The Hollowness of House of Cards

For the past two years I have written a continuous blog for House of Cards wherein I would add my thoughts and observations to an ongoing blog posts after finishing each episode. It seemed a sensible thing to do for a show released all at once. But after two seasons, I have come to realize I do not care much for House of Cards nor do I care much for dissecting every episode. Entertainment-wise, House of Cards gets me by. I'm always willing to watch the next installment, curious how things will unfold. But quality-wise the show is so incredibly uneven and frustratingly hollow. For every strong performance and impressive, meticulously blocked shot, there is something else completely inane or ridiculous happening. It is honestly an elegantly crafted show and I only wish the writing held up to its directing, performance, cinematography, costuming and stage dressings (for real...the furniture on this show is a freaking West Elm catalogue). Its incredibly unbalanced.

I find the writing so frustrating for a variety of reasons, but I think what I find so irritating is the hubris of the show. The show is convinced that what is unfolding on screen is so deep, artistic, and nuanced that its a wonder to behold. In actuality the show has never been as good as it presents itself. The plots have always been weak including Frank Underwood's rise to power. The characters too have been terribly written (minus Claire and Peter Russo). They do things so over the top you are often taken out of the moment of the show. Or they will have some new strange habit that you can tell the writers find interesting and different when in fact it almost never reveals any new depth to the character. It just reinforces what we already know or is just straight up strange, neither clever nor resonant. (And I have become even more convinced of this after reading the most pretentious and pompous interview I've ever laid eyes on with showrunner Beau Willimon. His responses and general attitude represent everything I find wrong with House of Cards).

Sometimes I feel I am overly harsh on this show. I mean, it's just a television show and Netflix's first attempt at prestige programming. I'm probably overly critical because I insisted on dissecting twenty-six separate episodes as some sort of writing exercise. Surely I would enjoy other shows like The Knick or Girls much less if I decided to do the same to them, right? So this year, for its third season, I decided not to do a continuous blog. I decided to just try to turn the inner critic off and enjoy the show at my leisure. But two episodes in I got so frustrated I couldn't help myself.

[Spoilers for the first two episodes of Season Three follow (which is all I have watched so far):]

My annoyance relates back to the issues I've already mentioned. Look, my problem with House of Cards is not that it tries too hard or is too ambitious--I happen to admire ambition (like Halt and Catch Fire is overly stylish and unsuccessfully ambitious but not gratingly so). What bothers me is that House of Cards is cocky and vacuous with nothing to support its self-aggrandizement. In Chapter Twenty-Seven, the third season premiere, we spent a good 30 minutes straight with Doug freaking Stamper. This guy was left for dead last season and I have to say I was incredibly disappointed to see him alive. Not because the character is a creep, but because he has never had an interesting story line. Nor do I have any desire to root for his rehabilitation and reintroduction into the main habitat of the show. And don't get me started on what this means about the never-ending Rachel subplot (a terribly gratuitous story line in every sense of the word that has been going on since Chapter One). We have moved on from much better characters and story-lines (Peter Russo or even Zoe Barnes), but why are we still plagued with Doug? What use is he? Doug Stamper is the herpes of House of Cards. And what is with the syringe of bourbon? Is that supposed to be some form of portion control to resist completely falling off the wagon? Because it's being presented as a weird character quirk that is supposed to be illuminating or intriguing but is neither of those things. Willimon and Co. are so bad at the "meaningful character quirks" thing it would almost be impressive if they weren't so asinine. Mad Men and Breaking Bad have had plenty of characters with weird quirks and predilections, but there has always been a real point to them. They were always successfully outrageous, ambiguous, revealing, and developed. This shit with the syringe or Claire's origami or Frank's Civil War dioramas, or Tusk's birds are all so heavy handed and ultimately pointless. I realize not every show can be Mad Men or Breaking Bad but not one of those quirks was successfully subtle or symbolic. They were all so overtly transparent only a baked high school student could possibly find them poignant.

Then in Chapter Twenty-Eight we get all this nonsense with egg symbolism without any real cohesion or ambiguity or poignant meaning. The black commemorative Easter Egg (literally) Claire carries to the press conference as if she's in mourning for her lost nomination (or perhaps her lost chances at having children? No of course not because if that was mentioned recently, the symbolism might not be transparent enough) and then passes it off to Frank who has an epiphany (?!) while trying to balance it. (Seriously). And then the episode ends with Claire cracking a couple of actual eggs into a frying pan. I get it. We all get it. The Underwoods spent the whole episode trying to crack their respective problems, trying to come up with ways to overcome their obstacles in such a way that all the King's horses and all the King's men can't put the obstructions back together again. And in the end, they have basically found solutions. Hence why Claire cracks two eggs and begins frying them. The episode ends before they're fully cooked (because that is what the rest of the season is for, people). And I am left with a mix of offense (at the condescension of this show) and awe (at the conceit of it).

And this is why I chose not to do an ongoing blog post throughout season three. Maybe I'll get frustrated enough to post an update here or there. Or heck, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by how good it gets and come back to eat my words (which I would love, by the way). But for right now, I just don't like House of Cards enough to get into the minutiae (like Windows phones or Doug's preference for mediocre Oreos). I just need to sit back and enjoy House of Cards for what it is. Because visually it's great. The performances are strong. I'm a fan of the Fincher-esque mood of it. And Claire, HBIC, is always compelling. But the show, like Frank, is struggling to find its legacy (and if it wasn't for Claire Underwood, both would be a lot less interesting). I don't fault it for that. But I can continually wish that both the show and Frank actually had something of substance to say. That they weren't so hung up on trying to appear confident and poised and instead focused on some ideology or morality or philosophy. Because themes like those get the best responses out of me and out of a general audience. If House of Cards wants to be one of the best, it has got to actually say something. I keep eating what House of Cards is serving, but I'm continually left unsatisfied. There are only so many more empty calories I can stomach.

House of Cards: Season Two

So this time last year, I decided to write a "Continuous Blog" of Netflix's premier dramatic series, House of Cards. At the time, Netflix's decision to release the entire season all at once for people to watch at their leisure was a novel idea. A year later I still think this a fun and interesting way to release a series. And because of the fact that it easily lends itself to binge watching, I had decided to update one long post with my thoughts after each episode. This way, anyone who wished to watch the show, could do so along with me. Since then we've gotten a few series from Netflix released the same way, and for which I didn't continuously blog  my thoughts about. It was a project I really enjoyed doing. So while the first season of House of Cards wasn't my favorite (I couldn't get over my issues with the writing) it definitely had its quality moments in acting, directing, and style. And because I enjoyed doing my blog so much last year, I figured why the hell not get at it again for the show's second season?

So click through, and below you will find my thoughts of each chapter of the second season. I will update as I go along so yes, there will be SPOILERS. I hope no matter where you are or when you're watching this show, you join me. This day in age, just because we can watch things at our own pace, doesn't mean we can't still do it together.

Top TV: Honorable Mentions

Yesterday I offered just the tip of my Top TV of the year, but because there was so much fantastic programming, I will now present you with my... Honorable Mentions!
(Believe me, these are all worth mentioning).

Veep- The second season of Veep was a hoot and it might just be my favorite comedy currently on television. Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves all the recognition she gets for this show as she hilariously leads a superb comedic cast. (HBO)

The Returned- When I was discussing Sundance Channel in my Top TV post, I quickly mentioned that I am currently engrossed in this French show. If it wasn't for the fact that we're mid-season, there was a very good chance this would have made the list. I love the concept of this program and the melancholy feel it evokes. I went into it expecting a horror show, but got so much more than I could have bargained for. (Sundance)

Girls- We all know how much I love Girls. I had some issues with this past season, but there were also some inspired stand outs. "Bad Friend" in which Hannah raves in a mesh top was a delight. And "One Man's Trash" would easily be in my top five episodes of the past year. (HBO)

Orphan Black- Orphan Black is sci-fi in spades. And Tatiana Maslany IS Orphan Black. If it wasn't for her I don't know if this show would be nearly as good as it is. Playing up to four different characters in one episode (including characters impersonating other characters) is impressive enough, but doing it so convincingly that I straight up forget that it's the same actress and actually believe that these characters are all different people is a feat worthy of all the awards television has to offer. And lets not forget to mention the comedic beats, shocking turns, fun accents, and scientific mysteries we get along the way. (BBC America)

New Girl- If I had to give out a Most Improved Show Award I'd give it to New Girl. It found its groove in its second season and it was fun to see it work through the kinks, figure out its characters, and deliver a very funny program with its own brand of humor. Plus Coach is back! (Fox)

