House of Cards

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

My main hope for this season (I think it may already have jumped the shark by killing off the cokehead Congressman last season, alas) is that Underwood's plots actually fail for once. Right now he's basically a supervillain.

Unfortunately this doesn't cease other than a few secondary failures, but he faces more genuine challenge than he did in Season 1 and a few times he only survives out of luck.

I'm happy that they did more with a lot of the secondary characters of Season 1 with regards to development. Freddy and Rachel are my favorite characters at this point which I don't know what that indicates.

[Paul Kemp]

To be honest, I spent a lot of the first episode trying to remember who the hell was who and how they fit into The Grand Scheme.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

There ends Season 2. Overall I thought it was somewhat better than Season 1, and despite some lull points definitely delivered.

Stamper had it coming.

[Lumine]

Not bad so far (Episode 6), but yeah, Underwood needs a nemesis, something much better than Tusk. Francis Urquhart had one in the second season (even if it was an idealist who couldn't win in the end), and when he had no challenges in the third he simply created an enemy just for fun, which is why I still consider Urquhart superior to Underwood.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

My main hope for this season (I think it may already have jumped the shark by killing off the cokehead Congressman last season, alas) is that Underwood's plots actually fail for once. Right now he's basically a supervillain.

This

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I consider Urquhart superior to Underwood as well (despite Spacey's obviously delivering a great performance), but the U.S. series is superior in one particular sense.

See, the British version was essentially just one man (Richardson) show, with other characters serving pretty much as a scene prop. The other major characters in the U.S. version are actually interesting on their own.

(I think it may already have jumped the shark by killing off the cokehead Congressman last season, alas)

It's still more or less based on the British version, so Russo's fate (as being an eqivalent of Roger O'Neill) makes perfect sense.

[Paul Kemp]

So I was highlighting text as I do occasionally when I read... and accidentally highlighted Snowstalker's spoiler on my way down... so there's that...

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Honestly wasn't that into the British series. Urquhart makes Underwood look subtle (which is no easy task ), and the other characters in the US series are far better developed.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

So I was highlighting text as I do occasionally when I read... and accidentally highlighted Snowstalker's spoiler on my way down... so there's that...

That's why I didn't read this thread untill I finish the last episode.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Overall, pretty good.

I agree that Underwood needs to be at the very least inconvenienced...  I kind of see Underwood as slimy and manipulating, so... I don't see how he gets away with it, but Urqhuart's strength was that he was harmless and so his reptilian and slippery approach is more... understandably missed and therefore completely underestimated.

But it's Robin Wright that elevates this (the best thing about the show IMHO), the relationship in the US version seems more realistic, the Urqhuarts are a case of something out of a Shakespearean tragedy. I think the point to note is that the characters are more developed as there is 12 hours of programming to fill, unlike the UK version. They covered a lot of the same territory in one four episode series that it took 24 episodes in this case.

Although... the threesome? Really??

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Overall, pretty good.

I agree that Underwood needs to be at the very least inconvenienced...  I kind of see Underwood as slimy and manipulating, so... I don't see how he gets away with it, but Urqhuart's strength was that he was harmless and so his reptilian and slippery approach is more... understandably missed and therefore completely underestimated.

But it's Robin Wright that elevates this (the best thing about the show IMHO), the relationship in the US version seems more realistic, the Urqhuarts are a case of something out of a Shakespearean tragedy. I think the point to note is that the characters are more developed as there is 12 hours of programming to fill, unlike the UK version. They covered a lot of the same territory in one four episode series that it took 24 episodes in this case.

Although... the threesome? Really??

True, the British version was too short to cover as much as the American one.

Elizabeth Urquhart was very much a Tory Lady Macbeth (which Diane Fletcher has executed flawlessly). Claire Underwood is evidently more complex character, quite torn one.

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Yeah, I don't know what the hell was that for.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

I mean they did use a whole episode about Frank's bisexuality. It was gonna get used for something eventually.[/quote]

[badgate]

I Wasn't sold at all on the back half of the season. Perhaps bc I want to see Frank's downfall as a viewer. It was just too much. Idk. I'm still absorbing. That's the thing about this distribution model. I'm gonna have to watch it again, but slower.

