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I noticed that, too! At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but toward the end, his hair became markedly gray enough that I knew it wasn't just me.
House of Cards Season 3 (Discussion and Spoilers)
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I noticed that, too! At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but toward the end, his hair became markedly gray enough that I knew it wasn't just me.
Finally saw episode 13 and wow that sure ratcheted the drama up. The slower episodes IMO were saved by the last.
edited to add; What are the spoiler rules related to a series that drops all 13 episodes at once? In other words, when is it considered safe to discuss all 13 w/o the spoiler code?
edited to add; What are the spoiler rules related to a series that drops all 13 episodes at once? In other words, when is it considered safe to discuss all 13 w/o the spoiler code?
It was watchable but definitely the weakest season so far. Frank being President severely limits how much crazy stuff he can get away with, and so this season lacked the punch of the previous ones.
Since it says "Spoilers" right in the thread title, I'm not spoiler-coding anything.
Stories drifted in and out of focus throughout the season, leaving the whole thing feeling like a muddled mess. Resolutions were often dull and anti-climactic. I kept expecting the Jordan Valley situation to explode in a major way but it never did. I didn't expect there to be war with Russia or something but, like so many other storylines this season, it just kind of faded out rather than having a firm, clear conclusion. That is true to life, of course, but it doesn't make for interesting drama.
Tom Yates was a totally worthless character. OK, so he's a writer who is addicted to people's stories and steals them to write books, and he used to be a sex worker, and now he has all this access to Frank (and later Claire) and ends up driving a wedge between them. And he sleeps with a reporter. OK. None of this was necessary or particularly interesting. He was completely unnecessary for driving a wedge between Frank and Claire--that was happening well enough on its own. We don't need insight into Frank's actions because he talks directly to the audience. It might have been more interesting if Claire suddenly started to do that, instead of introducing this Yates character. Either way, I felt like the two of them were splitting up halfway through the season, so by the time it finally happened it felt like too little, too late.
AmWorks was also an absurdly unrealistic program, at least as Frank wanted to implement it. How he actually did it for DC was clever, but wanting to gut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security to put people to work? Son, you're never winning a fucking primary on that, I'm sorry. Maybe that's why they had the only other contenders be women, so it sends the message that voters would rather have a crazy man with crazy ideas over a competent woman.
Dunbar's fall into dirty politics was interesting but, like so many other things this season, blunted at the end. Doug's final betrayal of her came off as arbitrary. He spent the whole season behaving in such a way that you weren't sure what side he was really on, and maybe he didn't even know, but the way that story resolved was almost insulting. OK, so he gives up $2 million to prove his loyalty to Frank, and then obliterates whatever supposed character development he had this season by brutally mowing Rachel down after initially letting her go. What was the point of all that?? I liked that the show spent a lot of time putting us in Doug's world, showing us his struggles and emotions, as if he was growing as a character, and in the end he's still just a cartoonish villain. It reminds me most unpleasantly of Gul Dukat's character assassination in the last couple seasons of DS9. I didn't exactly think Doug would become a "good guy," but it's like this show is afraid to have characters with any nuance. The writing is beneath the capabilities of the actors, which is a shame.
I will also say that Gavin lying about Rachel was not a surprise at all. He went overboard "proving" to Doug that she was dead, which immediately made me suspicious. No one tries that hard to convince someone unless they're desperately lying. So it was supposed to be this big reveal that she was, in fact, still alive, but it ended up being totally eye-rolling.
I'm not exactly waiting on pins and needles for the next season. Frank has to try to win the nomination while his wife is divorcing him? The only way that becomes exciting is if he kills her and tries to make it look accidental, then he has an easy win by way of being a grieving husband tugging at the heartstrings of America. But then we'd miss out on Robin Wright's excellent portrayal.
I guess they could spend the whole season building up to the moment in which he murders her. I mean, that's the only place left for him to go, isn't it? He's killed politicians, he's killed reporters, he's countenanced the killing of other people. Killing his wife (or having her killed) would be the ultimate moral event horizon.
Since it says "Spoilers" right in the thread title, I'm not spoiler-coding anything.
Stories drifted in and out of focus throughout the season, leaving the whole thing feeling like a muddled mess. Resolutions were often dull and anti-climactic. I kept expecting the Jordan Valley situation to explode in a major way but it never did. I didn't expect there to be war with Russia or something but, like so many other storylines this season, it just kind of faded out rather than having a firm, clear conclusion. That is true to life, of course, but it doesn't make for interesting drama.
Tom Yates was a totally worthless character. OK, so he's a writer who is addicted to people's stories and steals them to write books, and he used to be a sex worker, and now he has all this access to Frank (and later Claire) and ends up driving a wedge between them. And he sleeps with a reporter. OK. None of this was necessary or particularly interesting. He was completely unnecessary for driving a wedge between Frank and Claire--that was happening well enough on its own. We don't need insight into Frank's actions because he talks directly to the audience. It might have been more interesting if Claire suddenly started to do that, instead of introducing this Yates character. Either way, I felt like the two of them were splitting up halfway through the season, so by the time it finally happened it felt like too little, too late.
