House of Cards: Season 3 (TV Review) - Frank's Back...Again

If you had told me that House of Cards would be one of my favourite TV shows back when the first season aired, I probably would have laughed in your face. Sure, it was good, but it was far from spectacular. Now, two seasons later, and I can firmly stand behind this statement. Not only is season 3 of this incredible show the best yet, but it ends on a cliffhanger which is shockingly unfair in the excitement it creates. 

Francis & Claire Underwood
(Kevin Spacey / Robin Wright)

Elevated from merely Mr. Underwood to Mr. President, Francis Underwood is a scarily powerful man. Not everybody agrees with him, and in fact most of this season shows just how controversial of a figure he is, but he's a powerful entity nonetheless. The season begins with Francis (Kevin Spacey) striving to nationalise his 'America Works' programme - a system which plans to raise employment exponentially across the United States. Early on however, Frank is driven to withdraw from the presidential vote in 2016...though this is only a minor setback in the Underwood's grand scheme. Meanwhile, Frank's wife Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) is determined to achieve power of her own, and hopes to do this by becoming head of the U.N. If season 1 was about uprising and 2 concerned treachery, then this instalment most certainly revolves around the absolute corruption of power. 

For anybody who has seen the show before, you'll know what I mean when I say that the previous season began with a fairly brutal episode. It dived head-first into the deep-end, and didn't pull any punches. Now, while this chapter of the Underwood story is definitely anything but slow, it doesn't feature quite the same level of intense suspense found previously. What this does contain, are countless moments of gripping conversation and subtleties which rival any number of scenes depicting high-octane action. Yes, this fuse is a slower burn than before; but it's one which leads to an extremely satisfying explosion at its climax. 

In terms of a television series replicating the same cinematic flair of a movie, House of Cards is easily miles ahead of most other content available right now. The cinematography is beautiful and aptly sinister, the acting is beyond entertaining, and the multiple, intricately linked story lines are as engaging as ever. Obviously, Kevin Spacey's performance as President Underwood is the stand-out for the series, but Robin Wright as Claire has more of a presence this time around than ever before. For every action by Frank, there's an equally interesting reaction from Claire, all of which bubbles to a shocking conclusion setting up season 4 - no doubt to be released this time next year. 

In terms of things I didn't like with this season, they're small but still worth mentioning. Some plot-lines which flow seamlessly in the earlier half of the season eventually dry-out and disappear later on, which is a little disappointing, as they are as interesting as anything else - such as the rivalry borne between Frank and the Russian President, Victor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen). Also, particular moments which are intended to shock and surprise fail to do so because they're so apparent early on, but the truly sinister twists hit their mark where intended. 

Verdict

Season 3 of House of Cards is an interesting predicament: It's book-ended by episodes which aren't quite as thrilling as the previous instalment's, and yet the chapters within these manage to escalate it beyond anything that has came before. Yes, I believe it to be the best season yet and some of the finest television I've seen, but that's because I have such an investment in these characters after two prior seasons building their characters. For an outsider, the plot of season 3 may seem comparatively weaker to at least the second season, but the brilliant monologues delivered by Frank and the insidious tone maintained throughout still mean that it is well-worth a watch. 

"You wanna know what takes real courage? 

Holding it all together, when the stakes are this high."