House of Cards Season 2 Review

Review of House of Cards Season 2 - SPOILERS

House of Cards is a show that requires to be binged upon, because the longer the distance away from the material, the flimsier the material becomes.  When I watched season 1, I ran through the episodes in around 3-4 odd days and I enjoyed it, but in the time away from the show I found myself liking it less.  I couldn’t remember half the minor plots and I found myself questioning some of the actions Frank Underwood took, like the whole murder of Peter Russo.  It was way too reckless a move and it didn’t fit with Frank’s pragmatic character.  He ventured into becoming a mustache twirling villain.   So imagine my surprise when Frank kills Zoe Barnes by hurling her in front of a moving train.  He went full on Great Train Robbery villain in one full swoop.  Overall, House of Cards season the second is a fine season of a television show, but the longer I move away from the material, the worse it looks in retrospect.

Let me start with the good.  Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright play delicious villains.  Kevin Spacey had the best moment in the season when he addresses the audience for the first time in the last scene of the first episode.  His welcome back speech was the perfect over the top way to end an over the top episode.  Kevin Spacey plays this role like a professional ham and frequently steals scene with a perfectly timed eye roll or glance at the audience.  Robin Wright was finally given a chance to flex her evil muscles (I will let your baby die) and hams up her role with great glaze.  I also can’t stop staring at her indented neck, but that’s not the point.  I’m not breaking any new ground here, but my favorite Claire moment was when she flipped the interview around and decided to lead the charge against military rape. She displayed great courage and tactical maneuvering that the show had only reserved for Frank.  For me, House of Cards works best when it is in high camp mode.  The threesome scene with Meechum was one of the funniest moments in the season just for the sheer ridiculous way it transpired (wine, blood, and bandages galore).  Little details about Frank and Claire’s marriage are always greatly appreciated.  One of my favorite scenes in the season was the little laugh they both have after Meechum walks in on Frank watching some porn.  Moments like that remind us of how great a couple Frank and Claire are and that there is a little tenderness left in this power hungry Washington elites. 

Now let’s move on to the not so good.  Frank needs a real adversary.  Every episode turns into “how is he gonna get out of this one” and by the end of the season it was just sheer luck.  Why the President would believe him after all his lies seems a bit far fetched.  Let’s talk about this President.  How did he get elected?  The man never makes a decision for himself and has no discernible political skill.  How does the most powerful man in the free world end up being the least politically savvy person on the show?  I would have loved for him to be as conniving and devious as Frank, rather than him turning out to be another mild obstacle in Frank’s inevitable push for the White House.  The series must also pick a tone.  Does it want to be a serious political thriller/dissection of the power hungry or does it want to be high camp.  I feel it works better as a campy soap opera set in Washington and centered on terrible people.  The serious scenes don’t do it for me.   An example of this would be the scenes regarding hacker, Gavin Orsay.  Gavin Orsay is presented as a serious character that has been placed in a real tough spot and must try and salvage whatever he can from the situation.  He also pets a guinea pig like he’s Dr. Evil which just looks silly and drains his scenes of any real gravitas.  The clash between the two tones can be jarring and out of place. 

The series is fun one to watch and not think about.  My biggest problem is in the way Zoe Barnes died.  Why didn’t the police check to see the tape footage before and after the accident to see somebody walking into or from the crime scene?  Didn’t the video footage of her walking into the area look like she was meeting an informant, I mean she is an investigative reporter and all?  Why is there one camera in the train station and why didn’t anybody on the platform turn around to see a man walking away from the scene of the crime in a suspicious looking coat and hat?  Too many reasonable questions emerge when you take a step back from this engrossing soap opera.  There are also too many subplots in this show.  Doug and Rachel didn’t really do much other than set up the good twist of her finally killing Doug.  All these subplots, whether it be Remy Danton or Lucas Goodwin and the hunt for truth seems inconsequential to watching Frank Underwood maneuver his way to the top of the food chain.  Frank’s last scene when he knocks on the Resolute Desk was a powerful way to end a season where he gained so much and lost barely anything (delicious ribs.  You was wronged Freddy!).  I cannot wait to see how (or if) it comes crumbling down next season.  The show is called House of Cards for Christ sake.  Something’s going to have to fall.