House of Cards - Season 02

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from season one, but no major season two giveaways+++ The second season of House of Cards picks up shortly after the events that ended season three, with Frank having maneuvered his way into the vice presidency, from where, unsurprisingly he keeps up the effort to take down President Walker, all while acting as an ally. Yet, he has his own loose ends from the setup and murder of Peter Russo while Zoe, with whom he was having an affair starts to piece together how crooked he is. The season has episodes that hit on several real-life themes, including entitlement reform, state-sponsored cyberespionage, money laundering in campaign finance, anthrax scares, sexual assault in the United States military, abortion, and Federal government shutdowns. Some of those would end up actually being prophetic a few years after the season aired (in 2013). But, the main plot throughout the season continued to be Frank's power grab and just how ruthlessly he would execute it. For those who get the Blu-Ray set, this season actually does have extras. There are five featurettes that range in length from four minutes to just under twenty. The longest one is basically a making-of documentary that goes through the process of producing an episode and how the series gets plotted out. The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray set is very good, with a lot of great visuals of the Washington DC area. The only negative to the set is again the horrible way in which the discs are stored in the case (in very tightly packed slip pockets). It is very hard to get the discs out without either tearing the pocket or risking scratching one of the discs. Overall, the season is great. It is a mixed bag given the allegations that have come out against Kevin Spacey since he was fired from the series. Even so, his is not the only contribution to the series. This season, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, and Rachel Brosnahan all turned in wonderful performances, as did Sebastian Arcelus, who plays Zoe's coworker at the Washington Herald. It was absolutely one of the best dramas of its time and is still worth watching.

This series is as good in its way as Downton Abbey and The Vikings are in theirs. A couple of the scenes in this second season are so shocking I had to rewind to be sure I saw what I thought I saw. As a conservative, I'm pleasantly surprised that liberal politicians are portrayed as ruthless, ambitious, elitist, and narcissistic as many are, though rarely described that way in the mainstream media. Still, the strength of the series is that the characters are not "types" but individuals with their own peculiar strengths and weaknesses. It's unusual that compelling characters disappear (some through murder) to be replaced by new people just as compelling but in different ways. It keeps the viewer from boredom. Perhaps the greatest strength is the quality of the acting, not just by Spacey and Wright but by all the actors playing lesser roles. The quality of the writing varies from episode to episode but is generally well above average for a TV series. I watched all of Season 2 in two days it was so riveting.

This is an outstanding set of programs. The acting is first rate. I have only had a few tech issues but, overall this is outstanding. It is so good that after each episode, you feel like you need a shower. They have only one overriding core value - preserve their individual power and position at all costs. Anything else can be rationalized. The Francis Underwood character makes a profound statement in Season 1 that some fools who come to WDC come for the money. Money is nothing. Power is what they should be focusing on. This is a big part of the current deadlock and low approval rating of Congress - they are totally focused on being professional politicians and getting the funding from the 20,000 plus lobbyists. The term, "public service" as practiced by our founding fathers has lost its meaning today. The influence of the VP on the POTUS as reflected in this series is reminiscent of the Chaney / Bush eight years when the VP had more direct involvement and decision making than in any other administration. Contrast the VP / POTUS relationship in this series with FDR / Truman or JFK / LBJ. This series also clearly demonstrates the American system of power, position and wealth as it applies to criminal acts, politics, business deals, etc.

It's a pretty good show. Before you start a series like this make sure you are into politics, if not you will lose interest quick. I think it is a pretty real look into what most probably goes on behind closed doors in the political world. Kevin Spacey of course makes this show what it is, great acting.

Amazing show and good value for this package. If you do not have a Netflix account and or have not seen this show yet, I would recommend both 1st and 2nd season as the replay value is high. I have a Netflix account and bought them both anyway. This set is a must have for anybody that collects great TV shows. **Disclaimer** This review was written before all of the allegations against Kevin Spacey. I would say, the show is top notch and he really did play the villain well (maybe there's something to that, maybe not). Either way, I am not giving the show any less of a good rating because of the one actor that ruined it for everyone else. The show has phenomenal writing, great characterization of the characters, and a fantastic cinematic flare. Every episode is worth watching if you can push yourself to watch beyond the main protagonist and for the other characters and drama. That said, after everything I would recommend only watching on Netflix at this point so not to put more Money in Spacey's pocket, but to each their own.

