Every season, the Drama After Dark team gathers ‘round the (currently virtual) conference room table to watch the latest and greatest in British dramas. This month, just in time for the election, we’re covering MASTERPIECE’s new political drama Roadkill. If you would enjoy a mashup of Veep and The West Wing with added British flavor and a whole lot of familiar faces, then this is the show for you. I’m here to recap the season as it happens (and we’re also covering the show on Drama After Dark).
Ready for Roadkill to end? Neither am I, but we must forge on. Frankly, I’m almost as upset as Iron Lady 2.0, who starts the season finale off with a bang.
Iron Lady 2.0: Wing Woman! What the heck is this press digest I’m looking at?! They got a copy of a private email!
Wing Woman: Yeah, I know; I prepared the briefing, and also I sent the email.
Iron Lady 2.0, reading from the digest: "Dearest Trev, Sorry to be such a bummer about our shared interest — weapons — in public. But don’t worry, mummy loves you best. Sincerely, Iron Lady 2.0." Who wrote this?
Wing Woman: Well you approved it, so.
Iron Lady 2.0: That’s not what I asked. Did you write this?
Wing Woman:
Iron Lady 2.0: This makes me look really bad and two-faced! Also, look, Trev said he didn’t forward it and that he deleted it off his server, which basically means that someone in this office leaked it. So riddle me this, Wing Woman: did you leak this email?
Wing Woman: I can’t hyperbolically swear on my non-existent children’s lives, but why would I do that? In the immortal words of Shaggy,
It Wasn’t Me.
Back at the prison, Brit Bartlet hangs out in the half-dark visiting room, waiting to meet Rose. Despite his apparently very swinging 60s experience, the minute Rose walks in, he seems to recognize her features.
Brit Bartlet: LOL, well, I think I know who your mom is.
Rose: I have to assume you did some research, otherwise you wouldn’t be here, but ok, sure Jan.
Brit Bartlet: No, I totally remember your mom! Not surprised we're just meeting now, she always was pretty stubborn. It's very metal that she raised you completely on her own though. I legit had no idea you existed.
Rose: Right, well that was probably part of the plan. I mean, do you really wish you’d know about this? Would you have supported me?
Brit Bartlet:
Rose: Well, would you have wanted me to be aborted? Serious question.
Brit Bartlet: Look, I was very ambitious then, but it wouldn’t have mattered what I thought; your mom got what she wanted. BTW, I know I’m not really supposed to ask you this, but why did you rob the bank?
Rose: LOL; I’m not some adrenaline junkie pulling jobs with my surfer pals in president masks, if that’s what you’re asking.
Brit Barlet: Noted. Why did you try out white collar crime, then?
Rose: Well, I, too, am ambitious, and embezzlement is pretty common in the elite banking jobs. They usually cover it up, but they decided to prosecute me… I wasn’t super popular and I took a little bit more, so. That’s why I didn’t tell you my name at first, figured you’d remember the case.
Brit Bartlet: Well, yeah, I remembered it. The coverage was pretty racist huh?
Rose: Yuuuuuup. As if a woman of color wouldn’t be smart enough to pull it off.
Brit Bartlet: Seriously, why’d you do it?
Rose: The people at the top make a huge amount of money; they draw a salary from clients' money. So I wanted to prove a point.
Brit Bartlet: Which was?
Rose: That I’m smarter than them. Seems like it runs in the family, huh? What about you?
Brit Bartlet: What about me?
Rose: What’s your deal? What do I need to know?
Brit Bartlet: Well, I used to buy the paper every day from your mom. And I just uh… started to linger, because your mom’s one of the most interesting people I talked to.
But before Brit Barltet can get even more charming, he gets a text. Was he supposed to turn his cell over to security when he checked in? Yeah, but he’s also in charge, so he does whatever he wants!
Rose: Well, sorry I’ve kept you.
Brit Bartlet: Not at all, you are WAY more fun than the kids I raised.
Rose: So, does that mean you’ll come visit again?
