The Politician episode 1: A clever and engaging look at the minefield of high school politics

Clever and engaging, the first episode of The Politician grabs your attention with a compelling lead performance from Ben Platt and a strong ensemble cast.

In the pilot episode of The Politician, we meet Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), the adopted son of an absurdly wealthy California family with three Picassos hanging in their maid’s quarters, who is determined to become president. Since childhood, he’s studied up on the behaviors and experiences of past presidents to ensure that he stays on the right path (statistically speaking) to the Oval Office.

He’s painstakingly pursued hobbies and extracurricular activities that his algorithm has determined to be most indicative of future political success, molding his personality to the point that he doesn’t have a true sense of self anymore. In the opening scene, Payton mentions to a Harvard admissions officer that he cried at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life.

“Everyone cries at the end of that movie,” the Harvard rep replies. “Did you cry because you were moved, or because you felt like you were supposed to?” After so many years of crafting a very specific persona, is Payton even capable of a genuine reaction anymore?

The Politician, Ryan Murphy’s latest project for Netflix, explores Payton’s battle to become student body president of Saint Sebastian High School. So convinced is he that holding this office will make or break his political career that the revelation that his classmate/friend/sometimes lover, River, is running against Payton sends him into a tailspin.

River is beloved at Saint Sebastian High School: He’s a good-hearted jock with the rare ability of speaking from the heart to a large group of people, making them feel as though they have a direct connection to his soul. Their debate brings to mind a Kennedy vs. Nixon battle, where Payton’s speech is eloquent and polished but too calculated, and River captures the hearts and minds of the people.

The show takes place in the sort of Ryan Murphy heightened reality where a high school election matters enough that there are hyper-articulate campaign managers with access to apparently accurate polling on said election. It feels a bit like Gossip Girl for Generation Z, where the ultra-rich teens are politically engaged, and the dirt they spread on each other is more Rachel Maddow than Access Hollywood.

Payton’s campaign managers tell him that the solution to their polling problems is for him to choose a running mate who feels authentic — ideally, they suggest delicately, one with a disability. Payton sets his sights on Infinity Jackson (Zoey Deutch), a girl with cancer who is raised by her overbearing grandmother (Jessica Lange) and puts off serious Gypsy Rose Blanchard vibes.

But while the election may be Payton’s all-consuming obsession, River has other things on his mind. His experiences with depression are an open secret; his speech at the debate revolved almost entirely around his suicide attempt of the previous year, when he tied a weight around his ankle and jumped into a swimming pool. Despite this background information, it’s nonetheless shocking and disturbing when he kills himself in front of River.

We leave our bereaved campaigners in the midst of an election that is very much in flux. Interestingly, it’s the women behind both men who end up taking control of the situation. River’s cold and dispassionate girlfriend Astrid (Lucy Boynton) has decided to run for office in his memory, and although Payton is soldiering on despite his grief (we only get one song in this so-called musical, a heartwrenching if slightly on the nose rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River” from Ben Platt), it’s his girlfriend Alice who gets his campaign back on track. Realizing that he’s losing the sympathy vote, she volunteers to pretend to cheat on Payton so that he can break up with her, heartbroken, and win back the support of the student body.

The Politician begins promisingly enough, wasting no time getting to the guts of the story. Murphy feels remarkably at home navigating though the minefield of high school politics, and builds up a number of subplots that will be interesting to watch play out over the run of the limited series. Platt is commanding in this lead role, if a bit theatrical in his gestures and expressions at times. Featuring a remarkable supporting cast, there’s a sense that we’ve only just tapped into this show’s potential, and there’s much more in store for the ensemble cast as time goes on.

The Politician is streaming on Netflix now.