Just finished Season 4 and in my opinion, it was captivating. The other three seasons were really good, but I needed a break to digest the storylines every couple of episodes. With this Season, I just had to keep watching!
A few notes:
1. As entertaining as Frank was, I hope he gets found out. Because after killing a Washington Herald reporter and the major candidate for the Governor of Pennsylvania, threatening to kill the Secretary of State, ousting a sitting president through false impeachment, committing large scale corruption and conspiring to kill a prostitute, he had a human side to him; most exemplified by his relationship to Freddy, the rib guy. Sure his relationships with Meechum and Vice President Blythe were good, but his relationship with Freddy was kind of refreshing amidst the bravado, scheming and evil doing. When his suggestion for the send off for Freddy consisted of him cooking ribs for a party in keeping with his ever present and perpetual status as "the help", that eliminated what little bit of humanity Frank had left. The guy needs to be found out and jailed for the s**t he's done.
2. Claire's taking it up to the President was fantastic and showed how conniving the two of them are as a team.
3. Doug needs to be murdered. He's a psychopathic menace and the thought of him killing while he's meant to be the senior adviser to the leader of the free world irks me. He's just a weird little man.
4. Old mate Hammerschmidt will find out everything eventually. I always liked him and seeing him expose the President for everything he is will make me smile.
5. The sexual dynamics of the President, First Lady and those close to them are interesting, although far fetched. Sure, we don't believe that Barack and Michelle only do missionary and we know about Lady Eleanor's rug munching escapades, but they're about three episodes away from having a 46-way between the President, First Lady and the Democratic members of the US Senate.
6. That widower seemed nice, but that whole sexually charged moment with Doug in the finale made me want to plough through the TV and say "bitch, he a killer!".
7. The scene between Frank and Catherine Durant made me yell out "holy shiiiiiiit!". Great TV.
8. I think they need to end the series next season. The theoretical meaning of a House of Cards centres on the notion that if there's an imbalance in a delicate structure, the structure can crumble at any time. Frank's mistakes haven't been a mere imbalance in the very delicate structure of the US Presidency, rather a god damned avalanche. He will be found out, and whenever that is, it will mark the end of a very accurate and well done political drama.
******* lol at you listing all the vile things he's done, and concluding that rather than them it's patronising of Freddy that is the final straw
On the sexual dynamics, I think it's brilliant. And you may think far-fetched but is it? Really? This couple is driven by power, not by companionship or affection, it's not at all surprising that some parties might want it and the others happy for them to take it where they can. And don't forget how many UK politicians have been done for kinky s**t. In the US and in Washington there would be a huge swingers subculture. In short, just because we don't hear about it doesn't mean the facades are real.
The opinion that it needs to end next season is valid in some ways, although I disagree, but it's not valid to conclude it due to the name. "House of Cards" was the title of the UK show this was modeled on and took inspiration from, ergo the name isn't necessarily connected to what happens in the show. Having said that, I kind of agree it a house of cards, and that it will at some point come tumbling down; but at the same time I don't. I mean, for me, this show is one of the most accurate portrayals of what actually goes on in the lives of people with genuine power (although obviously the murders are not necessarily reflective), but this is how people do things. This is WHY people do things. Starting wars to hold power is nothing new, far from it. So is it really a house of cards? I don't know.
Personally, I hope that the obvious "tumbling down" thing doesn't occur, that Frank and Claire don't "get what's coming from them, the karma bus" that everyone expects to happen. I think a true twist would be Frank getting away with it, a la Bush/Rumsfeld etc
On the sexual dynamics, I think it's brilliant. And you may think far-fetched but is it? Really? This couple is driven by power, not by companionship or affection, it's not at all surprising that some parties might want it and the others happy for them to take it where they can. And don't forget how many UK politicians have been done for kinky s**t. In the US and in Washington there would be a huge swingers subculture. In short, just because we don't hear about it doesn't mean the facades are real.
The opinion that it needs to end next season is valid in some ways, although I disagree, but it's not valid to conclude it due to the name. "House of Cards" was the title of the UK show this was modeled on and took inspiration from, ergo the name isn't necessarily connected to what happens in the show. Having said that, I kind of agree it a house of cards, and that it will at some point come tumbling down; but at the same time I don't. I mean, for me, this show is one of the most accurate portrayals of what actually goes on in the lives of people with genuine power (although obviously the murders are not necessarily reflective), but this is how people do things. This is WHY people do things. Starting wars to hold power is nothing new, far from it. So is it really a house of cards? I don't know.
Personally, I hope that the obvious "tumbling down" thing doesn't occur, that Frank and Claire don't "get what's coming from them, the karma bus" that everyone expects to happen. I think a true twist would be Frank getting away with it, a la Bush/Rumsfeld etc