October Surprise

**"October Surprise"** is the third episode of the first season of *The Politician*, and the third episode of the series overall.

## Summary

While Payton plays hardball with Harvard admissions, shocking betrayals and a scandalous videotape take the election to a new level of ruthlessness.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

In a flashback from one year ago, Payton is about to attend a debate. River comes to see him and gives him words of encouragement. This takes us back to the present where Payton is about to meet with the Harvard admission committee again. He tells them that he will be President of the United States one day and it is up to them if they want Harvard to be known as the university that turned him down.

Meanwhile, Astrid finds out that she’s losing votes on a regular basis. Skye is not happy to be losing and wants to do something drastic; she even jokingly suggests murdering Payton. Andrew goes to see Infinity’s boyfriend Ricardo soon after, relaying all of his suspicions around Infinity and her Grandma. He wants him to protect Infinity at any cost, as she is being used by her grandma and Payton.

Finally, Payton gets the letter he wanted from Harvard. Rushing to tell Alice the good news, he finds her in bed with James. He is understandably angry but more about James ruining his plans at becoming President of the United States, as he wanted Alice to be his first lady. James replies that it is been going on for a while and confesses his love for her.

Ricardo meanwhile spends some time with Infinity where they watch a video tape of a trip to Busch Gardens. It is here we see Infinity getting impatient and angry at the journalist, insulting him.

Meanwhile, the twins are struggling with their newfound poverty. James visits them and asks for their help at taking Payton down, prompting the twins to bring a USB stick with details about Payton’s upcoming campaign initiative to Astrid. They advise her to embarrass him but the next day, as Astrid and Skye give a speech about the said campaign, they get their facts wrong and are put on the spot when James and Payton reveal to everyone that they stole their campaign idea.

Payton later delivers his speech. He talks about a shop not far from school that will be turned into a gun shop. This shop is selling the same kind of gun River used to kill himself. Payton then tells the audience that he bought all the guns and will get them melted to create a sculpture. He also wants to pass a law to increase the distance between gun stores and schools as he doesn’t think 1000 yards is enough, demanding a portion of each gun sale in the country to go towards suicide prevention.

That night, Ricardo visits Astrid to give her a recording that should help her in her election. Mcafee, James and Payton meet to discuss the content of the video: Infinity is seen using an offending gay slur and are asked by the assistant director of the school newspaper for comments before they put it online. As they go to confront Infinity about what was said on the video, they find out it has already been posted. Realizing it was Ricardo, she decides to break up with him.

Payton visits Alice to discuss the latest development. Things aren’t looking good for his campaign but she tells him not to give up and that she will continue to help him as she loves him.

As Astrid celebrates her recent victory, Ricardo breaks into her house and confronts her about releasing the video. He approaches her menacingly before we cut to her father returning for dinner. Seeing the broken glass and the blood from Ricardo on the carpet, he rushes to his daughter’s bedroom but finds it empty.

## Cast

### Main

* Ben Platt as Payton Hobart
* Zoey Deutch as Infinity Jackson
* Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
* Bob Balaban as Keaton Hobart (credit only)
* David Corenswet as River Barkley
* Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles
* Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook
* Theo Germaine as James Sullivan
* Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton
* Benjamin Barrett as Ricardo
* Jessica Lange as Dusty Jackson
* Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina Hobart

### Guest

* Dylan McDermott as Theo Sloan
* January Jones as Lizbeth Sloan
* Ryan J. Haddad as Andrew Cashman
* Trevor Eason as Martin Hobart
* Trey Eason as Luther Hobart
* Koby Kumi-Diaka as Pierre Toussaint
* B.K. Cannon as Kris

### Minor

* Alveraz Ricardez as Officer Kellen
* Tracy S. Lee as Vicki
* Karen Brundage as Olive Garden Woman
* Courtney Taylor Burness as Hostess (Karen)
* Adam Wang as Mr. Anselm
* Jordan Wall as Ivy
* Andrew Patrick Ralston as Dean Lawrence
* Nathan Howard as Damien
* Richard Wharton as Thomas
* Doreen Calderon as Librarian