The latest season of The United States is a desperate attempt to keep us watching. Audiences anticipated that this season by its very nature was going to be different, but this time the writers have gone way beyond the realm of what was possible, upending our suspension of disbelief.

This season of The United States started much like the last few. An unpredictable President and his Twitter account keeping us constantly on the edge of our seat for what twist or turn might happen next. But season 2020 has topped even the insanity of the last few.

A global pandemic causes the President to lose even more control. The result is a heightening of drama as the economy collapses and Americans are forced to stay at home. Constantly wanting to outdo themselves, the writers try a rather pathetic attempt at comedy, with the President suggesting that injecting bleach might be the best remedy for the rampaging virus. Throw in race riots and hints of Civil War, and you could argue that this was a harkening back to The United States of generations past.

Donald Trump (The Celebrity Apprentice), in what may be his last appearance in the series, explodes with rage after Joe Biden, a well noted supporting character from previous seasons, prevails in the Presidential election. In response to Biden’s victory, Trump doubles down on his well-known idiosyncratic behavior, urging his supporters to storm the US Capitol. The ensuing chaos sees his incredible second Impeachment and permanent suspension from Twitter, his platform of choice.  The United States has always been a show that used shock value to keep its viewers watching, but even its biggest fans have to admit that this was one step too far.

We knew that having someone like Donald Trump playing a President was always going to be a stretch for the shows’ fan base. The writing team previously saw this as a strength, believing that recruiting Donald to the series back in 2016 would appeal to viewers that never would have otherwise watched The United States.

The result has been a series whose quality is in almost terminal decline, constantly breaking its own rules to keep the audience guessing what would happen next. Despite this, viewership keeps growing. The old fans were content on watching a relatively slow-paced show with an interesting season finale, like the Invasion of Iraq or the long-awaited capture of Osama Bin Laden. However, the introduction of Donald has completely changed the shows’ appeal. Its newer viewers are much more interested in a high-paced thriller where every twist and turn leaves the country on the precipice of disaster. Even viewers that hate Donald have to admit that the series alure is something like watching a car crash- a tragedy you simply cannot turn away from.

In this respect you could call the writers decision to include Trump as a success. The United States is now the most watched entertainment program in the world. But where does the series go now? The election of Biden was clearly meant to appeal to old fans hoping for a return to the series roots, but are they still watching? And what about the fans that tuned in just to watch Trump’s antics? Will they keep watching a much more subdued series of The United States? Or is Trump’s seeming demise another plot twist just waiting to happen, the Former President returning with a vengeance next season like a cartoon villain of old?

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

The United States, Season 2020 – ★★★