House of Cards: Full Season Discussion (WITH SPOILERS)

After I got done, I think this is my least favorite season.

The way Frank, Claire, and especially Doug acted didn't work for me.

And all the plotlines - except for Rachel's murder and Claire leaving Frank - went nowhere.

Strife with Russians? Eh, we give up.

Claire becoming an ambassador? She fricks up and quits.

Doug turning on Frank? Psyche!

Freddie? Oh, let's make him a lawn guy at the white house so he can continue to have folksly talks with Frank.

Remy? I quit.

Heather Dunbar? Let's let her frick with Frank with no reprisals.

AmeriWorks? Eh, it's dead.

Senator Mendoza? He's just gone.

Meechum? He's a mute now. He's only needed to threaten some author guy.

Jackie Sharpe? Ultimate betrayal of Frank and nothing happens.

Thomas the author? Eh, the book is over.

And NOW is when Claire decides that Frank being the one in power is a problem? Yeah, okay.

Good acting and so-so writing but outside of Rachel's death and Claire walking out, nothing else happened.

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The way Frank, Claire, and especially Doug acted didn't work for me.

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I can sort of agree and sort of disagree. I actually think Doug was most like himself in this season. Doug has always been kind of messed up, cold, calculating and weirdly vulnerable. He showed all of that brilliantly this season. Emmy worthy performance, IMO.

Frank wasn't really himself, but I think that's because of Claire. Consider if he'd made it in and Claire had decided to just be First Lady and do like Hillary Clinton did IRL; have a big issue she wanted to tackle as First Lady, then wait until her husband was out of office and run for a Senate seat somewhere that she could definitely win. Frank suddenly doesn't have any of that "home" stuff to deal with, and he can be much, much more effective. Almost everything that went wrong this season was her fault. She needed patience (and I get that she's already waited a long time), but that scene at the very end of the season, when Frank told her how it really was, was true. He really is the one who's always run things; she's always been his support, not a true "partner". But it's always been about that for them, and rather than throw a fit that could ruin things for both of them, she could have decided to do what I described above, re: Hillary Clinton.

Remy quitting made sense. He wasn't happy with being where he was; he left Frank on purpose years ago and was forced to work for him, and him alone, if he wanted a job in politics. The problem was that Frank didn't really respect him anymore. He had him because he was the best option, not the best period.

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Heather Dunbar? Let's let her frick with Frank with no reprisals.

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That'll be rectified. I fully think Frank pulls it together with Claire (whether he wins her back or says she had a meltdown, but "my country is too important to me to let the loss of my wife deter me blah blah") and goes after Dunbar, hard, especially with Doug back on his team.

I do agree with the idea that this season was really just setting us up for season four, and that was a big disappointment. If we have to wait a year between seasons, this one should have given us more. The final episode was powerful, but it felt like I was midway through the season, not like the season was really ready to end.

At least we have this one for people who have finished the whole thing. But it does suck that if you want to discuss things as they happen, you basically can't.

I'd say more than three episodes, but the first 5 could easily have had all the same story elements. Then we see if Frank wins (and he will).

I'm still sticking by that. Frank is going to win re-election.

Youre right. IRL the smart,powerful, and ruthless people rarely fall, because they are willing to do whatever it takes to stay on top.

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I would add that Claire is just a fricking count.

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Don't really know how you could say this about her. Sure her timing of leaving Frank was awful. But you could see it coming a mile away.

I feel like this season we had way too many situations going on. I liked it. But I don't know where they will go from here. Especially with so many characters just abruptly disappearing.

Claire be Trippin Yo.. She be CRAY CRAY!!

Watching this season was a wasted Saturday. I didn't love this show to watch a marriage fall apart, that shite happens everywhere. I don't give a damn about Claire's aspirations.


Huge disappointment this season.

Doug repeatedly let me down this season... It looked like he was going to be the ultimate Machiavellian power player then poof, back to being a foot soldier for Frank the douche. Doug is still the best #2, Remy wasn't hard enough.