BrainDead is the TV show to watch right now.

This show aired in 2016, just as Trump was locking down the Republican presidential primary in 2016.  It is political satire done as horror science fiction.  It’s all played as a light comedy.

The horror/science fiction premise is that alien bugs come to Earth in a meteorite, and infect people by climbing into their skulls.  The bugs eat part of the brain and can control the person.  Nothing is very graphic, and even when someone’s head explodes, it is in a cartoonish way.  When a person is in thrall to the bugs, they act pretty similar, but with different objectives.  The alien bugs have strengths and weaknesses, so the horror/sci fi works well.

The political satire comes in because this occurs in Washington, D.C. as politicians are infected.  The show doesn’t have a Left/Right agenda.  The message is that politicians are unprincipled cynics more interested in winning power without an obvious ideology.  A governmental shutdown occurs, with both sides trying to get funding for their interests in order to come to an agreement. 

Interestingly, the action all takes place amongst the House and Senate, along with federal agencies.  No president is explicitly revealed, but background visuals suggest it’s Trump even though it was produced while the presidential primaries were underway.

BrainDead has a great cast, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead portraying an assistant to her senator brother who is investigating the alien bug infection.  It’s a light, fun TV show for a time when everyone is all serious and hyper-engaged with the recent presidential election.  I’d give it a 8/10.  It’s currently showing on Amazon Prime.