House of Cards

House of Cards

This is my first watching of a Netflix series.  I am into the 4^th episode.  I am really impressed with the high quality of the series.  House of Cards (HC) is a series based on a BBC miniseries.  In a lot ways, this series has a miniseries feel to it.  The story clearly has a set end to it with all the elements being set up early in the series.  Some people are going to get hurt. 

Think of this show as a realist version of the West Wing.  The West Wing, another show I am watching on Netflix, is a hopeful series that brings the best out of politics.  It is almost naive for it too.  HC is more of a mean-spirited version of the West Wing.  Actually, Spacey’s character would be a major villain in that series if they crossed paths. 

There are things that bother me with The West Wing, where as HC does a better job with modern US politics. So far, The West Wing has some growing pains, and I think it has different (brighter) view on American politics.  Would The West Wing be different on a cable channel or an Internet site?  Probably.  

HC feels like an early HBO Sopranos season or a current Showtime drama series.  There is nudity and swearing in the show, but not excessively like Deadwood.   You can also see the heavy influences of the producers David Fincher and Kevin Spacey in the show.  It also has a Fincher-movie feel to it as well, but Beau Willimon developed the series for the US. 

-Kevin Spacey is outstanding as the U.S. Representative.  He is mean and evil one minute and nice another minute.  However, it is all to set up a game of revenge.  He has an endgame and he’ll use whomever he has to make that happen.  Spacey has the intimidating role down pat, but it just enough to make us want to watch him, but not hate him.  (I am looking at you, Girls) Is he an anti-hero?  I am not sure yet.

- Robin Wright:  She is great as the side-controlling wife of Spacey’s character.  She isn’t outright controlling, but she does certain passive actions to her husband to control him.  She is a character that wrestles with her morality more so than Spacey’s character does. 

-Newsroom Stuff:  On the flipside, the other main plot deals with a young female reporter trying to get the scoop inside politics in the US Congress.  Kate Mara plays her wonderfully by the way.  Mara is very cute. 

-House of Lies and House of Cards:  Yes, there are a lot of similarities to the House of Lies series.  You have lead character that has questionable morals and does horrible things to people to get ahead.  Each character stops mid-scene and talks directly to the camera revealing the truth. Both shows have a powerful actor leading the role.  I like both shows for similar reasons too.  Is this like 30 Rock/Studio 60?  

I can’t wait to finish this up.