[Lumine]

After finishing up the season, I guess I was more satisfied, Underwood almost fell after all. Now the question is how much is he is going to rise from now on... and how hard is the eventuall fall going to be.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

After finishing up the season, I guess I was more satisfied, Underwood almost fell after all. Now the question is how much is he is going to rise from now on... and how hard is the eventuall fall going to be.

How much more can he possibly rise?

[Lumine]

After finishing up the season, I guess I was more satisfied, Underwood almost fell after all. Now the question is how much is he is going to rise from now on... and how hard is the eventuall fall going to be.

How much more can he possibly rise?

Considering that Underwood's quest is no longer revenge, he won't probably settle for less than a Nixonesque landslide, and that if he's feeling humble...

EDIT: You're right, this needs a spoiler tag.

[Paul Kemp]

I feel like there should be a spoiler tag in the above post...?

Admittedly, it's somewhat my own fault that I keep visiting this thread but still...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I Wasn't sold at all on the back half of the season. Perhaps bc I want to see Frank's downfall as a viewer.

I rooted for Frank all the way.

[Psychic Octopus]

Just got through. Wow, what a "wham" season. My opinions are below, in white.

I absolutely LOVED how unexpected Zoe's death was. I've never seen the original, but honestly, I just did not see that coming. I thought that she would be discredited, I thought her contact info would be erased, and I actually thought that her downfall would be similar to her boyfriend's, but never once did I think Frank would actually kill her.

Can we give a round of applause (or horrified disgust) for Claire this season? I mean, in the first episode, she threatened to kill her rival's unborn baby in order to get out of a lawsuit. I mean, Jesus. That's crazy. That's not even mentioning her treatment toward Galloway.

Frank confirmed as Bi. Though it was pretty obvious from that episode at the Citadel, it's nice to see that the show didn't shy away from it. I actually think it makes Frank a far stronger character and gives him depth. It's also nice to see the popular concept of masculinity turned on its head a bit... because Frank is as alpha as you can get.

Poor Garrett Walker. I suspect that in this fictional universe he'll be remembered as a sort of Democratic Warren Harding. Completely unnecessary financial crisis, no control over his administration, marital troubles. Scandal after scandal.

Donald Tusk was an interesting character but I never felt that he posed a real threat to FU. I always knew FU would find a way to win it the end, it was only which way.

Is it strange that I was more sad about Freddy's closing down than I was Zoe dying? I really felt for him and that place. It was like the one island Frank could go to and be a normal person. Now, he's just a regular, run-of-the-mill sociopath.

Poor Doug. He's a creep, but he needed help, not a brick to the head. I guess that's just how it goes. It's interesting to see where the Rachel plotline will go... I mean, she has information that connects directly to FU. That's a threat.

Which brings us to... President Francis Underwood. May the lord have mercy on us, because our country is screwed. But it takes a long time to build up a house of cards... To bring it down, well, it only takes one move.

What I think is brilliant about this show is that it makes you feel like an accomplice. I felt dirty, but I want to see Underwood succeed. It's fascinating to watch.

[Eraserhead]

Is this show really worth watching? I've only watched the first episode of season 1 so far and it didn't grab me at all.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Considering that Underwood's quest is no longer revenge, he won't probably settle for less than a Nixonesque landslide, and that if he's feeling humble...

Revenge may have been the stressor, but given Underwood's ambitions, it not just about revenge. There will be new foe for sure, just like Urquhart, already the PM, had to face the King in season 2 and his own Foreign Secretary in season 3.

Interestingly, having succeeded Garret with more than 2 years of the term to go, Underwood will be term-limited in 2020, which mean he can't be "reelected" after 2016.

Just got through. Wow, what a "wham" season. My opinions are below, in white.

I absolutely LOVED how unexpected Zoe's death was. I've never seen the original, but honestly, I just did not see that coming. I thought that she would be discredited, I thought her contact info would be erased, and I actually thought that her downfall would be similar to her boyfriend's, but never once did I think Frank would actually kill her.

I saw that coming the moment she entered the station, but only because I saw the original.

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Claire character is excellent. Torn between ruthlessness and still having a heart (as displayed on other occasions).

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What else did you expect from someone named Tusk

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This was the saddest part for me as well.

[Cory]

Just finished and already can't wait for Season 3!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Btw, this white font is annoying. If you don't want spoiler, you should avoid this thread until you finish the season

[Oakvale]

[Paul Kemp]

Just finished the fourth episode of season 2. This really took a left and got off at Sorkin-ville huh?