House of Cards (US) (Netflix)

[BossSaru]

This is really going to mess up coming on here to get people's views on the latest episode. So..um...I've seen the first two eps and I really like it. One thing I didn't grasp at all from Ep 2:

What is FU's relationship with that ex-press secretary guy from Sancorp who comes over during his restaurant meeting right at the beginning? Something to do with how he is bankrolling as his wheeling and dealing?

I presume that:

the ex-press secretary is working for a company as a lobbyist. He calls in the favours (demands) from politicians in return for the funding they are given for their polical campaigns.

Watched episode three last night. Really enjoying it thus far. Not Breaking Bad levels of awesome by any means, but very enjoyable and engaging.

[kerraig UK]

Hmmm episode 2 was very predictable and fairly basic as machiavellian mischief goes. Surely people in Washington are smarter than they are drawn here.

[Silent Runner]

Yep. I watched the second one last night and I thought the same thing. At first I thought Peter Russo was an office staff member, I didn’t realise he was a Senator.

1x2

It was a bit ridiculous the way they send him on a crazy gig like that, with a pocket full of coke.

I don’t get the story with Robin Wright and her firing her staff either.

I’ll probably keep watching it all just seems a little lightweight.

[Rudi von Starnberg]

Russo is a Congressman - a nobody Congressman, at that.

Watched far too much of this over the past few days and have now finished it. Damn good series. The end is something of a cocktease though - lot of threads left dangling for season 2.

[jon_cybernet]

Yeah I agree, really good overall, but ended slightly unsatisfyingly for me.

[Mr Cochese]

From what I've learned about Congress from House Of Cards and Homeland, congressmen don't actually have to attend congress or do anything at all to do with their job, and it's quite normal for them to be coke fiends or terrorists.

[NecroMorrius]

My only problem is the lack of realism. What kid would have a PS VIta! Also Mrs Morrius pointed out Robin Wrights weird neck-hole, and now I can't unsee it.

[Nimmel]

I've been fairly glued to this over the last 2 days, I have throughly enjoyed it so far. That being said one thing that bugged me in Episode 10 (which is as far as I have got).

It seemed a bit of a stretch that Peter would just suddenly go off the rails like that even with some encouragement. Even though the bill didn't go through I thought he still had a lot to fight for even if he was selling his soul to the san corp devil and had it all ultimately lose. I just couldn't believe his character would do that.

[Mr Cochese]

Is that a PS Vita?

[deerokus]

Haven't watched this as I am watching the original first... I hope they've kept the media tycoon with a Paisley-Boston-Texas-Sydney-Cape Town accent.

[Mr Cochese]

It was only at some point near the bit where House Of Thrones turned into the home shopping channel when I noticed that Freddy the spare ribs man had exactly the same voice as the Querns. Come to think of it, he had the same face as the Querns too. But it couldn't have been the Querns, because the Querns had hair.

Nobody fucks with the Querns.

[Cthulhu Steev]

Is that a PS Vita?

and 'Well they should stop making this delicious pizza!' [shows Pizza Hut box], in the same episode.

[deerokus]

Watched the first episode. Different from the original in a good way. Also Godfather and Patterson from Generation Kill are both in it!

[CrispinG]

i'm just sticking this on in the background while i smoke and look at the forum now. it's not very good, objectively: Spacey's performance is alright (overrated i think; he's another actor who essentially always plays the same character with the same mannerisms and attitude, just in different circumstances) but the writing isn't up to his smugness. oftentimes his little speeches fall completely flat and he just sounds pompous and delusional, especially when he's patronising Zoe. sometimes he just talks utter shit and it's a failing of the script. it's incongruous with his character's arrogance, unless we're just supposed to see Frank Underwood as a self-important windbag, in which case why do i care about his story? someone said earlier that a character doesn't need to be likeable for his story to be told, which is not true. your character doesn't need to be a nice guy to be sympathetic; look at Tony Soprano. if he's just a twat, though, which Frank Underwood is, i don't care that much.

a lot of the plot is absurd too. Frank cajoling the union guy into punching him in the face which ends the whole teacher strike was particularly far fetched. i dunno, it reminds me of the second series of Homeland in that it takes itself very seriously but comes off farcical.

also the inclusion of Lester Freeman from The Wire as The Rib Guy is pretty cringe. is that supposed to be Frank's redeeming quality; he's sort-of-mates with a working class black guy on the other side of town? his character features quite heavily and as far as i can tell he's completely unnecessary. i'm sure he'll have some improbably astute words of wisdom for Frank before the series ends.

