Amazon Prime’s New Original Show Is Scandal For Dudes

Amazon Prime's latest move is anything but revolutionary. But, in this day and age, that's not necessarily a bad thing. In an attempt to keep up with the Netflixes Joneses, the members-only service is rolling out its very own original programming. First up is the political comedy Alpha House; ignore the seeming similarities to the Netflix cash chow House of Cards, because this show is devoid of virtually all semblance of suspense. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Alpha House caters to a more raucous (read: frat bro) crowd.

The show is based on the real-life trend of Hill staffers shacking up together in D.C. and follows four G.O.P. senators sharing a row house. Each roommate plays a hilariously exaggerated caricature of conservative politicians: John Goodman as the Southern football player-turned-Capitol Hill drunk, Mark Consuelos as the young (and attractive) philanderer who sleeps around, Matt Molloy as the aging senator who's increasingly disconnected from the youths, and Clark Johnson as the guy being investigated for fraud.

The entire thing is rife with satire and low blows to the G.O.P. — or, at least we're pretty sure it feels like a low blow to those at the butt of the jokes. Take the scene in which the Council For Normal Marriage awards Molloy's character with the Say No To Sodomy Award, for example. The first three episodes alone show the gang of senators in all kinds of compromising positions: missing a surrender date with the DOJ, drinking (and subsequently napping) on the job, and venturing out on a most ridiculous propaganda trip to Afghanistan — accompanied by a private security firm, of course.

While Alpha House isn't mind-blowing or groundbreaking, it is a darn good time. If you're in agreement with the writers, that is. If you're the kind of person who gets offended at off-kilter jokes about politicians who eat up tax dollars and laze around on the job, religion, or generally anything having to do with Republicans, you may not want to tune in.

We found it to be wholly lighthearted and entertaining, but we're suckers for pretty much having anything to with D.C. drama. We were chuckling along with the rest of the crowd at the screening, until we realized every ridiculous antic on the screen is probably kind of (or totally) the stuff that actually goes down behind closed Washington doors. And then, we just got really, really sad.