House of Cards: Chapters I & II

After numerous attempts to stop my loving mother from talking to my head off during the show I managed to get through the first two chapters. *wipes sweat* my eyes were glued and I just might have to add this show to a long list of my addictive series a few slots behind Scandal and SVU (that’s big!). House of Cards, probably short for white house of revenge and pulling cards, is a world wind of politics with a 50s-esque detective/crime movie feel to it. If only there were black and white scenes. Francis “Frank” Underwood is a congressman for over 20 years who is the almost guaranteed position of Secretary of State to only have it slipped from under his nose for unknown reasons. The opening scene is the sound of hit and run leaving a dog to whimper out of pain. Frank decides to put the poor dog out of his misery while reciting one of the greatest dramatic monologues in a series I have heard thus far.  “There are two kinds of pain the sort of pain makes you strong or useless pain, sort of pain that’s only suffering. I have no patience for useless things. Moments like this requires someone who will act, who will do the unpleasant thing, the necessary thing. There. No more pain.” *standing ovation* 

I instantly connected the dog to some sort of downfall, someone being weak or useless within this series and someone will find away to either fix or get rid of the underdog. But who is it? Later on the episode Zoe Barnes, un-lovingly called “twitter twat” by her coworker, is introduced an upcoming Journalist at The Washington Herald. She is obviously the underdog there. Her name is barely remembered and she is stuck writing about things that she could care less about and probably most people. But things change for her, rather quickly. Her and Frank become allies down the line. His information helps her to move up the food chain of Journalism and her articles help him to take down one person after the other. I was not clear if he’s a part of her plot or vice versa but it seems to be satisfying for both, so far.  Something makes me believe that Frank is looking out for Zoe because he knows she’s a lion being forced to do sheep work. He seems like the character that can fire someone up, evoke emotions, manipulate, etc.  someone without them having the slightest clue. One thing I know is he is already the lion in his field and the white house is going to be his dinner.

 Frank’s plan seems to be at top of its game. But as said in Notorious, “Once you’re at the top, the only way is down.” I don’t think he has reached the top just yet. That would be too quick. But the downfall I’m scared and anxious to see how this goes. As for his wife’s story with her charity I’m still not sure of how it plays into the story line. Were they looking for something to fill the gaps. I have no idea, hopefully future episodes will reveal it to us and it is not another part of the story line  that gets lost in the series. 

Honestly I was overwhelmed by how much happened in these two episodes, in a good way and a slight bad way. It seemed a little rushed. I thought to myself, “why is this all happening so quickly in the first chapters?” Then I thought about how Breaking Bad started out in the beginning and lead to so much more greatness.

Eleven more chapters to go and eleven more of the many moments with my mother asking me “What’s happening?, Who is that guy?, Why did he do that?”