From left to right: Kate Mara, Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Michael Kelly stand together in full costume and character for the “House of Cards” season premiere ad.
Darick T. Earney
Associate Editor
On Feb. 27, Netflix released the third season of its critically acclaimed remake series, “House of Cards”.
The hit show follows the events of Francis “Frank” J. Underwood and his wife, Claire, as they plot against members of the United States government to achieve higher power.
The series originated from the hit British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) miniseries of the same name. Fans of the remake would argue that they share a similar title, but the U.S. version has a much grittier feel.
“David Fincher directed the first few episodes and his style has permeated the series ever since. Dark tones and muted colors help to establish the style and look of the series. In addition, famous directors such as Jodi Foster, Agniezka Holland and even Robin Wright [who plays Claire Underwood] have directed episodes of the series. It is interesting to watch the focus and attention to detail of each of these directors,” Price said.
Currently in season three, a discouraged Frank Underwood struggles to figure out how he’s going to win the 2016 election, and what sacrifices will need to be made in the process.
I found this season to be as much, if not more, daring as previous seasons. For instance, the season begins with Frank visiting his late father’s grave and urinating on the headstone just before he leaves.
Underwood continues to channel his inner rage with another jaw-dropping moment this season when he enters a church and spits in the face of a Jesus crucifix.
The latter half of season three details a turbulence in the marriage between Frank and Claire Underwood as they reflect on the vows they’ve made and broken to one another.
The audience watches Claire fall into a deep depression while Frank becomes power hungry, turning his back on the ones he loves, including Claire, for a second chance at presidency.
“I think that Underwood as presented in ‘House of Cards’ would be no different than most Presidents we have had. As is indicated in season 2, his America Works Program is similar to that of Roosevelt’s New Deal, Obama’s Affordable Care Act and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. The Underwood behind the scenes is not the one we get as President outside of his own ambition and vision,” Mario Love, Political Science professor, said.
Whether it’s covering up a murder, framing activists of committing crimes they’ve carried out themselves, the Underwoods have shown in seasons one and two of the series that they will let nothing stand in their way of getting the things they want.
The end of season three will leave the audience gasping, asking themselves exactly how far Frank Underwood is truly willing to go in order to retain his seat in the White House.
For more on “House of Cards”, visit cinemablend.com for the latest news and reviews on what’s next for Frank Underwood.
Contact Darick at dearney@lc.edu
