BrainDead
SatiricalComedy sharpened into social and political critique.This show: 9/10Political intriguePower struggles inside governments and institutions.This show: 8/10Social commentaryDeliberate critique of how society works.This show: 8/10CynicalDeeply distrustful of institutions and human motives.This show: 7/10Dark comedyFinding the laughs in grim and taboo material.This show: 7/10AbsurdistSurreal, logic-bending comedy.This show: 7/10
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Starring
Mary Elizabeth WinsteadDanny PinoAaron TveitTony ShalhoubNikki M. JamesJohnny Ray Gill
Written by
Michelle KingRobert King
Starring
Mary Elizabeth WinsteadDanny PinoAaron TveitTony ShalhoubNikki M. JamesJohnny Ray Gill
Written by
Michelle KingRobert King
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
BrainDead Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.4 |
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About
"Political dysfunction reimagined as literal brain-eating horror"
Alien ants land in Washington and start eating the brains of congressional staffers and lawmakers, turning them into shrill, zombie-like partisans who agree on nothing except party lines. A documentary filmmaker turned reluctant Senate aide notices the pattern nobody else will admit. It plays as a loopy hybrid of body-horror B-movie and inside-the-Beltway satire, complete with recap songs that mock cable news. Fast, silly, and pointed rather than scary, it works best as a bitter comedy about gridlock wearing a sci-fi costume.
Watch it for
the gleeful satire of Washington gridlock disguised as a cheesy alien invasion.
Maybe skip if
you want straight horror or dislike broad political comedy that skews on the nose.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
▼
Season 12016
8.05K139h 24m
A government employee discovers that the cause of the tensions between the two political parties is a race of extraterrestrial insects eating the brains of the politicians.
| Ep | Title | Rating | Yours | Votes | Runtime | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | 1 | The Insanity Principle: How Extremism in Politics Is Threatening Democracy in the 21st Century | 7.5 | 604 | 44 min | |
| ▶ | 2 | Playing Politics: Living Life in the Shadow of the Budget Showdown - A Critique | 7.6 | 503 | 43 min | |
| ▶ | 3 | Goring Oxes: How You Can Survive the War on Government Through Five Easy Steps | 7.9 | 460 | 44 min | |
| ▶ | 4 | Wake Up Grassroots: The Nine Virtues of Participatory Democracy, and How We Can Keep America Great by Encouraging an Informed Electorate | 8.0 | 417 | 44 min | |
| ▶ | 5 | Back to Work: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Congress and How It Gets Things Done (and Often Doesn't) | 8.0 | 401 | 44 min | |
| ▶ | 6 | Notes Toward a Post-Reagan Theory of Party Alliance, Tribalist, and Loyalty: Past as Prologue | 8.4 | 449 | 44 min | |
| ▶ | 7 | The Power of Euphemism: How Torture Became a Matter of Debate in American Politics | 8.5 | 421 | 44 min | |
| ▶ | 8 | The Path to War Part One: The Gathering Political Storm | 7.7 | 345 | 43 min | |
| ▶ | 9 | Taking on Water: How Leaks in D.C. Are Discovered and Patched | 7.8 | 351 | 43 min | |
| ▶ | 10 | The Path to War Part Two: The Impact of Propaganda on Congressional War Votes | 7.7 | 318 | 42 min | |
| ▶ | 11 | Six Points on the New Congressional Budget: The False Dichotomy of Austerity vs. Expansionary Policies | 8.3 | 335 | 43 min | |
| ▶ | 12 | Talking Points Toward a Wholistic View of Activism in Government: Can the Top Rebel? | 8.3 | 318 | 43 min | |
| ▶ | 13 | The End of All We Hold Dear: What Happens When Democracies Fail: A Brief Synopsis | 8.4 | 347 | 43 min |
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Mary Elizabeth Winstead Laurel Healy
Danny Pino Luke Healy
Aaron Tveit Gareth Ritter
Tony Shalhoub Red Wheatus
Nikki M. James Rochelle Daudier
Johnny Ray Gill Gustav Triplett
Paige Patterson Scarlett Pierce
Jan Maxwell Ella Pollack
Zach Grenier Dean Healy
Megan Hilty Misty Alise
Crew
Michelle King
Robert King
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