Political shows can seem like a cookie-cutter formula that repeat the same ideas and plot points.
There is always a cheating scandal, always a young-faced, low-level political player who just wants to make his way up the political ladder and of course the people who want to gain power. Simple and easy for shows to play with.
“Graves” does something different with the cookie-cutter formula of the typical political show.
It makes it fun.
The characters and the script play around with the idea more than other political shows in previous years have, which has “Graves” grabbing the audiences’ attention instantaneously.
“Graves” is a show about a former republican two-term president that learns of an article claiming he is the worst president in U.S. history. After conducting an online search of himself and seeing the negative comments he begins to question how he spent his time as president, what he is currently doing with his life and how he can spend the remaining years of his life to make up for what he has done.
Nick Nolte (“The Ridiculous Six”) stars as the former president Graves. His performance gives viewers more than just your typical midlife crisis or bitter old president, Nolte gives the viewer a unique person that viewers can follow on his path to find his purpose. He does this while smoking weed in the desert with a waitress he just met and destroying the library that was created to honor his two terms.
Another character that shines during his screen time is Isaiah Miller (Skyler Astin, “Pitch Perfect 2”). Miller is the new assistant to the former president that came to essentially worship at the feet of his idol, only to learn his idol wants to haze and ditch him. Astin perfectly embodies the high-school-boy-scout-turned-republican-intern with aspirations of grandeur.
One scene in particular that demonstrates how well the two characters can blend and bounce off one another is the scene on a plane when Miller tells Graves about seeing the president in person as a baby. Graves jokes about how large of a baby he was while Miller tries to tell Graves about his backstory only to be interrupted about the Mayan language and its beauty. The enjoyment of the actors translates to the viewer with ease.
One thing the show could improve on is the incorporation of some of the other characters. Sela Ward (“Independence Day: Resurgence”) plays the character of Margaret Graves, the former first lady who apparently had an impact on the U.S. during her husband’s time in office.
What was this impact? The viewer does not know. In the first episode her character is essentially making sure her husband does what he is supposed to and helping her daughter with her new divorce. Yet her character is not displayed as well as the other members of the cast.
If Mrs. Graves is an influential former first lady, she should be able to have more of a presence on the show. It is clear that she has one, but it is more in the background than the other two. As the series progresses the viewer can hopefully learn more about Mrs. Graves’ purpose and personality.
A delightful change of pace, “Graves” is the political show that displays the fun people can have with the political system. Watch and enjoy Nolte’s mayhem and journey toward making the most with the remainder of his life.
