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Official House of Cards Thread

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AZ_

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Anyone else balls deep into this show?

Wrapped up a solid day of binge watching season two yesterday, thought the season as a whole was pretty great. Really a great first two seasons all around, Kevin Spacey is ideal for the role.
 
I didn't think season 2 was nearly as good as season 1.

Still better than the Walking Dead.
 
I didn't think season 2 was nearly as good as season 1.

Still better than the Walking Dead.

Yeah it definitely wasn't as good as the first season, and I'm starting to feel like this show may be running its course if they don't wrap it up in season three.

Just a note for the following paragraphs: I will spoiler tag season two spoilers only. Season one spoilers are up for grabs.

You can only watch Underwood get away with so many ludicrous things before the show just starts to unravel. I wasn't even aware they were going to do a third season (I thought Spacey was only on board for two seasons), so I was a little disappointed when he continued to get away with everything to the point where he became President. I know the show has never been firmly grounded in reality, but it's just getting increasingly ridiculous. The first season seemed like it was setting him up for a fall in season two, but he just keeps winning like he's Charlie Sheen.

That said, the ending to the first episode was hilariously fantastic, and the season overall was entertaining. I think Greenwald summed it up in his piece on Grantland covering the first four episodes when he compared House of Cards to Doritos. You can eat a ton of them, but there's ultimately not much nutritional value. The show is entertaining, but it's not terribly deep or meaningful. I also agree that the second season lacked a character that you could relate to like Russo in season one. With Russo dead, the only people that seem to be left are snakes and/or assholes. It's hard to really care about any of them. Underwood is entertaining and you root for him despite yourself, but you also ultimately want to see him get what's coming to him (much like Vic Mackey on The Shield).
 
I'm also 3 episodes in to season 2. I might need to go back and watch season 1 again because its been so long since I've seen it. I'm already starting to get lost.
 
What a way to start the second season.
 
I'm on Episode 8. Really is a fantastic show.
 
Shit got real weird in episode 11.

Real weird.
 
Shit got real weird in episode 11.

Real weird.

My whole weekend consisted of the 2nd season and after I saw the ending to episode 11, I called it quits for the night. That was just fucking bizarre but I could sense something was going to happen prior to that.
 
Yeah it definitely wasn't as good as the first season, and I'm starting to feel like this show may be running its course if they don't wrap it up in season three.

Just a note for the following paragraphs: I will spoiler tag season two spoilers only. Season one spoilers are up for grabs.

You can only watch Underwood get away with so many ludicrous things before the show just starts to unravel. I wasn't even aware they were going to do a third season (I thought Spacey was only on board for two seasons), so I was a little disappointed when he continued to get away with everything to the point where he became President. I know the show has never been firmly grounded in reality, but it's just getting increasingly ridiculous. The first season seemed like it was setting him up for a fall in season two, but he just keeps winning like he's Charlie Sheen.

That said, the ending to the first episode was hilariously fantastic, and the season overall was entertaining. I think Greenwald summed it up in his piece on Grantland covering the first four episodes when he compared House of Cards to Doritos. You can eat a ton of them, but there's ultimately not much nutritional value. The show is entertaining, but it's not terribly deep or meaningful. I also agree that the second season lacked a character that you could relate to like Russo in season one. With Russo dead, the only people that seem to be left are snakes and/or assholes. It's hard to really care about any of them. Underwood is entertaining and you root for him despite yourself, but you also ultimately want to see him get what's coming to him (much like Vic Mackey on The Shield).

Agreed completely on Russo. I stated this in another thread, but he was the only character on the show who felt completely believable. The others are a little too evil/selfish/greedy to truly be real.
 
Agreed completely on Russo. I stated this in another thread, but he was the only character on the show who felt completely believable. The others are a little too evil/selfish/greedy to truly be real.

The issue is that, in just about any form of storytelling, but especially in a TV series (because of how long they tend to last), you need some sort of a moral center for the audience to identify with. Russo worked as that character in the first season. He wasn't always a good guy, and he had his demons, but ultimately he was a decent person who you could legitimately root for. The second season lacks a character like that, and suffers for it.

I point to The Shield because I think it's actually very similar to House of Cards. It has an anti-hero (Vic) who repeatedly does horrible things and continues to get away with them, but over time they keep stacking up and eventually collapse on top of him and he loses everything. The difference is that The Shield had characters who weren't wholly corrupt like Lem (the moral center of the Strike Team), Dutch, and Claudette, among others. House of Cards has what appears to be a very similar plot arc (you have to imagine that the House of Cards will eventually come tumbling down on top of Underwood), but largely lacks the supporting characters who are needed to give the show heart.
 
Although i agree that underwood cant get away with it forever iliken the show to watching a nature programme about sharks. Sharks always seem to get away with it, its their nature. The underwoods are sharks and their 'love story' is interesting in the way it lacks certain things you expect.

Note i'm only 4 episodes in on season 2
 
s2 was much worse than s1 and pretty disappointing overall. still better than a lot on tv (that's not saying much) but definitely not must-watch tv a la breaking bad, got, etc. the binge watching aspect definitely works in the shows favor though.
 
s2 was much worse than s1 and pretty disappointing overall. still better than a lot on tv (that's not saying much) but definitely not must-watch tv a la breaking bad, got, etc. the binge watching aspect definitely works in the shows favor though.

Yeah, I actually think much of the show's success is because of how great it is as a binge-watch. It's ultimately a pretty forgettable season, but while you're watching it you're wrapped up in it waiting to see what happens next.

I just think that "what happened next" was ultimately a little disappointing.

I also think the show wouldn't be nearly as good if it weren't for Spacey carrying the lead role with his evil smirks and Colonel Sanders accent.
 

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