House of Cards

Hi everyone,
For my first comment, I will present a little the US series House of Cards and why I love this series.
First of all, House of Cards is an American political drama web television series. It's the first original series of Netflix. The two main actors of this series are Robin Wright and Kevin Spacey. Kevin Spacey is one of reasons why I love this series because this is a great actor who played complex characters, and gaigned particularly his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "The Usual Suspects" (1995), and an Academy Award for Best Actor for "American Beauty" (1999).
In this series, Kevin Spacey plays Francis "Frank" Underwood, a power-hungry Democratic congressman from South Carolina and House majority whip, his only objective is to be the president. Frank Underwood is a manipulator man and deprived of the slightest scruple, ready for anything to get his own way: only account for him its conquest of the summits of the power.
At the beginning, we learn that he helped Garret Walker to become the President of the US and in exchange he would become Secretary of State. Unfortunately for him, Before Walker's inauguration, the secretary's chief of staff Linda Vasquez announces to him that the president does not intend to honor his promise.

Why I love this series :
- because there is Kevin Spacey, of course !!
- on numerous occasions, the main character use the aside : he speaks directly to the audience, so he can expose or explain his ideas to the viewer.
- I'm a fan of politics and how works this word of persons so particular.

House of Cards : comment 2

Today, I will talk about the beginning of the season 1 and what I thought of it
So, from the first episod, the viewer discover a character rough and without second thought with a scene where we see Frank Underwood kill a dog by strangling. Then, when Frank understood that he couldn't be secretary of state, we see a very ambitious man ready for anything to achieve their objectives.
He is even ready to betray its own president by provinding hotspot information to the press for weaken him. He wants to oblige him to make him secretary of State and as soon as possible, take revenge by destroying him. To get there, he's going to ask his wife Claire, an environmental activist, her help.
We understand fast how takes place the political life in the United States, and also in another countries. The alliances can evolve very quickly and the friendship is excluded in this closed universe.

House of Cards : comment 3

So, for this third comment, I will talk about the second episod of the season 1 here.
To succeed and reach his goal, Franck Underwood will do all he can to crush his competitors, in a subtle manner. With the leak of information about the education bill's reforms, he is finally chosen and hires a team of young interns to write a draft of the bill in a week, which would usually take months to write. In the same time, he is going to try to discredit his main opponent Michael Kern for the post of secretary of state. To achieve this, he finds an anti-Israel editorial column that Kern ran in his college newspaper. For her part, Claire Underwood is forced to lay off half of the staff of her company.

House of Cards : comment 4

In this fourth comment, I will resume the episods 3 and 4 of the season 1.
In the third episod, while he is defending the education bill's reforms to the teachers' unions, Frank Underwood is forced to go in South Carolina, precisely in his hometown of Gaffney. He learned that a 17-year-old girl Jessica has been killed, texting while driving at night. She was distracted by a peach water tower that Frank had advocated to keep standing. A Republican and old rival of Frank urges the girl's parents to file a lawsuit against Frank, with the aim of taking his congressional seat. He meets Jessica's parents and assures them he will do everything to provide justice for their daughter. Then, he offers a settlement of $150,000, and promises to sponsor billboards warning against texting while driving, real reason for accident. In order to take his rival down, he finds out that the responsibility for guardrails is the county's, but none have been built.

In the fourth episod, Back in Washington, Frank Underwood approaches House Speaker Bob Birch to support his education bill, who refuses and objects to its controversial amendments. Frank sees the president Garett Walker who suggests compromising by removing the amendment about "collective bargaining for teachers" but Frank considers that like a weakening of the president over the house speaker. Thus, to succeed to pass his reform, he tries to organize a coup against Birch by bringing Majority Leader David Rasmussen as his ally, and offers him the post of House Speaker in exchange for helping him pass the education bill.

Comment 5

For this fifth comment, I will talk about the episod 5 of the season 1.
So, in this episod, we find ,as we have seen at the end of the episod 4, Frank Underwood at Zoe Barnes's apartment. Then, when Frank returns to Claire, she asks about Zoe. Frank says that she is a "mouthpiece and can be controlled."

In the end of the episod, a drunk and disheveled Russo awaits on the steps of the Underwood's home for their arrival. Without saying anything, Claire and Frank invite him in, make him a sandwich and coffee, and ask him to stay the night in their guest suite. In the suite, privately, Russo blames Frank, and lashes out at him for ruining his life.

Comment 6
For the sixth comment, I'll talk about the episode 6 of the first season.
At the beginning of the episode,  Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez is speaking with Frank to inform him of Unites States President Garrett Walker's decision to modify the education reform bill in order to appease the teachers. Frank, however, is reluctant to concede to the demands of the teachers and pleads Linda to give him a week to end the strike without compromising the bill.
Marty Spinella, the Head Lobbyist for the associated teacher's unions, proposes with his team to Frank a live debate on CNN. The debate was disastrous for Frank because Frank is mired in a flawed vowel game
President Walker reproaches Frank for allowing the strike to endure, he orders Frank to gut the bill in order to put an end to the strike but Frank doesn't want to make of concessions  to the teacher unions. Finally, to succeed, Frank creates a plot to discredit the Head Lobbyst Spinella with a false aggression.

Comment 7
For this seventh comment, I'll talk about logically the seventh episode of the season 1.
So as could be expected in the last episode, Unites States President Garrett Walker finally signs the education bill into law, earning Frank a major victory by affording him great influence and favor with Walker. Vice President Jim Matthews feels sidelined and expresses discontent with Walker, for not discussing anything with him about the administration.
Peter Russo readies himself for the governor's race in Pennsylvania ahead by attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Via Zoe, Frank generates some positive spin on the announcement. Frank meets with Christina Gallagher, who was the executive assistant and girlfriend of Peter, and requests her to forgive Peter Russo and become his deputy campaign manager, reigniting her personal relationship with Russo.
Furthermore, Claire Underwood finds out that she is in menopause and will never become a mother.

Comment 8
In this eighth comment, I will resume the episode 8 of the season 1.
In this episode, we discover a part of Frank's past. Thus, Frank visits his alma mater, a military college, which is honoring him by naming a new library after him. He spends the night reminiscing and drinking with old friends, including one who is implied to be his former lover.
In another place in the United-States (in Pennsylvania), the lobbyist Remy Danton has concerns about Peter Russo running for governor. Peter visits Philadelphia and tries to convince the former shipyard employees to support him. An angry meeting with them reveals an uphill struggle ahead, but he perseveres.