By Matthew Villanueva, Features Editor
Strictly based on James Comey’s autobiographical memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” Jeff Daniels plays the discharged former-FBI director in Showtime’s new Mini-Series “The Comey Rule,” released on Sept. 27.
Hired to be the successor to Robert Muller as director of the FBI by President Barack Obama in 2014, Comey’s rise and sudden fall from the FBI’s highest position are all on trial as Showtime’s three-and-a-half-hour mini-series runs its course, with the first of two episodes highlighting Comey’s work leading up to the 2016 election. And the subsequent episode displayed Comey’s short tenure working in the Trump Administration.
The series opens with Rod Rosenstein, former deputy attorney general, played by Scoot McNairy, telling an intern the story of his former superior, James Comey.
Comey is introduced in a personable family scene with his two daughters shortly prior to his appointment from Obama.
In a thrilling opening speech from the director about his expectations of his FBI workers, he challenges them, “I expect you to work hard… I expect you to find joy in your work; you are a part of an organization devoted to doing good.” He continues, “I expect you to fight for balance in your lives. You are all driven by our mission and absorbing stress, that means you need more time with your loved ones, not less.” He closes, “So, I order you to love someone, it’s the right thing to do. It’s also good for you.”
His transition is seamless. In his first two years he visited all the field offices throughout the country and abroad and was personable with every single employee. Nothing slowed him down until 15 months before the most consequential presidential election in recent history.
Comey and his team dive into the infamous Clinton email investigation for the next 15 months until they were able to finally prove her innocence only weeks before the election. Only to be forced to reopen days before the election only to have an unchanged determination three days prior to the election.
Many people consider Comey’s opening, closing and re-opening of the Clinton email case days before the election, the reason Clinton lost in 2016.
The second episode picks up with the introduction of president elect Donald Trump, played by Brendan Gleason. Gleason’s portrayal of the president is spot on. His hair is puffed inches ahead of his forehead, his makeup appears to give a tangerine-tint to his face and he is able to depict Trump’s mannerisms and macho-Queens accent to a tee with a slight exaggeration.
The episode follows Comey’s peculiar relationship with the president. While trying to stay bipartisan and having a distant personal relationship from the executive branch, the president insists on a personal dinner between the two where the president and director have an awkward meal in the White House.
Trump explains, “I need loyalty; I expect loyalty.” To which Comey explains he will give him “honest loyalty.”
The episode reenacts the final months of Comey’s tenure as the director of the FBI as he and his counsel delve into the Russian collusion scandal, leading to his removal.
Despite Daniel’s 6’3 stature, he had big shoes to fill with Comey’s gargantuan 6’8 figure. Having to wear lifts to better exemplify the ex-director, Daniel’s portrayal is nothing short of masterful.
Comey is seen by many people as a tragic hero. Explained by talk-show host Stephen Colbert in the opening scene, “first he’s the good guy, then it seemed like he’s the bad guy, then it seemed like he sacrificed himself to save other people… Oh my god, is James Comey Severus Snape?”
The man many people considered to have taken away the presidency from Hillary Clinton, but also the man who stood up to Donald Trump, Comey’s character is complicated. Daniel portrays Comey as personable and kind, but full of flaws. He’s proud and does anything he can to save the FBI, even sacrificing his own career.
On a Zoom call with the New York Times, Comey and Daniel, the tragic hero describes his day on the set of the mini-series as a tearful nausea as he remembered the events that led to his political demise.
Comey also explained the reasoning for the series to be released only five weeks prior to the 2020 election and two days before the first presidential debate, “I thought it was important that this work be shown to the American people before the election. Because it’s about the nature and character of our institutions and the damage that the person who would like to be re-elected has done to them. I hope it makes a difference because it tells the truth.” He continued, “I don’t think we have a complete understanding of 2016. I see this as a first draft of history.
villanjv18@bonaventure.edu
