The first drama series of the Trump era was released in the US shortly before the collective sigh of relief given by America - and the world - at the announcement of Joe Biden's victory in the election.
Creator Billy Ray's The Comey Rule, the story of the battle between Donald Trump and FBI director James Comey, which led to Comey being fired by the president, now seems simultaneously too late and also too soon.
Too late because, as it turned out, the Comey affair was no watershed but only the beginning of a litany of outrageous actions taken by Trump that indicated how he would deal with opinions that differed to his own within the ranks of his administration.
Too soon, perhaps, because we're only just catching our breath and emerging hazily into a reality where our crushing Trump fatigue is about to become a thing of the past.
That said, it's generally a well-handled story of backroom political intrigue and heavy bureaucratic detail.
It begins in 2013 when loyal Republican James Comey (Jeff Daniels) is appointed FBI director by Barack Obama. We get a sense of his ability as a no-nonsense leader, with a hint of the egotistical hubris that is ultimately his undoing.
As the 2016 election swings into high gear, the FBI is assaulted by a deluge of fake news, conspiracy theories, evidence of Russian tampering and, of course, the Hilary Clinton e-mail saga. It's in response to the e-mail investigation that Comey makes some perplexing decisions and takes the unprecedented step of commenting on an ongoing investigation — a move that makes ordinary Americans wary of his motives but pleases Republican nominee and soon-to-be president, Donald Trump (Brendan Gleeson).
When the two men finally meet, whatever faith Comey may have had in Trump's ability to divorce his public persona from his administrative one is shattered. This places them on the road to the inevitable end of their difficult relationship.
It may require a level of interest in the minutiae of governance that's hard to sustain but, thanks to a commanding performance from Daniels and a suitably recognisable imitation of Trump from Gleason, it holds up as a solid piece of political drama, even if its subject has already been lost in the deluge of unhinged moments that swamped us during Trump's reign.
• 'The Comey Rule' screens on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on November 24 at 9.30pm.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.