The Trump show has jumped the shark
Like Bran Stark vanishing for the entire fifth season of Game of Thrones, Steve Bannon has been mostly offscreen since he was ousted as White House chief strategist over the summer of 2017. But now he's back, returning to the Trump Show under the sort of circumstances only 2020 — or a really desperate sitcom writer — could concoct.
The past four years have felt at times like watching a really bad TV show, one I'd have called "unfocused" and "uneven" were I writing a review about it; I wouldn't have spared the bad dialogue, either. Really, the Trump Show jumped the shark long ago, with that storyline about the porn star, the anticlimactic impeachment season, and the president's losing battle against K-pop stans (alright, that last episode was actually pretty good — maybe the show does sometimes have its moments).
Still, reading today that Bannon was taken into custody "at sea" by U.S. Postal Service agents — the protagonists of this season, if you haven't been keeping up with the recaps — for putting money from an online fundraiser to "Build The Wall" (a nice Season One callback) to personal use, you have to wonder: who is writing this thing?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
If our literal democracy weren't at threat, it'd almost be amusing. As it stands, though, there's nothing more horrifying than reading about current politics and being reminded of TV, which is supposed to be an entertaining diversion and not reflective of actual real life. Bannon's reappearance on a supervillain yacht, then, isn't an elegant comedic twist thought up by David Mandel — it re-emphasizes the fact that Trump did not in fact hire "the best people," but surrounded himself with self-serving and corrupt yes-men (Bannon has pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges). The late-season resurfacing of the 2016 southern border wall talking point, meanwhile, isn't uninspired writing; it's a reminder of how the administration has conned its supporters for years into believing it's actually acting in their interests.
And the Postal Service being the ones to save the day — well alright, maybe there's not a whole lot more to read into that other than that they're clearly an agency worth celebrating. But before you run off to write a pilot about postal workers fighting crime on the high seas — the elite unit that caught Bannon already has its own TV show.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Olive oil: alternatives for the 'liquid gold'
The Week Recommends As the price of this store cupboard staple has rocketed, we look at ways to save and other oils to use for cooking
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Scotland Yard, Gaza and the politics of policing protests
Talking Point Met Police accused of 'two-tier policing' by former home secretary as new footage emerges of latest flashpoint
By The Week UK Published
-
Is the Supreme Court about to criminalize homelessness?
Talking Points The court will decide if bans on outdoor camping are 'cruel and unusual'
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Myanmar: the Spring Revolution and the downfall of the generals
Talking Point An armed protest movement has swept across the country since the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in 2021
By The Week Staff Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
It's not really about Biden's brain — unless it is
Talking Points Depending on who you ask, the renewed focus on the president's mental acuity is an election-year distraction, a legitimate point of concern, and sometimes both
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The politics of music: should political rallies use well-known songs?
Talking Point The Smiths star Johnny Marr is latest musician to object to use of his music at a Donald Trump rally
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published