"The Regime": Kate Winslet's Comic Triumph and the Show's Satirical Struggles

HBO's new miniseries "The Regime" stars Kate Winslet as a neurotic and delusional Central European autocrat, but struggles to match her vigor and inventiveness. The show, which grows darker over its six episodes, is criticized for its generic setting, vague ideas, and for letting global superpowers off the hook for supporting repressive regimes. Winslet's performance is praised, but the series leaves the impression that the country's pitiful state is primarily a function of her personality, rather than the influence of political and economic forces.