House of Cards

We watched the whole thing over a period of about three days. I was most impressed by the production values--far nicer than I expected. Of course the acting and writing was top notch too. I was worried that KS's constant breaking of the fourth wall would grow tiring, but it never did.

The last two episodes get really dark...

Haven't seen it but did see the Brit one when it came out. I would imagine Kevin Spacey being very good as the MC. And yeah, the fourth wall breaking does work in this instance. And can make you feel very squirmy because it feels like it's only you and him who know whats happening and you don't really want to cos it's icky...... LOL!

I loved this! I just wrapped up Season 1 this weekend. I though Kevin Spacey was amazing. He was so creepy and dark. The whole thing is very dark, actually, and had me really hoping this doesn't accurately depict life on the hill.

And yeah. I enjoy the Fourth Wall breaking.

I'm looking forward to Season 2!

Hubby and I finished it last weekend. SO good! We were disappointed to find out the second season isn't out yet.

Definitely dark. I was hurting for some of the characters by the end. And I know Spacey's character is supposed to be a bad guy, but I still find myself rooting for him. Such complex characters! The acting is top notch all around.

I binge-watched. Very entertaining show. Very!

Stiger05 said:

Hubby and I finished it last weekend. SO good! We were disappointed to find out the second season isn't out yet.

Definitely dark. I was hurting for some of the characters by the end. And I know Spacey's character is supposed to be a bad guy, but I still find myself rooting for him. Such complex characters! The acting is top notch all around.

Click to expand...

Yes! It's crazy! I keep having to remind myself how evil he is because I'm always rooting for him.

Even though he's gross. Truly.

And I really don't like Clair at all.

And Zoe is completely manipulative. Of course, they all are.

Hubby and I are so looking forward to season 2!

Alpha Echo said:

Yes! It's crazy! I keep having to remind myself how evil he is because I'm always rooting for him.

Even though he's gross. Truly.

And I really don't like Clair at all.

And Zoe is completely manipulative. Of course, they all are.

Hubby and I are so looking forward to season 2!

Click to expand...

I don't either, most the time. Every once in a while she'll have these human moments though.

Zoe is one I have trouble feeling compassion for. The way she treated everyone at the Herald? I keep hoping she falls hard.

It took me a while to get "into" Claire. She rubbed me the wrong way at first, then, when she had her love affair, she seemed to develop better dimension, imho.

I love Zoe. She is awesome at manipulation and I cannot wait to see what she does next season.

Loved it. Thought all the characters were really strong and there was some really great roles for women.

Loved also the whole Shakespearean thing going on, part Richard III, part Macbeth, part Iago . . . definitely Macbeth when it comes to the marriage. Nice to see a relationship of equals that is pretty open and communicative (yes I know it goes a little off the rails later on, but is it weird I find it one of the healthier marriages on TV right now?).

Toothpaste said:

Nice to see a relationship of equals that is pretty open and communicative (yes I know it goes a little off the rails later on, but is it weird I find it one of the healthier marriages on TV right now?).

Click to expand...

Maybe just sad, more than weird. I get what you mean, but it seems to me like such a cold marriage. There's absolutely no warmth. They may communicate...mostly...but they're just so cold with each other.

I do agree that Claire is showing some dimension now after affair. The things she keeps wondering to herself and then dismissing because Frank will just think she's being silly.

Maryn said:

Corey Stoll's Russo's self-destruction is heartbreaking. Without spoilers, can anybody tell me if he's okay at the end of the season?

Click to expand...

We cannot. I think that plot line is heartbreaking as well. Russo has so much potential to be something great.

Alpha Echo said:

Maybe just sad, more than weird. I get what you mean, but it seems to me like such a cold marriage. There's absolutely no warmth. They may communicate...mostly...but they're just so cold with each other.

Click to expand...

See this might seem odd, but I find a mutually respectful relationship where they sneak a smoke at night and help each other with their ambitions (until things go off the rails as I said before) really refreshing. To me it seemed like they really did love each other, they just didn't demonstrate it overtly. I find more and more in general people are so keen to show that they are in love to the world, and in a lot of fiction that winds up coming across as superficial infatuation/lust. It seemed like they had a deeper connection to me.

So it isn't what people categorise "normal", but I found it oddly really refreshing to see a husband and wife be on the same team. And it did seem that the mere act of being a team was loving. To me . Again, not that the relationship is in any way perfect, but before the turning point happens, with him not supporting her and her retaliation . . . well up till then I really thought they had a relatively healthy relationship, lol.

Anybody else find the actor who played Peter a revelation? I googled him and then learned he also played Hemingway in MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - a film that I didn't like but I did enjoy him very much.

