House of Cards

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The Rt. Hon. Francis Urquhart reacting to the news Americans just remade him:

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I've only watched two episodes so far. It's decent. I just REALLY hate Spacey's monologues and the breaking of the fourth wall; it's a bit jarring and sometimes cringe worthy. I'm not sure if the original version featured this too.

Ian Richardson executed the asides flawlessly (part of the charm of the original), but Spacey does fall flat from time to time.

Richardson was a prominent stage Shakespearean actor and that's he was simply marvelous in the original series.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Spacey has a tendency to come off as a caricature in most of his roles over the last ten years or so. I'm not sure if his portrayal of Underwood continues in that vein but it seems so.

I'm about five episodes in.

I'm at 10th now.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

After 10th episode I think they did a good job in adapting the whole idea on American ground. It's impossible to duplicate since the original series was a very British thing.

I like what they did with Russo character, far more developed and complex than Roger O'Neill who was pretty much nothing but a crackhead.

FWIW, Spacey has a long career on the stage also. I've been impressed by some of his appearances in O'neill.

Wow, I didn't know that, but comes as no surprise. After all, a good actor can play before camera as well as on the stage

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Well, Paul, the biggest difference I'd say is that FU in the new version is just working towards power as opposed to say a specific office, whereas the British FU was working towards the Premiership. I personally don't think FU intended for Russo to flop like that- I thought he intended to use him as a power center, but shifted to exploit that opportunity once that happened.

Actually he planned to run him for Governor and then destroy at final stage, but it wasn't revealed until he suggested the Vice President runs as replacement (so he can become VP himself). Talk about Byzantine intrigue, wow.

[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.

[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.

[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.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

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

[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.

[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.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

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

You must be logged in to read this quote.

What else did you expect from someone named Tusk

You must be logged in to read this quote.

This was the saddest part for me as well.

[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

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Why do they only refer to Palestine as the Jordan Valley?

Scandal has the television rights to Palestine, so contractually it can't be said unless they want to pay ABC every time.

I stopped watching Scandal and I have no desire to return.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Having watched most of Season 3 it continues to be evident that Francis Urquhart is still vastly superior to Underwood.

I can concur with you 200%

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Why do they only refer to Palestine as the Jordan Valley?

Scandal has the television rights to Palestine, so contractually it can't be said unless they want to pay ABC every time.

I stopped watching Scandal and I have no desire to return.

Then you will never see Palestine on television ever again.

Indeed a cheap price for never again seeing Kerry Washington's dreadfully wooden acting.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Sad thing is she's a good actress overall, but everybody got their bad parts.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

lol why did they randomly write MENDOZA out of the show for no reason

RIP MENDOZA

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The writers' addiction to "deux ex machina" approach is so bad that's hillarious.

You'll see, in the season 4 finale, when he's just about to go down, Frank will will the nomination (or even the election) just like that.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Spoilerish discussion below:

So, how the heck does America Works... work, anyway?  Annihilate Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and plunge their funding into a massive government works program to wipe out unemployment?  I get the appeal of the latter, but what the hell kind of appeal does the former have, if there's apparently nothing to replace them?

Yeah, I don't understand it either. I mean, what the hell? Are the people suppoused to fund their own retirement and medical care at the same level as before solely from their pensions, with no program like Social Security or Medicare to make it actually work? Lol.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Petrov is a great character though. I loved his slapping Frank around like a little child.

Yeah but they really should have just straight up named him Vladimir Putin.  They're not fooling anybody.

But Putin doesn't drink. Muh original character.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

RIP Zoe Barnes

For some reason Zoe Barnes annoyed me

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I was foolishly hoping the season 4 would be a resolution of the story. Now we have to wait yet another year...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Literally only good thing in Season 3 was

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Season 4 was AMAZING

I was foolishly hoping the season 4 would be a resolution of the story. Now we have to wait yet another year...

Season 5 was announced months ago lol

I had better things to do during the entire year in between seasons than keeping a track on this.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Kay, bold precition for Season 5:

Underwood is somehow reelected and then all the s**t he made is starting to come back. But he'll die at the right time, just like Urquhart.

I mean, wouldn't you like to see Claire at the Oval?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I mean, wouldn't you like to see Claire at the Oval?

I'd rather her be killed off tbh

I liked her a lot more before this season.  She used to show glimpses of humanity and compassion.  Not anymore!

It's not about humanity, it's about whether a character is interesting or now.