House of Cards is allowed to be many things: weird, nasty, cynical, satirical, pulpy. One thing it is never allowed to be is boring. “Chapter 47” wasn’t a total trainwreck, but it was one of those dreaded place-setting episodes, which are a necessary evil in serialized dramas like this. Characters have to move from point A to point B, and while it might be fun to see them at each location, it’s a lot less fun to see them in transit (at least HoC did this better than this week’s disastrous Walking Dead). I’m baffled as to why this particular rule applies to House of Cards. This is a show with an unconventional narrative format (the fourth-wall breaking) and a sprawling cast of characters, none of whom are particularly likable. Yet here we are. “Chapter 47” was slow to the point of its own detriment, but it does promise some interesting developments along the line.
Such as: Tom Hammerschmidt is going to die. I was sitting here, taking notes, enjoying his burgeoning investigation, when I realized that there is no way that the show is going to let Frank’s Shakespearean downfall come from dogged investigative journalism. I even wrote “What fell notion does this show have in mind for Tom,” because I am a gigantic douche. Think about it: everyone who has gone up against the Underwoods has come out disgraced, dead, or both. Zoe Barnes, Lucas Goodwin, Heather Dunbar – all gone, some of them literally.
So as engrossing as Tom’s storyline is, I’m trying not to let myself get my hopes up. We know how this will end, and it’s probably at the business end of Doug Stamper. So long, Tom!
At least “Chapter 47” brought back Thomas Yates, who I’ve been missing this season. Like everyone else in House of Cards, he’s playing both sides, pitting the Conways against the Underwoods over a novel he’s written that is a thinly-veiled critique of the first family. Funnily enough, the snippets we hear of Yates’ novel are a classic example of an author telling when he should be showing, but that’s neither here nor there. Obviously, the Underwoods end up getting what they want, so it’s only a matter of time before Yates gets screwed over once again. I will say that it’s nice seeing him buck against the constraints of being a speechwriter.
Elsewhere, Frank and Claire are engaged in some classic Underwood chicanery. Frank is assigned a running mate, Senator Dean Austen from Ohio, meant to appease the gun lobby. Of course, since any idea that isn’t Frank or Claire’s is deemed a bad one, things are put in motion immediately to stop this from happening. Frank wants Cathy Durant on the ticket with him, which is fine with me, because I like Cathy and she’s one of this show’s patented strong women, an area in which it typically excels. But Claire gave up the fight to be Frank’s running mate with uncharacteristic quickness, and I wish that had been explored more. Or better yet, not brought up in the first place.
“Chapter 47” was a slower episode, to be sure, and its most interesting plotline is destined to fizzle out, but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. It sets the stage for an all-out war between the Underwoods and the surprisingly canny Conways, and I’m on board with that idea. Honestly, anything that focuses this show is fine by me.
A Few Thoughts
- Kate Baldwin is given a 20,000-word Vanity Fair piece on General Brockhart. That’s not an article, that’s a novella. My friend and I are working on a novel; we’ve just passed 20,000 words and we’re at about 75 pages, just as a point of reference
- I don’t like that Frank pointed out that Dean Austen is “another middle-aged white guy.” We already know that, so why say it? Better yet, why not get someone who doesn’t fall into that category?
- I really appreciated Frank eulogizing Meechum, though. House of Cards has definitely done right by him
- MacAllan taking off his shirt and dancing around his office was just weird for the sake of weird, right?
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