Brit Bartlet: Well, how long are you in here for?
Rose: Couple of years, assuming I get parole. This place sucks, by the way — my friend just died because the guards aren’t trained to use defibrillators; they cheap out on everything. I’d like you to do something about it.
Brit Bartlet: Ok, I promise I’ll come back — I won’t let you down.
Brit Bartlet, later probably:
Rose: One last thing — are you going to admit that I exist and stuff?
Brit Bartlet, surprisingly honest: I’m still deciding.
Back at the office, Blouse Stain gets called into Undersecretary’s office for a little chat about their boss. Apparently, Brit Bartlet has been having unscheduled meetings that haven’t made their way into the official calendar. Undersecretary, who’s pretty on her game, knows what’s up: Brit Bartlet has been at the prison visiting Rose.
Blouse Stain:
Undersecretary: Look, I know you’re new around here, but we have to work together on stuff like this.
Brit Bartlet, interrupting: Am I interrupting?
Undersecretary: Ugh, come on in. Blouse Stain, you can leave.
Brit Bartlet, pretending to be chill: So, funny story — I’m looking over my new bill, and all the actually good stuff in here just seems to be mysteriously missing? Am I missing a couple of pages, or did you do this?
Undersecretary: Look, I know you care about this stuff, but it’s a waste of time to include stuff that will never pass.
Brit Bartlet: Well, here’s the thing though, that’s my decision to make, not yours.
Undersecretary: No, because all of us who are permanently on staff here have some pride, and we like to work on things that will actually end up as law. I think you’re letting your feelings get the best of you. I mean, what would we even do without prisons?
Brit Bartlet, internally:
Brit Bartlet, out loud: See, here’s the thing, pal: the whole government is in upheaval right now! Iron Lady 2.0 might be getting demoted any day!
Undersecretary: I think you’re just letting your prison visits get to you.
Brit Bartlet: Don’t you think that might be a good thing? If you all knew what went on in those places you’d agree with me.
Undersecretary: I don’t know what to tell ya, babycakes — I’m an incrementalist. I’m saying we should do a few tests of your ideas at specific prisons, and if you’re right, THEN we can go broad with actual evidence.
Brit Bartlet: OH, I see how it is, you’re just too worried about losing your job to take a risk on this! If you wanna know why we’re so backward as a country, it’s because of bureaucrats like you! You guys hate anything actually revelatory! Fix the bill.
Undersecretary: One last thing, before you storm out of here — the director of that prison you like so much called and said she’s pretty sure you’ve got a relative in there. Care to comment?
Brit Bartlet: Big if true, but regardless, it’s certainly none of YOUR business.
Sidekick, out at his desk, watches this whole thing go down with extreme confusion, which of course he reports to his not-so-secret girlfriend Wing Woman later that night.
Sidekick: Babe, he’s being SO weird. He was super pissed that I found the kid in the first place, but now that he’s met her he’s super happy? And no thanks for poor Sidekick? What a world! What’s up with your boss?
Wing Woman: Oh, she’s freaking out, but of course she thinks nothing major is about to happen.
Sidekick, for some reason hasn’t realized how powerful his girlfriend is: Well, is it?
Wing Woman, obfuscating: Uhhhhh, ask me later.
Across town, Brit Bartlet tells Baby Driver that the person he’s heading to visit would like them to go to the back entrance.
Baby Driver: Weird, did they say why?
Brit Bartlet, smells a rat: Uh, why are you asking?
Baby Driver: Just curious!
That seems to cement Brit Bartlet’s feeling that Baby Driver might just be the leak he’s been looking for, but there’s no time to deal with that at present, because he’s got some wheeling and dealing to do with Party Chairman, and a surprise Trev, inside.
Trev, doubling down on being a nasty POS: Well, great news, that reporter is dead.
Brit Bartlet: I did read about that in the papers. Such a shock. Do we have any other info on that?
Trev: I mean, do we need to?
