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On the surface it seems obvious that Nick Wasicsko is Show me a Hero‘s (2015) titular hero; he’s young, charming, and his political star is on the rise. But as the miniseries unfolds, writers Zorzi and Simon unravel the notion that Wasicsko is the hero of this story. In the first two episodes of the series, Wasicsko (Oscar Isaac) takes a gamble by running for Mayor of Yonkers against incumbent Angelo Martinelli (Jim Belushi) and wins. Though Wasicsko and Martinelli voteidentically on most issues, Wasicsko is able to distinguish himself to the electorate by pointing out that he voted to appeal the decision to integrate public housing in the white neighborhoods of Yonkers. This shows that Wasicsko is a political opportunist who subverts his actual position, that the city should comply with the housing order, in order to win an election. He exploits the anger of affluent white voters in Yonkers by distancing himself from the issue of housing immigration and capitalizing on their disatisfaction with Martinelli’s policies. Almost immediately after taking office, this stance proves to be a double edged sword and Wasicsko is taken to task by voters who expected him to more vigorously appeal the housing decision.

During his tenure as Mayor, Wasicsko finds little support from local and state politicians. In one of the funnier moments of the show, Wasicsko is on the phone trying to rally support for the housing plan from New York’s Democratic politicians and gets the runaround from their assistants. As he grows increasingly frustrated he responds to their excuses and dismissals with wry comments. But the humor doesn’t last long as Wasicsko’s growing unpopularity sees him ousted from the mayor’s office. He takes comfort in his nomination for a Profile in Courage, but that too is short lived. For Wasicsko the housing fight was important insofar as it was the deciding issue in both of his mayoral campaigns. But by the final two episodes, Zorzi and Simon complicate a simple reading of him as a hero who paid for his noble stance on the issue of housing.

From bureaucrats and housing policy makers to citizens, there was an immense amount of hands on work done by ordinary people, not politicians. Late in the series, Wasicsko’s descent into obsession with his political legacy and his depression over the perceived loss of his his political future are juxtaposed with the story of the community living in public housing. The scenes in which he actually interacts with the new tenants of the homes he supported demonstrate how removed he is from the practical elements of his housing policy. He shows up to the housing lottery where families wait to find out if they can move into one of the new townhouses being built in white neighborhoods. As the number of homes left dwindles, he becomes increasingly uncomfortable and leaves rather than see the disappointment of families who are forced to stay in the less desirable high rise housing. Again searching for validation, Wasicsko shows up late one night at new housing and knocks on doors, telling the often disgruntled inhabitants that he was the mayor who fought for these homes to be built. It comes across as a selfish and tone deaf action, especially when episodes five and six of the series go to such lengths to portray the importance of community outreach and ground level work that went into integrating public housing into a neighborhood that didn’t want it.

Simon regular Clarke Peters plays community organizer Robert Mayhawk, who invites opponents of the housing to become members of a community outreach organization and introduces them to the families who were selected for the new housing. This opposition is exemplified by Mary Dorman (Catherine Keener) who was a vocal detractor when the policy was announced but became disheartened by both the behavior of the other opponents and the lack of action from successive mayors who campaigned (overtly and implicitly) against housing integration. Upon meeting the families Dorman becomes one of their staunchest allies and defends them against their disgruntled neighbors. The tenants themselves create a community association to encourage everyone to participate in maintaining the homes and helping their neighbors do the same. The latter part of the series demonstrates just how irrelevant the politics were to the actual work and success that was accomplished, as well as how Wasicsko’s mayoral tenure was a small part of a much larger effort to right the wrongs of intentional segregation.