Oh don't deny it, you loved it. You do not want me actually to stand for anything, you just want me to stand to be a strong man, the man of action. My god you are addicted to action and slogans. It doesn't matter what I say... it doesn't matter what I do... as long as I am doing something. You are happy to be along for a ride. And frankly I don't blame you, with all the foolishness in your lives why not a man like me! I do not apologise and in the end I don't not care if you love me or hate me, just as long I win. The deck are stacked, rules are rigged. Welcome to the death of the age of reason, there is no right or wrong, not anymore. There is only being in and then being out." This is possibly the best political drama to ever grace television. The way it can turn a simple slip of the tongue into a maelstrom of uncertainty is astounding. All the characters demonstrate a flaw in the construct of society, which means that the perspective of the show is always full of colour and diversity. Some have high aspirations and their determination turns them into power-craving lunatics, others seek to survive and do so by treading carefully the line between good and bad for the sake of their career longevity.
As is revealed in the finale, Frank Underwood is a President without scruples - his entire presidency is based on his thirst for power and the trickery he uses to acquire it. Since Elysian Fields, it seems he's been plotting a long game in which he can escape justice, while also reasserting himself in government, following a brief period outside the White House. But there's one gaping hole in his plan, and that involves trusting his closest friend - his wife, Clare. Now, Clare Underwood is quite rightly her own entity - someone who has stood proudly in the shadow of her husband, equally formidable, but less vocal of her rights and intentions. Thanks to a little help from her closest allies within the presidential administration, her reign has become possible, and she states in the final words of the series, for better or worse, this is her turn. Chapter 61 strayed perhaps a little too far from the central conflict, but the final four episodes solidified this season's strengths - the Underwood agenda and the Washington Herald leaks. The entire affair was made far more exciting thanks to the inclusion of Mark Usher and Jane Davis, two incredibly versatile personas imposing their tantamount experience in the White House, and consequently setting in motion the events of Frank's demise and Clare's coronation. Jane especially, played precociously by Patricia Clarkson, exhibits an all-knowing aura in which she almost plays the puppeteer of a corrupt administration. The way she dealt with Kathy Durant and Leann Harvey shows how influential she is in the plot, and I think she's the greatest addition yet to this wonderful series. She gets things done without so much as a paper cut. Tom Hammerschmidt is another great character, someone who appears to be on the verge of solving a four-season-long case, but fails due to the fact that the leak in government turns out to be Frank himself, who has somehow managed to orchestrate a mass deception with the help of his closest assistant, Doug Stamper. It's frustrating to see Tom struggle to get the right assumption, but at the same time, we're almost gunning for Frank Underwood to sustain this elaborate facade. For Tom Yates however, whilst I may not have liked him as a character, it's sad to see him perish by the hands of Clare, someone who has had bloodless hands so far in this series. It symbolically shows that she and Frank do have some sort of synchronicity when it comes to their methods, and it parallels nicely with Frank's rise to power back in Season Two, in which he spilt blood before climbing the political ladder. Aidan Macallan's final role in the story is still slightly hazy, but his involvement with Leann is plain and simple. They more than liked each other, and in his dying breath, Aidan attempted to save Leann from what she thought was a prosperous relationship with the Underwoods. In the end, as Doug did warn her, she has failed to duck the scythe. Frank has no remorse for her death whatsoever, perhaps resigning himself to the fact that she was a danger to his own integrity. The final two chapters of this season are pretty stunning though, and do define the elements that House of Cards does best. There's a significant speech that Spacey, as always, performs well, in which he accuses the committee of breaking the same rules that he has broken in this corrupt government. It's a clever way of side-tracking the public and turning their opinions on the members of committee instead of concentrating entirely on him. But, as we've found out, all his work may have amounted to nothing as Clare starts her own strategic game in which she's in charge. It's clear that she's more favourable than her husband as representative of the people, but with Frank's dooming words, how long can she uphold her position. Brilliant camerawork, poignant music and unyielding performances make the closing chapters all the better as we head into a new regime of government. The story struggles at times the further it strays from the White House, but with some new characters in play, and old ones lost forever, Season Six is looking just as gritty as the last five. Chapter 61 - F and U - 7.5/10 Chapter 62 - Two Corpses - 8/10 Chapter 63 - Eyes and Ears - 8/10 Chapter 64 - The Fall - 9.5/10 Chapter 65 - Shift - 9/10 Season Five Overall - 8.5/10
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We've had this sort of trouble before. Election of 1800 Jefferson vs Burr. They wound up in a tie. 73 electoral votes each. That was the number required then, and that's when Congress tried to address what the Founding Father just couldn't imagine. And, Poof, 12th Amendment was born. And It says that if states don certify. It's the House that chooses the president and Senate that chooses the vice president. Now House is a bit messy, but the Senate is rather democratic in how they choose the VP. One person, one vote. But if there is a tie... and this is where Donald Duck comes in, it's resolved... by the toss of a coin. A solution that's elegant as hell. But then there is no elegance in modern politics; mostly hell." Loyalty is the big element joining these latest episodes. It plays a big part in the leading candidate for presidency following a scenario where two states are left unable to complete electoral voting and a nation is left in the lurch as to who its next leader will be. Francis Underwood's speech in Chapter 57 bridges the time gap we have between the previous chapter and the current one. It's a brilliant speech, potently delivered by Kevin Spacey in what is my favourite scene to date. As he walks the hallways and buildings and sidewalks of politics, Francis and acts and breathes as the King of America, a man who has deceived the system and crippled the alternatives. As the Underwoods stated in the previous chapter, they were willing to do anything to save their reign - and this is the payoff.
