What’s Worth Watching: The Runner-Up Finishes in Second Place

The Runner-Up, “Episode 104” (Tuesday, April 28, 10/9c, Esquire)

We all know the ending to Clay Aiken’s 2014 congressional run—if you didn’t, it’s right there in the title of this docuseries, which is also an oblique reference to his 2003 finish on American Idol. That doesn’t mean there’s no reason to watch tonight’s finale, though. It’s heartbreaking to see Aiken outspent in the final days of the election for North Carolina’s 2^nd district, coming in second once again, but there’s an irrepressible aura of hope around Aiken that makes the bitterness a little easier to go down.