As someone who is incredibly obsessed with Ben Platt and everything and anything that he does, the new Netflix show by Ryan Murphy, The Politician, was a can’t-miss for me! Ben Platt is a Jewish god among men and his performance in this series will blow you away. So here are my favorite moments from season one of The Politician. SPOILERS, obviously.
1) Ben Platt
Oh, is that not specific enough? Sorry! I mean, come on people, everything Ben Platt does is incomparable. But if you want specifics, then fine. First, let’s start with his range of character and emotion that he portrays while embodying just one persona. His character, Payton Hobart, is a sociopathic and manipulative boy learning to find emotion and what I think is a purpose other than to gain powerful positions. He shows a cunning side when he convinces Harvard admissions to accept him. He is vulnerable when he cries in his tutoring session with River. And he is laid back when he falls into a funk in NYC. Personally, I cannot narrow down these moments because they are all unique and show the range of Ben Platt’s magnificent acting!
2) Payton Hobart’s Gun Control Campaign
Not only were the facts and figures highlighted in Payton’s presentation accurate, they also came from relevant topics about gun control ownership and sales around schools. This controversial issue that Murphy decided to tie into the show was definitely memorable as it showed a glimpse of Payton’s attempts to fight for a real cause other than just himself. Oh, and plastic straws of course. Ben Platt even said that when studying for the role of Payton Hobart, he referenced David Hogg as someone who stands out in the way that he presents himself when fighting for issues that he believes in.
3) Everyone’s GAY!
Everyone in this show seems to be gay, bi, pan, queer, etc, and I love it! The relationships are presented in a natural way that doesn’t make the idea of being gay in this fantastical world as such a big deal as it seems to be in our reality. Their sexual-orientation is never seen as off-putting or is degraded in anyway, but rather it is seen as a benefit to their character (and political qualifications as a vice president). This world seems more ideal and realistic than our own! Because aren’t we all a little bi?
4) Ben Platt’s Singing
I think I broke the internet’s replay button because I have played Ben Platt’s rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River” so many times my computer is going to explode. When you cast Ben Platt, you have to make him sing or it is a waste. Thankfully, Ryan Murphy utilized him well. His performance was emotionally devastating and made me feel for the death of a character that I had known for a whopping ten minutes. He transformed the song and gave it his broadway pop style and it was, of course, magical. In addition, his cover of Billy Joel’s “Vienna” is amazing and I would like to think that he copied my version of the song from when I sang it for my school in the 11th grade. I see you, Ben. I see you.
5) BETTE MIDLER!
Who knew! When I saw this legend’s face pop up on screen, I almost fell off my chair. Unfortunately, we only got to see a glimpse of her, but I assume we will get a lot more next season. There is no specific moment that I can point to that would qualify as “best” but, like Ben Platt, her presence is overall a best moment to me.
I hope you all enjoyed the show as much as I did! Now what will I do until next year? I guess I’ll just have to listen to Ben’s album a thousand more times. Oh well.