What would you do if you woke up to find out that someone who had no real political experience, got voted into office? LOL hard to imagine, right? But what if this time it was funny? Well, thanks to ABC’s #TheMayor, it is. It’s a show whose values mirror what you’d want in an actual political candidate…just with a lot more humor. Here’s why it has my vote.
Smarts: The show knows how to walk the line between being realistic enough that it’s believable, but not realistic enough that it’s terrifying. Sure, it had it’s Kelly Conway jokes, and quips about how Americans can’t be fooled, but it never got too serious in our current political climate. It kept things light and reminded us that just because someone may not have the experience, doesn’t mean they can’t affect real change. Courtney Rose may have run for mayor as a publicity stunt for his album, but now that he’s in charge, he’s ready to take this job seriously. Mostly.
Heart: This section could really just be titled, “Dina” because as Courtney’s mom Yvette Nicole Brown does an incredible job at keeping it real, while still keeping it grounded in love. Although she doesn’t always agree with Courtney’s decisions, she never steps out his corner. She keeps it 100, but also supports him 100%. Case in point? After Courtney is declared mayor and he says he’s gonna bow out gracefully from the job, she yells “fire” (which Courtney’s friends feel can be a little dangerous to just go around yelling and like, fair), and gives him a reality check on the fire escape (hence the “fire” call). She encourages Courtney to think about why he raps. It’s to critique the status quo. And now that he is mayor, he may finally have a chance to change it. The mother-son chemistry between these two is perfect, and it’s why her pep talks land so perfectly and push Courtney into action.
Honesty: I’ve already mentioned how Mama Rose keeps it real, but she’s not the only one. Courtney’s classmate from back in the day, and current campaign manager, Val, (played perfectly uptight by Lea Michele) keeps him in check, too. She’s always there to shine a light on the realities of the job (example given: that the job lasts four years). He’s also got his two boys along for the ride, keeping Courtney honest, and keeping us laughing, throughout the ride.
Community: Courtney is from Fort Grey, California, a city his opponent, Ed Gunt, claims to know about, but realistically, has never really experienced any hardships in. So when Gunt starts running his mouth about making ‘changes’ Courtney literally calls bullshit. Like on the phone. Flash forward to his first official “task” as mayor, he makes plans to clean up the dump; a piece of property he used to freestyle on as a kid, but has become a bit of a dumping ground. With Val’s help he secures the permit, but decides to go about getting the town involved in his own way. It’s starts out pretty successful but then Courtney gets a call for a gig and leaves (with the permit to be on the property). So, the cleanup gets busted by the police and Dina gets arrested. His friends, Val, and Dina are understandably pissed, but Dina uses it as yet another teaching moment: his actions have consequences now, and not just for him. So, the episode ends with Courtney back at the dump finishing up the job because hey, he’s got work to do.
What did you guys think of The Mayor? Favorite parts? Will you keep watching? Sound off in the comments.