Selina has to prep for a debate against her prime opponents. The vice president has an article written about him in the newspaper by Mike's wife.
• Crate: Selina and her staff wonder how to make her seem more down-to-earth, when they learn that Thornhill is leading in the polls. Jonah meets Bill Ericsson, a strategist about a new job. The Vice president is interviewed by a journalist who has no idea what they are doing.
• New Hampshire: Selina and her staff have to deal with many setbacks on the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary.

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

The dull, the mundane and the dim-witted. That's where Veep earns its biggest laughs and where HBO's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation stays true to Iannucci's under-saturated, single camera intentions. Colors are largely subdued (despite instances of bright reds and blues that punch through the presiding grays and beiges), skintones are relatively lifelike and natural (though rarely warm), and black levels are satisfying (not perfectly deep, mind you, but satisfying). The mockumentary palette locks onto the tone of the show, without sacrificing consistent contrast or giving way to an overly diluted image. Detail remains reasonably crisp and well-resolved throughout as well, and banding, macroblocking, aliasing, ringing and other unsightlies are nowhere to be found. Veep's third season isn't primed to turn heads but, like the series' previous Blu-ray releases, The Complete Third Season's presentation doesn't disappoint.

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

Like the series' first two seasons, the Blu-ray release of The Complete Third Season features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that straddles the line between remarkable lossless mix and intentionally unremarkable sound design. Dialogue is believably nestled in the stuffy offices, conference rooms and chambers of the White House, the more open restaurants and businesses the newly anointed president visits, and the cramped back rooms and hallways where crucial meetings between staff members occur. And yet it all sounds as perfectly pedestrian as it's meant to. The LFE channel and rear speakers cling to these marching orders without deviation, serving up an well-crafted ambient and directional effects that are as ordinary as they are convincing. The result? An unexpectedly immersive experience that stubbornly refuses to draw attention to itself.

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

• Audio Commentaries: Four cast and crew audio commentaries are included on Disc Two: "Special Relationship" with producer Chris Addison, executive producer Christopher Godsick, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky and Tony Hale; "Debate" with Louis-Dreyfus, Cole, Kevin Dunn and Matt Walsh; "Crate" with Louis-Dreyfus, Hale, Walsh, executive producer Frank Rich and episode director Chris Addison; "New Hampshire" with Louis-Dreyfus, Dunn, Sufe Bradshaw, Reid Scott and Timothy Simons.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 18 minutes): Nine episodes feature deleted scenes. (The season finale does not.)
• Governor's Visit (HD, 3 minutes): Veep heads to Maryland and earns a visit from the governor.

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

Veep is stronger than ever in its third season, with its upcoming fourth season already generating plenty of anticipation and buzz. HBO has yet another hit on its hands, one which hopefully won't be voted out of office anytime soon. The Blu-ray release of The Complete Third Season doesn't disappoint either, thanks to another solid AV presentation and decent assortment of special features. More commentaries would have been welcome, sure, but fans won't mind all that much. If you've already picked up the first two seasons of Veep, there's no reason to stop now. If you have yet to give the series a shot, though, HBO's Blu-ray releases are a great place to start.