Have you started watching The Politician yet?
If not, you definitely should.
The eight-episode comedy from Ryan Murphy stars Ben Platt as Payton Hobart, a wealthy student from Santa Barbara, California, who has known since age seven that he’s going to be President of the United States.
But first he’ll have to navigate the most treacherous political landscape of all: Saint Sebastian High School.
To get elected Student Body President, secure a spot at Harvard, and stay on his singular path to success, Payton will have to outsmart his ruthless classmates without sacrificing his own morality and carefully crafted image.
Here are four reasons to watch The Politician (if you aren’t already).
The twists and turns (and the more twists)
The premise behind The Politician seems, at first, to be really straightforward: it’s a show about a teenager at a prestigious California high school who wants to be president – both of his school and, one day, the country.
But there’s a lot more to it than that. From the very first ‘wait, did that really just happen?!’ moment midway through the premiere, the surprises come thick and fast – and it becomes basically impossible to even guess what is going to happen int he next episode, nevermind the next scene.
Throughout the series, unexpected relationships are forged; life-changing secrets are revealed and it all comes to a head with the most ‘WTF?!’ moment we could imagine.
The all star cast
The Netflix series may only be eight episodes long, but it is packed with a seriously impressive cast.
Gwyneth Paltrow is completely flawless as Payton’s mum Georgina, an artist-turned-housewife who has some of the absolute best lines in the show (and one of the best wardrobes, too).
Jessica Lange is Dusty Jackson, the grandmother of the cancer-stricken Infinity, who Payton picks to be his running mate for the election. And while she seems to be the normal overprotective-but-loving family member, that soon starts to change when fans learn more about the Jackson’s family life…
And with the introduction of Bette Midler and Judith Light’s characters later in the series, it looks like the all star cast is only going to get better.
The power suits
Each one of Payton’s friends and classmates at Saint Sebastian High School has their very own (and very distinctive) look.
Payton tends to lean more towards polos and chinos, while his girlfriend Alice has a First Lady-esque wardrobe.
And while we’re particularly big fans of the style of Payton’s rival Astrid Sloan, it’s McAfee and her power suits that really steal the show – talk about wardrobe goals.
No, really – we’d really like to know where she go them…
The fact that there’s already a season two on the way
It’s always a good sign when a second season of a show is ordered before the first one even premieres.
The Politician’s second season is expected to follow Payton four years after that big twist at the end of season one and, according to Radio Times, will begin production next month.
And while it’s definitely a good sign that the streaming service have already commissioned more episodes, it also means that fans won’t be left on a cliffhanger. So it’s a win-win, really.
- The Politician is available to watch on Netflix now.
