House of Cards

[wilder]

Mountains will be moved if it's a success.

Netflix has already recouped its $100 million House of Cards investment

[03]

tictac mentioned disliking the release of entire seasons at once, and i have a bit of a conundrum with this.
there are a lot of current shows that i watch episode by episode, and ones of the past that i've consumed in one thinly divided sitting. i like both ways. i enjoy the anticipation and the ability to integrate equally i think.

that being said i watched the entirety of both house of cards and then this week the new netflix series hemlock grove each over a period of 24 hours or so, with nothing else watched in between. i believe that netflix is off to a great start with this. two quality (in vastly different ways) directors taking on ambitious projects (i would take a huge leap to say this could be technically considered the most significant 'web' series's ever by definition?), and end up being really eloquent intelligent stuff that is for the most part on par with anything else on tv right now. if i had to sum this show up in a pretty vague and concise way i'd call it  present day boardwalk with 60% less sex and violence. the performances are nice, spacey doesnt bother me at all because didnt he do this in midnight in the garden and everyone bought it? girl with dragon tattoos sister is supercool and cute. the complexity of situations that are set up are sometimes tedious but ultimately very satisfying in the end. i'll get into spoilerish conversation if someone else likes this show enough to join me. thanks for having me back, friends.

[ono]

Spoilers up to Chapter 11:

It was around Chapter 10 that I got the sense of what Frank's goals were.  A brilliant game of chess, of course, where he ultimately ousts the president and manipulates his way into becoming leader of the free world.  Chapter 11 (hah), was the most morally bankrupt of episodes.  A turning point for Frank.  The trailer advertised that he was this bad person but until then I didn't see it.  He seemed to be ambitious and cunning, but not evil.  But stack murderer on top of that, and well, that's the point of no return.  I admire the execution, though, and I've really liked the show.  I wonder if Frank really hated Peter or had no feelings toward him one way or another, or just used him as a pawn.  Probably the latter.  Sad, really, as I liked Russo.  The only criticism I have is I wonder if the hints were a bit too much.  I expected Frank to kill Peter once they picked him up.  I wanted to be pleasantly surprised the other way.

I think others who have noted the show loses something in that you can't discuss it from week-to-week.  Everyone who's seen it has probably seen it all, so any speculation in between episodes is near-pointless.  Netflix would do its fandom more of a service if they didn't release everything at once.  I mean, sure Breaking Bad would still be a great show if it were released all at once.  People would be sated.  But the audience, the cult following, wouldn't have as much of a time to grow.

[pete]

very vague spoilers

House of Cards started out feeling like The Wire Season 3/4 but ends up more like Damages. Despite all the great acting and the masterful cinematography and editing, it's still a show about politics that can only solve its problems thru sex and murder. It's too pre-occupied with its own main character's supposed brilliance, and therefore becomes only as smart as however Kevin Spacey's character is supposed to be. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but despite its black black heart, it's still a show about politics that has no sense of humor about itself, making it as naive as West Wing, despite the pessimistic tone.

the smarter shows that comment on politics, such as The Wire or The Thick of IT - view politics as a mechanism that is much more interested in its own growth and really has no concern for the humans within. West Wing and House of Cards, on the other hand, still believe that politics can be a sport that you can win, you just need to have ample conviction and wits. It's the same reason 30 Rock provides more insight into sketch comedy than Studio 60, despite the relentless gags, or maybe because of them.

[©brad]

I think it's because of them. I always felt (and several critics have also made this point) that shows like Veep are much more reflective of how DC operates day-to-day than romanticized depictions you see in House of Cards, West Wing and the Newsroom.

[pete]

yes, "romanticized" is a good word. this is a world felt with cynical characters who never say what they mean, but in their hearts they still believed that they are masters of their own fates and everything is just a matter of who has more courage, and I think the flaw of the show is that it buys into the narrative. This is like Twilight for grownups, or for politics - a very naive, clueless story that's cloaked with brooding characters, while reinforcing easily digestible ideals.

[Tictacbk]

Now on to what I don't like: the choice to release all 13 eps at once...

Maybe I'll change my mind about this.  The CEO of Netflix certainly seems to think I will, but we'll see.

Answer: No, I did not change my mind on this.  Watched the first ep of the second season.  Really starts with a bang, but it won't get the discussion it deserves because everyone has already moved on to the next episode.

