Veep - Omaha - Review: "Where Next For Selina Meyer?"

Veep Season 6 Episode Guide:
6.01. "Omaha" - Review
6.02. "Library" - Airs April 23
6.03. "Georgia" - Airs April 30
6.04. "Justice" - Airs May 7
6.05. "Chicklet" - Airs May 14
6.06. "Qatar" - Airs 21
6.07. "Blurb" - Airs May 28

Veep 6.01 "Omaha - Review:"
Directed by David Mandel & Written by Lew Morton

It's that time of year again and it won't be long until the best comedy double-bill currently on television of Silicon Valley and Veep gets underway. Starting one week earlier than Silicon Valley (which I'll also be reviewing like last season), Veep returned to action in full force as we explored life after Presidency for Selina Meyer, who technically became the first female President but isn't held in high regard and is still bitter at her successor for stealing what should have been her crowning achievement, freeing Tibet from China that had actually had been part of a deal that Selina had achieved. So understandably, Selina is incredibly annoyed at Montez, and it's a running joke played mostly for laughs in this episode as Selina finds herself beset by Montez in more ways than one even though she is out of office, with Montez not only taking credit for Tibet but also creating traffic whilst in town to address the UN, much to Selina's annoyance.

The question throughout this episode was very much where Selina would be going next. The show was seemingly built around Selina getting to power, but once she had achieved power, she couldn't hold it and now she faces a big question. Does she want to run for re-election again? Or can she get over it and move on? The answer of course should be predictable for any Veep fan, and it was a no brainer to see that by the end of the episode, Selina has her mindset on returning to the Presidency, despite the fact that virtually everyone in her family disagrees with her, including her daughter Catherine, who breaks down into tears. The Meyer family relationship was explored to great effect here with Selina finding it weird that Marjorie was calling her Mom. And to make matters worse for Selina, she is unable to live the high-life that she'd to on Foundation grants alone, and is constantly wanting more money to achieve her objective which Marjorie isn't willing to give her.

The premiere returns in fine form and as well as addressing what Selina is up to, it also tackles what the other characters are doing. Selina's former employee Dan is currently co-host to the ruthless Jane McCabe on CBS Good Morning News, who has fired many of her previous co-hosts and Dan is worried that he could be next despite scoring an interview with Selina, who talks about her foundation for adult literacy and aids, as well as her memoir that she's writing, in the tradition of former Presidents, to attempt to write her own tapestry in regards to the Meyer year. This leads to further problems because not only is Selina behind on her draft but she's also having problems remembering what events took place in the right order, forcing her to turn to Mike who is spending most of his time with his adopted children. After supplying much of the books content to Selina he wants to be paid for his work, but Selina is having money problems of her own with the book not commanding as high as an advance fee as any previous President, mainly because she isn't exactly popular and nobody really wants to hear about her. But Mike is back on board, and so to is Gary, who never really left, sticking around as Selina's permanent yes-man to the point where he's the only one who thinks that Selina running for President again is a good idea.

Meanwhile, Jonah and Amy are adapting to their new roles. Amy has scaled down to becoming a manager of a campaign and is told off for her over-aggressive language which may have been normal in Washington but was something that the small time campaign staff aren't exactly used to. Jonah himself is a cancer survivor and has lost all his hair following his successful bid for Congress, but after seeing that his lack of hair gains him pity he has decided to keep up the ruse. He crosses paths with Dan when Dan gets him to come on CBS to be interviewed, but Jonah overreacts to Dan's comments live on air and goes into full meltdown mode, attacking Dan while the camera is recording and storming off. Dan is horrified and expects to be fired from his job for this, but it turns out that it's exactly what Jane McCabe wants, asking Dan to come up with more like what he's done. The episode ends with Selina on a public plane in seats that are a far cry from Air Force One, headed to her next destination.

The episode itself was very much a success, with everything taken into account. The characters are at their best the more brutal they are and here nothing was hold back with several vicious lines with Amy's new role as a campaign manager showing just how ruthless she was capable of. Her boyfriend Buddy Calhoun might not know what he's gotten himself into as he attempts to run for the Governor of Nevada, with a team that Amy is determined to drag into the 20th Century - not the 21st. It's inevitable that Amy won't be kept separate from Selina for long and it'll be interesting to see how Selina deals with her coming back into the picture. And then there's Catherine’s delightful over the top reaction to Selina announcing that she would run for office again which really stole the show this week. She's not ready to go through what she's already gone through again, but Selina is someone who has always put herself first, and the Meyer family dynamic is no doubt going to play a key role this season as the characters go through consistent changes as Selina's bid for re-election continues to grow momentum.

One thing's for sure is that it's great to have Veep, the best comedy on television right now, back in action. The laughs came thick and fast throughout this episode and the next couple of months are going to be a fantastic ride to say the least, especially with Silicon Valley back soon as well. I'd love to see what you thought of this episode if you could leave your reactions in the comments below, and be sure to check out the next episode this Sunday on HBO at 10:30, and be sure to keep an eye out for Max Conte's excellent previews! If you haven't read them yet, you can check out this episodes' preview here.

About the Author - Milo MJ

Milo is an Arsenal FC supporter and loves TV shows like Battlestar Galactica, Justified, Black Sails, The Americans and Person of Interest. He reviews Preacher, Star Wars Rebels, The Shannara Chronicles, Silicon Valley and Veep for Spoiler TV and will be covering Castle Rock, Counterpart, Jack Ryan, Snowfall, Succession, Star Trek Discovery (if it ever gets a premiere date) and Tales From The Crypt. He also contributes to comic reviews on a weekly basis for All-Comic. He also regularly watches and reviews films on Letterboxd, and you can find his ever-changing list of 300 favourite movies here.

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