Consequently, Will Conway is now in a state of demoralisation as he desperately seeks presidency, something that he was assured would be his on election day, but has now been swiped away from him by his opponent, but he has no incriminating evidence or leeway to prove Francis' manipulation of government. Unfortunately for Conway, in chapter 58, his emotion gets the better of him, as we start to witness the petulant, sore loser behind the inspirational and charismatic mask. His anger may be justified, but it's another nail in his political coffin and a feather in the Underwoods' cap. What's worse is that his own supporters and colleagues by chapter 60 have released his breakdown on the plane to the Underwoods as ammunition for their campaign. It's becoming clear that his tenure as the chosen Republican candidate could be nearing its demise. Regarding the behind the scenes characters, it seems Tom Hammerschmidt, despite firing a new employee , has stumbled upon a trail of bodies that could prove Doug Stamper's involvement in some hellish crimes. This plot point dates back to the first and second season of House and Cards, and perhaps has more meaning than the rest of the stories, but not a lot has been covered yet to amount to anything accusatory. However, I expect to see Hamerschimdt nearing the answers pretty soon as he starts to join the dots that link Zoe Barnes and Rachel Posner. Chapter 59 demonstrated the stronger side to House of Cards tension. It reminded me a lot of Season 2's Chapter 17 as the White House is sent into lockdown due to a possible terror threat involving a van of radiation. The episode fruitfully shows the dynamic duo of Francis and Clare as they collaborate together to find the solution to a problem. In this case, they rapidly uncover a hidden coup that attempts to distract the Underwoods from their political campaign. Seeing Francis confront one of his own military leaders, Vanessa Morrison was well-handled and showed how deep-routed the hatred is towards the Underwoods. Additionally, Chapter 59 introduced a new fan favourite of mine - Jane Davis. From the moment Patricia Clarkson first appeared, you could tell that she was going to give us a fascinating new character to get to know and understand. Here, she does it brilliantly, simply by demonstrating her negotiation skills and aptitude in languages. Her presence in the future could vastly improve the Underwoods chances of survival in the White House, as Clare did mention - she is a beneficial ally. But, the question remains, what are her motives - what does she want? As the election continues, so do the problems in the world, as Clare and Francis learn of Petrov's involvement in the disappearance of Aidan Macallan. This forces Clare to take action as she attempts to use different methods to negotiate Aidan back. To make matters a little more interesting, a boat finds itself stranded and in danger of sinking in the north, which only the Americans can help. In an attempt to get Macallan back to America, Clare brilliantly attempts to threaten the Chinese with a higher tariff, which leads her and Davis to discover that the Chinese were lying about a certain American geo-physicst on board, but unfortunately does not push Petrov to concede. The main section of the story I'm not keen on is Tom Yates character. In Season Three and Season Four he was a great asset to the show and provided a lot of depth to the Underwoods' development as a couple and their developments as presidential candidates. But now, with the inclusion of his affair with another woman in New York, things are getting too sidetracked to care anymore. The only connection he has to the overall story is his relationship with Clare, which doesn't seem to be deteriorating. Unless he has a larger role soon, I don't think I can bother with him any longer. Nevertheless, House of Cards continues to demonstrate its parallel connection with real world politics and easily shows how power is collected and exchanged between characters with as little as a memory stick or a photo. The exclusive club at Elysian Fields in Chapter 60 was a great way to reassert our image of the power of politics and how egregious the entire system is, where people of influence can perpetuate their reputation and image for their future gain. President or not, Francis Underwood is the epitome of a politician seeking to reform the government into further disrepair. Chapter 57 - Strange Days - 8/10 Chapter 58 - The Losing Candidate - 8/10 Chapter 59 - The Hidden Coup - 9/10 Chapter 60 - Crow's Nest - 8/10 The American people don't know what's best for them. I do. I know exactly what they need. They're like little children, Claire...We have to hold their sticky fingers and wipe their filthy mouths. Teach them right from wrong. Tell them what to think and how to feel and what to want. They even need help writing their wildest dreams and crafting their worst fears." Connections to real political events aside, House of Cards Season 5 has started in a surreal place in American history - at the point where the Underwoods are attempting to win the presidency for a four year-term, and doing so through any means necessary. As always in the presence of Frank Underwood, if you defy him, he may not pay much attention to you, but behind the scenes, he's plotting ways to destabilise your career, threaten your family and ruin your life. With a backup team like Doug Stamper and Leann Harvey, you'd be hard-pressed to doubt their success so far.
