HOUSE OF CARDS Season 2 Finale Review

Article first published as HOUSE OF CARDS Season 2 Finale Review on TheTVKing.

Everyone watches House of Cards at different speeds. Some will plow through a batch of thirteen episodes within two days of its release. Some may watch a single hour per week, like most TV shows air. I decided to go for a middle ground when picking when to post this review. If you watched two episodes per week every week since season two was posted, you'd be right at the season finale now, as I am.

IMPORTANT: If you have not watched all of season 2 of Netflix's House of Cards yet, I recommend stopping here. Important story points will be spoiled if you continue. You have been warned.

"Chapter 26" is undeniably a big one for House of Cards. Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is losing his tenuous grasp on power as President Walker (Michael Gill), Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney), and Linda Vazquez (Sakina Jaffrey) plot to see Francis wind up behind bars, pinning the whole mess with the Chinese on him. His wife, Claire (Robin Wright), who has come through on her end of the bargain, basically tells Francis to step up, no excuses, and complete their scheme. So he does.

Claire has every reason to be frustrated with Francis. While they are a team, and have been so even more in the second run than the first, they respect one another because of their strength and commitment to the cause. Claire hurts people she cares about, playing on First Lady Tricia Walker's (Joanna Going) insecurities, secretly betraying their friendship while seducing her, all the while destroying Megan (Libby Woodbridge), a girl Claire works with. This costs Claire much emotionally, as we see in a private moment on the staircase.

Yet, Claire can live with her actions because, in her mind, the ends justify the means. She resolves not to care about others, even as she can't help but let a little humanity slip through, but in the end, she still is willing to sacrifice them. She's the queen on the chessboard, and sometimes pawns and bishops alike must take the fall.

Francis can learn a lot from his wife, and he does. Many of his power plays have been ruthless, smiling while slipping the knife between the ribs. In "Chapter 26," Francis takes a page from Claire's playbook and uses affection to win over Walker. Kind words, perfectly crafted to appeal to both Walker's ego and soul, worm their way into Walker's head and turn him to Frank's side, which, in the end, results in Francis winning the day and Walker resigning in disgrace, all the while believing Frank has only Walker's best interests at heart.

More impressive than how Frank and Claire carry out their plans is the emotional depth, not lack of emotion, in which they do it. They care about themselves and each other, and they do have things and people they value, but because their frame of reference is so different from most viewers', it's almost like the actors are playing aliens. While a select few grow wise to their methods, many others continue to believe in them. The couple is reptilian in nature, cold-blooded. They can put on a front so completely and sincerely as to draw their prey in, as a true predator does, then somehow manage to keep those masks in place. It's not only brilliant writing, but supreme acting talent that delivers the subtlety needed to pull such characters off, and House of Cards blows me away once again in this season finale.

Now, Frank is the president and the Underwoods seem to have realized their dreams. From here, Francis can't go up, so he must go down. The ending of "Chapter 26" implies that next year's third outing will be the show's last, mirroring the British model's trio of (much shorter) miniseries. Netflix could stretch things out (no ending has yet been announced), having Frank hold onto power longer, but it seems unlikely. With such a high-quality show, working through defined arcs, the end feels nigh.

Frank must lose because viewers will never be able to stomach him winning. He's too conniving, corrupt, selfish, and evil to be allowed to keep the Oval Office. As much as we root for him not to get caught because that will end the game, that is what we want to see in the end. Season two forestalled this feeling by pitting Frank against those almost as bad as he is, Tusk chief among them. Now, it's time for Francis' rule to come to an end.

There are no shortage of people who could and would bring Frank down. If they can unite, he doesn't stand a chance. Hacker Gavin Orsay (Jimmi Simpson), along with his fan-favorite guinea pig, Cashew, knows the government is bad, and seeks to free Lucas (Sebastian Arcelus), who might just be dumb and idealistic enough to go back into the fray. Jackie (Molly Parker) has a bone to pick, as do Tusk and Remy (Mahershala Ali). Rachel (Rachel Brosnahan) could be the key to finding Francis guilty of murder, and with her guardian, Doug (Michael Kelly), now dead in a surprise twist, she's available to assist. And these are only the tip of the iceberg.

Which is why I think time is running out for the Underwoods. Francis and Claire have their day, as many do, but it won't last. I will enjoy seeing them in the seat of power until they aren't any more, and will revel just as much in their downfall. Whatever twists and turns the writers come up with, season three should not be boring in getting to that final destination.

House of Cards will return to Netflix next winter.

House of Cards Season 2 Midpoint Check-in

Article first published as House of Cards Season 2 Midpoint Check-in on TheTVKing.

Note: This review is written after having viewed season two, episode seven of House of Cards, "Chapter Twenty." If you are not that far along yet, please watch some more, then come back to this column.

Season two is shaping up to be a great one for Netflix's House of Cards. There are a number of personal stories interwoven around the main plot, but the central thrust thus far has been a war between Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney, Simon & Simon, Major Dad). Which has more influence in Washington: money or power? I believe we'll find out as this year continues to play out.

