Review: House of Cards, Season 2

Have you all received your cans back? Are you able to deal? Have Beau Willimon and company allowed you your edges? All of these are questions one must ask after finishing the second season of House of Cards. There are jaw dropping moments, crazy monologues and it’s definitely worthy of a review.

When I first started the new season of House of Cards it was with a crazy amount of intrigue and trepidation. How would they top that first season? Would it not work as well without some of the characters? Where would the season go? Well I definitely think this second season was some high quality television.

While the first season of the show was crazy unpredictable because we didn’t know what we were getting into, season 2 opts for something different. There are still crazy twists, but Willimon wisely resists just stacking them one on another. Instead, House of Cards operates with the tension simmering and everything below the surface. There’s a sense of dread and instability in every episode and it really isn’t till the final one that you can settle into any kind of ease. I really enjoyed the pacing of the season and thought that it really helped the big moments feel organic. The only issue I felt was that in moving forward and zooming the lens in, the show missed the peripheral stuff and tie ins from last season, especially with the character of Christina.

The show also wasn’t afraid to get a bit weird in incorporating the political landscape into the show. Frank’s episode long trip to a Civil War reenactment had to be the strangest thing (especially with how that episode opened) but it was so strange that it worked.

I also really enjoyed the interaction with the side characters this season. Raymond Tusk might be THE WORST but I totally got his motivations and the stuff with him in the last two episodes is great TV. Same with Molly Parker and Mahershala Ali, who play Jackie Sharpe and Remy Danton, the pair of whom get some awesome material in dealing with human emotions in the Frank led machine. I’d be hard pressed to mention acting and not hint at how Michael Kelly and Nathan Darrow killed it as well.

The relationship with Claire and Frank is always fascinating and they make some crazy Machiavellian moves this season that would shame the most ardent social climbers. The only thing I think really missing is a villain that can knock them down a peg, they’re just too good at the moment to be defeated.

Below are my favorite moments and gifs that represent my feelings. WARNING SPOILERS BELOW!

Frank pushes Zoe in front of the train. I legit ran around my apartment for a solid 5 minutes HOLLERING about this moment before I sat back down, rewound the scene and then screamed some more.

Claire tells everyone the General assaulted her. After that opening episode I didn’t think anything would shock me but here comes Claire Mother Fucking Underwood putting this sucmbag on blast. Man that was a great moment.

Freddy closes his shop. Man this made me so sad. One of my favorite parts of this show was Frank’s excursions to this ribs place but I love that they gave this Character such an interesting send off.

Meecham, Claire and Frank have a threesome. Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile WHAT?! this rendered me so unable to can…like I NEVER saw this coming in a million years…it put that couples interactions with him in a new light. But why did they just stop at the kissing? I’m asking for a friend.

Rachel kills Stamper. I should have known when they introduced that new press guy that it would mean the end for Stamper. But still! Michael Kelly was so good in this role and that character so misunderstood and just…

Frank takes office, completing his calculating journey. Honestly, I did not expect this season to end with this guy in the Oval Office but man does it set the show up for a whirlwind season 3.

 What did you think of House of Cards Season 2?