Conscious Unthroupling

**"Conscious Unthroupling"** is the second episode of the second season of The Politician.

## Summary

As Astrid pumps Payton for details about their long ago dalliance, Hadassah hatches a cover up for Dede, and McAfee seeks a healthier work life balance.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

With Payton dangling news of Dede’s secret throuple to The New York Times, Hadassah digs deeper into Astrid’s dirt on Payton. Unfortunately, thanks to a brief dalliance with her mother’s stash of pills back in high school, Astrid’s details on her threesome with Payton and River are a bit hazy.

Meanwhile, Andrew reports back with the scoop from the Standish campaign and it seems there is trouble in incumbent paradise. Dede is unwilling to break off her throuple, pushing Hadassah to temporarily quit her campaign. Hadassah returns with a plan to keep the throuple on the down low — she will pretend to be dating William, leaving all rumors of a polyamorous relationship seeming outlandish.

Hadassah stages a paparazzi ambush to solidify their cover and despite her initial dislike of William — and his mere presence’s threat to her political career — he manages to charm his way through her frustration and they spend all night talking, hinting that there may be more to their faux romance than meets the eye.

While Hadassah is faking a personal life, the senior staffers on the Hobart campaign are reminiscing about their own. During a tense strategy session with Skye and James, McAfee hits a wall — the trio has spent every waking moment together since reuniting for Payton’s campaign and things are getting pretty toxic. Looking for balance, McAfee goes on a date, but runs into both Skye and James at a political musical and ends up sabotaging her own night out.

On Hadassah’s orders, Astrid buddies up to Payton for information about their threesome with River but learns nothing actually happened. The two reminisce about River, and as Payton walks her home, Astrid makes a failed attempt to come on to him. Alice, who has been tailing Astrid, tells Payton she thinks his former rival might be a mole for the Standish campaign. The pair deduce that Astrid’s ever changing loyalties lie with whoever can give her what she wants and they see having a threesome with her as their resolution. It works, and Astrid plays coy about her dirt on Payton during her next secret meeting with Hadassah, who knows her mole has flipped… for now.

Dede meets with Tino to discuss their partnership. She knows he is looking at other potential running mates and wants to present herself as more than just an established woman in politics. She wants to use her throuple to attract young voters who will respect a candidate who owns her sexuality. Tino is willing to play along, so long as the numbers are in her favor.

So before Payton can formally leak Dede’s secret to the Times, Dede announces her relationship with Marcus and William in a new ad, earning her new clout with young voters. Unfortunately for Dede, just as she has made her announcement, William makes one of his own: he has fallen in love with Hadassah.

## Cast

### Main

* Ben Platt as Payton Hobart
* Judith Light as Dede Standish
* Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
* Zoey Deutch as Infinity Jackson (credit only)
* Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles
* Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook
* Theo Germaine as James Sullivan
* Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton
* Bette Midler as Hadassah Gold
* Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina Hobart (credit only)

### Guest

* David Corenswet as River Barkley
* Ryan J. Haddad as Andrew Cashman
* Jackie Hoffman as Sherry Dougal
* Joe Morton as Marcus Standish
* Teddy Sears as William Ward
* Sam Jaeger as Tino McCutcheon
* Joe Carroll as David