Tag Archives: Neve Campbell

House of Cards Season Five Episode Five Recap & Review

June 3, 2017 Alex Brannan

Nine weeks after the botched election, there is still no president-elect. By the 12th amendment, Congress will select the president and vice president. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is prepared for it. In fact, he devised the snafu that allowed America to get to this point. Now he just has to do what he does best: manipulate the spineless miscreants of American politics.

With everything in flux, every character is dealing with Continue reading House of Cards Season Five Episode Five Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season Five Episode Three Recap & Review

June 3, 2017 Alex Brannan

Ah, the campaign trail. Inherently compelling. Post-Halloween, the election is ramping up, and both Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman) are working on their winning strategies. Conway takes his campaign to the people, initiating a 24-hour virtual town hall with the American people. Frank, conversely, is wining and dining political officials and having big campaign rallies.

The contrasts between these two candidates could not be more Continue reading House of Cards Season Five Episode Three Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season 5 Episode 1 Recap & Review

June 3, 2017 Alex Brannan

At the beginning of Season Five of House of Cards, President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) takes over Congress, literally stepping in where he is not allowed. Because abuse of power in the House of Cards war is only met with slight perturbation.

With the repetition of “I will not yield,” the ultimate rallying cry of Frank Underwood’s slimy political persona, the President demands Continue reading House of Cards Season 5 Episode 1 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 →