Brit Bartlet: Well, she was still looking into me despite having lost the case, so…
Party Chairman: LOL, not anymore!
Brit Bartlet, coming to the same conclusion as me, i.e. these guys are snakes and possibly murderers: Uh, did you guys know she was in DC?
Party Chairman:
You know, you once told me your motto was “always put the past behind you” and tbh, I think that’s a great slogan to revisit right now, ya know?
Now, if that sounds vaguely familiar to you, this might be why:
I, for one, hope that a monkey shows up to bonk Brit Bartlet on the head and tell him to get back to responsible governance. Anyway, back to this shady-ass meeting.
Party Chairman: Yes, it’s super duper sad that she’s dead, but for you it’s a good thing, huh?
Trev: She was an alcoholic too, so, you know, not a big loss. Anyway, we made a call before she died, should have done this before the trial TBH.
Party Chairman: We’re closing British American. The staff are being fired.
Brit Bartlet: And that’s absolutely necessary?
Trev: Well we wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t, guy!
Brit Bartlet: And you don’t think that’s going to draw some attention?
Trev: No, we’re very low key. And let’s be honest, your trial brought a lot of attention we didn’t need.
Brit Bartlet: So you’ll just… start a new “think tank” instead, yeah?
Party Chairman: You know it, pal. We’ll wait a while for the dust to settle and then get a fresh start.
Brit Bartlet, finally admitting what we knew all along: Well, end of an era I guess. I mean yeah, I was in DC, because I really believe that the only way the NHS will survive is by introducing privatization.
Me:
Brit Bartlet: It’ll save lives!! Anyway, I can’t say that publicly, sooo… had to lie about it in court.
Party Chairman: Well, that’s just how the cookie crumbles, I have a lot more latitude to talk about this stuff. Now, you got paid through that shell company, right? You gotta lock that down as well.
Brit Bartlet: I haven’t used it in years, it’s basically defunct.
Party Chairman: Great, so it’ll be easy to kill it! LOL, did you see what Iron Lady 2.0 did?
Brit Barltet: Ugh, I know, can you believe??
Trev: Well, she panicked, we knew she would. She’d rather be liked than be strong. I’m just glad it’s sorted now. I really need those licenses, she was harshing my vibe.
Brit Bartlet: Hold up, did you leak the email?
Trev: Nooo! But I know who did, and honestly, who CARES who the PM is, just as long as industry can advance unimpeded.
Brit Bartlet/Me/You probably:
Party Chairman: Wait, BB, you got problems with this? You can be honest with us, this is a zone of truth!
Brit Bartlet: Noooo, it’s fine, but I should warn you… that shell company is in my wife’s name, so I’ll need her help to shut it down.
Party Chairman, doesn’t know about last week’s Family Thunderdome: So, that’s no problem then, right?
Well, I guess we’ll find out. But first, we head over to the paper office, where Lady Rupert Murdoch has made an appearance to the apparent abject fear of her staff.
Boss and Newswoman head into the bullpen to wrangle her before any of their coworkers lose it, which might be a mistake on their part, because she seems mad.
Boss:
Lady Rupert Murdock: So, why are you insisting on pushing this Brit Bartlet thing? Drug pics of his daughter, really??
Boss: It’s not a big deal, we’re well within rights to do it.
Lady Rupert Murdock: Yeah, well be that as it may, it makes us look petty, and that’s not cute.
Boss: Maybe we should have said: we’ve got evidence that we can use to re-visit that court case.
Lady Rupert Murdock: We’ve lost a lot of money so far doing this. My money. I’d rather not lose more.
Boss: Before she died, Charmian got some crucial evidence on tape, and we’ve got the tape! This is our moment!
Lady Rupert Murdock: Well if it’s so damning, why haven’t you published it yet?
Boss: Uh… lawyers don’t want to. Because of, ya know, last time.
Newswoman: We’ve also got some leads on the shady stuff he did when he was a property manager.