From the first four episodes, this season promises to concentrate on its political aspects rather than the emotional journeys and developments of its characters. Over the past four seasons, we've grown to understand the personalities and intentions of the many characters, now it's time to concentrate on their actions. This is shown really well in the first episode, as we are thrown straight back into the unconventional government of Frank Underwood, one where he feeds off chaos and fear. The scene of him addressing the congress was a strong way to start the season, acclimatising for the audience and shows off the President's inevitable influence in a flawed system. Even the overseeing committee can't find a way to silence the President. There are a few defining scenes, most especially involving a blood-curdling speech from Frank Underwood as he breaks the fourth wall. The scene in which he describes how to build a tower of logs in the Oval Office fireplace symbolised well the burning embers of democracy as it sits under wood (see what I did there?). I wasn't entire sure what film Frank and Claire were watching on the eve of the election, but seeing a usually separated husband and wife share a close moment together, giving the audience a taste of how the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates know each other so well. Their conflict is often startling, but both harbouring hearts of darkness, when they combine, they are a more than formidable force of evil. To see 'The End' of the film at the beginning of the fourth episode was a clever way to lead us into the all-important election day as the Underwoods attempted to hold up the falling walls, claiming enthusiastically that the White House is "Our House". Amongst the political maelstrom there are elements of confusion. As their are so many characters, it can't be difficult to keep track of all the storylines threading through this series. The committee that was established in the first episode which would investigate the terrorism of ICO has quickly evaporated by the fourth episode, leading me to wonder whether the writers forgot about that development or there's some background knowledge the audience isn't party to yet. Also, each episode seems to have its own isolated story, which can be easily forgotten when considering the overarching story, which to be honest is the only important aspect. I do, however, like the continuous connections to Tom Hammerschmidt and the new edition to the New York Herald, Sean Jeffries, and also the illegal work by Macallan in the NSA. He has clearly been an asset in the Underwood's success. Top of the game in this production, as usual, is the acting. Kevin Spacey is as charismatic as he is intimidating. He dominates every scene, apart from when he's with Robin Wright, who balances his predominant aura with her cold stare and under-her-breath insults. They are one of the greatest partnerships in show business, and House of Cards are lucky to have them. But praise must go to their supporting cast too, especially Michael Kelly, Joel Kinnaman and Boris McGiver, who help to transform this show into the bleak and politically-gruelling battlefield it should be. As I've quoted above the article, my favourite scene is the last one in the fourth episode, the best of the season so far. I hope this standard continues and the tension that filled the fourth episode continues. With two great forces clashing together on the political ground, House of Cards is as exciting as it ever was. Frank hasn't unleashed his full powers yet, but you can expect some genuinely terrifying things from him and his associate pretty soon as he attempts to reassert the political rules of the United States of America permanently so that he may remain in power for a very long time - preferably for him, until he dies. Chapter 53: Waterfalls - 8/10 Chapter 54: House of Wood - 8/10 Chapter 55: Our House - 7.5/10 Chapter 56: Underwood - 8.5/10 |
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October 2017
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