Summary
The Politician Season 1 Episode 2, “The Harrington Commode” reeks of satirical family wealth and desperate politics, serving an absorbing story.
This recap of Netflix Series The Politician Season 1 Episode 2, “The Harrington Commode” contains significant spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.
The issue with Infinity (Zoey Deutch) is that if she is faking it, then it will take down Payton’s (Ben Platt) campaign. His advisors discuss previous national Presidential Campaigns, and how it went in Nixon’s favour in the past when his opponent failed to disclose a running mate’s condition. Episode 2, “The Harrington Commode” gives our aspiring politician a potential problem. The Politician is very shallow.
There is a family disaster on the horizon for Payton as well. In Episode 2, Georgina (Gwyneth Paltrow) tells her husband that she wants a divorce, and he proceeds to throw himself out of the window. At the hospital, Payton and his brother bicker over their father’s hospital bed.
Back on the campaign trail, Infinity suddenly collapses at a fundraiser. At the hospital, where it becomes a photo opportunity, Dusty storms in and demands the doctors leave them alone. I’ve only just realised that Dusty is another fictional telling of the true story of Gypsy Blanchard; a girl whose mother forced her to fake multiple illnesses.
Later on, Payton catches Dusty shaving Infinity’s head before he joins them for dinner. Dusty asks Payton what will they get out of it if he wins the election — she’s already thinking of the financial benefits. In an unwise move, Payton asks Dusty about the rumors by Andrew that Infinity is faking it. Dusty reacts violently, getting out all of Infinity’s medical records and screaming in the streets.
At a family meeting that involves lawyers, Georgina’s sons (Martin and Luther) make her aware that she will be left with nothing if their Dad died. Georgina admits she is in love with someone else, but her sons do not care. Payton is incredibly annoyed by their plans to oust their Mother.
To prove that Infinity is lying, one of the advisors want to do a blood drive to verify Infinity’s condition. James insists this is a bad idea. With family troubles bubbling, Payton finally gets some good news — he has been accepted into Harvard, but it relies on family funding, not merits, so he rejects the application.
The turning point of Episode 2, “The Harrington Commode” is when Payton’s brothers attempt to murder their Dad to ensure they inherit all their wealth, but he wakes up before they put a pillow over his head — it was a trap carefully planned by Payton. Georgina makes a deal with her husband — Payton will get all the fortune, and in return, she has to stay married to him. Georgina loves Payton the most and accepts, but admits that his ambition frightens her.
The Politician Season 1 Episode 2, “The Harrington Commode” ends with Payton and his advisors receiving the blood results for Infinity — there is not one single cancer cell in her blood. What do they do now?
Advisor’s Notes
- Infinity has a boyfriend that sneaks into her bedroom randomly for sex.
- Payton pretends to play the piano with River and declares how much he misses him.
You can read the recap of the third episode by clicking these words.
