Review: House of Cards - of matadors and men

There is no winning hand when you play the Underwoods.

Season two is all about our favourite anti-hero Frank Underwood’s unchallenged ascent to power. Once Zoe Barnes is literally pushed out of the way, the viewer knows exactly how the season will end — with Frank becoming the most powerful man in the free world.

Removing Barnes, a major character in season one and the moral compass of the show, so early on in season two was an exciting decision albeit a problematic one plot-wise for the viewer. It made for some great television, but deprived viewers the pleasure of seeing Frank do what he does so deftly in season one — deal with a worthy adversary. Despite all his billions, Raymond Tusk, this season’s malefactor, is never more than a pesky fly flitting around the periphery of Frank’s circle of power. “There is but one rule,” says Frank at the end of the first episode, “Hunt or be hunted.” This time around, the hunt is just not that satisfying; it is obvious from the get go that the one person who could bring Frank’s house of cards tumbling down has been eliminated.



The show is definitely at its best when both the Underwoods are on screen, but it has some fascinating supporting characters on its roster who were instrumental in making the show what it was in the first season. Most of them, however, are reduced to mere pawns in season two, including Zoe, Freddy, Adam, Lucas and President Walker. At times, the viewer is left feeling that the Underwoods move them around the board with perhaps too much ease.

Season one opens with a docile Frank being passed over as secretary of state. His meteoric rise to the position he now has is more than a tad unbelievable. There is masterful manipulation and then there are odds just absurdly in his favour. Season two leaves the viewer wondering if Frank is just that good or if everyone around him is completely devoid of common sense and the ability to think for themselves. There are multiple times when you question how Garrett Walker made it into the Oval office if one vulnerably worded letter can sway his opinion of Frank. Or when Rachel finally catches on to the fact that Doug is not her saviour but the very person she needs to be saved from and flees.



This season is certainly compelling television, and given its unforgiving breakneck pace, it is more self-indulging than its preceding season. Given the immense acclaim and fan-following the first season cultivated, it’s inevitable that viewers will be far more critical of season two. The show is not about legislation, the dynamics of Washington, or political realism but a grandiose study of power, and a warning to those who are too weak to reach for it. The butchery Netflix promised does not disappoint. It is swift and savage and leaves you with only one question: Now that Frank is the most powerful man in the world, where can he go from here?

The 10 shockers from season two
WARNING: Spoilers ahead

1. Zoe catches a train

In a moment that will undoubtedly live forever, Frank Underwood, Vice President of the United States pushes the fearless reporter, Zoe Barnes, into the path of an incoming train. It was all over in the blink of an eye, but we are still picking our jaws up off the floor. 

2. Claire Underwood — Sexual assault survivor

Mrs Vice President had a fantastic character arc this season, and most of it was driven by the unsettling revelation that she had been assaulted in college by a man who is now a high-ranked, decorated Marine. Seeing her calm façade crack when she is forced to cross paths with her assaulter, followed by Frank’s rage, was one of the most humanising moments of season two. 

3. Claire’s pro-choice spin

Claire’s TV interview is a highlight of season two as she chose to reveal on live television that she had an abortion. As viewers, we are privy to the information that she has had more than one, but what was unexpected was the connection of her abortion with the sexual assault. 

4. Just a ‘good customer’

Frank may have pushed Zoe in front of a train, but it hurt much more when he threw his one true friend under the bus. Seeing the dignified Freddy, who was perhaps the only innocent character left on the show, lose everything he had worked for his entire life was painful. But Frank turning his back on him was gut-wrenching. While we can forgive the vice president for a lot of collateral damage in his wake, reducing decades of camaraderie down to a few dollars is just unforgivable. 

5. Three’s not a crowd

Frank’s penchant for the other team was subtly referred to in an episode of season one. But what we didn’t expect was the twist in Frank’s relationship with his former bodyguard-turned-secret service agent Meechum. It all changed one night when everyone let go a little more than usual and gave viewers that one moment which still has them buzzing.

6. You can’t Walk-er over me

President Walker was nothing more than a pawn in Frank’s schemes until the latter half of season two. It was simultaneously frustrating and awe-inspiring to see the ease with which Frank manipulated the exact outcomes he wanted via the POTUS. For Garrett Walker to turn around and be the one and only person on the show to correctly identify Frank’s motives, but also confront him was an absolute shocker. 

7. Claire me a River

In the season finale, after Claire speaks to the soon-to-be former first lady of the United States, there is a moment when she crumbles into a crying mess. It’s over almost as soon as it begins, but it happened. The scene almost makes her as human as everyone else and reveals that she may not be as immune to the sacrifices she has made for Frank, as she lets on. 

8. Rachel and a rock

Doug Stamper emerged as one of the most interesting characters on House of Cards this season. From his back story as a recovering alcoholic to his almost paternal unrequited love for a fragile, naïve prostitute, redeemed him in the eyes of most of the viewers. All of that was cut brutally short when Rachel attacks him while trying to escape, and Doug Stamper is no more.

9. White House down

In a throwback to the bioterrorism attacks of 2001 in the United States, someone sends an envelope containing a white powder to Capitol Hill which effectively shuts it down. Agents in hazmat suits take over and a quarantine is enforced throughout the building. What’s a presidential term without a deadly outbreak, right? 

10. The Hammer falls

Tom ‘The Hammer’ Hammerschmidt may be a disgraced former editor, but there is nothing wrong with his reporter instinct. He was more than skeptical of Lucas’ claims, but it is clear as a pins-and-needles interview, where he confronts Vice President Underwood, that he is becoming more of a believer with every passing second. He doesn’t hold back with the questions but Frank deflects them as he so often does, leaving much to the imagination.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 30^th, 2014.