I do my weekly DVR Purges, but let's be frank: they are crap. I don't proofread them at all most weeks. They're collections of scattered thoughts that barely even make sense a week later. What I've decided to do is, with most of these shows I watch taking a break, reflect on where I stand with them, assessing what is in the show's favor (assets) and what could get it in trouble (liabilities).
Now, not every show I watch will be included. In general, I'm sticking to shows that I've kept notes (be them from Purges or otherwise) as I've watched. That means, shows like The Bridge, Looking, Sherlock, and Dexter will not be included. To get my thoughts on those, ask me. This project, supposing I stay on schedule should take all month and I hope it does a good job summing up where these shows stand. In some cases, I'm hoping to convince you to start watching. Other times, it'll be nothing more than a postmortem for a show that's gone.
I hope you enjoy.
Favorite Episode(s): Chapter 14
Kevin Spacey: This is an easy one. The lead of the show is a two time Oscar winner who is as comfortable in this role as I've ever seen him. Simply put, there is no show without Spacey playing Frank Underwood. He manages to play Frank both hammy and engaging, which is tougher than it looks. With both seasons, I need a little while to digest what happens because he is good enough to get me thinking the show is smarter than it is. I don't know if I'd call this one of the top six lead performances on TV, but it is the perfect performance for the series.
Robin Wright: I couldn't remember Wright being big enough in season one to be considered a lead in the show. That wasn't the case in season two. Claire and Frank worked as a team all season and I finally understood why they were called a power couple. There's no way that Frank can succeed without Claire as his accomplice. It's a strange relationship and without a doubt my favorite thing about the second season. Wright did some fine work on her own too. The episode when she does the interview and reveals that she was raped will be her Emmy submission episode and I couldn't argue with her winning in that case. It's an impressive performance.
Jackie Sharp: This is all speculation. Molly Parker as Jackie Sharp didn't do much in season two. You get the feeling that she's being introduced now to play a bigger role in the future. She is the only person, short of Claire, who poses an actual threat to President Francis Underwood at the moment. As long as they don't push her in front of a train, she should play well in season three.
Easy/No Resolutions: Francis killing Zoe was the most surprising, most intriguing, and ultimately most disappointing part of season two. That's when the show proudly announced "Don't worry about it", something it would repeat throughout the season. The first season set up Zoe and the other reporters as a dark horse threat to Frank. By the second episode of this season, Zoe was dead (in the worst investigated accident in history), Janine was off to Ithaca, and Zoe's boyfriend was going down weird, illegal rabbit holes to figure out what happened. That's just one example of all the story lines that went away without wrapping up. Remember Claire's pregnant assistant? How about Christina Gallagher, Peter Russo's girlfriend and initial successor? They spent a lot of time building her up last season only to fall off the map completely. Not every story has to wrap up neatly but they can't disappear completely, without me questioning the storytelling.
Convoluted Stories: The stories that didn't go away got needlessly complex and implausible. I'm not sure I'll ever understand the intricacies of Frank's master plan as well as I should. There's something about changing the retirement age and building a bridge took up a lot of the season. And, I can appreciate all these moving parts if they work like season one's plan to become Vice President. That plan felt like Frank was always in the driver's seat, controlling the beats and cornering people to bend to his wishes. This season, in between the policy maneuvering, there were beats that required someone like Tusk to turn on the President at the exact right time or the President not handing in Frank's confession. Those are Hail Mary's, not a solid plan.
No Worthy Rival: When I first reviewed this show, I describe Frank working people as "No one wants to watch Lebron James play in a YMCA league for very long". He doesn't have an equal. There's no Moriarty to his Sherlock, or (more appropriate for Spacey) Lex Luther to his Superman. President Walker is so incompetent that it's a wonder he ever got elected. Tusk turned out to be a puppet. Zoe reportedly committed suicide or tripped in front of a train. Janine ran scared to Ithaca. It stops being fun if Frank is only playing against his own mistakes.
This is pulp TV that wants to be prestige.It looks great. The cast is immensely talented. If the writing could match the rest, this would be a very good show. Right now, I'd say it's a fine show that is trending downward. There's plenty of potential for season three to be amazing. One benefit of having stories go away rather than wrapping them up in stupid ways is that they can always resurface. Janine and the other reporters could pop back up. Christina is capable of showing up elsewhere and being a problem. With Doug dead, former prostitute Rachel could get in the way. Jackie, as I've said, is certain to be an adversary in the future. So far, this has been a show about Frank's rise to power, and what comes up, must come down.
Previously this Offseason...
Community
Brooklyn Nine Nine
New Girl
Suburgatory
Modern Family
Parenthood
The Mindy Project
The Michael J Fox Show
The Big Bang Theory
Agents of SHIELD
The Crazy Ones
Back in the Game
Parks and Recreation
The Walking Dead
The Middle
Saturday Night Live
Cougar Town
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