I don't know about you, but I am very excited for the next season of House Of Cards that will be available on Netflix tomorrow. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch the two previous seasons, you are missing a great show. Not only is this award-winning show groundbreaking because it is the first major episodic production to bypass traditional network tv by streaming directly to the consumer, Netflix has taken broken another tradition by making the entire 13-episode season available all at once to stream through their subscription service. And creating an entirely new kind of addiction for us to worry about - binge-watching.
House Of Cards, based on a BBC mini-series of the same name, is what I have deemed the "anti-West Wing". The main character, Frank Underwood is a conniving, scheming Senator from South Carolina who, along with his wife Claire, will stop at nothing to gain power. And I mean "nothing". I can't wait to savor the deliciously evil deeds Francis (played by Kevin Spacey) and his equally evil wife Claire (played by Robin Wright) have cooked up for the new season. There is nothing redeeming about either of these two characters as they lie, cheat, steal and kill their way across political landscape of Washington DC, but they make if so much fun to watch. But it got me thinking about my own prejudices too. I have to admit that I don't know if I love this show so much because of the stellar writing and acting of this show, or because the evil and mayhem is perpetrated by a "Democrat". I think it may clouding my judgement.
You see, in trying to harness the popularity of House Of Cards, streaming competitor AmazonPrime, has jumped on the original programming zeitgeist with their own originally produce show called Alpha House starring John Goodman as a slimy scheming Southern Republican Congressmen who shares a house in DC with four other similarly situated Republicans. It is kind of the same premise, but frankly, I just couldn't get through the first episode. I can't tell whether it is just not as well written or acted, or if it is because the main evil characters are evil "Republicans". Am I really that fragile?
Have any of you seen either or both of these show? Help me out here and let's discuss.
House Of Cards, based on a BBC mini-series of the same name, is what I have deemed the "anti-West Wing". The main character, Frank Underwood is a conniving, scheming Senator from South Carolina who, along with his wife Claire, will stop at nothing to gain power. And I mean "nothing". I can't wait to savor the deliciously evil deeds Francis (played by Kevin Spacey) and his equally evil wife Claire (played by Robin Wright) have cooked up for the new season. There is nothing redeeming about either of these two characters as they lie, cheat, steal and kill their way across political landscape of Washington DC, but they make if so much fun to watch. But it got me thinking about my own prejudices too. I have to admit that I don't know if I love this show so much because of the stellar writing and acting of this show, or because the evil and mayhem is perpetrated by a "Democrat". I think it may clouding my judgement.
Have any of you seen either or both of these show? Help me out here and let's discuss.
17 comments:
House of Cards, good ol' FU.
Anyway, I've watched a few episodes of the American show and the first (4-episode) season of the British and from what I saw, the British was better.
I don't know, while Kevin Spacey has that Southern sleaze down pat (something I've seen from Democrats like Wallace and Republicans who shall remain unnamed) I think I just find Ian Richardson's aristocratic arrogance and the sheer joy he has destroying people, some whom are quite decent, a bit more enjoyable to watch.
And there is another thing. In the original, the reporter woman, was far more likable. And it is implied that FU actually fell in love with her. And, her fate was not too different from the new show's. (I've heard spoilers)
Anyway, on Alpha House. I've gotten the sense that even liberals are getting tired of Hollywood's "evil Republican" cliché. It's been done so many times that most writers could do it in their sleep —and many do.
Which might be why House of Cards is so interesting. It and Veep both feature main characters who are Democrats, which shakes things up a bit.
House of Cards is EXCELLENT - two thumbs up it. I doubt that i will ever watch Alpha House.
also in the streaming game: Bosch based on Michael Connelly's great character L.A.P.D. detective Harry Bosch
Also streaming on Amazon: Mozart in the Jungle, based on a book about all the backstage shenanigans in the insular world of classical music. I liked the pilot when I saw it last year and I'm glad it went to series - it doesn't reinvent the wheel but it's enjoyable. It's humorous without being stupid, but serious without wallowing in self-pity.
The pilot for The Man in the High Castle was very good as well, and it's been picked up for a full season, too.
***The FCC is going to vote on their super secret "net neutrality" guidelines today. The head of the FCC was asked to appear before Congress to explain their super secret proposed guidelines, but he declined...
Kit - I loved the BBC miniseries. In that version, Francis Underwood has a small sparkle of conscience, but it still didn't stop him from doing what he was doing. But there was a perceptible yet fleeting "maybe I shouldn't do this" that one could see flash in his eyes right before...[Spoiler alert]. It really is a modern interpretation of "MacBeth". Btw, American Frank Underwood has no such sparkle of conscience...
Btw, the other thing that "HOC" has introduced is using "text messages" banners as dialogue. Fun...
House Of Cards is excellent. Frank is like the Tony Soprano of politics.
Deliciously diabolical, great acting, directing and writing, and I like how Frank talks to the viewers to explain what he's really thinking.
I saw the first episode of Alpha House and it simply doesn't compare. It would be far more interesting if Goodman reprised his role as Walter from The Big Lebowski.
Bev,
I agree about Mr. Urquhart from the original show. He did have a tiny spark of conscience, such as how he tried to twist some of his more deplorable actions as "Acts of Mercy." I think it made him more interesting. But there was also the mixing of the British Understatement with a streak of sarcasm which I think made him more interesting to watch.
The Text message thing was done by Sherlock before HOC. Just pointing that out.
Re: Sherlock (another fabulous show, btw) was on regular PBS...so...okay, maybe you are right about it being the first to use text messaging.
Bev,
This 5-minute video is a good, brief history: LINK
I love the American HOC. the British? Didn't work for me. And I watch a lot of British shows, so it's not a cultural thing. Or maybe it is. Brit politics are strange to me, with their Lords and whatnot, and I have no interest in discerning them.
Loved the British House of Cards. I haven't seen either American show.
I started the first season of HOC (USA) and liked it but then I stopped watching. Probably because my wife had trouble getting into it.
Koshcat - I havw watched the first two episodes and something is different. It-s just not binge-worthy so far.
Not binge-worthy...until episode 3...;-D
And then by episode 5, it became the "West Wing"...;-(
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