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House of Cards: The West Wing with Knives In.

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  • OldSlackerOldSlacker Registered User regular
    Out of interest, how many people saw the original?

    Personally, I think Spacey is doing an amazing job of doing an American version of Richardson's character.
    After watching the original version I am a bit sorry they made Underwood more of a bully than Urquhart.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Not doing so would severely be under-using Spacey and his knack for not only making you believe he loathes who he's speaking down to, but make you loathe them.

    His ability to portray condescension and contempt is, more or less, unparalleled among american actors.

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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Not doing so would severely be under-using Spacey and his knack for not only making you believe he loathes who he's speaking down to, but make you loathe them.

    His ability to portray condescension and contempt is, more or less, unparalleled among american actors.

    It's why I loved him as Lex Luthor (though admittedly it was easy for him to stand out in that movie).

  • OldSlackerOldSlacker Registered User regular
    By the end of the season he really made me loathe Underwood and his cronies, unfortunately. :)
    Even after all the shit Urquhart pulled I couldn't hate him that much because it seemed that, while he started the whole thing out of revenge, by the end it really seemed like he was the best person for the job. Whereas Underwood's motivations were all the way through fueled by his power fetish.
    I like both shows, but in second second season of the US show I really want to see Underwood fall.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    I came away the opposite. Early on in the season I actually expected to start hating him, but instead it was the opposite; I started rooting for him, his amoral perspective on his actions made 'sense' given his personal views of power and such. If he fucked someone over, it wasn't some general sense of 'right and wrong' but instead 'if you are allowing yourself to get fucked over by me, that's your own damn fault and you're not worth a second thought'. The whole 'wolf or the herd' lines in that one episode were particularly appropriate.

    When a wolf kills a sheep, they're not doing anything wrong. They're just simply being a wolf, and that deserves a level of respect.

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  • OldSlackerOldSlacker Registered User regular
    I'm not sure which episode it was exactly so Ep6 or Ep7 spoiler, resolution of a brick storyline.
    In the scene with Underwood and Spinella right before the punch I was thinking to myself that the best thing Spinella could do at that moment would be taking a letter opener or even a pen and stabbing the asshole in the neck.
    I've probably been a little overexposed to shows, movies, books and comic books where shitty things constantly happen to people who are at least trying to do some good. Hopefully a diet of West Wing and Parks and Rec will help with that. :)

  • Sangheili91Sangheili91 Registered User regular
    Episode 8 was really boring in comparison to the rest of the season. Huh.

  • wanderingwandering Russia state-affiliated media Registered User regular
    Fun fact: Ian Richardson had a small part in Brazil

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFlFIG22Y9E

    (2:41)

  • MelksterMelkster Registered User regular
    Just finished the season. It was excellent.

    I mean, obviously
    Frank Underwood is a manipulative, murderous bastard who deserves to go to jail

    but he's fun to watch!

    I really hope that the real world isn't actually even close to being like this show. The only parts that I think are halfway accurate are super cozy relationships between congressmen and big corporations. And extramarital affairs.
    But murder? AFAIK, there has never been a homicide committed by a member of congress. The closest is Aaron Burr, who was the Vice President, and that was a duel.

  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Well, obviously the "AFAIK" part is the whole point.

  • CrimsondudeCrimsondude Registered User regular
    No, it's not realistic because Frank has:
    • Nixon's or even Clinton's level of intelligence.
    • Good timing and Luck (in the foibles of others).
    • Time (the whole thing takes at least six months).
    • Proper political circumstances, viz. the benefit of being in a Democratic Party that can stay on message.
    • Enemies who are fools.
    • He isn't a coward.

    The first and last points are the most critical. First of all, most of them aren't nearly smart enough to plot and plan this well and long. But also, most politicians, especially the really powerful ones, aren't willing to pursue their agendas as ruthlessly as some people thing (or wish) because the cost of failure is too high. If they did, Washington would be even more scorched Earth than it is now.

    The one thing this show absolutely nails correctly is the political media, though.

    Whatever. I love this show even more as I've grown to mostly dislike The West Wing (I especially don't like President Bartlet). So I'll give it the

  • MelksterMelkster Registered User regular
    No, it's not realistic because Frank has:
    • Nixon's or even Clinton's level of intelligence.
    • Good timing and Luck (in the foibles of others).
    • Time (the whole thing takes at least six months).
    • Proper political circumstances, viz. the benefit of being in a Democratic Party that can stay on message.
    • Enemies who are fools.
    • He isn't a coward.

    The first and last points are the most critical. First of all, most of them aren't nearly smart enough to plot and plan this well and long. But also, most politicians, especially the really powerful ones, aren't willing to pursue their agendas as ruthlessly as some people thing (or wish) because the cost of failure is too high. If they did, Washington would be even more scorched Earth than it is now.

    The one thing this show absolutely nails correctly is the political media, though.

    Whatever. I love this show even more as I've grown to mostly dislike The West Wing (I especially don't like President Bartlet). So I'll give it the

    First of all, holy shit there's a list tag? Well I'll be...

    Second of all, yeah, as you say, Frank's strategy here would be quite ineffective in the real world. In the real world, if you lied and betrayed someone in the manner he repeatedly does, people learn about it. It gets out. And when that happens, your relationships are destroyed. You lose credibility with your allies. You lose their loyalty. You lose their trust. And when that happens, the game's over.

    And even if it doesn't get out to people outside that circle, it does get out to the people involved with your deception. Linda, for example: Underwood has demonstrated his ability to lie, and lie very well. If Linda was a real human person, she'd see that deceit and immediately think, "Yeah this person can't be trusted with anything" and stop working with him.

    I've done it before in my own life. I'm sure we all have. We discover that one of our friends or peers -- or worse, our own boss -- are the type that like to play games with people, and we stop trusting that person, or even remove them from our lives.

  • EvigilantEvigilant VARegistered User regular
    I just started watching this, and holy shit Spacey is amazing. So. So. Good. One episode in and I'm hooked.

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  • Professor PhobosProfessor Phobos Registered User regular
    I think the reason it's called "House of Cards" is, of course, that Francis' strategy isn't nearly as Machiavellian-Genius as he thinks it is.

    I also thought...
    The murder was implausible and character-destroying. I kind of liked Underwood as playing a game with a set rules, and being unwilling to break those rules.

  • Professor PhobosProfessor Phobos Registered User regular
    How's the British version, incidentally?

  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    Finished watching the season. Will agree that the full on release nature of the series makes it somewhat hard to discuss things as they're happening.

    As to the show...my god is Claire the best thing about the show. Nothing against Spacey or his character, but everything to do with Claire is interesting, complex, and well developed while at the same time placing me smack in the middle of hating or loving her.

    We'll see how long this blog lasts
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  • Professor PhobosProfessor Phobos Registered User regular
    Having now seen the British version, I can see some of the things they're doing differently and why.

  • DeebaserDeebaser on my way to work in a suit and a tie Ahhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Does anyone really think google has trouble filling their asain girl quota? Sorry I almost threw up at that conversation.

    That character did...
    I think she's wrong.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Yeah, that character is hard for me; she feels more like a plot device more than any other character in the show, and not an actual character herself; when even some of the smallest other parts feel meaty.

    Regarding the British version, is there a place online to watch it without doing anything shady?

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  • Professor PhobosProfessor Phobos Registered User regular
    Netflix has the whole thing.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Oh, nice. I guess I could have just looked before asking.

    :lol:

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