Lady Rupert Murdock: So basically, you DO have a vendetta. That’s not investigative journalism, it’s a grudge, and it could endanger the paper. I don’t love to interfere in editorial, but I will. I hate unpleasantness, and thus I won’t even actually SAY what my threat against you is, but I think you can surmise that I’ll fire your ass if you don’t do this.
Boss: Welp. I guess I won’t be publishing the story after all!
In a park, Boss meets up with Barrister SBBB to give her the bad news. She’s not happy about it; giving him this tape in the first place was pretty dangerous for her, career-wise, and now she’s supposed to go to someone else? Boss tries to hand over a shortlist of editors who might take the bait, but that’s not super helpful, is it?
Barrister SBBB: Yeah, I’m not taking that. Why are you suddenly being such a coward?
Boss: Well, my Boss killed the story. She’s a rich titled woman; totally unpredictable. Someone could have gotten to her? Maybe she just likes Helen of Croydon and wants Brit Bartlet to be Prime Minister? She said she’d fire me if I publish this, so, well, peace out.
Speak of the devil, Brit Bartlet pays Momma Rose a visit at her job. Before they can really get into it, a man tries to ask for a selfie, but Brit Bartlet waves him off politely so they can head outside for a chat.
Momma Rose: So people like you? Weird.
Brit Bartlet: You weren’t gonna tell me, huh?
Momma Rose, lighting up a cigarette: Well, no; didn’t think you’d be a good dad, even if you did claim us. I didn’t want to depend on anyone.
Brit Bartlet: Give me a drag, huh? I only smoke with you, you know.
Momma Rose: Rose was doing well; smart kid, good education, and then she just blew it all up, and I don’t know why.
Brit Bartlet: I met her, she’s really cool. But here’s the thing, if I go public it’ll be a nightmare. I’m used to it, but it’ll be rough for you two.
Momma Rose: And you’d do that for her? It might destroy your career. If you don’t follow through on this and let her down I will never forgive you.
Brit Bartlet, sarcastically: Oh, neat, that’ll be a new experience for me!
Momma Rose: Look, do it all the way or don’t do it at all.
Later, Brit Bartlet drops in on Lady Friend. She’s not exactly thrilled to have him there, but she’s not surprised. He gives her a half-assed apology, but she’s been doing a lot of soul searching.
Lady Friend: Here’s the thing — I turned down a truly baller job in Texas for YOU? Really?? We have to stop this.
Brit Bartlet: Nooooooo, we totally don’t! I can handle it, it’ll be fine!
Lady Friend: Sure, but I don’t want to. I need to move on.
Brit Bartlet: But I love you!
Lady Friend: You literally waited to say that until I dumped you. Get out.
Honestly, the timing is pretty good, because Brit Bartlet has been summoned to Downing Street to talk to Iron Lady 2.0. Sidekick is super curious as to why they’ve been called over, but he’s going to have to wait for an answer, because Brit Bartlet sends him back to wait at Justice as soon as Iron Lady 2.0 calls him into her office.
Brit Bartlet: So why am I here?
Iron Lady 2.0: Well, let’s be real, I just promoted you, so you owe me one, and even though we all know you’re a total famewhore you’re just… hiding out? Being shy all of a sudden? Not cool! I’m up against a confidence vote.
Wing Woman: She wants you to be more vocal in your support.
Brit Bartlet: No duh, buddy.
Iron Lady 2.0: I make one small mistake, in a private message, when I was tired, and now here we are, in hell. You’re legit the sneakiest a-hole in our government; you do shady stuff all the time and you never face consequences. Is it because everyone is sexist?
Brit Bartlet: Or it could be a character thing… everyone respected you for being cautious and then you did something incautious, and lost everyone’s faith.
Iron Lady 2.0: Past tense? Really?? Look, buddy, I know about your private life.
Brit Bartlet: Pardon?
Iron Lady 2.0: Your secret daughter, doofus.
Brit Bartlet: Oh, my secret daughter that you’ve known about this whole time? Yeah, I know you’re spying on me via Wing Woman. Look, my kid’s had some bad luck.
