Last night, in the second episode of Veep’s fourth season, we were treated to the most emotional climax of the series so far, and of course it was brought to us by the show’s real One True Pairing: Gary (Tony Hale) and Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). The New York Times recently published an essential dissection of (and tribute to) the duo’s perfect on-screen chemistry, saying they had “one of the most satisfying comic pairings in TV history.” But until last night, the emotional depth of Gary and Selina’s co-dependence was trapped beneath a thick sheet of icy admonishments and put downs. After supremely failing President Meyer in the season premiere, Gary continued his downward trajectory in the second episode with a series of slip-ups that Selina didn’t leave unnoticed. But after one too many attacks on his character by the new president, her lovable, cowering bag man finally let loose on his captor/employer/true love. The ever-present veil of Gary’s Stockholm syndrome disintegrated and for the first time we saw a man motivated by integrity and selflessness instead of fear and almost-certain mom issues. His devotion turned from pathological to noble, and the effect on Selina was withering. Wherever the two go from here, Gary and Selina are now something closer to emotional equals, even if they exist on polar opposite ends of the status hierarchy. And we are left to wonder: What happened on Labor Day?!
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