A cutting political satire with a twisted romance at its center, The Regime makes for an enjoyably odd miniseries. In its best moments, the show feels reminiscent of Veep—albeit through the lens of an aggressively autocratic government—with Kate Winslet turning in a performance that would leave Selina Meyer speechless. There are times when it could be a tad sharper, and a few too many jokes and jabs rely on sexism (which stands out as lazy compared to the rest of the show’s elevated writing), but The Regime really takes off when it leans into its political farce.

The show takes place in a fictional, unnamed country in the hilariously vague “Middle Europe.” It’s close to Germany, has a pastiche of cultural practices, and its main exports are cobalt and sugarbeets. The nation is led by Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet), a hypochondriac of the highest order who’s more than happy to be sealed off in her massive palace and make nationally significant decisions on a whim. Lately, she’s obsessed with the idea that mold has crept into every corner of the estate, initiating a full-scale remodel while requiring a right hand man to measure the humidity of every room she enters. That........

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