'Alpha House': Pilot Recap... Worth Watching?

Amazon Prime’s new original “Alpha House” has released its pilot in an effort to draw in audiences. How does it stack up?

The show follows four Republican senators bunking up in a house in D.C.

When Vernon Smits (Bill Murray) forgets he was supposed to turn himself into the DOJ, a room is left available.

Gil John Biggs (John Goodman), who has been sitting pretty for re-election when only faced with an opponent prone to strokes, finds he suddenly has a real race on his hands when his competitor suffers another stroke and withdraws. With his opponent highly favored (and the Duke basketball coach), Gil John, who would rather sit in the house and sip whiskey, finds he has to really stretch to gain public favor. His wife and assistant decide to send him overseas to the troops in Kabul for some photo opportunities to throw him back into public eye.

Louis Laffer (Matt Malloy), who owns the house where the senators bunk, faces accusations of not being “manly” enough for re-election, especially when smeared in an ad by a gun-toting, cowboy-living Tea Party hopeful. Louis, with his tendency to over-share, avoid, and just in general be awkward, is encouraged by his assistants to go onto the Stephen Colbert show to prove that he is ballsy enough to be taken seriously. And also, not gay.

Robert Bettencourt (Clark Johnson), seems to be the most smooth and carefree of the senators. During an all night talking filibuster that is in no way taken seriously by any speakers, Robert hears the name of Andy Guzman (Mark Consuelos), a freshman senator whose marriage has just blown up, and decides to invite him to the house.

Andy, a charming, womanizing, younger senator, immediately claims the upstairs room for himself, which by seniority should be Robert’s. Worse, Robert finds he faces indictment, as well, and decides to go overseas with Gil John. They both try to convince Louis to accompany them, and Gil John gives him target practice to make him more masculine.

Verdict: Acerbic, witty and intelligent, the show balances character with political events in a way that gets the audience on board with both. Subtly satirical, the pilot does play into some Right-wing stereotypes. While you’re not bludgeoned over the head with them, sensitive individuals may take offense. No Left-wing issues were addressed, so time will tell if both sides get the same treatment, but it certainly seems like a possibility in a pilot that takes politics seriously… while people involved in them, maybe not so much. Tongue-in-cheek political humor many mean a few jokes may be hard to follow for those who aren’t well-versed in politics, but the show is by no means reaching over heads.

Final say: Sharp, funny, and with a very wide potential for development, it’s worth a viewing. Bonus humor for those who can follow political talk and maneuvers. Hard-core Right-wingers will probably want to pass.

QUOTES:

“Do you think that every one of God’s creations made it onto the Ark? Hell no! There’s a lot of sharp elbows out there!”

“It went virile. Youtube.”

“Give me a break, I’m shitfaced.”

“It’s like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger had a baby… that then renounced its two gay parents.”