'The Comey Rule' Preview: Jeff Daniels plays FBI chief in hard-hitting show surrounding Trump's 2016 election
In this present political climate, what television really needs is a hard-hitting show that casts a glare on the numerous alleged discrepancies and the alleged shady dealings of the present Donald Trump administration. Will Showtime’s new drama ‘The Comey Rule’ live up to the task?
The series, based on James Comey's memoir 'A Higher Loyalty', will chronicle the events preceding and following the 2016 election, based on Comey's memoir. 'The Comey Rule' will take a hard look at "the relationship between FBI Director James Comey and President Trump during the first months of the Trump presidency." Showtime calls it “an immersive, behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath, which divided a nation."
There are many things that one should be excited about when it comes to ‘The Comey Rule’. For one, it stars Brendan Gleeson as the president, Jeff Daniels as Comey, and features an ensemble supporting cast that includes Holly Hunter, Michael Kelly, Scoot McNairy, Jonathan Banks and Jennifer Ehle, among many others.
The selection of Daniels in particular is exciting. Daniels, in his last major TV appearance, played the role of Will McAvoy in Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’. Daniels, in that role, proved to be stellar in his portrayal of a moderate, liberal Republican news anchor. In portraying Comey, that will prove to be an ideal asset. Gleeson, of course, requires little in terms of credentials of his vast career where he has played negative roles to perfection.
But it’s not the cast of the show that excites as much as the feel of it. ‘The Comey Rule’ in many ways, aesthetically emulates ‘House of Cards’. But the similarities don’t stop at the just the grey-tinted visuals. Both shows revolve around Washington DC politics, and neither show, it seems, is afraid of getting dirty.
‘The Comey Rule’, also is going to address what is likely the biggest political scandals in the history of the U.S., since Watergate at least.
In the trailer, we see the FBI having to go through 346,000 of Hillary Clinton's emails. We then see the organization examine Russian interference in the election. And finally, we move into Trump's presidency, as Comey is invited to a private one-on-one dinner at the White House where the president makes it clear he expects Comey's loyalty.
There is no doubt that ‘The Comey Rule’ promises to be explosive and entertaining. But does the show only intend to be a storytelling device or a little more than that? With the show airing just a little bit before what is possibly one of the most important elections in the history of the country, does it intend to make an impact on voters?
In that case, can the show really be judged in its entirety after its release, or does one have to wait for the election results to see if the show managed to move its viewers in the U.S., all potential voters?
'The Comey Rule' premieres with Part I on September 27 at 9 pm only on Showtime. Part II follows suit the next day, same time, same network.