Iron Lady 2.0: She embezzled money from the bank she worked at! Pretty cushy situation, if you ask me, a rich white lady who’s ignoring racism! Here’s the deal: if I do get voted out, I will do everything I can to make sure that whoever replaces me was loyal to me the whole time. So start supporting me; because I know you want that top job, AND I know you don’t want me to expose your secret kid. Capiche?
Brit Bartlet: Sure, capiche.
Iron Lady 2.0: Good luck on your television appearance later. I’ll be watching!
And so, it seems, will we.
TV Reporter: So, PM’s in trouble, huh? Do you think she can win a confidence vote?
Brit Bartlet, a good boy: Yes, of course! I haven’t talked about strategy with her, but she’s got options.
TV Reporter: If she does lose, will you go for her job?
Brit Bartlet: Oh my stars and garters, that’s a huge leap! I’m just getting settled into my new posting, and of course, I fully support Iron Lady 2.0!
TV Reporter: Well, and speaking of which, you’ve been really going after it over in Justice — what do you say to people who claim you care more about criminals than their victims?
Brit Bartlet: Well I’d say they’re missing the point — I’m upset about the loss of potential. See, I’ve got some personal knowledge of what happens in our prisons.
TV Reporter: You mean, not just from, like, work study?
Brit Bartlet, blowing up his own spot: Uh, yeah. I haven’t talked about this before, but I have a daughter who is currently incarcerated. I only just found out about her, but it was a really wonderful surprise. She’s pretty awesome, TBH.
The reactions from the folks at home? PREDICTABLE. The family Bartlet? Sitting as far away from each other as they can get in the same living room and watching, silent and tense. Rose? Touched, crying a little bit. Wing Woman? Looking on with grudging respect. Iron Lady 2.0? Losing her DAMN MIND.
Iron Lady 2.0: What the heck is happening right now?
TV Reporter, on the telly: Well, that’s a big surprise. Were you under pressure to reveal this?
Brit Bartlet, about to be muted by Wing Woman: Nope! I wanted to!
Iron Lady 2.0: Is he just trying to get this sorted before he makes a move for my job? What is he doing??
Wing Woman, smirking like the friggin’ sphinx: Well, you never can tell with him, can you?
Brit Bartlet: Obviously, this is really tough for my family, and I’m sorry that they’ve been hurt by this. I also can’t pretend that Rose did a small potatoes crime: it’s a pretty big potato.
TV Reporter: Have you thought about how this might impact your job? As a politician?
Brit Bartlet: You’re making it sound like I should be ashamed of my kid: but guess what, buddy, I’m not! I’m proud of her. Anyway, I think people know that everyone makes mistakes these days; I’m just like the voters in that way. And also, just FYI, I’m telling you this because my daughter wants me to, and I respect her agency.
At home, Kid Bartlet struggles to come to terms with her new demotion in the Bartlet child rankings from second to third, but back at the studio, Sidekick is frankly GIDDY with that performance.
Brit Barltet: So: results?
Sidekick:
For real though, looks like it’s about 60/40 on Twitter.
Brit Bartlet: Which side is 60, you goofball?
Sidekick: Oh, duh — 60% on your side.
Brit Bartlet: HA, what did I TELL YOU? I’m a genius. Hope Blouse Stain is ready for a long night of monitoring this.
The next day, Momma Rose’s workplace is mobbed with reporters, but she’s got her Mona Lisa smile DOWN, and is unruffled. By contrast, Barrister 2 is extremely ruffled, and wants to know why Barrister SBBB hasn’t updated him on the Charmian tape yet. She basically tells him to cool it; the daughter story is dominating, and she’s doesn’t need his Jiminy Cricket act this early in the day. Why? Because she’s having lunch with none other than Helen of Croydon!
Barrister SBBB: TBH, surprised you were up for this.
