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Season 1 – The Politician

2019 Comedy TRAILER for The Politician: Season 1 Trailer - So Many Stars List
59% Tomatometer 94 Reviews 85% Audience Score 500+ Ratings
Wealthy high school student Payton Hobart has known since he was 7 years old that he is going to be the president of the United States. The first step toward that goal is to become his school's student body president. To do that, he will have to navigate the treacherous political landscape of Saint Sebastian High School. Hobart feels he needs to win the election to secure his spot at Harvard and continue on his projected path to success. To achieve his goals, he'll have to outsmart his ruthless classmates without sacrificing his own morality and -- most importantly -- carefully crafted public image. Read More Read Less
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The Politician — Season 1

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The Politician — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

While The Politician can't uphold all of its tantalizing promises, it delivers just enough soapy satire in a sumptuous setting to keep Ryan Murphy fans invested -- though its unlikely to win him many new votes.

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Critics Reviews

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Eric Deggans NPR The character at the heart of this story, self-centered and struggling with how his ambition is changing him, seems built for today's times. Nov 23, 2019 Full Review John Doyle Globe and Mail The frantic attempts to get his vote are both depressingly realistic and comically rueful. Everything is seen from the voter's perspective and that's where The Politician, as a series, comes close to being a work of genius. Oct 22, 2019 Full Review Wenlei Ma News.com.au It's just a little lightweight, closer to Glee or The New Normal than it is to Murphy's true heavyhitters like Pose or American Crime Story. Oct 19, 2019 Full Review Elizabeth Garcia But Why Tho? A Geek Community The Politician is an ambitious teen drama that elevates itself through its darker and more adult themes. Rated: 9/10 Jan 22, 2023 Full Review Michael Cuby them. Wildly addictive and surprisingly prescient. Oct 20, 2022 Full Review Brian T. Carney Washington Blade Lurches awkwardly from incident to incident without finding a satiric target or a dramatic story arc. May 20, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (261) audience reviews
Allise W It's a dark comedy. It feels like a guilty pleasure--since it's shallow, the scenes are in stunning homes and on gorgeous grounds, and the cast is attractive. In any case, it's in the same spirit as Imposters and Dead to Me (both also "dark comedies)--but there is the extra bonus of music/singing. Not sure why the ratings are so low. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/19/22 Full Review Audience Member the series was not as boring or serious as people say. i think it was unique, how they put life lessons wraps into a "political journey" series. i love the quotes, tactics, and speeches they put into this series Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Tiago S Um dia eu tinha terminado de ver House of Cards e queria ver séries de políticas pois sempre gostei da temática, e muito tempo depois vi essa série que tem uma atriz que acho fantástica a Jessica Lange, e do começo ao fim até a cena de abertura é interessante mostra como são os políticos que mesmo concorrendo a cargos pequenos os segredos aconteciam como a menina que fingia ter câncer acredita pela mãe que teria tal doença, mas foi um excelente começo de temporada mostrando que a imagem de um político tem sempre que estar limpa de segredos, confusões ou boatos; infelizmente é assim que funciona a política. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/22/22 Full Review tom m It took a while for me to get into it, but I came around. Gwenyth Paltrow has a supporting role … another of those cases of A-list actors lending themselves to new series. I hadn't seen her in anything in quite a while. I'll watch the next season when it's available. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A couple of my favorite genres are Coming-of-age comedies and Political dramas. However I would never ever have thought of someone creating a successful amalgamation of the two let alone Ryan Murphy who's popular works rarely feel authentic and strive more to be entertaining. The coming-of-age themes work very well following an oddly self-sincere and fragile character who's deathly serious about making it in the cut throat world of politics.The characterizations are zany and eccentric but when things get real it's a resonating experience, scenes between Platt and Paltrow especially are so good. Season 1 is great and plays out quite neatly, Season 2 shakes things up with a time-skip and new setting but the overall narrative is rather messly done and now I'm not even sure if Season 3 is happening or if I'd even want to watch it. Sad to see such an original mix of genres fizzle out, the first work of Murphys I've really enjoyed since early "Glee". I mean, I guess "Ratched" is good enough. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member I love the show, but I wish River could have stayed longer. He should have stayed alive until at least until the end of season one. He was such a fascinating character, and he was killed off too soon. Otherwise, the show is great. The characters are all unique and interesting. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Politician — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 27, 2019 When a charismatic candidate joins the race for student body president, Payton searches for a running mate who can make him seem more authentic. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 27, 2019 Die Harrington-Kommode Amid escalating concerns about his vice presidential pick, Payton is plunged into a family crisis that stokes long-seething resentments. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 27, 2019 While Payton plays hardball with Harvard admissions, shocking betrayals and a scandalous video take the election to a new level of ruthlessness. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 27, 2019 With the election days away, Payton faces tough questions about how far he is willing to go to defeat his opponent. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 27, 2019 Der Wähler Payton makes an eleventh-hour push to lock down the school's undecided voters, including a student with other things on his mind besides politics. Details Episode 6 Aired Sep 27, 2019 While Payton confronts hard truths about his ambition following an election day bombshell, he reconnects with a former ally -- and becomes a target. Details Episode 7 Aired Sep 27, 2019 The Assassination of Payton Hobart Payton faces his darkest hour and the fight of his life as transgressions are revealed, backs are stabbed and confessions are made. Details Episode 8 Aired Sep 27, 2019 Payton re-evaluates his life following a reckoning, but when a window of opportunity opens he grapples with a big decision about his political aspirations. Details
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Season Info

Creator
Ryan Murphy
Executive Producer
Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 27, 2019
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