Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticDuring his brief appearance in the primetime special honoring his inauguration, President Joe Biden nonetheless insisted that he and Vice President Kamala Harris “wanted to make sure our inauguration wasn’t about us, but about you, the American people.” It was a nice sentiment, even if it wasn’t especially possible to achieve; by default, the first day of any presidential term revolves around the new president.
So even though the special took pains to paint a broader portrait of America writ large, “Celebrating America” — a slick production teeming with stars, aggressively sincere stories and somber moments of remembrance — inevitably reflected the incoming administration that inspired it.
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