Tag Archives: 2016

House of Cards S04E10 Recap & Review

March 9, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: House of Cards season four, episode 10 (and previous episodes) spoilers ahead!

House of Cards season four episode 10 begins by educating the viewer on some state delegate politics. President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), vying for re-election, entered the DNC with the popular vote majority due to Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) dropping out of the race. However, the superdelegates can still be pledged anywhere, as well as 24 states that don’t legally have to pledge their delegates to the primary winner.

Long story short, Underwood can still lose the Democratic nomination during the DNC. Hey, it’s an open convention, so anything can happen.

This DNC mix-up gives Frank a reason to Continue reading House of Cards S04E10 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E09 Recap & Review

March 9, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: House of Cards season four, episode nine (and previous episodes) spoilers ahead!

The Democrat VP race has gone to an open convention, with each state casting delegates for different candidates. The administration has decided to put their chips behind Secretary of State Catherine Durant (Jayne Atkinson), although current VP Donald Blythe (Reed Birney) isn’t exactly on her side.

Inside the administration, we see a side from Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) that we haven’t seen in some time, and that is one of Continue reading House of Cards S04E09 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E07 Recap & Review

March 7, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode seven ahead.

Season four, episode seven of House of Cards begins with Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) dropping out of the presidential race. Though, I suspect this isn’t the last we’ll see of Dunbar, who knows something is amiss with Frank’s rise to power.

A terrorist organization named ICO (not dissimilar to ISIS in nature) is becoming an increasing military threat, leaving President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) with a choice of Continue reading House of Cards S04E07 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E06 Recap & Review

March 7, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode six ahead.

The solution to the U.S. foreign relations issues with Russia and Russian President Viktor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen) comes in the form of Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) banding together some old faces, namely Remy Danton (Mahershala Ali) and Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney).

Meanwhile, Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) makes moves in order to raise Frank Underwood’s (Kevin Spacey) position on the liver donor list. This means letting a man die, something the loyal Stamper would Continue reading House of Cards S04E06 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E05 Recap & Review

March 7, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode five ahead.

The cold open of House of Cards episode five is yet another nightmarish vision from Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), this time depicting a Confederate Civil War soldier shooting him in his hospital bed. The assassination attempt on his life may prove to be politically beneficial, but this scene shows that it will only help in heightening his already troubled mind.

Frank’s Chief of Staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly), now returning to the forefront of the show, is working furiously to Continue reading House of Cards S04E05 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E04 Recap & Review

March 6, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: spoilers from House of Cards season four, episode four ahead.

Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) may have to run with his wife Claire (Robin Wright) as his running mate, or risk further sabotage from her and Leann Harvey (Neve Campbell). He and Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) search for a different way to satisfy Claire’s political desires while also investigating the leak of a racially sensitive image to the press. Stamper heavily suspects Seth Grayson (Derek Cecil), whom we already know leaked the photo of Frank with a Confederate Civil War re-enacter.

The solution for the campaign problem (and by proxy the Claire problem) is to Continue reading House of Cards S04E04 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E03 Recap & Review

March 6, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers from House of Cards season four, episode three ahead.

The third episode of the new season of House of Cards shows the continued efforts of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) to salvage his struggling presidential campaign. Returning to his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina, he speaks in a church. The scene is great, cross-cutting between the speech itself and Underwood preparing for the speech. The lighting contrast and his mumbling recitation show the reality of his feelings for the people that he is claiming to be working for, that they are merely votes that he desperately needs.

On the other end of the political totem pole, Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus), aka John Carlyle, is working on parole, cleaning cars. In order to secure a car, he engages in sexual favors with a co-worker. He uses this to Continue reading House of Cards S04E03 Recap & Review →

Drama, Television Reviews

House of Cards S04E01 Recap & Review

March 5, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode one (and perhaps any previous episode of the show) ahead.

Season four of House of Cards opens on a strange yet perversely poetic image: former Washington Herald senior journalist Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus) glibly reciting erotica so his prison cellmate can get off on the bunk below him. Goodwin was previously framed by hacker Gavin Orsay (Jimmi Simpson) and Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) loyalist Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) in order to prevent further suspicion over the death of Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) at Underwood’s hands.

The reason for Goodwin’s lewd helping hand becomes clear later on, when it is revealed that he Continue reading House of Cards S04E01 Recap & Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Like It, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) Movie Review

March 4, 2016 Alex Brannan

Kim Baker (Tina Fey) is a low-on-the-totem-pole journalist sent to Afghanistan to cover the war there. While there, she deals with gender and cultural politics, as well as personal relationships with military and press personnel.

In Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the acting performances are Continue reading Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Like It, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words)

Race (2016) Movie Review

February 19, 2016 Alex Brannan

Race is the biopic of Olympic athlete Jesse Owens. The film follows Owens (Stephan James) as he tackles adversity in 1930s America and Germany. It also explores the relationship between Owens and his down-and-out coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis).