★★★★★

When “Veep” premiered two years ago, something was missing. A talented cast and devilishly clever writers were set in place for what might have been an immediate success, but the show limited its potential by relegating Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her team to trivial tasks. In its second season, the creators of “Veep” raised the stakes by giving Meyer real power, and in doing so, they hit the jackpot. Hilarious and sharp as ever, “Veep” returns for its third season, which promises to be its strongest yet.

Season three begins just two months after the second left off. The first episode opens with Meyer still reeling from the news that the president will not seek re-election, giving her the perfect opportunity to run in two years. As a preamble to her upcoming bid for the presidency, she embarks on a tour for her new book, “Some New Beginnings: Our Next American Journey.” While Meyer greets ordinary Americans in bookstores across the country, her team celebrates the wedding of Mike McLintock (Matt Walsh), Meyer’s director of communications — a wedding that Selina chooses to skip.

As Meyer, Louis-Dreyfus is incomparable. She won an Emmy twice in a row for her role and returns to it in top form. Louis-Dreyfus has layered Meyer with complexity and nuance. She can switch from cruel to magnanimous or from pitiful to inspiring in the blink of an eye. Although her character isn’t likable in any conventional sense of the word, Louis-Dreyfus makes her constantly worthy of attention and, somehow, support.

While “Veep” could have become dependent on its star, the show’s supporting cast adds tremendously to its strength. Tony Hale, who also won an Emmy last year for his work on “Veep,” plays Gary Walsh, Meyer’s dedicated personal aide. Similarly to his role as Buster on “Arrested Development,” Hale pushes the limits of loyalty to nearly obsessive levels.

Anna Chlumsky, as the vice president’s chief of staff Amy Brookheimer, and Reid Scott, as her deputy director of communications Dan Egan, shine as they fight for Meyer’s attention. Both highly ambitious, the two have a complicated relationship that is consistently amusing to watch.

In previous seasons, Mike embraced his pathetic and comedic existence with a laid back attitude. Now married, Mike appears to be a different man, with a newfound passion for life. It will be interesting to see how this “new” Mike will fit in Meyer and her staff, although his past transgressions — especially those surrounding leaking the president’s plan not to seek reelection — might not have been forgotten by Meyer.

Although it feels odd to see Meyer separated from her team, the first episode introduces a question that will drive the season. Does Meyer need her staff to succeed or will abandoning them help her get to the Oval Office? Regardless of the answer, this episode proved that “Veep” has developed supporting characters who thrive even when they aren’t attached to Meyer’s side.

Deserving of applause as well is the show’s stellar writing team, headed by the show’s created Armando Iannucci. Without sacrificing characters, sidesplitting jokes fly out at an unbelievable pace, and they always land smoothly. Such hysterical work in the hands of these actors makes “Veep” without a doubt one of today’s funniest shows.

Other shows, like “House of Cards” and “Scandal” portray Washington as a hotbed of corruption. In these interpretations of D.C., lawmakers and lawbreakers are one and the same, and no crime is too large to cover up. HBO’s “Veep” provides an extremely different picture. In “Veep,” questionably competent people are entrusted with making political decisions that will affect the entire country. Sound familiar? The show’s biting satire may exaggerate details of the actual federal government, but the antics of Vice President Meyer and her ragtag team are a refreshing, hilarious take on the world just miles from Georgetown’s front gates.