S01.E04: Midnight Feast

[AnimeMania]

As Zubak learns the true location of Keplinger, the chancellor’s biggest political rival, Elena attempts to do damage control in the wake of a tragic accident. As public sentiment against her continues to grow, Elena and Nicholas make a rare trip outside palace walls to meet with factory workers. Meanwhile, Agnes’ loyalty is tested by an offer from an unknown source.

Premiere Date: Sunday, March 24, 2024   HBO   9pm     

[Phebemarie]

I keep watching this even though it is incredibly weird and unsettling.  

The staging of that last scene makes me wonder if it really happened or if it was all in Herbert's imagination.  

 

[aghst]

I’m trying to think of any leader in any country who repeatedly talks about “our love” like patriotism is based on the people loving her.  It’s bizarre, like the little song, where she spoke most of the words rather than singing.

She wants to be the center of attention, wants adulation.  But she was gaslighting the children and the nation during that Q&A session, as workers were losing jobs and China was hurting local industry.  She was denying that sanctions were hurting her country.

But at the end, she was leaning into authoritarianism, after planting the guns at the union office, despite her advisors telling her it would increase unrest.  She seems to want an excuse for a brutal crackdown.

She bragged to daddy how she got elected, had the support of the people.  But it wouldn’t be surprising if it was a fake election with massive fraud.

Of course she had been lying about Keplinger, who was in a prison all the time.  Just like she was for land reform until she decided she wasn’t giving back any of her wealth, which no doubt she stole.

Speaking of which, she cut out Zubak from her circle and letting him drive the agenda like land reform.  But she finally decided to sleep with him.  And he’s probably giving up on his agenda.  Keplinger was willing to do what he wanted if he joined in on the plot to overthrow Elena but in the end he kills Keplinger because he won’t betray her.

Well she managed to hold out for 4 months …

[Avaleigh]

I got a good chuckle watching the behind the scenes stuff from this episode. When the actor who plays Nicky was talking about the tragedy of his character being that, when confronted with the moment where he's about to watch another man have sex with his wife, all he can say is "Heyyy...!" Also, it says a lot that the best laugh for me came after the actual episode. For a so-called satire, this show should be a little funnier, shouldn't it? 

I really liked the Hugh Grant character and thought he was taken out of the story too soon. Interesting how Elena would periodically trot him out to make the masses think that he's living comfortably in a mansion somewhere. It must have worked since people like Zubak never thought he was in prison. I wonder though if there were at least any rumors that he was imprisoned? If no one has seen him in person and there's only the occasional pic of him in a villa looking comfortable, isn't that suspicious enough to get people whispering? Nobody is going to know anyone who works for him or lives near him. People would notice if a high profile former politician was completely absent from society. If nothing else I feel like rumors could have started and been spread by the people who oppose Elena. 

That last scene was weird. How does it help her to have an uncontrollable moment like that in front of her cabinet? 

Elena seems to blow these easy opportunities. Like the scene with the kids. She could have at least faked sympathy, but she can't even do that right. Really, she doesn't have enough common sense to not tell that one kid he smells terrible as if it's a joke that will land given the seriousness of why she's visiting them in the first place? Then she brings up the death of the pregnant protester out of nowhere. The whole point of the exercise was to con people into thinking she gives a damn. How has she lasted in power this long? She only seems to have decent political instincts when the story calls for it. There's a lack of consistency in her characterization that I'm not understanding. 

I'm intrigued by Elena and Zubak and thought Hugh Grant's one episode character was interesting. As for the other characters...this is another area where the show needs to improve. 

As a comparison, there were multiple supporting characters in Succession that I wish had more scenes because they were so well written in the scenes they were in. Gerri, Frank, Carl, Stewy, Matsson, Hugo, etc. In The Regime, I can barely remember the names of the supporting characters. I like seeing David Bamber here, but he doesn't really get any good lines. The character who Elena went to in order to take down the unions is good at conveying how unsettled he is by Elena but he too doesn't really get any good lines. 

On 3/25/2024 at 8:34 AM, aghst said:

She bragged to daddy how she got elected, had the support of the people.  But it wouldn’t be surprising if it was a fake election with massive fraud.

Oh, it has to have been. I can't understand how she got elected otherwise. Also, I can understand why certain rich people in the country would have wanted her in power so they could line their pockets, but surely there's a better person they could elect who isn't as unstable as Elena is? Her father must've been genuinely loved or feared (possibly both?) for that to carry over enough to make anyone want to support her given how unsuitable she is in this job. 

[Moxie Cat]

I made it through four episodes before being curious enough to see what others think of this show. The lack of posts in this section is telling. 

At this point, my main hope is that Agnes and her son make it out of the country safely, but I fear she's being set up too. She's the only character I actually root for though - which is one reason why this show has become such a slog.

And it should be much funnier than it is. Succession was about terrible people too, whom you had a hard time rooting for - but every episode was so freaking funny. These episodes just leave me depressed.

[PurpleTentacle]

Keplinger was a pompous asshole (great casting btw.), but of course he was right. The people don't want what's actually best for them, they want a stron-(wo)man leader who tells them that they are right, everybody else is wrong, that they are pure and the rest of the world is wicked, etc.

They'll even accept somebody who bleeds them dry and lets them go hungry for it. Just as long as their egos are stroked.