House of Cards series discussion

So what did you think? Personally I quite enjoy it, halfway through. Spacey's excellent as usual. Music is great, every episode so far has been absorbing. Epi 5 was the highlight, though! My only quibble is the intro; it's kind of blah.

Any thoughts on season 2?

Also, what was your method of watching? I'm curious, since this series was released in full, if anyone watched it all as a marathon (!), or an episode or two a day/night, or maybe in two or three sittings like a miniseries?

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I watched it 3-5 a day for a little under a week, I think it was. That's how I watch almost everything I have total access to. I have to really be nuts for something to take in more than a few a day, and even then it's usually half-hour comedies or something.

So, thoughts. Spoilers below...

I liked it a lot. Great opening scene. I think the first two episodes are far and away the best, though. It meanders a little in the middle. There's some character background which is definitely interesting, but doesn't feel particularly woven into the other story, which feels far more urgent and engrossing. I don't have any problem with what Underwood ended up doing: pretty much everything the show had shown us up to that point pointed to it, and it's obvious early on that the series is asking for just a little bit of license in terms of reality.

Still, it's hard to suspend disbelief when a show only wants you to do it a little. When it wants to be 75% real, like this one does. I kept getting hung up on little things, like the implausibility of a President using an Inaugural address to push a specific piece of legislation.

But hey, Spacey's fantastic, the character's a lot of fun, and I was genuinely engrossed in trying to figure out what his plan was, which was both a blessing (for obvious reasons) and a curse (it made every side story feel like a pointless diversion). I feel it's very clearly in the second-tier of television programs: not the absolute best, but just below that. A notch below the Breaking Bads and Game of Thrones' of the world, but a clear step above most of the other dramas. A very-good-but-not-great first season.

I think it'll be tough to improve on the first season, because a lot happens and they've only left themselves so many places to go. I think it's very likely we've seen the best of it already. But I'll definitely be waiting eagerly for season 2.

-ish.

I watched about three episodes a week for a month. I enjoyed it quite a bit but would agree with yoda that it is in the second tier of television. No where near Mad Men or Breaking Bad for me. One of my main issues is I found nobody to connect with whatsoever, every single one of the main characters is reprehensible. I think they tried to make Mara's character more sympathetic towards the last third of the season, but too little too late for me.

I also felt that there were three or four episodes towards the middle of the season that were so bad they almost lost me. I didn't need to see Underwood singing or hear about his sexual experimentation. He was a prick before, he was a prick after. The series picked up again though and finished strong. I still wish the biggest twist had not happened, but looking forward to season two.

Shall we bump this for season 2?

I just went from liking to loving this show in the space of one episode.

Starting the second season in just a few minutes! Knowing me I'll probably watch quite a few this weekend and have it finished by early next week.

Unfortunately, someone spoiled something for me. Something sizable. But hopefully the rest of the show's interesting enough that it doesn't end up ruining much.

Oh man. You're totally right about the end of the first episode. That was perfect.

I was so excited for the second season...imagine my excitement when i realized they dropped the ENTIRE second season on netflix as opposed to just the first episode..

Here we go...

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I'm only 4 episodes in but I think its great so far, especially ep.4. I must say "the Moment" in episode 1 really caught me by surprise.

Amusingly, my parents are four episodes in, too, and that's how many I watched. Seems like a natural stopping point for a lot of people.

I'm definitely finishing this weekend. The only challenge now is to keep myself busy enough with work today that I don't go through more than 5-6. Because if I get up into 7 or so, the temptation to cram the last 2 in is going to be hard to resist, and that's a bit much.

Just starting season 2, watched the first one months ago and probably should have re-watched it before jumping in again, seeing as how we're dumped straight into things.

Season 1 was the best TV I've seen since The Wire ended, no question.

Incidentally, has anyone seen the original BBC series? It's on Netflix UK anyway, don't know about elsewhere.

I watched it again after the new version's first run, having not seen it since it first aired nearly a quarter of a century ago. It's slightly dated, but not anywhere near as much as I'd feared, and the late Ian Richardson's Urquhart is a masterful performance.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Yeah, I can't wait to go back and watch the old one--Netflix smartly has that all streaming, too. I hear it's obviously less polished/produced, but has exceptional dialogue, so I'm looking forward to it.

I liked season 1 a fair bit (as you can see from my post above), but I like it even more now. For whatever reason I decided I wanted to rewatch it a couple of months ago, and I found I liked it even more the second time. I think I take back what I said, putting it below the top-tier of programs. But in a weird way: I wouldn't tell someone else it's one of the best. But I'm finding it hard to deny that I, personally, enjoy it a whole lot. I can't say with a straight face that it's writing or plotting is as exceptional as the best series' out there, but just in terms of sheer enjoyment and entertainment value it's up there.

You'll not be encroaching on spoiler territory watching the original either, if that's stopping anybody.

You've got the rise to power of the scheming Chief Whip of the ruling party with a young (and attractive, natch) cub reporter seemingly the only one who's wise to what he's doing. The intricacies of each version differ.

To Play The King is also wonderful.

EDIT - Yep, I know what you mean about writing and plotting but it's masterful television.

Got to episode 6 and, well, I'm not enjoying things as much as season one.

That first episode of the 2nd season watched and moved more like a season finale. Incredible stuff! I just finished the second episode and think I have a good guess on something thats gonna happen in a side storyline. Im pretty sure to the point Ill put it in spoilers...



Dont tell me if Im right

Getting close to the end. Gonna try to finish it tonight. Like season 1 it seems to dip a little in the middle, but really, that's a relative complaint due to the fact that both start so incredibly strong. And I'm guessing this year, like last year, it'll end on a strong note, too. They get the Big Things right.

Just finished the season finale, I rate the overall season a . The final episode was incredible in my eyes, and the final scene gave me chills. It is going to be extremely interesting to see where the series goes from here. It really is a shame that we have to wait another year, but oh well.

Sad that Deadite started this thread.


As Yoda says House of Cards is definitely a second tier TV series, funny as I was just saying the exact same thing to a workmate the other day. That aside it's a really good series that really sucks you in especially at the end of series 1 and 2, but yes as others said it dips in the middle. I wonder if in the future episodes we will get an insight into Frank and Claires past, what bad deeds remain unknown etc, we really know very little even 2 seasons in. Shocking start to season 2 but I suppose when you think about it perhaps it makes sense from the writers point of view, I mean where could the character go from there.


When is series 3 coming?

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Whats up with all of the propaganda in season 3? Its good series but get downgraded with stuff like this...

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“By definition, you have to live until you die. Better to make that life as complete and enjoyable an experience as possible, in case death is shite, which I suspect it will be.”

Season 3 hasn't grabbed me at all. The 'give Claire a job, any job' sub plot would have been a lot more palatable had her character not become so two dimensional. Lady Macbeth etc etc, we get it.

I'm still interested to see what happens but amount of propaganda is over 9000,its hard to take it seriously.