‘Veep’ season 5 finale reaction: Doyle’s revenge is Laura Montez’s gain
We knew that the “Veep” season 5 finale was going to be crazy … but who imagined that it was going to go precisely like this? The season 5 finale certainly was one for the ages, and one that provided comedy, surprises, and yet another changing of the guard.
Specifically, here is what happened: Selina Meyer is not President of the United States. However, neither is Tom James. After there were multiple surprise votes, it turned out that James’ opponent in the Senate in Laura Montez was the one who ended up getting the job, and she did so thanks to some behind-the-scenes dealings of her own, using Charlie Baird and Vice-President Doyle in order to get what she wanted. Basically, she used some of Selina’s own past mistakes against her.
As a result of this, what we ended up seeing happen here was a situation where Selina no longer has any power, and she faces an extremely uncertain future. Not only that, but as her helicopter was flying away after inauguration, it had to land. She was left alone, pondering over what her future would be while so many other people out there relished in their victory. It’s hard to say that Selina deserved better based on how she treated people, but it’s not like there are really better people in this show’s world of Washington. It’s also hard to say what was a bigger representation of bad things happening to not-great people within the world of this show, Selina losing here or Jonah Ryan suddenly getting a health scare. One of the few regulars other than Mike to have a happy moment was Richard, who was told by Selina that he is actually quite good at his job.
Elsewhere, Dan seemed to get his new job, Mike ended up adopted a six-year old Chinese girl, and it just so turns out that the Eagle found the missing Nevada ballots and Selina had (hilariously) actually won there. We’re not up on election rules enough to know if that changes anything for Selina after the fact … consider that your cliffhanger, a sign that this is the most insane version of Washington ever, and a cap on a brilliant season.
Blue Dogs
June 27, 2016 @ 6:03 pm
Selina brought this on HERSELF the way she treated people. Karma can be a ****
Vader47000
June 27, 2016 @ 4:51 am
The real surprise was how the show’s writers don’t understand the Constitution. The idiotic interpretation of the 12th and 20th Amendments here undermines the entire show.
All this talk about Selina being Tom James’ VP is one thing. Since he would be technically the VP acting as president, he wouldn’t be able to appoint a VP since that position would already be filled. By him. But the characters on the show are morons so that could be wiped away.
But the bigger gaffe is the idea of the VP voting to break a tie when the Senate chooses the new VP. The 12th Amendment’s description of the Senate procedure to select a VP distinguishes the vote from that for legislation, which is when the VP gets to break ties. In this case, the winner must gain a majority of the total number of members of the Senate, which means 51 votes. The VP is not a member of the senate, so his vote doesn’t matter even in a tie. A 50-50 tie just means no one wins.
Further, the House and Senate can vote again until they break their deadlocks if they want. Selina and O’Brien are still the two candidates for president until the term ends and could still be president if one of them wins.
Matt Carter
June 27, 2016 @ 5:58 am
I feel like there may have been a little bit of creative interpretation in here, just from the vantage point of not having their be deadlock after deadlock in the vote. Ultimately what you’re saying here about the ineptitude of some of these characters is probably right on the money. How closely are some of them going to study the law?
Vader47000
June 27, 2016 @ 6:32 am
Well, the Senate is supposed to have a parliamentarian whose specific job is to explain these procedures to the senators (and the VP), so they wouldn’t have to study the law. So it could be the case where even the parliamentarian is a moron, making some sort of statement on how screwed America is because the government is staffed with incompetents. But having had experience with how Hollywood writers operate, I tend to doubt they’re operating on that level of satire.
If it boiled down just to creative license, they could have achieved the same story result in the episode just by doing 51 votes for Montez in the Senate. But Hollywood is obsessed with the notion of transitions of power to the presidency and doing swearing-in scenes, so we got another one of those here.
Also the idea of a revote brings in the idea of Selina and O’Brien conducting a new presidential campaign to lobby the House members to get them to vote again, and possibly even affect the midterms to get themselves elected president, which is material that could guide a season or two of the show.
Blue Dogs
June 27, 2016 @ 6:04 pm
Is James still in the United States Senate ?
Vader47000
June 27, 2016 @ 7:40 pm
If his term wasn’t up, he would be. The House and Senate don’t vote until the new class is sworn in. As for whether Tom could vote for himself, yes he could. But I think O’Brien was also a senator and he could vote for Montez if he was still there so it’s a wash. I don’t remember the show establishing any of that.
JTM300
June 27, 2016 @ 4:04 am
Next Season:
Meyer v Montez in Supreme Court
re the discovered Nevada ballots.
The election was never really a tie!
Vader47000
June 27, 2016 @ 4:53 am
The line from the Eagle was a joke to demonstrate his incompetence.
If anything, they could go to the Supreme Court because Doyle’s vote shouldn’t count, per what the 12th Amendment actually says. There’s still a tie in the Senate so the Presidency and Vice Presidency are still technically vacant.
However, I’ve pretty much lost faith in the Veep writers for making these gaffes with Constitutional procedure in the first place.
JTM300
June 27, 2016 @ 5:17 pm
What was “meant to be a joke” may just be a clue as to what’s happened …
For example, that missing hard drive will come back to haunt…
Vader47000
June 27, 2016 @ 5:26 pm
Well, the show’s producer already said in an interview there was nothing more to the ballot line than a throwaway joke
Blue Dogs
June 27, 2016 @ 6:03 pm
2020 will be the likely match-up.