Veep: The Complete Third Season

The third season of HBO's insider political comedy starring Emmy-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, vice president of the United States, begins with Selina eyeing the Oval Office when the president (still unseen) decides not to run for another term. Even before she announces her candidacy, her staff members start jockeying for power and position on the campaign team, spending as much time bickering among themselves as managing her itinerary and writing statements that sound impressive while offering no substantial information about her position. The series was created by British satirist Armando Iannucci, who finds humor not in political issues but in the process: bureaucratic dysfunction, mistakes made by functionaries, the overriding focus on PR over action, and the personalities with competing interests who trip over one another while trying to get something accomplished. Veep boasts witty, intelligent scripts and a strong supporting cast, including Anna Chlumsky as Selina's chief of staff, Amy; Tony Hale as her socially awkward aide, Gary; Matt Walsh as her director of communications, Mike; and Reid Scott as Mike's deputy, Dan. This set ends with a twist just as the primaries get underway. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2014 third season, extras include episode commentaries and deleted scenes. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)