house of cards

Many Happy Returns: House of Cards

House of Cards Season 2 releases on Netflix this Friday, February 14^th.

I’ll be the first to admit that I loathe Valentine’s Day with a burning passion (probably as an effect of being perpetually single). This year, however, doesn’t seem as bad for me: two of my friends ended up in horrible relationship situations, it’s a Friday so I can always hit the bar, and most important of all it marks the return of Netflix’s hit series House of Cards.

Since we last left off: Storyline wise, season one of House of Cards left a ton of loose ends on the table. Frank Underwood had just accepted the position of Vice President with his plan for revenge just completed. His fixer, Doug Stamper, has a major mess on his hands, as young journalist (and former Underwood paramour) Zoe Barnes is looking to the last days of late congressman Peter Russo. Underwood’s wife Claire meanwhile, is facing a lawsuit from a disgruntled former employee who is not afraid to lie under oath in order to maintain her ideals. Based on Netflix’s official trailer, we should see follow through on all of these.

Many of the main principals remain on the cast, but the show also picks up some fresh blood (which will be necessary since we move from congress to the executive branches). The most notable addition is Molly Parker as congresswoman Jacqueline Sharp, a California representative whom Underwood taps for his old seat as House Majority Whip.

More importantly than what is going on inside the universe of House of Cards is the macro-level effect that it, along with season four of Arrested Development and surprise hit Orange is the New Black had for Netflix and the future of the TV industry as a whole. I’ve touched numerous times on how critical those three series were to establishing the expansion and credibility of web-based distribution (and how they are the future of television as we know it), but House of Cards in particular has brought the bulk of prestige with Kevin Spacey being nominated multiple times for Best Actor in a Drama Series (for his portrayal of Frank Underwood) while Robin Wright scored a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Claire. Netflix in turn showed the series a vote of confidence by green lighting not only this second season, but a third to debut in 2015.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Having gotten a chance to watch the first season recently, I’m looking forward to seeing what curve balls the vice-presidency throws Underwood. The tension between President Walker and Vice President Matthews is pretty common for the executive branch (one can argue that if there’s a VP whose gotten sidelined more than Matthews it’s probably Joe Biden). One can only imagine that a Walker-Underwood administration may end up looking more like the Kennedy-Johnson ticket (as Underwood is built very much on Johnson’s mannerisms).

Additionally, House of Cards is the sort of show where the whole tends to be greater than sum of all parts and works best when all of the plots intersect. It should be interesting to see if Barnes, Sikorsky, and Lucas are capable of mowing through a maze that Underwood and Stamp keep adding walls to second-by-second, while Claire works to trap those suing her (a suit that ultimately finds it root in Frank’s machinations that affect Claire’s nonprofit) in their own lies.

What I’m a little worried about: One of the things I truly liked about House of Cards was how subtle it could be. The tail end of season one started to get a little loopier and more drastic, starting with Russo’s murder and getting even more so as the investigation wore on. I’m a little worried that the second season could double down on the craziness, particularly with the journalists, who seem to be the ones often thrown into ridiculous story lines involving fake prostitution stings, trysts with colleagues and barging into offices.

Next Week: There’s still another week of the Olympics in Sochi before TV premieres pick back up again, so my series looking in at the major networks at mid-season will continue.

2013: Top 10 TV Shows for the Year

by Peter Foy

December is pretty much the most satisfying month of the year for me, but not for the usual holiday cheer or what have you. As a cultural critic, I get incredibly giddy and anxious about composing a best of the year list, and will often spend so much of December’s 31 days going over and over in my head about what titles deserve what place in my self-coveted spot. Some friends of mine will verify that last year I blew off a post-Christmas party so that I could catch a screening of D’Jango Unchained so that I could write my 2012’s best films list ASAP (Please help if you think I might have a problem. D’Jango Unchained did not even make my top 10 for that year.).

