re: House of Cards: Full Season Discussion (WITH SPOILERS)

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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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Agreed with all of this. The whole season is really just filler. It's just a reset, and we know Frank is going to beat Dunbar regardless, beat the Republican nominee, then we'll have yet another season of filler, until Season 6 or so where they would have already completely shite the bed with the series.

The first season is an all time classic, and last season was pretty good, but nowhere near as good as the first. This season was just creatively bankrupt. Getting Frank to face off with Putin and making Claire be an ambassador to the UN (which IRL not a fricking chance would Claire have become an ambassador, especially since it just screams to the world that they're a bunch of power hungry weasels) and then have it go nowhere is just bullshite.

And the show thinks it's a hell of a lot smarter than it really is. Yeah, they struck gold in Season 1, but I think the creators have gotten cocky if they think they're on the level of The Wire or Breaking Bad. In episode 2, I kind of had to do a double take and hope they weren't going with a metaphor so obvious as "break a few eggs to make an omelet".

Really, they should have ended it this season. The board was set for Frank's fall, and the only thing that's even brought up from the past is Rachel, and that's it. No real mention of the deplorable shite Frank and Claire have done in the past, and this season doesn't make Frank really all that bad. Now one of the main cogs to Frank's destruction is dead, and the other one is behind bars for another few years. Really, they should have done a time jump in season 3 to when Lucas gets out of jail and then proceeds to leak everything without giving a frick, and then everything falls apart for Frank.

All in all I'd give this season a 6 out of 10. Not horrible, but it's a far cry from the first season and really feels like a waste of time compared to the previous seasons.

On Episode 4. Already a better script than season 2. The Campaign Finance angle in 2 ruined it.

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Breaking Bad.

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overrated. Good, but overrated.

It doesn't jump the shark. It's still amazing.

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It's still amazing.

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Just finished and I disagree.

I thought this season was weak.

Claire was weak from start to finish. Her UN plot was about as bad as CJ becoming chief of staff on West Wing and I love West Wing but that was absurd.

Season 3 and Stamper is still cleaning up mistakes from Season 1.

The Russian plot didn't really make any sense at all. What the frack was such a small peace keeping force going to do in the middle of nowhere? The Russian President seemed mental.

Why would he want Claire fired? She was weak. He knew she was weak. There isn't any circumstance that he wouldn't want her in office. His diplomats could run circles around her.

The fired / resignation plot was poorly contrived to cause strife between Frank and Claire.

Seth is boring.

Remy was a non entity.

The politics are bizarre. Frank is a democrat but all of his major legislation is almost solid conservative.

I didn't pay attention with him attacking the teacher unions. Looked the other way when he raised the retirement age and but the whole 500 billion to employ people and gutting entitlements. He would never get a single vote from democrats. Also wouldn't fly with Repubs unless there was a 500 bill cut in entitlements which isn't going to happen.

So Claire was absurd.
Seth yawn.
Remy Yawn II

Really, the whole supporting cast was weak this season. frick! Stop showing us Stamper and his brother. Christ in a canoe that is boring.

The Big Plan - Bad.

And out of nowhere, Claire went super bitch mode at the end.

Also Frank was way too unhinged this season. I guess you could chalk that up to stress, but he didn't keep his cool. His whole tirade about courage is "keeping the mouth shut" yet he spent the last few episodes alienating everyone with his screaming.

Can someone explain to me why Stamper didn't kill Gavin? Can someone explain to me how Gavin was an embarrassment to the FBI. If they knew his EXACT LOCATION, they could have grabbed him. Are we supposed to remove our logic circuit before watching?

Weak. Didn't hate it but out of the 3, this is easily the weakest and I don't think it is close.

Watched the first 6 episodes and pretty disappointed so far.

The story line with Claire in the Russian prison cell with the gay activist was poorly written and just plain dumb.

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Felt forced. She could have done plenty as First Lady while working towards reelection where MAYBE it would be acceptable for her to hold another position after Frank was elected by the American people. Never would fly in real life.

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It really was nonsense. Since it was a recess appointment she would have still needed senate approval which she wouldn't get. From top to bottom that plot was terrible.

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Did Remy even do anything as Chief of Staff?

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Nope. He really was almost nonexistent other than to whine about his love for Jackie. She was equally as nonexistent until the last few episodes.

By the way, what was the point of Frank attacking her in the debate? She did everything he asked of her then he made her look like crap. That made no sense to me. He wanted her for the VP job so making her look like a moron really made no sense.

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Seth just seems untrustworthy and creepy to me. No real substance to his character.

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How can you tell? He was in about three scenes all season. Talk about a disappearing act. I guess they had to cut his time and Remy's time to show 40 scenes of Stamper at AA or drinking or talking to his brother or starring off into space.

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Every one of Franks plans seemed so reactionary,

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He didn't seem like Frank. He spent most of the season stomping around like a spoiled brat trying to get his impossible plan passed.

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Not even touching the incongruent political ideology Frank has a democrat.

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I honestly thought the big twist was going to be him running as a Republican at the end. His policies just don't remotely fall under the cover of the Dem party.

I get that they wanted to show he was a shrewd guy who got things done, but no way in hell any of his policies would have passed in real life.

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Just felt like a wasted season.

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Was anyone really surprised by this? Netflix is going to milk this shite dry. There will probably be another season or two of just pure shite before the downfall season which will be the final season and most likely be the best season.





Everyone should have known they wouldn't end the series this season. Everyone wanted it, but it wasn't going to happen. And like in the discussion threads leading up to this, the series doesn't really have any where to go or do, but fall.

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This show is just so well made that I have a hard time believing that it jumps shark so badly.

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The thing is just nothing fricking happens and it's clear to just about everyone that this should have been the final season. Seeing Frank flounder at the top isn't entertaining. I know he's not going to go down by not being reelected again, so just about anything until his fall is complete filler. Should have done like a 7 year gap between seasons 2 and 3, to where Frank's "America Works" program is a complete success, just for it all to come crashing down when Lucas gets out of prison and Rachel comes forward with the information she knows. Rachel is basically the only thing in the past that they bring up this season, and it's pretty damn frustrating.

Spitting on Jesus

I hate Jackie Sharp