AmWorks was also an absurdly unrealistic program, at least as Frank wanted to implement it. How he actually did it for DC was clever, but wanting to gut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security to put people to work? Son, you're never winning a fucking primary on that, I'm sorry. Maybe that's why they had the only other contenders be women, so it sends the message that voters would rather have a crazy man with crazy ideas over a competent woman.
Dunbar's fall into dirty politics was interesting but, like so many other things this season, blunted at the end. Doug's final betrayal of her came off as arbitrary. He spent the whole season behaving in such a way that you weren't sure what side he was really on, and maybe he didn't even know, but the way that story resolved was almost insulting. OK, so he gives up $2 million to prove his loyalty to Frank, and then obliterates whatever supposed character development he had this season by brutally mowing Rachel down after initially letting her go. What was the point of all that?? I liked that the show spent a lot of time putting us in Doug's world, showing us his struggles and emotions, as if he was growing as a character, and in the end he's still just a cartoonish villain. It reminds me most unpleasantly of Gul Dukat's character assassination in the last couple seasons of DS9. I didn't exactly think Doug would become a "good guy," but it's like this show is afraid to have characters with any nuance. The writing is beneath the capabilities of the actors, which is a shame.
I will also say that Gavin lying about Rachel was not a surprise at all. He went overboard "proving" to Doug that she was dead, which immediately made me suspicious. No one tries that hard to convince someone unless they're desperately lying. So it was supposed to be this big reveal that she was, in fact, still alive, but it ended up being totally eye-rolling.
I'm not exactly waiting on pins and needles for the next season. Frank has to try to win the nomination while his wife is divorcing him? The only way that becomes exciting is if he kills her and tries to make it look accidental, then he has an easy win by way of being a grieving husband tugging at the heartstrings of America. But then we'd miss out on Robin Wright's excellent portrayal.
I guess they could spend the whole season building up to the moment in which he murders her. I mean, that's the only place left for him to go, isn't it? He's killed politicians, he's killed reporters, he's countenanced the killing of other people. Killing his wife (or having her killed) would be the ultimate moral event horizon.
I'm not exactly waiting on pins and needles for the next season. Frank has to try to win the nomination while his wife is divorcing him? The only way that becomes exciting is if he kills her and tries to make it look accidental, then he has an easy win by way of being a grieving husband tugging at the heartstrings of America. But then we'd miss out on Robin Wright's excellent portrayal.
I guess they could spend the whole season building up to the moment in which he murders her. I mean, that's the only place left for him to go, isn't it? He's killed politicians, he's killed reporters, he's countenanced the killing of other people. Killing his wife (or having her killed) would be the ultimate moral event horizon.
I hadn't considered that possibility, but you're right-that's the natural progression of story and the Underwood character. Possibility killing Claire off early season 4- ultimately to be caught at the end which would effectively end the series.
The British version only went for 3 seasons...they are already, "stretching," the story.
I'm not exactly waiting on pins and needles for the next season. Frank has to try to win the nomination while his wife is divorcing him? The only way that becomes exciting is if he kills her and tries to make it look accidental, then he has an easy win by way of being a grieving husband tugging at the heartstrings of America. But then we'd miss out on Robin Wright's excellent portrayal.
I guess they could spend the whole season building up to the moment in which he murders her. I mean, that's the only place left for him to go, isn't it? He's killed politicians, he's killed reporters, he's countenanced the killing of other people. Killing his wife (or having her killed) would be the ultimate moral event horizon.
I hadn't considered that possibility, but you're right-that's the natural progression of story and the Underwood character. Possibility killing Claire off early season 4- ultimately to be caught at the end which would effectively end the series.
The British version only went for 3 seasons...they are already, "stretching," the story.
Id like to see Frank try to become emperor. Slain his wife, use that as a catalyst and make hay.
Given the evolution of his demeanour and ambition, I don't see him stopping himself before he declares himself the Emperor of Earth. But I could only see him doing it in front a tribe of goats at an uninhabited meadow after the nuclear war.
For some inexplicable reason, after seeing the end of Rachel I pictured it under the sound of Heather Nova's Out in New Mexico, with Lisa crying over her grave.
I also feel it is probably the saddest scene in the series. Just...
I also feel it is probably the saddest scene in the series. Just...
The next step could also be Claire trying to take him down and it might then develop to a sort of duel of whoever kills the oether one first.
In the original, Frank Urqhart's wife is also involved in his murder but that only happens after he's been in office the longest of all PMs.
In the original, Frank Urqhart's wife is also involved in his murder but that only happens after he's been in office the longest of all PMs.