Helen of Croydon, smoothly ignoring those implications: Well, I’m never really in town, so. Anyway, this place is nice but it’s a bummer they modernized it — I picked it because I figured you lawyer types like stuffy old school gin joints.
Barrister SBBB: Uh, no. I’m more of a Sad Desk Lunch kinda gal. That long lunch thing is one of the worst misconceptions about lawyers.
Helen of Croydon, stepping into the trap: Oh? What are the other misconceptions?
Barrister SBBB: That we don’t care about the truth. And defend people that we know are guilty, which is actually technically illegal.
Helen of Croydon: Interesting. Go on.
Barrister SBBB: Look, I feel like we always got along pretty well, and I hope you agree that I’m professional.
Helen of Croydon: Well you did win the case, so… is that what you mean? You were very patient with me.
Barrister SBBB: You did great. And now I’m going to cross examine you! On the stand you told everyone all about this NYC trip doing tourist nonsense, and because you couldn’t remember all the details properly, you seemed honest.
Helen of Croydon: Seemed? SEEMED? Ok, what’s this about?
Barrister SBBB: Here’s the deal — I thought this was a pretty open and shut case. But now, Charmian’s been killed, and an alibi that’s just about reputation is a lot different than an alibi when death is on the line.
Helen of Croydon: If you don’t think her death was an accident, you’ll have to prove it. I’m gonna leave now, but before I go, just know: if I betray a man I’ve been with for literal decades, it’s not gonna be because someone took me out to a fancy lunch, it’ll be because I decide to do it for myself. I’ve got agency, and I’m storming off.
Back at prison, Brit Bartlet stops by with a gift for Rose. Hilariously, it’s a book called Steal As Much As You Can, because this family’s got jokes.
Brit Bartlet: You haven’t read it, right? It’s pretty good!
Rose: Thank you — I saw you on TV.
Brit Bartlet: That was the point — I was talking to you.
Rose: How was my mom?
Brit Bartlet: LOL you know exactly how your mom was.
Rose: Well, this is awesome, very excited to have a dad around.
And with that, visiting time is up. Brit Bartlet gives Rose a nice cheek kiss, but they aren’t allowed to hug due to prison regulations. Having visited the fun child, Brit Bartlet heads home to talk to the rest of the family, who are, with good reason, furious with him.
Kid Bartlet: You know you’ve never gone on TV and talked about how much you love the rest of us, right? You are so selfish. Mom’s upstairs, I’m putting my noise-cancelling headphones back on and ignoring you.
Upstairs, Helen of Croydon is listening to opera (the song is probably significant somehow, but I’ll be honest with you, dear reader, that’s not my forte).
Helen of Croydon: It’s funny how you get older but stay the same inside, huh?
Brit Bartlet: You talking about me, or you?
Helen of Croydon: Well, I married a furniture salesman, not a Prime Minister, so draw your own conclusions.
Brit Bartlet: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves; the whole country is still talking about Rose.
Helen of Croydon: Yes, just as you planned when you released the information.
Brit Bartlet: Hey! I’m not just Machiavellian, I was also trying to help her!
Helen of Croydon: But you were just going to... not talk to me about the PM situation? Or that journalist that was killed?
Brit Bartlet: We’re talking now, right? And yeah, I legit didn’t know about the reporter — didn’t even know she was in DC.
Helen of Croydon: The problem is that I’m not even sure I can tell when you’re lying anymore. You’re so obsessed with freedom, but is that really the best thing in life? What about loyalty?
Brit Bartlet: We started this together, and we’re going to end up together. Ride or die, baby. The PM thing will take time and there’s a lot that could go wrong. And everyone steals that job. Anyway — I need you to sign something. It’s the ownership papers for that shell company, you remember.
Helen of Croydon: And why am I signing this?
Brit Bartlet: Well, you technically own the thing but I’m dissolving it. No biggie!
But it is a biggie: we know it, and TBH, it seems like Helen of Croydon knows it too. The real question is, will she use this opportunity to take her husband down, or is she too comfortable for that?