[ono]

This is back, and I'm halfway through season 2.  Quite a fun time.  I really don't like how Netflix released 'em all at once, though.  I get why.  People love to binge watch.  It's the new release model.  But the problem is, it stifles discussion.  So what could be an IT show does not benefit from word of mouth, cult following, anticipation, and online discussion that breeds a lot of those first three things.

SPOILERS.



So they bumped off Mara's character from the get-go.  Wow.  Did not see that coming.  And her stand in is a poor, disheveled mess who gets in way over his head and deserted by his friends.  It's painful to watch, but it's quite fun in a twisted way, too.  That iPad scene in the diner was quite well done.

I find myself rooting for different factions depending on who's on the screen, so I know the show is well done.  Torn between wanting Frank to succeed, and wanting him to be brought down.

That interview scene where Wright Penn's character spilled those somewhat misleading beans was quite cringeworthy.  I can't believe the nerve of that journalist -- and she's a real journalist for CNN, too, I've read, and I imagine she's pulled shit like this IRL.  If I were in Wright Penn's shoes I would've backed away from it, but the way things have shaken out so far, she seems to have ulterior motives behind it.  Felt for Frank when he couldn't play his video games because the Internet was secure, couldn't get some alone time.  Careful what you wish for.

Netflix is smart in some ways, but they should've released these episodes long ago, building an audience instead of letting them out all at once.  I still stand by that.

And it's really creepy that Obama is such a fan of it and during the snowstorm he urged Netflix to release them early.  1) Please get back to work.  2) The leader of the free world lauding a show whose protagonist/antagonist/antihero is a scheming, conspiring murderer is just ... wow.

I want some ribs.

[Kal]

I agree with what's been said about releasing all the episodes at once. Episode 1 of this season would have made for a lot of buzz and watercooler talk the next morning if it wasn't that most people just went immediately on to watch Episode 2 and that was it.

Which brings me to a pretty major plot hole and SPOILER for the FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 2:

When the cops are investigating Zoe's death, they show the video of her jumping in front of the train. Now, that makes no sense. If they rewinded that video 30 seconds you could see she was clearly standing there talking to someone, then chased after that person and ended up getting ran over by the train. It's clear there was someone else there. It's a huge hole that this is not even mentioned or is not even an option by anyone.

[matt35mm]

I think this show benefits from not being discussed because it's full of ridiculous stuff that wouldn't hold up if you had a week to think and talk about it between episodes. I say that as a fan--but I'm a fan of how it's perfectly made to be quickly eaten up and forgotten about. It's the fast food of TV shows. Empty but tasty. It's built to be binged.

[Ghostboy]

I really enjoyed the subtle campiness and high drama of season 1, but it just isn't doing it for me this time around. I made it to episode 5 and don't know if I'll go back.

I agree with the spoiler issue Kal pointed out. That development jumped the shark. It needed to happen eventually, but not like that.

[Kal]

Plot holes and all, this is very entertaining. Just finished watching the whole season. If you learned anything in Season 1, you know exactly where the show is going in Season 2. All the chaos and events lead to it, and although the storytelling is not always perfect, it manages to build up great scenes and good twists along the way.

This also shows me how starved we are for good content. This isn't the best show ever, but it works because it's well done and Kevin Spacey is a beast. Most of the stuff on TV blows. True Detective perhaps the one highlight in the past few months. No Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire coming to an end, and that's it.

[Tictacbk]

I take back what I said about Netflix's release strategy.  I get it now.  If I had to wait a week between episodes I don't think i would've made it through this season. 

You're right, Kal, the show isn't great (some episodes aren't even good), but its sleek and well made, and the plot keeps pushing along, so I keep watching.  What should actually happen when a show is being released this way is it should be held to an even higher standard.  If you have the opportunity to write and create an entire season before ANY of it airs then everything should be perfectly placed (like in True Detective).  Instead the only thing each episode has to achieve is getting me to hit "play" on the next one.

When you really think about it, did Frank's character develop at all this season?

[Mel]

haha yeah, as if. even something as popular as House of Cards season 2 received a grand total of 7 posts from 5 members. there is no hope for discussion.

The will to watch "House of Cards" grows in me, with the intention of comparing it to BBC version and probably heckling it. For one I'm not big on Kevin Spacey and I don't see how you can top Ian Richardson. I could also muse about proclaiming Netflix as the future for original series - you aren't really in competition if you pay twice as much as the rest of the pack. Now it is 8 posts.

[Tictacbk]

Obligatory "Netflix's release strategy blows and therefore we'll never discuss this show" post for 2015.