The era of politics in which Veep existed are twisted and complicated. The series debuted in an election year and ran its first half during the second term for President Barack Obama before it pivoted to a Trump-era political satire towards its denouement. Throughout, though, Veep was always cutting, hilarious, and well-deserving of its immaculate Emmy history.
This sensibility began when Veep entered the HBO fray back in 2012 with its first episode, "Fundraiser." This pilot installment is a great one, but considering the winding road of the rest of Veep's run, it can be easy to forget about the events of that fledgling episode, which is now three months away from its ninth anniversary.
Twitter And Plastics
When the first episode of Veep begins, Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her team are tasked with managing the fallout of a disgruntled staffer's tweet that sent ripples throughout the plastics industry.
Immediately, the episode reveals the sycophancy of the characters, as they bend over backwards to cater to the realm of plastics players. Considering the lofty heights and implications Veep would later reach, it can be easy to forget that its first major controversy was over a tweet.
Ben, Marjorie, Kent, Richard
It is also easy to forget that the cast of Veep was not the same at the beginning as it was by the series' end. Over the years, Veep repeatedly added comedy legends to the cast with the simplicity of James Harden joining the Brooklyn Nets.
But in that first episode, there was no Ben (Kevin Dunn), Marjorie (Clea DuVall), Kent (Gary Cole), or Richard (Sam Richardson). They feel like an intrinsic part of Veep, but it did take a couple of seasons before they were integrated into the story fully.
Armando Iannucci
Similarly, Veep became well-known for being shepherded in its later seasons by David Mandel. The Mandel era was just as hysterical, but it did have a slightly different tone from the seasons helmed by famed Scottish satirist Armando Iannucci.
Because of how much Mandel excelled in the showrunner's role, many have forgotten that Iannucci guided the ship from the beginning, including a director's credit and a writer's credit (with Simon Blackwell) for the "Fundraiser" episode.
Sympathy Card
The cynicism towards the way D.C. politics are handled was a defining theme throughout Veep. One of the show's funnier quotes regarding these notions actually came in the first episode!
Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons), when referring to a sympathy card, states plainly, "When a sexual harasser dies, we sign his wife's card. Okay? That's how Washington works." The matter-of-fact nature with which he delivers this quote is the earliest testament to how Veep would be no West Wing.
Liaison Jonah
Speaking of Jonah Ryan, his character arc travels to places entirely unforeseen at the start of the HBO comedy. He rose through the political ranks in a major way by the series finale, but in the series premiere, he occupied an easily forgotten role.
Jonah initially served as the ambitious liaison between the president's office and the office of Selina. It makes for a number of entertaining moments whenever he turns up to wreak havoc at the office of the veep, but it's quickly forgotten what his first job on the show was.
Dan Egan Joins Up
Likewise, many forget that Dan Egan (Reid Scott) was not a part of Selina Meyer's team when the show began. Granted, he does join up in the course of the first episode, but when it starts, he's working for other politicians.
Always the disloyal climber, though, Dan jumps at the chance to work with someone in a greater position of power. His joining the team is a major arc of this first episode, even though it feels like he was always working for Selina.
Gary And The Coffee Machine
When Dan does turn up initially, he's an immediate bluster of condescension and expensive grooming products. His hilarious rapport with Gary (Tony Hale) begins with an unforgettable moment; it's just readily forgotten that the moment occurred in this first episode.
When Gary tries to work a coffee machine to no avail, Dan snaps at him, mocking his ineptitude and his bag of Selina's must-haves that he always keeps on his person. His line to Gary telling him to pack an "espresso machine in your big f------ b---- bag" shows how Veep was foul-mouthed from the start.
Amy Hates Dan
An early dynamic established in Veep's first episode is that Amy (Anna Chlumsky) detests Dan and advocates against Selina hiring him for her team. She describes him as someone who gets worse the more one knows him.
Over the years, Amy and Dan would maintain a tumultuous relationship, including moments when they actually seem like a romantic endgame for each other. But in the first episode, their connection was defined solely by animosity.
Clean Jobs Commission
Veep had a lot of fun over the years when it pursued storylines of campaigns, elections, and run-offs. However, the earliest arc of the show revolved around Selina's "gimme" campaign for the Clean Jobs Commission.
Ultimately, this arc would be dispatched with all the cravenness that Selina and her group deserved. However, from the first episode of the show, it was treated like the most important thing in her world - for better or for worse.
Hello And Prepositions
While the episode begins with annoyances for the plastics industry, it ends with a completely neutered speech that continues to cater to them. Selina's left with an ineffectual role in her commission after the speech leaves her with just "hello" and "prepositions."
It's a funny way to bring the first episode of Veep to an end and it's easy to forget how much was packed into just one installment. Ultimately, this line was indicative of how fully-formed the series' identity was from the jump.