[deerokus]

Lester Freamon isn't in it.

[CrispinG]

really? i know him from something.

[JohnC]

Maybe you know him as Querns from Oz?

[Mr Cochese]

I was watching it and I said "how the fuck is that not The Querns?", and my missus was like, "it is, you complete dickhead"..

[grounded_dreams]

The actor who plays Freddy in House of Cards is from The Wire, Reg E. Cathey plays the character Norman Wilson:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Wilson_%28The_Wire%29

[CrispinG]

Ooooh of course. Carcetti's man.

[Silent Runner]

i'm just sticking this on in the background while i smoke and look at the forum now. it's not very good, objectively: Spacey's performance is alright (overrated i think; he's another actor who essentially always plays the same character with the same mannerisms and attitude, just in different circumstances) but the writing isn't up to his smugness. oftentimes his little speeches fall completely flat and he just sounds pompous and delusional, especially when he's patronising Zoe. sometimes he just talks utter shit and it's a failing of the script. it's incongruous with his character's arrogance, unless we're just supposed to see Frank Underwood as a self-important windbag, in which case why do i care about his story? someone said earlier that a character doesn't need to be likeable for his story to be told, which is not true. your character doesn't need to be a nice guy to be sympathetic; look at Tony Soprano. if he's just a twat, though, which Frank Underwood is, i don't care that much.

Perfectly sums it up for me.

I watched the third episode last night and the speech he gives at the funeral of the girl was terrible. It's all set up for these big Jed Bartlett type soliloquies but his words never come close.

I'm going to keep watching because I love Kate Mara.

[CrispinG]

oh the kid who gets shot in the drive-by? that was in hilariously poor taste even by America's standard of guttersnipe politics. the reaction of the parents was absurd; this is a show that seems to think the electorate are completely retarded.

[Silent Runner]

Nah, the one who died in the water-tower/peach-tree car crash.

[CrispinG]

bloody hell i forgot about that one. how many kids' funerals does Kevin Spacey gatecrash in this show?!

[dreamylittledream]

Perfectly sums it up for me.

I watched the third episode last night and the speech he gives at the funeral of the girl was terrible. It's all set up for these big Jed Bartlett type soliloquies but his words never come close.

I'm going to keep watching because I love Kate Mara.

Isn't the point that his words are empty and meaningless and its his sheer force of personality that carries the emotional connection?

The point of Bartlett is he is always genuine - the point of Underwood is that he never is...the issue is that frequently is doesn't matter.

oh the kid who gets shot in the drive-by? that was in hilariously poor taste even by America's standard of guttersnipe politics. the reaction of the parents was absurd; this is a show that seems to think the electorate are completely retarded.

Have you seen the reaction of the typical American electorate recently?

[Gotters]

I finished this last night and have to say overall was slightly disappointed, the first couple of eps I was thinking this was going to be right up there with the best tv but I think it slipped back a bit in terms of plot over the course of the season and there was some real filler (especially episode 8 when he goes back to his college).

Not bad by any means and above average but not fantastic.

Still don't get the critiscism of Spacey's character and portrayal, he's not playing it blandly at all, seems an exercise in displaying controlled rage in the character who has to scheme, plot and influence people he usually has contempt for.

[Mr Cochese]

Kate Mara's face is annoying me more and more.

[Cosmic_Guru]

Binged on the House of Apple last night, up to about ep 10 now. I'm enjoying it so far (apart from the reunion episode) and it's tightly plotted, but I feel there is a danger that all the main characters will end up dislikeable*, which is a real downer for me. It happened with a show called Brotherhood which started promisingly enough but by the end of series 3 I felt the whole family could rot in Hell or on deaths row for evermore, there was not a single one I could give a damn about. That is what differentiates the real cream of TV from the rest.

*other than Russo who, from where I left it mid episode last night, was about to be sorely tempted once again.

[Lovelyman]

Episode 11

Poor Peter

[Cthulhu Steev]

After a great beginning this turned into Homeland season 2 quality by the end for me. Very much doubt I'll watch the second season.

I was so disappointed I started watching Deadwood again from the start.