I think you're right in that they have a very deep, mutual understanding of one another. They are very alike. Both are extremely ambitious to the point of breaking the law if that's what it takes, and they support each others ambitions 100%.

But I don't think that changes them and makes them warm. I'm not even sure it means they love each other. At least for conventional reasons. It seems to me they love each other because they ARE each other. And they can help each other get what they want.

I think there is a certain measure of love between Francis and Claire, but not passion for each other. I too thought their relationship was refreshing, at least up until Zoe. Their mutual and open cheating made that easier to swallow but changed how I viewed the marriage. It seems like more of a business arrangement, but they're open and honest about it and despite how deep or shallow their love may go, they at least seem to have a mutual respect and are determined to help each other. Claire is cold and Francis is self-centered, but they fit each other, and at least they aren't lovey-dovey in public and screaming at each other at home.

Toothpaste said:

...Anybody else find the actor who played Peter a revelation? I googled him and then learned he also played Hemingway in MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - a film that I didn't like but I did enjoy him very much.

Click to expand...

Yes. I loved him! He looks so familiar but I can't figure out what I've seen him in. I checked his IMDB page but I haven't seen anything on the list, with the possible exception of Law and Order (but I don't think that's it. He had a mustache in the pics and I didn't recognize him at first). I hope his career goes well--I want to see him in more stuff!

Alpha Echo said:

But I don't think that changes them and makes them warm. I'm not even sure it means they love each other. At least for conventional reasons. It seems to me they love each other because they ARE each other. And they can help each other get what they want.

Click to expand...

No they certainly aren't warm people. But I think for people with their kind of personality they seem to me to be in love. At least at first . . .

I dunno.

I guess I need to think about it more. I just get so tired of the show of love as opposed to just being in love. And I think we all express love in different ways. To me I thought it quite funny that I thought they had one of the healthier relationships on TV out there .

Toothpaste said:

I guess I need to think about it more. I just get so tired of the show of love as opposed to just being in love. And I think we all express love in different ways. To me I thought it quite funny that I thought they had one of the healthier relationships on TV out there .

Click to expand...

I get what you're saying. I think that's because a lot of TV writers...IDK, marriages seem to either be perfect or falling apart. There's no marriages that just are. I think of my own easy-going, relaxed marriage. We're not romantic with each other at all (though we occasionally make romantic gestures). We rarely hold hands or kiss in public. We cuddle once in awhile, but our evenings are normally spent talking with the TV on in the background. We have passion for each other, but we're just...in sync.

Maybe that's what it is .They aren't the "perfectly happy" couple, but they are in sync. As long as they both want the same things, they are their own version of "perfectly happy" in the marriage.

Does that make sense?

It doesn't surprise me at all that KS is good in the role. I remember seeing him years ago in a film called something like Swimming with Snakes (or possibly Sharks...). He was very cold and manipulative in that.

Yes, I watched the entire series in about 2 days. Great show!

Alpha Echo said:

I get what you're saying. I think that's because a lot of TV writers...IDK, marriages seem to either be perfect or falling apart. There's no marriages that just are. I think of my own easy-going, relaxed marriage. We're not romantic with each other at all (though we occasionally make romantic gestures). We rarely hold hands or kiss in public. We cuddle once in awhile, but our evenings are normally spent talking with the TV on in the background. We have passion for each other, but we're just...in sync.

Maybe that's what it is .They aren't the "perfectly happy" couple, but they are in sync. As long as they both want the same things, they are their own version of "perfectly happy" in the marriage.

Does that make sense?

Click to expand...

It's also that there relationship is so focused on power. It feels like they're choice to not have kids was simply a power move, and that has sort of set the bar in terms of their "do everything to get ahead" mentality. But because they share it and are so in-synch otherwise, it isn't a problem but the thing that brings them together. I don't know, just how I saw it.

Just finished E5. Have to premise this by saying I normally hate breaking the 4th wall in lit or TV/movies. But it's done so well in this show I actually look forward to those moments. The writing is off the charts. I mean the plotlines alone are great, but the dialogue is like honey to a horny bear. Effing great.

KS is brilliant in this so far and his accent is thankfully convincing--maybe thanks to his "Midnight in the Garden of Evil" character 15 or so years ago? Can't wait to see the next episode. So very well done. I liken it to "Sopranos" in DC. And I would now liken "Sopranos" to "House of Cards" in Jersey Mafia.

This show is marvelous. Like other posters have been saying, the relationship between Frank and Claire is more of a business transaction than an actual marriage, and they're both not afraid to throw others under the bus to get what they want.

I love the fourth wall moments.

Got addicted to this show in no time - always a Kevin Spacey fan. I also lived in SC for 18 years, so I loved the episodes when he visited his home state. Their marriage is definitely dysfunctional, but in some weird way it seems to work for them.