Politics, wealth, and lies. These are the building blocks for The Politician. Featuring big names like Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Zoey Deutch, the show was getting some hype even before it came out.

The first season is only eight episodes, which for anyone who is a binge watcher like me, is perfect. The episodes don’t feel like an hour with the fast paced storyline and the complexity of the plot. 

The show is about a boy named Payton who is running for class president at a fancy private school and his adoptive family is very wealthy. 

Payton has known since he was seven years old that he wanted to be President. We watch as he not only tries to win the election which he has determined is the first step to achieving his dream, but also balances his personal life full of secrets.

Payton has a campaign team who has been with him since childhood and they all plan to make him president together. To make sure that they are absolutely committed to him, he makes them sign a non-disclosure agreement promising that what they speak about when running for school president or any future endeavors can’t be discussed. 

The overall plot shines in The Politician, but the casting choices take the show to the next level. 

Ben Platt (Payton) got his start on Broadway as Evan Hanson in “Dear Evan Hanson” and I noticed while watching the show there are distinct similarities in the roles. 

Payton, like Evan, has major emotional and psychological issues that he doesn’t know how to deal with and they both are outcasts. 

In the show they showcase Platt’s amazing singing voice through various storylines. I think this was a great move on Netflix’s part because it gives the Broadway audience a way to connect to the story because they know that he is in it.

With Gwyneth Paltrow in the show acting as Payton’s mom, she brings a light and loving character. Paltrow’s character is so complex that you don’t know where you stand because one minute she is the best mother ever and the next you question her every action.

Zoey Deutch plays a girl named Infinity, a victim of Munchausen by Proxy disorder and cancer patient who Payton ends up choosing as a running mate. At the beginning, she is just there to complicate the storyline but by the sixth episode, her own life and problems come forward and make the storyline more exciting.