House of Cards

[Psychic Octopus]

Just got through. Wow, what a "wham" season. My opinions are below, in white.

I absolutely LOVED how unexpected Zoe's death was. I've never seen the original, but honestly, I just did not see that coming. I thought that she would be discredited, I thought her contact info would be erased, and I actually thought that her downfall would be similar to her boyfriend's, but never once did I think Frank would actually kill her.

Can we give a round of applause (or horrified disgust) for Claire this season? I mean, in the first episode, she threatened to kill her rival's unborn baby in order to get out of a lawsuit. I mean, Jesus. That's crazy. That's not even mentioning her treatment toward Galloway.

Frank confirmed as Bi. Though it was pretty obvious from that episode at the Citadel, it's nice to see that the show didn't shy away from it. I actually think it makes Frank a far stronger character and gives him depth. It's also nice to see the popular concept of masculinity turned on its head a bit... because Frank is as alpha as you can get.

Poor Garrett Walker. I suspect that in this fictional universe he'll be remembered as a sort of Democratic Warren Harding. Completely unnecessary financial crisis, no control over his administration, marital troubles. Scandal after scandal.

Donald Tusk was an interesting character but I never felt that he posed a real threat to FU. I always knew FU would find a way to win it the end, it was only which way.

Is it strange that I was more sad about Freddy's closing down than I was Zoe dying? I really felt for him and that place. It was like the one island Frank could go to and be a normal person. Now, he's just a regular, run-of-the-mill sociopath.

Poor Doug. He's a creep, but he needed help, not a brick to the head. I guess that's just how it goes. It's interesting to see where the Rachel plotline will go... I mean, she has information that connects directly to FU. That's a threat.

Which brings us to... President Francis Underwood. May the lord have mercy on us, because our country is screwed. But it takes a long time to build up a house of cards... To bring it down, well, it only takes one move.

What I think is brilliant about this show is that it makes you feel like an accomplice. I felt dirty, but I want to see Underwood succeed. It's fascinating to watch.