This is an excellent television series!

Great show gets better with each new season

Quite simply the best TV series I've watched since 'True Detective'. Hard to choose between the two really. But House of Cards takes it solely on the strength of Kevin Spacey's stand out performance portraying the scariest politician ever to grace the TV. Hard to know where they'll go with this series now, but I guess Spacey clinging on to power will be just as nerve-jangling as was his pursuit of it.

La prima stagione mi ha travolto; la seconda, come immaginavo, non è stata da meno. Altri tredici episodi (capitoli) in cui i diabolici piani di Frank Underwood e della moglie li portano di fronte a nuove sfide e a nuove, incredibili ambizioni. Sceneggiatura ottima e recitazione di Spacey ancora una volta alle stelle. Alta definizione eccellente, audio altrettanto ottimo, menu curati. Un prodotto super-consigliato, che appassionerà anche i non amanti della politica. Occhio, crea dipendenza (divorate le prime due stagioni, ho dovuto ordinare la terza...).

I loved this series. The acting was superb. The storyline was quite scary to think that a person with such power like the president of the United States of America could be such a smart man and could be so easily manipulated. Every thing seemed so real you have to wonder could something like this really happen. The rooms the scenery was so well done, it just makes you feel it is the real thing. I can't wait for the next season to be available if there is going to be another season.

buena serie

シーズン３、４で話の軸となるクレアが、なぜ鉄の鎧を身に付けた生き方を選んだのか？ その理由が、このシーズン２で明らかになります。なんとしても弱さだけは見せないと誓ったクレアの心を味わっておくのが、シーズン２以降を楽しむポイントです。 一方、シーズン１の最後でクレアと共に闇を走るフランシスは、そのラストカットでクレアを追い抜きワンショットになります。 シーズン３以降で、この示唆が加速度的に物語を彩りフランシス独走状態となるのですが、シーズン２ではまだ夫婦ラブラブなのが観ていて微笑ましいです。 クレアと違って、フランシスの権力崇拝に明確な動機は描かれていません。南部で貧しい子供時代を送ったとか父親が弱かったとか、ちらほらエピソードは出てきますが、それだけ。政治がメインの物語なのに政治的な思想が全く語られないのは、そもそもフランシスにそんなものがないからなのかもしれません。 何度かリピート鑑賞していて、ふと思ったのですが、フランシスの人物像ってあの歴史的独裁者に似ている気がしました。 若い頃に軍と関わりがあって、演説の達人。一度も大臣を経験せず国の統治者へと登り詰め、他者を殺めるのも厭わない。人間の本質は愛ではなく獣性・暴力性だと信じている…などなど。 フランシスは第四の壁シーンで「狩るか狩られるか」「さあ、虐殺の始まりだ」と視聴者に語りかけ、シーズン４のラストではクレアと共に衝撃の台詞を残します。統治者と破壊者は表裏一体だという気付きの恐ろしさったらありません。 このドラマの面白さは、そんな独裁者を毎回圧勝させず、崖っぷちまで追い詰めて薄皮一枚で勝たせたり時に負けさせたりするところです。 フランシスの名前からして略すとＦＵ！ ミーチャムがフランシスにＦとＵのカフスボタンを贈った回では、フランシスの台詞の後にずーっとＦＵを映しながらエンドロールでした。 フランシスを神聖化することなく、キャラクターの感情や心境を丹念に描いています、という創り手側のメッセージなのかもしれません。 たしかに、脇とも呼べないくらいキャラが立っている脇役達の心模様の繊細なこと。 特に、承認欲求に押し潰されそうなダグが魅力的で、シーズン３ではその弱さと脆さが全開に描かれています。彼はとにもかくにも認められたい。認めてほしくて優しくされたくてたまらない男の行く末を、ぜひこの先のシーズンで観てほしいです。 最後にパッケージ問題！ この特別仕様バージョンは、音楽CDの紙パッケージと同じ方式で円盤が収納されています。 シーズン１のレビューにも書いたのですが、ブルーレイディスクのビニール保管って大丈夫なのでしょうか？！ もし問題ないとしたら、ブルーレイディスクの長期保管は専用のパッケージで、という巷の情報や商品はどういうことなのかしら…という疑問を最後に投げつつ、今回のレビューも長文になりましたが、少しでも購入される方の参考になれば幸いです。