Broadchurch- I thoroughly enjoyed this British drama starring David Tennant in another series that does The Killing better than The Killing (the other being Top of the Lake). Broadchurch was beautifully shot, tragically plotted, truly engrossing, and expertly acted. Word on the street is that we will be getting an American version soon--also starring David Tennant (but with an American accent which will be bloody strange if you ask me)--and I fully intend on watching even if I already know who did it. (BBC America)

House of Cards- I may have had a lot of issues with the writing on House of Cards--which really is a deal breaker for me--but everything else about this show deserves a mention. The directing and acting are undeniable. David Fincher set an exquisite tone for the show and Kevin Spacey was amazing, as always. But the breakthrough performance from Corey Stoll was probably my favorite thing about the series (you could say he stoll the show). And I have to admit, the promos for the upcoming second season have me pretty pumped for a continuation of the story. Lets just hope they don't do anything stupid. Again. (Netflix)

Parks and Recreation- Do you guys seriously think I'd leave the most consistent comedy on television out of my year end recap? I love Parks and Rec. Yes it may be getting stale in its later seasons, but it still manages to move me and make me laugh. And for that, it will always get a shout out. (NBC)

Arrested Development- AD gets a nod for pure ambition alone. Overall I didn't love the season, but it sure had a lot of fun with its structure. (Netflix)

House of Cards Continuous Blog

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm slowly making my way through Netflix's House of Cards. Netflix released all thirteen episodes in one day, which essentially means they want us to devour House of Cards as quickly as possible. When diving into a show and taking it all in at once, nuances in pace, detail, writing, and performance become so much more clear and appreciated than watching week to week. Normally when I marathon a show, it means I'm either playing catch-up as I have not yet seen the season/series, or I'm rewatching a show I very much admire. In either case, it means wanting to present my opinions as the story unfolds seems untimely, repetitive  and ultimately frivolous. But given that House of Cards is brand new and presented in such a way as to encourage binge-watching, I'm taking the opportunity to simply post my observations as I make my way through the season chapter by chapter.

Click through for some of those stray observations:

House of Cards

House of Cards, Netflix's stab at original television, "premiered" at midnight on February 1st. Netflix released the entire season, all thirteen episodes, at once allowing for the type of marathon viewing today's TV audiences have grown used to.

The show is based on a book, and a BBC series of the same name, but adapted to US audiences and situations. It stars Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, the House Majority Whip, a democrat hungry for power and all too willing to get his hands dirty. As someone personally interested in politics, this is already something I am interested in. But the names attached to this show have me really hoping for quality programming with powerful performances and a cinematic flair. These are actual movie stars and directors working on this thing, so excuse me if my expectations are higher than normal.

Thus far I have only watched the pilot episode. But I figured it might be a fun project to update with my thoughts and first impressions as I make my way through the show. It also works to essentially outline a final post on my feelings of the overall season (two birds!). Keep in mind that I have neither read the book nor am I familiar with the BBC series. So that being said, lets get to it shall we?

Episode One:

• Directed by David Fincher, the episode has his cinematic style all over it. As a pretty big fan of Fincher's work in film, I'm looking forward to an entire television series shaped around his tone, mood, and vision.
• I am loving the cast and the on screen chemistry between many of the actors, particularly Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. The power dynamic of this married couple might be the strongest thing about the pilot episode. 
• This is neither good nor bad, but the episode felt very much like a play. Francis Underwood breaking the fourth wall and regularly addressing the camera provides much needed exposition--and Kevin Spacey, with his character's southern accent, pulls you right in. But a lot of it feels like soliloquy or asides to the audience as the story progresses and I'm worried it might get grating, unnecessary, or excessive. But so far, I'm enjoying this creative decision as I think its adding dimension to Kevin Spacey's performance and character.
• The dialogue as well feels almost play-like. The rhythm at least feels very distinct and different than any other show.
• I keep getting flashes of Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo whenever Kate Mara is on screen, especially when she's hovering over a computer. It's actually sort of fascinating to compare her performance with her sister, Rooney Mara's, under the same director. I realize the characters are quite different, but so far I find their strength, isolation, bluntness, and ingenuity easily comparable. 
• Clearly the pilot episode is setting up the story, giving us the lay of the land and the foundation on which we can start building. We're still placing cards and working on a strong base, but I'm already looking forward to seeing the house teeter above us. I can't wait for the tense moments where I have to hold my breath as we wait for the house to either hold itself together or collapse gloriously in the blink of an eye. (At the very least, I hope the collapse thrills me as much as the end of an online game of solitaire). 

If you wish to continue following along with me, I will be blogging the rest of the season in a separate post here.