Forget “The Newsroom” — well, don’t forget it. We’re enjoying it immensely at our house. But if you want something else to watch on Sunday nights at 10/9C, I’d also like to recommend USA’s “Political Animals.” It stars Sigourney Weaver as the former First Lady who runs for president, loses, then ditches her philandering husband — the beloved former president who talks in a thick Southern drawl — and becomes Secretary of State in the new administration.
Sound familiar?
Yeah, I know but it’s actually really good! It’s sort of a feminist West Wing, and for those wrestling with Aaron Sorkin’s mysogyny, this is a nice alternative. Weaver kicks ass as the tough-as-nails Elaine. In the first episode she struggles to be taken seriously by staffers in the new administration, and I have to wonder if some of this doesn’t mirror the early days of Hillary Clinton in the Obama Administration.
You can watch a recap of the premiere here; full episodes are available free onlinehere.