Written by: Kevin Berge
Nothing like creating a force so indomitable that, by two seasons in, their main worry is falling down a flight of stairs. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Quick Take: House of Cards Season 3 surprisingly ends up rather dull despite consistently excellent work from the leads with no immediate driving threat to the regime. No events feel truly vital to the course of the series with too much time spent transitioning toward a new chapter in the series.
House of Cards Reviews: Season 1 | 2 | 4
***This is a review of the third season of House of Cards with a focus on the events of the season and their relevance to the overall season. There will be spoilers, and the reader is expected to have seen the season already.***
Despite Netflix's bulk filming style for House of Cards, the series changed dramatically through three seasons. In fact, the third season feels completely different from the past two thanks to Frank and Claire Underwood's new standing in the White House.
With the political plot completed, the show turns to a new angle, humanizing the two leads by putting them through a series of challenges that never materialize too strongly. Until the close of the season, no one stands as a threat to the regime.
Frank is the unelected and newly inaugurated president of the United States, and his regime is quickly failing in the public eye. His attempts to take action largely fall flat with political turmoil left and right especially involving Russia with heavy interactions with President Viktor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen).
This season takes a calm approach to the series with political intrigue coming from Frank's surprising political struggles. While a brilliant manipulator, his ability to sway the public and manage men and women who are his intellectual equals is dangerously lackluster.
This makes for a solid dramatic foundation, but there are not as many clear storylines. Frank comes out the end of the season just the same as he came in which is a serious issue in a show that went in two seasons from Frank feeling disrespected and left without power all the way to the presidency.
Ultimately, the one strong foundation of the series is the relationship between Frank and Claire which slowly disintegrates in this season. Claire decides to leave Frank as the ultimate close of the season which feels more like the true beginning of the next chapter in the season.
***This is a review of the third season of House of Cards with a focus on the events of the season and their relevance to the overall season. There will be spoilers, and the reader is expected to have seen the season already.***
Despite Netflix's bulk filming style for House of Cards, the series changed dramatically through three seasons. In fact, the third season feels completely different from the past two thanks to Frank and Claire Underwood's new standing in the White House.
With the political plot completed, the show turns to a new angle, humanizing the two leads by putting them through a series of challenges that never materialize too strongly. Until the close of the season, no one stands as a threat to the regime.
Frank is the unelected and newly inaugurated president of the United States, and his regime is quickly failing in the public eye. His attempts to take action largely fall flat with political turmoil left and right especially involving Russia with heavy interactions with President Viktor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen).
This season takes a calm approach to the series with political intrigue coming from Frank's surprising political struggles. While a brilliant manipulator, his ability to sway the public and manage men and women who are his intellectual equals is dangerously lackluster.
This makes for a solid dramatic foundation, but there are not as many clear storylines. Frank comes out the end of the season just the same as he came in which is a serious issue in a show that went in two seasons from Frank feeling disrespected and left without power all the way to the presidency.
Ultimately, the one strong foundation of the series is the relationship between Frank and Claire which slowly disintegrates in this season. Claire decides to leave Frank as the ultimate close of the season which feels more like the true beginning of the next chapter in the season.
How dare Frank fail to see that Claire, someone with no political background, could be vice president! (Image Courtesy of: indiewire.com)
Obviously, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are fantastic as always. Michael Kelly has a great acting arc here with Doug Stamper dealing with his drinking issues. The supporting cast get more time in general with Molly Parker (Deadwood) and Elizabeth Marvel (Burn After Reading) standing out as both aids and rivals to Frank.
This is a season all about politics, yet it still doesn't really sell that any of this is really political. Lars Mikkelsen (The Killing) is a ridiculously charismatic presence, but his conflicts with the Underwoods feel much less political than socially tense. If Petrov were not clearly a reflection on an actual figure, he would come off as too hard to believe.
The writing in this season is fairly tight as is the direction, but nothing really stands out. The long somewhat satirical monologues are often missed with much of the focus placed on making the audience care about the plights of the Underwoods who have been antagonists at the helm so far.
Instead of introducing real adversaries, the show switches gears. Now the audience is not just supposed to like but sympathize with Frank who still has two murders to his name. Claire even becomes an honestly kind character for the most part which feels a bit like a betrayal of her development.
Luckily, the season does not take away the edge of the series, but it does rewrite the rules and framework, leaving a less original core to this political drama. If anything, this too often is the season where the writers had no idea where to go to get to season four.
With the promise of a great clash of power to come, this hiccup in the series is acceptable with the episodes far from bad. It is just a shame that the series had to slow so far down to make thirteen episodes of a conflict that would have lasted three in previous seasons.
This is a season all about politics, yet it still doesn't really sell that any of this is really political. Lars Mikkelsen (The Killing) is a ridiculously charismatic presence, but his conflicts with the Underwoods feel much less political than socially tense. If Petrov were not clearly a reflection on an actual figure, he would come off as too hard to believe.
The writing in this season is fairly tight as is the direction, but nothing really stands out. The long somewhat satirical monologues are often missed with much of the focus placed on making the audience care about the plights of the Underwoods who have been antagonists at the helm so far.
Instead of introducing real adversaries, the show switches gears. Now the audience is not just supposed to like but sympathize with Frank who still has two murders to his name. Claire even becomes an honestly kind character for the most part which feels a bit like a betrayal of her development.
Luckily, the season does not take away the edge of the series, but it does rewrite the rules and framework, leaving a less original core to this political drama. If anything, this too often is the season where the writers had no idea where to go to get to season four.
With the promise of a great clash of power to come, this hiccup in the series is acceptable with the episodes far from bad. It is just a shame that the series had to slow so far down to make thirteen episodes of a conflict that would have lasted three in previous seasons.