“I love to take bites out of the very confrontational nature of Payton and the over-confidence and the sort of lack of empathy and lack of regard for anyone else’s motives and feelings, because I’m very much not like that,” Platt tells Glamour about his character, who, at one point in the pilot, literally ponders whether or not he’s a sociopath. “It was delicious to play someone who is so headstrong and walks into a room and believes he’s the best person in the room.”
Boynton has similar feelings about playing the antagonistic Astrid. “She can be such a powerhouse and power presence, and I love those moments,” she says. “That happens mostly at her worst, and I love that part of her. I love playing Astrid at her most aggressive. She has such a presence and is not in the slightest afraid to take up space in the room.”
That aspect of The Politician is definitely refreshing. The female characters on the show—whether that’s Astrid, Dusty, or Georgina—aren’t concerned with being “likable.” They have elections to win, scams to execute, or mansions to iconically glide around. These women aren’t necessarily realistic, but they’re not idealized, either. They’re self-indulgent, over-the-top, occasionally villainous, and always entertaining. Think Chanel Oberlin from Scream Queens after 15 espresso shots.
Which, again, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The Politician paints its characters boldly and with broad strokes. It’s satirical and cynical and, at times, a bit dark. That aforementioned tragic event is truly devastating—and while it’s given the reverence it deserves, the pilot moves quickly back to Payton and Astrid’s win-at-all-costs antics. There’s not a ton of emotional nuance and sensitivity in The Politician. Know that before going in.
Ben Platt as Payton in The Politician.
NetflixThere are, however, several parallels to another Murphy classic: Glee. Payton could easily be the younger brother of Rachel Berry, McKinley High School’s show-choir all-star who was determined to make it on Broadway. “Payton definitely has that blind Rachel Berry, I will get it by all means necessary [motto],” Platt says.
That being said, Glee was a polarizing show, and The Politician will undoubtedly be too. It currently has a 55 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so critics are pretty much down the middle. What ultimately will determine your taste for The Politician is your opinion on Ryan Murphy content. This isn’t one of his made-for-the-masses productions, like American Crime Story. His humor and brand are written all over this, in its most extreme forms. Personally, I loved it. Some will hate it. Regardless, I think you should give at least the pilot a whirl—if anything to see Gwyneth Paltrow prune flowers in full glam. I could watch nine hours of that alone.
