Thoughts on, and a place to discuss, the plot points we can't reveal in our review.
Since so much changes in the last couple episodes of House Of Cards season two, here are some quick, spoilery thoughts about the season’s biggest moments.
It’s indicative of House Of Cards’ insistence that Frank Underwood can do anything that it thinks it’s a really great idea for him to utterly wreck the presidency, just so he can attain it. Knowing this show, it’s all but certain these fictional Democrats will also destroy the Republicans in the midterms, despite weathering an inter-party split that pushed the president to resign. Or maybe everyone in House Of Cards Land is as bored by Garrett Walker as viewers are.
Similarly, the fact that everybody in the show’s universe is super worked up about Claire Underwood’s affair (the most boring of the many potential scandals Tusk could have uncovered) further shows just how much the show thinks only the Underwoods are worth caring about. If Jill Biden had an affair, it would not be front-page news for days on end.
Going back to the season premiere, the death of Zoe Barnes felt almost like the show taking a stab at political commentary: You want a politician who gets things done? Well, this is what that looks like. He pushes people in front of subway cars. But the show dropped that idea like a hot potato, and it soon became clear the series was just trying to rid itself of the journalism storyline.
One of Robin Wright’s best moments comes as she watches her husband flirt with Secret Service Agent Meachum, leaving viewers wondering if she knows about his bisexuality. Surely she doesn’t, right? Then she goes in to initiate a threesome. It’s a bit tawdry, yes, and completely unbelievable, but Wright sells it.
Calling it now: Doug Stamper will be found in time to save his life, and the search for Rachel will dominate far too much of season three.
House Of Cards often feels guilty of overexplaining itself, and the constant explanations of the ties between Xander Feng, Raymond Tusk, and the Adohi were this season’s biggest problem in this regard. It is not a show that wears subtlety well.
Seriously, though, that last shot, culminating in Frank banging his fist twice on the desk in the Oval Office, was pretty breathtaking. If the show wants to hero worship Frank Underwood, it needs more moments where he’s worthy of the love.