House of Cards: Season 2

Great show

Very great buy and delivery

ok

Watching the unprincipled and incredibly devious Frank Underwood rise from House Whip to President of the United States is certainly entertaining and the acting is first rate. Viewers need to suspend their disbelief in order to fully accept the incomprehensible stupidity of the dupes along the way who are brushed aside and the lack of push-back from any of the multitudes of "interest groups" that have their own amoral and heavily funded objectives. Elected at the cost of billions of dollars and surrounded by armies of political operatives and bureaucrats dependent upon the President, it is difficult to conceive of any way that any personal deceptions could so quickly seize the Oval Office and overthrow a presidency. It may be good theater to watch this play out as the work of a slick mastermind and his even more deceptive wife, but the breakdowns in presidential power we have seen -- Nixon-Agnew-Ford -- and the Clinton scandal -- were far from "neat". They were messy and painful to watch and unfolded over several years. The Bush-Cheney seizure of power in 2000 and the orchestrated Iraq War ended up with thousands of dead and tens of billions earned by War profiteers like Cheney's Halliburton. That is a reality far darker than the murder of a congressperson and reporter.It is also difficult to believe that simple deals over a table could bring cuts to Social Security eligibility age without massive firestorms of protest and with no mention of the hundreds of billions of dollars escaping taxation through machinations of dozens of vastly wealthy individuals who shelter vast fortunes in the Cayman Islands and in Swiss banks. Raymond Tusk may be a realistic character, but there are obviously dozens of such corruptors buying and selling influence in Washington, D.C.. Its hard to imagine one or two such rats obtaining such unrivaled power with so many sharks in the water. And there are obviously many Frank Underwoods in Washington, D.C. who crave power. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they feed off each other and the taxpayers in general. What House of Cards offers is the fiction that such evil can be contained and orchestrated by one clever mastermind. Perhaps that is a comforting fiction when evil in our political system appears to be overwhelming.

This is an outstanding set of programs. The acting is first rate. I have only had a few tech issues but, overall this is outstanding. It is so good that after each episode, you feel like you need a shower. They have only one overriding core value - preserve their individual power and position at all costs. Anything else can be rationalized. The Francis Underwood character makes a profound statement in Season 1 that some fools who come to WDC come for the money. Money is nothing. Power is what they should be focusing on. This is a big part of the current deadlock and low approval rating of Congress - they are totally focused on being professional politicians and getting the funding from the 20,000 plus lobbyists. The term, "public service" as practiced by our founding fathers has lost its meaning today. The influence of the VP on the POTUS as reflected in this series is reminiscent of the Chaney / Bush eight years when the VP had more direct involvement and decision making than in any other administration. Contrast the VP / POTUS relationship in this series with FDR / Truman or JFK / LBJ. This series also clearly demonstrates the American system of power, position and wealth as it applies to criminal acts, politics, business deals, etc.

This series is as good in its way as Downton Abbey and The Vikings are in theirs. A couple of the scenes in this second season are so shocking I had to rewind to be sure I saw what I thought I saw. As a conservative, I'm pleasantly surprised that liberal politicians are portrayed as ruthless, ambitious, elitist, and narcissistic as many are, though rarely described that way in the mainstream media. Still, the strength of the series is that the characters are not "types" but individuals with their own peculiar strengths and weaknesses. It's unusual that compelling characters disappear (some through murder) to be replaced by new people just as compelling but in different ways. It keeps the viewer from boredom. Perhaps the greatest strength is the quality of the acting, not just by Spacey and Wright but by all the actors playing lesser roles. The quality of the writing varies from episode to episode but is generally well above average for a TV series. I watched all of Season 2 in two days it was so riveting.

Amazing show and good value for this package. If you do not have a Netflix account and or have not seen this show yet, I would recommend both 1st and 2nd season as the replay value is high. I have a Netflix account and bought them both anyway. This set is a must have for anybody that collects great TV shows.**Disclaimer** This review was written before all of the allegations against Kevin Spacey. I would say, the show is top notch and he really did play the villain well (maybe there's something to that, maybe not). Either way, I am not giving the show any less of a good rating because of the one actor that ruined it for everyone else. The show has phenomenal writing, great characterization of the characters, and a fantastic cinematic flare. Every episode is worth watching if you can push yourself to watch beyond the main protagonist and for the other characters and drama. That said, after everything I would recommend only watching on Netflix at this point so not to put more Money in Spacey's pocket, but to each their own.

I found myself drawn more and more into this series with its portrayal of ruthless political skulduggeries. Spacey excels and is genuinely creepy. His voice can grate after a while especially all of the pseudo pleasantries he exchanges before disposing of his/her next victim. His wife Robin is equally chilling. The series excels as it builds very strong characters the viewer can engage with. I thought Zoe Brookes was a good character too with an albeit brief appearance here. House of cards was one of the last binge watch series made with care and attention to detail. This was slightly pre Trump and echoes that era accurately. It can be overly long in some places (explaining certain complex situations)- that would be my only criticism.

