Does this burning need for power remind you of anything? Because to me it’s scarily reminiscent of today’s political landscape: Boris shutting down parliament to get Brexit through. Trump asking Ukraine for help to boost his political power.

It is clear that these characters have been raised in a privileged world in which success equals power and power is attained through corruption. The point of showing that within the suspended setting of a high school makes it less painful but shockingly reflective all the same.

Identity and social media

Here’s the thing: we know that social media is a lie, yet we all still spend so much time curating our lives on it in order to appear as who we want to be. More often than not, people believe us, too. But the fake authentic self we produce means we now have standards to live up to, and no one can see us sweat.

Astrid (Lucy Boynton) becomes a caricature of herself as she tries to be tough and impressive at all times. When her boyfriend questions her performance in the bedroom, she tells him that she will try to “act more authentic”, an oxymoron of the finest sorts. For Payton, it’s about being a put-together, trusted leader. No one must know that his dad is in hospital, that his mum is considering divorce, that he is struggling with his sexuality. Instead, he posts pictures posing as a do-gooder and standing on a stage, offering words of condolences, when he is the one who needs consoling.

Why Netflix’s The Politician is so much more than just a TV show