Back in the day, this time of year would bring nothing but reruns on TV until new episodes returned in September.  It seemed pretty awful at the time, although in retrospect, it had the advantage of getting me off the couch and playing outside or else into a book.  But no longer is there any impediment to being a TV couch potato all year long!   When the September/October shows end in March/April, a whole new set of shows starts in May.  Total score for those of us everywhere who like to sit!  And one of the shows that just started back up is Veep, which on a consistent episode-for-episode basis, may be the best comedy show EVER.  This year in particular is poised for greatness with thinly veiled references to the current state of American politics (and we’ve all seen what this has done to revive Saturday Night Live, which has been on life support with a frayed electric cord for quite some time).

Veep is a show where you really have to watch each episode two or three times to get all the witty insults that are flying around.  But for all the amazing wordplay, the visual comedy has become truly outstanding and is something that also merits a second or third (or fourth) watch.  Tony Hale, who made his mark as Buster from Arrested Development, is unbelievable as Gary, Selina’s personal aide (or, in DC parlance, a “body man” … someone who carries the handbag and personal supplies and fetches refreshments).  He can steal almost any scene with his facial expressions alone.  His character takes his job so seriously (caring about the right lipstick color, which I’d love to find in a man) and is so loyal to Selina, even if his face betrays what he’s actually thinking about some of her questionable decisions or her romances.  There’s this fantastic article in The New York Times Magazine that highlights the relationship between Selina and Gary (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/magazine/julia-louis-dreyfus-and-tony-hales-demented-double-act-on-veep.html?_r=0), and it really does provide the core chemistry for the show.

And that brings us to Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  She had her visual comedy historic moment in Seinfeld with the Elaine Dance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY_DF2Af3LM), but she’s really upped her game in Veep.  The episode where she walks through the glass door gets to me every time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxC8w-vPGTM), as does the episode where she wears a cowboy hat at a pig roast all afternoon long and finally takes it off to have the worst case of helmet hair I’ve ever seen:

But perhaps what I love most about Julia Louis-Dreyfus is that she does all this comedy while looking AMAZING.  Sometimes it seems that women can’t be polished and also down-to-earth and funny and accessible, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus proves this wrong.  And her clothes and shoes are to-die-for … so tailored and ladylike  … with designs by Victoria Beckham, Carolina Herrera, Alexander McQueen and Jason Wu.

So … in appreciation of all things Veep, I had to break out my best ladylike look in a printed Dolce & Gabbana dress I got from Saks Fifth Avenue (www.saks.com) and a yellow structured handbag from Mansur Gavriel I got from MatchesFashion (www.matchesfashion.com).  I’m only missing my Gary.  Now to catch up on the episode I missed last night!