SPOILERS:
“House of Cards” is the full package, especially if you enjoy political dramas. The use of lighting in Director David Fincher’s filming technique, the sophisticated language of the writing and the profound characters brought to life by Oscar and Emmy-award winning actors is what makes this show everything that it can be. Once again, Netflix released the entire season at once and I know that I was not the only person binge-watching all 13 episodes.
Season two picks up after Zoe Barnes was beginning to piece together the murder that allowed Frank Underwood to assume vice presidency. Season one made it appear as though Barnes’ discoveries were going to play a big part in the makeup of season two. However, this storyline was abruptly stopped when Underwood pushed Barnes in front of an oncoming train.
Of the three people in the world who were beginning to catch on to what Underwood had done in the previous season, this sent the other two into a panic. Janine Skorsky fled the state and went into hiding, while Lucas Goodwin, Barnes’ ex-boyfriend, attempted to dig further only to wind up in prison after dealing with a major cyber-terrorist.
Toward the end of season two, I hoped the cyber terrorist would cause some serious trouble for Underwood, but he ended up using Underwood’s influence in order to ensure his safety from his past crimes.
Throughout the entire season, Doug Stamper kept Rachel Posner in hiding in order to make sure no one found out about Underwood’s criminal activity. Ultimately, his clemency is downfall. Stamper began to have strong sexual feelings for his captive, and he became increasingly creepy toward her.
When Stamper tried to relocate Posner, she fled and bashed his face in with a brick. The fact that the writers gave us almost no warning that a major character was about to be killed is refreshing based on how predictable mediocre television is.
The last that is seen of Stamper is him lying motionless in the forest, while Posner, the key to Underwood’s downfall, is on the loose. But, what makes this show great is that no assumption is a certainty.
From the beginning, Underwood was scheming to take the presidency and he does this by shutting Raymond Tusk, a nuclear power mogul, out of the president’s good graces, creating for himself a very rich and powerful enemy.
Tusk retaliated by releasing an article revealing Claire Underwood’s affair from season one, but the Underwoods deny the accusation and make Claire’s ex appear to be nothing but a disgruntled lover.
Meanwhile, Underwood and President Garrett Walker’s political decisions caused tensions between the United States and China. While the GOP released political ads against the administration for creating these issues, Underwood and Walker discussed where the GOP received the money for the ads.
Due to Underwood’s backchanneling, he became liable for investigating the origin of the super Political Action Committee. Throughout the end of the season, it is not substantially explained who is legally at fault for what. But, it is clear that Tusk and a Chinese businessman were funneling money through a Native American casino owner in order to maintain their companies’ political neutrality.
During the chaos, Walker caught on to Underwood’s manipulative nature and completely shut him out, putting Underwood at risk of losing everything he gained. With the help of the new majority whip, Jacqueline Sharp, Underwood secretly rallied the support of Congress to impeach President Walker, while also planning to get back in his good graces.
Walker showed exactly how weak his backbone was after Underwood threw a hail mary which convinced Walker that Underwood was not responsible for the chaos. This was helped by a report that the president is currently taking Xanax as an aid for his struggling marriage, which was carefully orchestrated by both Underwood and Claire.
Walker’s approval ratings dropped to 8 percent. Walker agreed to leave with some dignity and resigned from the presidency, ultimately allowing Underwood to assume office.
Given its current success, as well as its current plot trajectory, I am sure that the “House of Cards” will be showered in awards from critics and praise from viewers up until its final season.
At this point, Underwood has made it to the top, making it impossible to fathom where Kevin Spacey, his writers and Netflix plan on taking the series next. However, Underwood once defined politics as “ruthless pragmatism, just shy of treason,” so you know season three will be fantastic.
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