We’re officially at the midpoint of House of Cards' second season, a tumultuous time where the series needs to prove itself beyond the endless hype and buzz into the actual hard-hitting, well-developed drama so many people believe it to be. And so far, well, House of Cards hasn't garnered the necessary votes to veto its ruling as mere political soap drama. Don’t get me wrong, Kevin Spacey is great as Frank. But imagine if a no name actor was playing the malevolent Vice President, and that would easily show you how big of a bluff House of Cards was trying to pull.
With “Chapter 20,” were sitting at the season precipice where the veil of quality finally unravels, where Frank mitigates through the seemingly pointless challenges of Feng, Tusk and whoever else the audience is supposed to care about at this point in the series. And while Doug tries to fend off his addiction to Rachel and Claire tries to abort her personal history from the public consciousness, they’re ultimately shuddered in the background as Frank battles for power with pretty lame power hitters. Not every show can be great, and for a time, House of Cards was pretty decent. But with “Chapter 20,” this sinful series finally threw the last poor-quality punch the audience could bear, making us wish we hadn’t gone all in on the digital streaming race.
Frank
C+After nearly alienating himself from the President, Frank moseyed up to the Commander in Chief with a plate of hot ribs and some keen advice. But now that Tusk has officially turned to into an enemy instead of contentious friend, Frank has even more food on his BBQ plate than originally ordered. He’s read a lot of Civil War and history books to know where his enemies are coming from. But for finally finding out he was two steps before the battle even started, Frank gets a C+.
Doug
COnly Doug would travel to a casino thousands of miles away from D.C., sleep with a sexy waitress and wake up in the morning still thinking about Rachel. For someone whose life is so dedicated to pleasing his boss, its upsetting to see Doug still so unpleased that he's not with Rachel. Clearly Frank’s personal assistant is useful in crossing the bridge with Feng and Chinese relations in turn. But the fact that a man who knows so much about substance abuse and addiction still can’t read his biological ticking clock that points towards Rachel is absurd. For improving foreign relations despite severing his sexual ones, Doug's off the wagon behavior gets him a C.
Tusk
BFrank often totes his power and influence over congress as a means of imposing fear within his enemies. But Tusk knows that money can buy anything, and Frank is nothing more than a glorified pulpit for his political cash. 25 million dollars in attack ads do nothing to Tusk, and the fact that he channeled the money through a Native American casino who is very angst-ridden with the current administration is just more testament to this business guru’s genius. Tusk is too smart to get involved directly with politics when he can just buy his way to the top. Certainly Tusk could have accomplished more with Frank and the President by his side. But the fact that he still ranks high on the political hierarchy tree despite breaking ties with the Executive branch puts him at a B.
Remy
CAh, Remy. The cool, confident, suave, sophisticated member of the House of Cards cast finally folded his pair without knowing after Seth revealed his plan to Frank. See, when you previously work for Frank, you always have to assume that any scheme you have to supercede his authority will blow up in your face. And Remy, who held Seth’s position in the past, would have known about any of Frank or Claire’s indiscretions if he was good at his job. But for paying Seth to essentially rat himself out and have his future destroyed, Remy gets a C.
Freddy
DOnce the quiet proprietor of a tiny rib shack in Washington, Freddy is getting a lot more attention than he ever bargained for. Franchisors are begging him to open more restaurants, and the newspaper article has generated massive audience attention for this lonely brisket trimmer. Sure, it was certainly an extra spice to meet the President and become so intimately intwined with Frank over the years. But now that he’s losing his privacy in the onslaught of oncoming fame, Freddy’s grade livestock is a D for dead on arrival.
Chapter 20
C-Again, the most interesting aspects of this episode were those that didn’t involve Frank, specifically how Rachel is causing Doug to lose his mind. And while Frank makes cutesy punching bag metaphors, the audience is truly the victims of this show’s slow uppercut of boredom.
Extra Credit
- No Lucas! Although I’m not happy that Frank got away with killing Zoe, I’m just relieved that we won’t have to see him around anymore.
- Funny tidbit for those of you readers from Colorado. President Walker, despite how incompetent the series makes him out to be, actually served as the fictional Gov. of the centennial state before being elected President, beating out that horrible real life Congressman Bob Beauprez according to HOC canon. Maybe the reason that Walker can't seem to make a sound decision is because he's stoned all the time from legal marijuana. Don’t be surprised either if he wears a tie-dye shirt at some point in this season.
Demerits
- As said time and time before, Doug’s battle with alcoholism and his increasingly love/lust for Rachel is the most intriguing part of the series. But its unfortunate that this show doesn’t show much of character backstory save for a brief conversation here and there. A flashback detailing Doug’s drinking days before he got himself cleaned up would certainly provide a more introspective lens into the character, and make the show itself that much better.
- Completely unbelievable that Remy would just hand out an envelope full of cash to one of the VP’s employees in a public area. Just as Seth wouldn’t accept payment for half a job done, so will I not give out a stamp of quality until this season has fully proven itself.