Speaking of comfortable, back in the city, Sidekick and Wing Woman have a pre-bedtime chat about their respective bosses' power plays.
Sidekick, an innocent: Gee, I wonder who leaked the email though?
Wing Woman:
Sidekick: But! You’ll be out of a job!
Wing Woman: You’re adorable. No, Party Chairman talked to me. I’d just end up working for your boss if he gets in.
Sidekick: Party Chairman doesn’t run the government though!!
Wing Woman, dismissive: LOL, pay attention buddy; he sure does.
Sidekick starts to come to terms with the fact that a) he and his lady friend both do the same job and b) she’s a whole lot better at it than he is, so c) if Brit Bartlet gets the top job, Sidekick might be out of a job. It’s a lot to process on a weeknight, but he’ll get there.
In the Justice office, Brit Bartlet is once again greeted by a crowd of admiring employees, but he hasn’t got time for that, because he’s got to start planning his ascent to power. First step: get Blouse Stain to fill him in on the press coverage (getting better by the day) and tell her that no matter what, he wants her to stay with the team. Smart move: she knows a LOT OF SECRETS. Also wondering about his place on the team, and waiting inside Brit Bartlet’s office for answers, is Sidekick. Unfortunately for him, he’s no Blouse Stain.
Sidekick: So… not to be presumptuous but if you go to Downing Street, I get to stay on the team, right?
Brit Bartlet, fake chummy: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and jinx it!
Sidekick, sticking his foot in his mouth: It’s just that I talked to Wing Woman yesterday and SHE said that someone talked to her already.
Brit Bartlet: Well that sounds like a relationship conversation, my dude. Now I’ve got work to do, so shut the door on the way out.
Eight weeks go by, and Brit Bartlet’s making what just might be his last appearance on the drive time radio show, because the PM vote is about to happen.
Brit Bartlet: Oh, I wouldn’t say I won't be back; never count your vote chickens before they hatch!
Radio Host: Well I hope you win because I bet on you. Literally. Anyway, wow has a lot changed in a couple of months — Iron Lady 2.0 was kicking ass and taking names and NOW look at her.
Brit Bartlet: Politics is just more volatile these days. But I like it! Chaos is invigorating.
Radio Host: But how do you keep up with all of this?
Brit Bartlet: I mean, is it easy? No! But we chose this life; we like it.
But not everyone agrees. Kid Bartlet is morose about the whole thing. Sidekick, who’s been fully unseated by Wing Woman, is grumpy. Lady Friend seems slightly regretful, but let's be real, she’s well shot of the situation. Rose, getting a raft of garbage from the prison Head Honcho, is sanguine: yes, this won’t improve her life on the inside, but she’s excited at the prospect of ongoing father-daughter bonding.
And finally, it’s time for a confrontation I’ve personally been waiting for for weeks: Brit Bartlet calmly has a menacing chat with Baby Driver.
Brit Bartlet: So, you’re in a privileged position: you know so much about me! But you know what? I also know a lot about you.
Baby Driver: Do you?
Brit Bartlet: Uh, yeah. I’m not as stupid as I look.
And that might be true, because Brit Bartlet just became the Prime Minister.
But on the other hand, Helen of Croydon is full of surprises. Before our guy can start dancing through Downing Street, she hands over the paper for his shell company, unsigned, and then leaves him to the tender mercies of Wing Woman.
What. Just. Happened? Can Brit Bartlet outflank Helen of Croydon? Even if he can’t, how big of a deal is this shell company anyway, now that the press have backed off? And even though we know Brit Bartlet is a manipulative liar, is he actually well-meaning underneath? I have so many questions, and unfortunately, not a lot of answers, because we don’t yet know if Roadkill will be renewed for a second season. But, never fear, dear reader: whilst we wait to find out, I’ll be back recapping another drama favorite soon!
Episode 1 Recap: Papa Can You Hear Me?
Episode 2 Recap: Look Both Ways
Episode 3 Recap: Bury A Friend
