Netflix does many things well, but one of their most lucrative virtues as a media service is they know their audience. That is why on Valentine’s Day, the second season of the Emmy winning internet TV series “House of Cards” was released to anyone with a Netflix account in its entirety. It can now be said that the second season is certainly binge-worthy.
“House of Cards” follows the exploits of its anti-hero House Majority Whip Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey, “Casino Jack”), a corrupt and self-serving but rather effective Democratic U.S. Representative from South Carolina’s 5th district. Of course, season one ended with Underwood ascending to the vice presidency.
To get this position, however, he had to employ duplicitous tactics and break every rule in the book to satisfy his craving for power. We enter this season with Underwood ready to be sworn in and doing all he can to cover his dastardly crimes from the previous season.
As it is so readily available, any further curiosity in plot details should be satisfied by watching the first season should be.
Note: If you haven’t seen the first episode; watch it now. If it hasn’t been spoiled already you should count your blessings.
The production value of the show as well as its writing and directing is of the same high quality you would expect. The acting is also consistent with the bulk of the prowess coming from Spacey and his on screen wife Claire (Robin Wright, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) and their united front.
They both have incredible individual performance but some of their most shining moments come from private moments between them. Their relationship is intriguingly unusual and yet very functional. They both are sinister individuals with very questionable habits and yet they never question if their loyalty to one another and it is visible how much these two otherwise heartless monsters love one another.
The show is purposely less engaging in a way. There isn’t nearly as much of Frank’s soliloquies directed at the audience. This may be displeasing to some fans but it seems appropriate given the increased pace of the show.
The supporting cast plays a much bigger role in the show this time around, and for the most part, there isn’t anything disappointing about the subplots. Especially in the development of some of the more minor characters and the introduction of Frank’s replacement as Whip Jacqueline Sharp, portrayed by relative unknown but talented Molly Parker (“The Firm”).
There is only one striking negative to the second season’s story and that is that Frank is just too good. Throughout the series there are very few points in which Frank is vulnerable or even caught off-guard. It seems a bit unrealistic that in a profession populated by scheming intellectuals with a desire for power that he would not find someone who is even capable of beating him at his own game. There even seems to be a high naivety among some of his adversaries that should not be there. The writers of the show may be waiting until the next season (in production) to introduce a worthy opponent and that would make perfect sense, but for now the criticism stands.
The show is perfect to binge watch and of top quality in every regard and the second season does not disappoint. The original programing by itself is good enough of a reason to get a Netflix account and “House of Cards” is the best original content the site has to offer.
