River’s inherent kind-eyed goodness leaves space for the back-stabbing antics of everyone else at his high school. In fact, it usually necessitates it. It’s the immense electability of jock and unexpected soft boy River that pushes Payton to bring supposedly ill student Infinity Jackson (Zoey Deutch) into the political mix. The entrance of Infinity, along with her scammer grandma Dusty (Jessica Lange), allows Murphy and the team to explore their wildest The Act fantasies — and then some. Sometimes it is impossible not to wonder how The Politician skated around needing to pay Gypsy Rose Blanchard , the murderous inspiration for Emmy-winning The Act and a survivor of her mother Dee Dee’s Munchausen syndrome by proxy , for her life rights. If you wish The Act had more camp and Jessica Lange in animal print, The Politician is exactly what the doctor ordered.