House of Cards (Season 2)
Netflix
Feb 21, 2014
Web Exclusive
Kevin Spacey returns as Frank Underwood in Netflix’s second season of its flagship original series, House of Cards. The series, known for its dark portrayal of a cut throat Washington where power hungry operatives sidestep morality and the law for their diabolical plans, continues exactly where the last season left off, with Frank assuming the role of Vice President of the United States, while proving that with more power he only becomes more dangerous.
In an early scene, Frank is dining at his favorite hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint. The walls are a dark, peeling wood, the single window covered by a tattered sheet. It’s the perfect setting for Frank, who spends so much time getting dirty in the clean, polished, marble halls of the U.S. Capitol, but feels more at home in a dank, southern dive. He asks Freddy, the cook, why the ribs are particularly delicious this time. Freddy tells him that he’s using a new butcher, one who slow-bleeds the animals, an illegal process that lets the pigs squeal and scream while they’re being butchered. Frank sees this as inspiration for his new goals.
And thus the theme of season two takes off. Butchery, or, in Frank Underwood’s world, playing to win and taking no prisoners. Frank decides that he is at war with anyone who dares to oppose him, and he obsesses over Civil War battles, petty conflicts, and lays down the gauntlet over raising the retirement age. Within the first 40 minutes of this season, it pulls out the rug and shows us that no one is safe from Frank’s ruthless determination.
But where season one was a decadent showcase of Frank’s shiver-inducing monster, with his South Carolina accent laid on thicker than Freddy’s barbecue sauce, in season two his lust for victory turns rather dull. Luckily, the creators tap into the overlooked potential of Robin Wright’s character, Claire Underwood, Frank’s equally power-mad wife. In this season, they are at their best when they play off each other’s desires and collaborate on conniving schemes. But on her own, Claire starts to intimidate and intrigue far more than Frank’s smarmy smile and fourth-wall-breaking self-serving monologues.
The season stumbles as it starts to wade back and forth between Frank and the charisma-vacuum billionaire Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney), whose intentions aren’t totally unclear, just completely uninteresting. Yes, the idea of power as the ultimate goal is shocking at first, but loses its impact as greedy characters climb over each other to reach the next intangible goal post. Netflix’s series’ are now known for their all-at-once availability, and most fans will binge watch House of Cards over a few days. But that makes the slow-paced crawl of the middle episodes even more difficult to stomach.
Still, House of Cards doesn’t totally disappoint. Season two does a better job of embracing the absurdity of its dark universe, where only characters with no moral compass can ever come out on top. It is our collective paranoid concept of Washington politics, in all of its depraved glory. (www.netflix.com/House_of_Cards)
Author rating: 7/10
Average reader rating: 8/10
Most Recent
- WFR Central, Derby, UK, March 23, 2024 (Review) — Altern 8, Maria Uzor, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Cholly
- Premiere: Sofia Bolt Shares New Single “Bus Song” Featuring Stella Donnelly (News) — Sofia Bolt
- St. Vincent Shares New Song “Flea” (Feat. Dave Grohl) and Announces New Tour Dates (News) — St. Vincent, Dave Grohl
- Elbow – Guy Garvey on Their 10th Album “AUDIO VERTIGO” (Interview) — Elbow, Guy Garvey
- Vampire Weekend Share New Song “Mary Boone” (News) — Vampire Weekend
Comments
Submit your comment
February 23rd 2014
12:53am
How to you compare it to the original BBC version? I think the production is far superior but does a great job of referencing the original Francis Underwood. However the Netflix version does an excellent job of rounding out Claire Underwood’s character. I do agree it does get a bit tedious half way through… but is there a better show out right now (other than True Detective, Game of Thrones or Orange is the New Black)? I don’t think so.