Warning: Major spoilers for The Regime episode four “Midnight Feast” below!
The Regime episode four finally introduced Hugh Grant’s Keplinger after much hype, but the resolution of his storyline wasted a more interesting direction for the finale. The Regime’s cast features big names like Kate Winslet and Andrea Riseborough, with the HBO miniseries being a dark satire about an authoritarian regime. At its core, the show is a sitcom, with The Regime’s unnamed country slowly crumbling from within due to the vanity and ego of its ruler, Chancellor Elena Vernham (Winslet).
In The Regime episode 1 “Victory Day,” viewers learned that Vernham “inherited” her chancellorship from Edward Keplinger (Grant). Vernham’s cabinet and supporters paint Keplinger as “a rat,” and that Elena saved the nation. Naturally, there is a heavy amount of spin to their take on history, with The Regime episode 4 “Midnight Feast” finally introducing Grant’s Keplinger. Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts) encounters Keplinger when he is sent to prison, with the charismatic politician trying to lure Elena’s former advisor to his side.
Keplinger’s recruitment drive does not go well, and The Regime episode four ends with Zubak killing Keplinger to prove his loyalty to Elena. Introducing Grant and then killing him off so quickly is an effective shock, but one that feels narratively shortsighted. The series had been building up to Keplinger’s appearance, with “Midnight Feast” suggesting he could return to power amid Elena’s regime imploding in slow motion.
It appeared The Regime was setting up Keplinger as a major foe, which would have offered the show some badly needed stakes. Even with limited screentime, Grant was great in the role of the former chancellor, who somehow maintained his dignity despite regular beatings by guards. Keplinger’s early exit also means Grant and Winslet only had one scene together in The Regime, which only underlined what great chemistry they have together.
In short, Grant was a great addition to The Regime and gave it some needed dramatic heft. It felt like both the actor and character had more to give, instead of being a fun guest appearance from a name actor. Zubak’s murder of the former chancellor put him back in Elena’s arms, and they will now go on to create more chaos for their beloved nation.
The remaining episodes will no doubt involve the total collapse of Vernham’s government. What will become of her in the aftermath is the biggest question, but “Midnight Feast” literally killed off a more compelling story by murdering Keplinger. The Regime’s finale should have focused on Keplinger seeking to take back his chancellorship from Elena, with their supporters battling one another. America is taking an increased interest in the country following Vernham’s most recent actions, so they might have backed a Keplinger return too.
If nothing else, it would have given audiences more scenes of Grant and Winslet verbally sparring. The Regime is a series that isn’t as insightful nor as witty as the showrunners would like it to be. Grant’s Keplinger could have moved the final episodes in a more compelling direction, but sadly, that storyline won’t be moving ahead.