By "Chapter Twenty," Frank has successfully sabotaged Raymond's sway over President Walker (Michael Gill). Rather than being defeated, though, this makes Tusk more determined to have control, switching his allegiances to the other political party, without it being publicly obvious that he has any affiliation with either side of course. This isn't something Frank can stop, and his meeting with Tusk's business partner, Lanagin (Gil Birmingham, Twilight), as well as Stamper's (Michael Kelly) efforts with another partner, Feng (Terry Chen), come to nothing.

That doesn't mean Frank is done, by any means. Frank has wormed his way back into Walker's good graces, expertly dismantling a feud and forming a friendship. It's all an act, from Franks' perspective, just another strategic move in his game, but Walker seems completely taken in, and while money can buy elections, those still in office do have influence.

One wonders how this could end up. Frank wins by manipulation, something easy to do in the halls he's so familiar with, but much harder to do on a national scale in terms of elections. On the other hand, Tusk may be shut out of the White House, but he can buy up as many TV spots as he likes, which can sway public opinion. Frank seems to be scoring minor victories, but is losing overall. I wonder who will come out on top?

It's interesting that Frank is building a Civil War battle model in "Chapter Twenty" of a conflict that resulted in heavy losses on both sides and no clear winner. Might this be how House of Cards lets this war play out? Or is this just how Frank sees things as they are, leading to so much frustration that he smashes his work?

We don't yet know Grayson's (Derek Cecil) true loyalty, which could shift the balance. He confesses to Frank that he's been working for Remy and Tusk, but professes that he thinks Frank is the better man to back. I'm not sure if this is true or if Grayson is really good at what he's doing for Tusk. Grayson does get Remy to remove Ellis (Sam Page), an obstacle, from the Underwoods' circle, but is that Grayson playing Tusk or trying to accomplish his mission? This arc still has too much mystery to make anyone comfortable, but it's this kind of suspense that drives the series.

Luckily, Frank has something Tusk lacks: Claire (Robin Wright). Claire isn't directly involved in the current machinations, but she's there to support Frank, taking him on a run to calm him down. She also helps Frank throw a dinner for Walker and the First Lady, Tricia (Joanna Going), whom Claire befriends, giving the couple even more of a bond to the Underwoods. I've learned never to underestimate Claire, so the fact that Tusk may soon be fighting the two of them, not just Frank, is what should have Tusk worried.

I'm a little confused about why Claire is sabotaging Christina's (Kristen Connolly) reputation. Is Christina merely collateral damage, a way for Claire to get in with Tricia? Or did Christina sleeping with her boss really offend Claire so? Or does conflict in his marriage make Walker confide even more in Frank? Or maybe I just missed something.

Something that might make Frank's life more difficult would be a defection in his own ranks. Jackie (Molly Parker) doesn't seem like the loyal little soldier any more. I guess it's true; once a backstabber, always a backstabber. She has a history of this behavior. Her rebellion would only ever be a minor setback for Frank, he's dealt with worse, but she's playing with fire that could destroy her. Do not ever, ever betray Frank. He might push you in front of a subway or fake an overdose. We're not talking career suicide, we're talking literal suicide.

To make matters worse for her, Jackie is shacking up with the enemy, sleeping with Tusk's man, Remy (Mahershala Ali). I like what we see in Remy, that he's not content for casual sex, revealing something more about him than has been obvious, a noble moral compass. But Jackie is probably just trying to advance her status, and not doing a very good job of it since she doesn't fake the emotions that will help her attain her goal. She is no Frank, and these weaknesses will be her downfall.

It does appear that one of the threats to Frank, the media, has been neutralized. With Lucas (Sebastian Arcelus) discredited and in jail and no one coming to his aid, Frank may have defeated this branch of enemy. Or it may just be dormant, meant to be revived later, possibly with the help of Gavin Orsay (Jimmi Simpson), who seems sympathetic to Lucas' cause.

Amid all this chaos, love may be blooming for Stamper and Rachel (Rachel Brosnahan). Suddenly, Stamper is refusing pretty women in China (ridiculous!) and calling her just to check in. His harsh words on her voice mail are clearly just a cover, though. Who would have thought this might happen? Does it have any chance of working, Rachel being broken enough to be drawn to the man who would protect her? Or is this a distracting side story that doesn't mean much?

Speaking of odd subplots, in "Chapter Twenty," Freddy (Reg E. Cathey) finally gets his own focus. There's a really sweet scene with him meeting the Walkers, but more important, he's suddenly in the press and being offered franchise deals. Is this a sneaky plot by Tusk to knock Frank off his game, trying to steal away Frank's beloved ribs? Or is this a completely separate story? The former seems much more likely given the tight writing of House of Cards, but I appreciate that no ulterior motive has been given for Freddy's fame yet, making it seem like he's earned well-deserved recognition.

By "Chapter Twenty," there's plenty of exciting plot to watch, but no real clear vision of how the season will play out yet. This is completely fine, as House of Cards is great at tying up unexpected threads at just the right time, one in which we don't quite see it coming, but it makes sense in retrospect. It's full of incredible writing and acting, and season two has maintained the quality of the first year, even as the mystique has started to fade away, fans finally figuring out what the DNA of the show is. As long as it keeps up the good work, we should all be satisfied.

Both thirteen-episode seasons of House of Cards are available now streaming for Netflix subscribers. Join me in a couple of weeks for my season two finale review, date TBA.