Lea Michele Has Never Been Better—or Funnier—Than on ‘The Mayor’

Most people’s first point of entry with Lea Michele is Rachel Berry, the neurotic, showtune-obsessed teenager she played for six glorious seasons on Glee. It’s a character so specific and well-loved that Michele has trouble escaping it—even two years after Glee‘s series finale.

She took a big step away from Rachel in 2015 with Hester on Scream Queens, a delightfully deranged sorority hopeful who wore a neck brace and methodically slaughtered all her friends. (Remember that?) But even still, Scream Queens was a Ryan Murphy production, just like Glee, and both shows had that signature campy finish we see all over his work. So in that respect, the roles were similar, which meant Hester sometimes came off like Rachel. Ya know, if Rachel suddenly had the urge to murder everyone in Glee club.

But there’s no sign of Rachel Berry in Michele’s latest project, The Mayor. ABC’s new comedy, which premieres tonight, is about an aspiring rapper, Courtney Rose (Brandon Michael Hall), who runs for local office to promote his music…and ends up winning. There’s no sign of Ryan Murphy, either, which might explain why this role is Michele’s most diverse yet—and one of her best.

She plays Valentina Barella, the whip-smart campaign manager for Courtney’s opposing candidate (played, hilariously, by David Spade). She’s driven and type-A, like Rachel Berry, but in a witty way that makes her very interesting to watch. In many ways Rachel was a deer caught in headlights on Glee, but Valentina’s the polar opposite. She doesn’t just drive the car; she owns the whole damn dealership.

And she’s funny, really funny. Michele’s appearance in the pilot is brief, but her wisecracks and quips are some of the episode’s highlights. “Courtney Rose is a no-nothing egomaniac whose entire campaign is a stunt. Voters won’t fall for that. Not in America,” she says with enough of an eye-roll to convey the Donald Trump shade.

It’s a subtle, deadpan humor that Michele hasn’t explored yet but is so exciting to see. Another notable moment: When she bombards Courtney’s bedroom the day after he wins the election and says he shouldn’t expect privacy now that he’s a public figure. Their tête-à-tête ends with Courtney hiring Valentina to run his staff, a job she accepts in her mission to “crush every Kellyanne Conway and Donna Brazile” who comes in her path. “I’m very intimidated by other women’s success,” she says, ironically, with a sardonic tone that would fly over even Sue Sylvester’s head.

The most compelling part about Michele’s performance in The Mayor is that she’s the straight man. There’s no razzle-dazzle, pizzazz, or flamboyancy; there isn’t even any singing. These qualities have dominated her television work up until this point. And that’s not a bad thing! After all, no one knows how to put on a show or chew scenery better than she does. (Imagine her and Jessica Lange in the same series. Make that happen, Mr. Murphy.)

Instead of going big on The Mayor, Michele goes home. She complements Hall’s zany antics with intelligence and sharpness. When Courtney’s friends go off the rails with bonkers dialogue, she reels them in. In fact, it’s the female characters on The Mayor who fully ground things in reality. Yvette Nicole Brown plays Courtney’s mom, Dina, who delivers the most heartwarming line in the pilot: “You critique the status quo. Maybe now you can actually change it,” she says to Courtney.

The jury’s still out on whether Courtney does that, but one thing’s for sure: The status quo about Michele—if one exists—should change after The Mayor. It’s unlike anything she’s done before and proves, once and for all, that she’s more than just Rachel Berry. I’ve known that for years, but hopefully, now everyone else will too.