Selina faces the worst blemish of her career in 'Veep' Season 5 premiere

The fifth season premiere of Veep marks the first episode without creator and former showrunner Armando Iannucci at the helm, but Sunday night's 30-minute spectacular showed that fan's needn't worry: Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her aides are still the same inept, foul-mouthed characters we all know and love -- and sometimes love to hate. 

The episode begins with the electoral tie from last season's finale, with Selina's presidency still hanging in the balance. Sadly, much like the real election, the viewing (and voting) public will have to endure a long, drawn-out process to see who will claim the Oval as their own. 

In a disappointing turn, Sunday's episode opted not to resolve that frustrating cliffhanger, instead thrusting the characters deep into the murky waters of electoral procedure. Still, it's a more pleasant swim when it's Selina, Gary (Tony Hale), Amy (Anna Chlumsky) and new Fitbit-devotees Sue (Sufe Bradshaw) and Mike (Matt Walsh) navigating the consequences of presidential limbo. 

It all comes down to a recount in Nevada (or "Nevahhhda," as the characters comically debate), but the results of that won't be unveiled this week. That's not what's really important in this episode, though. Sunday's premiere is all about physical appearance, and Veep expertly uses it's brash humor to hone in on ridiculousness of its over-importance on the campaign trail. 

"It's not a stress zit!" she tells Gary, as he stupidly tries to soothe it with scalding hot water

The uncertainty of her political future is not boding well for Selina's complexion. A small zit -- "It's not a stress zit!" she tells Gary, as he stupidly tries to soothe it with scalding hot water -- at the beginning of the episode mushrooms into a shiny red mound taking up a large portion of her cheekbone. That monstrous pimple becomes not only a focal point of our heroine's face, but also the episode. 

In their own narcissistic way, Amy and Selina realized last season that every flub on the campaign trail has the potential to leave a damaged legacy to all women who attempt to run for high office. Both fear that "zitzilla" will consume the news cycle if Selina goes on TV. After all, can anyone take a woman with a pimple seriously? Is the American public even ready for a blemished woman to lead the country? 

Nope, not in Veep's world. 

During the deliciously cringeworthy moment when Selina stands in front of the press to give some boilerplate speech, the DOW starts dropping. The economy is crashing. She's barely left the room when news headlines flash calling the day "Black Wednesday." Suddenly, the market has plummeted to 2008 status, and her flushed face is to blame.  

Her opponent in the presidential race, Bill O'Brien, takes a swipe at her: "The Market crash caused a blotch on the face of America," he says. Even Gary gets the jibe. Of course, Twitter erupts too. Someone creates an account for the pimple, quickly amassing more followers that Selina's cultivated in her entire career. For at least a moment, blemishes on her face garner far more attention than than those on her political record.

With that, we've reached a point where an outlandish show satirizing American politics doesn't seem that outlandish whatsoever. For Veep, that's arguably a good thing. Momentum from the rancorous and real-life presidential campaign makes the aging show feel more relevant than ever.

Episode highlights: 

• Selina, on looking presidential: "I don't think we're 'symposium on race' desperate yet." (She's there by the end.) 
  

• Mike McLintock is adopting a baby from China. Selina suggests he gets his money back, as it's really not a good time for her. 
  

• Amy, who spent a majority of the episode claiming she didn't want her job back, takes her job back. 
  

• Dan Egan's hopes of being a political pundit are dashed. Like Amy, he just can't let go of #TeamSelina.
  

• Every scene with Hugh Laurie's Tom James. 
  

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.