They spent so much time with Lisa this season that something tells me she has to come back for Season 4. Maybe she uncovers what happened to Rachel/Cassie and then tries to bring down Doug/Frank as one of the subplots. Although she's a nobody, so not sure how useful she'd be. Unless Gavin was helping her.
I also expected to see Lucas (or Janine) again, but he isn't even mentioned once. Neither is Janine. I assumed Zoe's death would play a role in Frank's eventual downfall, unless the writers/producers are saving that for next season or whenever Frank does eventually experience his downfall (assuming he does).
I was also half-expecting Claire to turn and talk to the camera at the end - and I think that would have made for a more compelling cliffhanger. I think by mid-season we all knew she was going to leave Frank, so it just didn't have the impact the second season finale had. In terms of next season, I am curious to see where they take things. I just hope they listen to some of the complaints about this season.
To be honest, this season reminded me of the last season of Boss, the Starz drama starring Kelsey Grammer about a corrupt Chicago mayor. In the first episode, he gets diagnosed with a terminal illness that he tries to keep secret so he can stay in power. The first season was actually pretty good - Grammer is truly phenomenal in the role. The second season, however, just doesn't live up to the promise of the pilot and the first season. We think Grammer's Mayor is about to experience a downfall, but things return to status quo by the end of the second season. I firmly believe that's why the show was unfortunately cancelled without much resolution.
I'm sure we'll get a fourth season of House of Cards, but I hope the writing improves. I'd hate to see the show end without a proper resolution, a la Boss.
I also expected to see Lucas (or Janine) again, but he isn't even mentioned once. Neither is Janine. I assumed Zoe's death would play a role in Frank's eventual downfall, unless the writers/producers are saving that for next season or whenever Frank does eventually experience his downfall (assuming he does).
I was also half-expecting Claire to turn and talk to the camera at the end - and I think that would have made for a more compelling cliffhanger. I think by mid-season we all knew she was going to leave Frank, so it just didn't have the impact the second season finale had. In terms of next season, I am curious to see where they take things. I just hope they listen to some of the complaints about this season.
To be honest, this season reminded me of the last season of Boss, the Starz drama starring Kelsey Grammer about a corrupt Chicago mayor. In the first episode, he gets diagnosed with a terminal illness that he tries to keep secret so he can stay in power. The first season was actually pretty good - Grammer is truly phenomenal in the role. The second season, however, just doesn't live up to the promise of the pilot and the first season. We think Grammer's Mayor is about to experience a downfall, but things return to status quo by the end of the second season. I firmly believe that's why the show was unfortunately cancelled without much resolution.
I'm sure we'll get a fourth season of House of Cards, but I hope the writing improves. I'd hate to see the show end without a proper resolution, a la Boss.
My memory is a little fuzzy what happened to Claire trying to get pregnant using IVF without Frank knowing?
Is that why she passed out giving blood?
Is that why she passed out giving blood?
Robert Maxwell said:
On hindsight I think Doug Stamper (a skin crawling Michael Kelly makes Kevin Spacey seem like almost reassuring company) was more consistent and compelling this than Claire Underwood (who's been the subject of many complaints claiming she's acting more out of character compared to the last two seasons), as soon as he recovered somewhat from the head wound, was setting his sights firmly on enacting his revenge on Rachel Posner (a heartbreaking as she's hot Rachel Brosnahan) and worming his way back into being Francis' attack dog (even if it meant apparently pretending to help Dunbar).
I think it's pretty apparent that Doug Stamper is just as much the Shane Vendrell of House of Cards as Frank Underwood is the Vic Mackey. Rachel's death absolutely shocked and saddened me, because like many, I was relieved when he let her go initially but part of me wonders if that was the whole point.
Re: Claire -- I had a feeling about midway through the season that she figured out that Frank was not going to do anything more for her regarding the ambassadorship and her own personal goals, particularly in that episode after they spent all night making the calls and she came home to find him crying in his office, so she has sex with him. There was something in one of the sunsequent scenes where he insists he's going to do everything he can for her, and her reaction just absolutely spelled out that she knew he wasn't going to do anything and that she was on her own, so when she leaves him at the end of the season I was not surprised. I do agree though it would have been awesome if she had turned to the camera on her way out to break the fourth wall and the season had ended with that.
Re: Claire -- I had a feeling about midway through the season that she figured out that Frank was not going to do anything more for her regarding the ambassadorship and her own personal goals, particularly in that episode after they spent all night making the calls and she came home to find him crying in his office, so she has sex with him. There was something in one of the sunsequent scenes where he insists he's going to do everything he can for her, and her reaction just absolutely spelled out that she knew he wasn't going to do anything and that she was on her own, so when she leaves him at the end of the season I was not surprised. I do agree though it would have been awesome if she had turned to the camera on her way out to break the fourth wall and the season had ended with that.
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