TV Review - HOUSE OF CARDS

HOUSE OF CARDS (Season 2)
2014 - 13 episodes - Political Drama
Creator: Beau Willimon
IMDB: 9.0
Metacritic: 80
RT: n/a

CinemaChagrin's Rating: B

Watch this show if you enjoy:

• Excellent acting 
• Excellent cinematography
• Kevin Spacey
• The first season
• Did I mention Kevin Spacey?

Avoid this show if you dislike:

• Occasionally cheesy writing
• Unresolved plot lines/characters
• Political dramas
• The first season
• Kevin Spacey (wat?)

(some minor spoilers)

CinemaChagrin is breaking new ground with our first TV review. Audiences have eagerly anticipated the premier of the second season of House of Cards for nearly a year now. The first season, while not perfect, was a tense and well-crafted political drama that depicted a polarized and cutthroat Washington. The second season for the most part continues that tradition of excellence; however, it still suffers from several of the issues that plagued the first season.

The classic Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) all-knowing look

 House of Cards continues to do a lot of things very well. For one, the show just looks good. The direction across the board is still excellent again this season (with wide variety of directors shooting different episodes this year, including actresses Jodie Foster and Robin Wright). The cinematography is film-level quality. The show is beautifully shot - very aesthetically pleasing from a visual standpoint. I usually don't appreciate or notice the visuals of TV dramas, but House of Cards is a beauty (despite having little-to-no action). 

The beautiful Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) - looks can be deceiving

Once again, the show's strong point is the acting. Across the board, every actor in the show does a phenomenal job. Kevin Spacey as the ruthless Frank Underwood makes the show worth watching all by himself. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants and obliterate his opponents. His monologues to the audience are once again hilarious and entertaining (though he does have a habit of speaking in cliches during these moments). As Underwood's wife and co-conspirator Claire, Robin Wright delivers perhaps the best performance of the season. She is every bit as conniving and vicious as Frank, but with a gorgeous and deceptive exterior. Their interplay together is incredible to watch. They are both despicable people that do horrific things solely for personal gain, but one can't help being attracted to them because they are so confident. They know what they want, they know how to get it, and they won't stop until they achieve their goals. In many ways, they serve as an escape for the viewer - after all, who doesn't want to get everything they want without having to care about hurting others?

Michael Gill as President Gareth Walker

Other returning actors continue to deliver convincing performances. Michael Gill's portrayal of the naive President Walker, who is hopelessly out his league competing with the Underwoods, is quite convincing and very tragic. Meanwhile, Gerald McRaney excellently serves as Frank Underwood's archenemy, billionaire Raymond Tusk. He proves to be just as brutal and unrelenting as Frank.

Molly Parker as Minority Whip Jackie Sharp

Interestingly enough, several returning characters also display quite a bit of vulnerability. Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper, Underwood's chief of staff and go-to-guy to get the job done, shows a different side of himself when looking after a young woman who happens to be a major political liability. Meanwhile, lobbyist Remy Denton (Mahershala Ali), who appeared in the first season as a skilled enemy not to be trifled with, faces a dilemma when he falls in love.

Gerald McRaney as billionaire industrialist Raymond Tusk

Several new faces come into play in the second season as well. Most memorable is Congresswoman Jackie Sharp (Molly Parker). Initially portrayed as a kind and incorruptible politician, the audience quickly discovers that her ambition (like the Underwoods) knows no limits. She does anything and everything to gain more power. The corrupt Chinese politician Xander Feng (Terry Chen) also serves as an interesting antagonist, albeit one that ultimately is just a pawn in the battle between Frank and Raymond.

Like the excellent HBO series Game of Thrones, the overwhelming majority of characters in House of Cards are power-hungry and vicious people who do many despicable things. More honest and trusting characters are portrayed as naive idiots destined to fail. If you don't like shows/movies where the protagonists are morally ambiguous/bankrupt, then House of Cards probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you like watching well-acted but nasty characters go at it, you'll probably love the show (even if you aren't particularly interested in politics and government).

Exhibit A

While the show is supremely entertaining, it is also frustrating at times. As previously mentioned, some of Underwood's monologues are quite cheesy. Many plot points are completely implausible or make little sense. (For example, the AtlanticWire asked why anyone still trusts Frank Underwood.) The conclusion of the season is pretty far-fetched as well - I had a difficult time buying it. However, the biggest negative of the show for me by far is its irritating habit of failing to wrap up subplots well (or at all). Characters are routinely introduced and never seen/mentioned again, seemingly major events happen and are never mentioned again, and pretty important occurrences that should come back to haunt certain characters for some reason never resurface. It makes for a very frustrating viewing experience at times. This was a major problem in the first season as well, and it is disappointing that it wasn't fixed. That's just sloppy writing.

Frank's AWESOME cufflinks

Fortunately, I can overlook these flaws mainly because of the incredible acting on display in House of Cards. The show looks good, the characters are interesting (and extremely well-portrayed), and the plot is quite captivating (especially for anyone interested in politics). However, don't get scared away if you don't necessarily know much about government/politics; the show is pretty accessible to anyone who isn't put off by immoral characters. If you are new to House of Cards and want to see what all the buzz is about, by all means get on Netflix and binge-watch both seasons! If you were a fan of the first season, I'm not sure why you haven't watched the second season yet!

-CC

P.S. - don't be put off by the trailers for season two - they are pretty terrible and not very representative of the show.