The continuing tale of Political -Power - Games.'Frank Underwood' has manoeuvred his way to the office of 'U.S. Vice President.Business Man 'Raymond Tusk' who has the ear of friend and President, 'GarrettWalker' has recommended the appointment.'Frank' sets out from the word go to drive a wedge between 'Tusk' and the President,but will his efforts to do so come back and bite him at a later date.Making an enemy of 'Frank' or becoming a threat could prove fatal as political colleaguealcoholic 'Peter Russo' didn't live long enough to understand.Both 'Clair' and 'Francis' are not beyond having affairs, facts that could cause both issues,for both 'Underwood's'Manipulation and wheeler-dealing is a way of life for 'Frank' -wife 'Clair' has an equallysingle minded approach with her business affairs.Neither are high in the loyalty-stakes they simply use people to achieve their aims,' Frank'has a team of foot soldiers to do his bidding led by 'Doug Stamper''Frank' has been playing political games to undermine supposed friend and President.While political games are being played, 'Zoe Barnes' a former lover that 'Frank' has usedbecause of her connections to the 'Press' becomes another victim of the Vice presidentsfury, her boyfriend 'Lucas' also with the 'Press' believes 'Frank' is involved with two deaths,are his investigations getting too Hot for Frank ?There is so much going on can 'Frank' and 'Clair' stay ahead of the game, cosying up to'Garrett' and wife 'Tricia' all a part of the overall plan.Meanwhile 'Raymond Tusk' is doing all he can to get even with the manipulating VicePresident, a plan which includes publically exposing 'Clair's' indiscretions and layingthe seeds of doubt about 'Frank' in the Presidents mind.Is the plan coming off the tracks for the 'Underwood's' or will they prevail ?One thing is certain 'Frank' and 'Clair' do.....deserve each other.This is a terrific political drama which is certainly compelling viewing.Just hope the series continues.....'Kevin Spacey' is wickedly convincing as 'FrancisUnderwood' ........This a must see TV series.

Frank Underwood continues his ruthless machinations - the goal, America's greatest prize. Resembling a union of Richard III and Lady Macbeth, he and wife Claire show no mercy to any who stand in their way. Sometimes they miscalculate, in danger themselves of coming to grief. Policy then? "When you are fresh meat, kill and throw them something fresher."13 episodes are crammed with intrigue, full concentration needed to keep track of sometimes complicated manoeuvrings. Throughout American politics seems dependent on devious goings-on behind an affable facade. (F.U.'s philosophy - "Shake with your right hand, hold a rock in your left.")Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright superbly head the strong cast, all doing justice to well-crafted, intricate scripts. Brooding photography and atmospheric music ably add to ominous undercurrents.Interesting bonuses, it good to see credit given to the British original. Used splendidly in both versions are the asides to camera, we taken into Frank's confidence - so much conveyed with even a glance or a glare.Format of the box set itself disappoints, several probably finding it not particularly user-friendly, innovative "style" favoured over practicality.This in no way detracts from the 5 stars deserved.As Vice-President, Frank can be either a doormat or a matador. No prizes for guessing which he chooses, he making it clear to us from the start, "Democracy is so overrated."Chilling and brilliant.

No it isn't more of the same. It has gone up several gears. Some stories from the first season continue, develop and are then knocked on the head, and many more stories are introduced. They are bigger stories, more dramatic. It is war on all fronts: but there is very little violence, it is all done with words. Kevin Spacey is a master of word acting, as is Robin Wright as his wife. Here is a snippet 'What are you going to do?' 'Tell the truth....selectively.' There is a lesbian sex scene and a tease into a three way sex session. A Civil War re-enactment group takes us away from indoor Washington into the wooded countryside. The colours are still sophisticated and mellow. Robin Wright appears to be poured into her dresses - but then she is very elegant and beautiful, and Apple computers are still in evidence. However, whoever redesigned the packaging is an absolute disaster. It is extremely difficult to get the discs out of the cardboard cases. Could we have series 3 in the normal holders please?

Anxious to continue the story after Season 1, this well written series deals with the corrupting nature of power and ambition with no morals. Excellent value at £13, the acting particularly from Spacey is excellent. However, docked a star for quite simply the worst DVD packaging it has been my mis-pleasure to encounter - ever. Tacky cardboard that arrived with the spline crushed, two leaves of the fold out casing stuck together with the thin plastic overlay peeling from two corners, glue not holding the packaging together... I could go on. Fantastic quality series, simply appalling quality packaging.