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
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