So it comes with great pleasure that I was able to formulate a top 10 list for television shows relatively early in the month. I was a bit hesitant about writing is just now, but as my fellow Manhattan Digest contributor Michael Tyminski just elaborated on (here), we’re currently in a stand-still for weekly quality television at the moment, and we should consider that the best of the year has already happened. Therefore, I feel now is the perfect time to unleash my take on what were my favorite shows of the past year, right before unleashing my gargantuan best-films list at the month’s end(I’m currently aiming for it to be a top-25). Keep in mind I haven’t seen everything that aired this past year, with The Americans, The Bridge, Justified, American Horror Story, and Hannibal being a few of the critically acclaimed shows I missed. You could say I’m unqualified to write this list, but believe it or not, I do have a social life.

10. Masters of Sex

Those that read my review for the Masters of Sex pilot know that I basically saw it as Mad Men-lite, so I’m both glad and surprised to say how strongly the quality of the show shifted during the rest of the season. It really is an intelligent break down on sexual relations of all shapes and forms, without being overtly raunchy or obvious. It certainly isn’t without melodrama (like Nip/Tuck, it’s essentially a sexed-up soap opera), but the acting often surpasses the occasionally hokey writing, with all the cast fully understanding how to find quality tv drama here, and who would have thought Michael Sheen and Liz Caplan would have such chemistry? I even take back what I said about how I felt the film making seemed anachronistic, as the production values do allow the show to look both modern, and a part of the time period it’s depicting. Here’s hoping it doesn’t follow the same pattern of other Showtime series like Dexter and Homeland, which followed up their strong debut seasons with subsequent ones that were more a mixed bag.

9. Parks and Recreation

It’s just so re-assuring to see that this show has remained so strong into it’s 6th year. Maybe it’s the consistently witty writing, or the unique subject matter to fit the now tired faux-documentary format, but I think that it’s more or less because of the cast. They really did pick a dream-team of comics for this show, and I’m hoping my holy trinity (Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Nick Offerman) will be getting a very special collaborative episode in the near future. My pick for the best show on network television right now…at least until we see Dan Harmon’s return as showrunner for Community next year.

8. House of Cards

2013 will probably go down as the year web-based-television really took off, and what’s a better show to ring it in than House of Cards. An intimidating political thriller featuring an all-star cast of film actors, the show really demonstrates that Netflix is interested in garnering some of the prestige that HBO has hogged up since The Sopranos. Executive producers David Fincher and Eric Roth, and show runner Beau Willimon clearly wanted to do more than just adapt the British mini-series, and they’ve created a very modern take on Shakespearean drama, in a very seedy and all too present backdrop. Stylish and chilly (albeit a little soulless at times), I for one am really hoping the show doesn’t suffer a sophomore slump next season…but I don’t think that will be a problem.

7. Enlightened

It seems like every year there’s a great show that’s taking off the air way too early, and this year’s was definitely Enlightened. After a rough but entertaining first season, the show really found it’s voice in these final eight episodes, which saw main character Amy try and take down the corporate world that had employed her. Carefully plotted from start to end, the season was thoughtful, angry, cautious, and sweet in a way that’s hardly seen on television, even on HBO. It’s a shame that it didn’t find it’s audience in time to avoid a cancellation, but it can rest peacefully with the likes of Terriers and Party Down with this mantra lain upon it: “We just needed a little bit of time to be brilliant”.

6. Mad Men

I’ll admit the show had a bit of a rough start this season. Seeing Don reading Dante’s Inferno, or hearing Betty make bizarre comments about rape made me think that Matthew Weiner and his writers had finally lost a grip on subtlety. Fortunately though, the show got back to it’s usually excellent standards quickly enough, with episodes that ranged from thematically rich like A Tale of Two Cities, to the deliciously surreal The Crash. A really unexpected ending too, and also one that makes one think that the real face of Don Draper has yet too be uncovered.

5. Orange is the New Black

Jenji Kohan’s fictionalized take on Piper Kerman’s memoir is the best new show of the year by a long shot. While Kohan’s past experience as the creator of Weeds is visible in the show’s sense of humor and strong female characters, it will surprise many how this one season of Orange is the New Black is already so much more complex and subversive than Weeds was throughout its entire eight season run. It’s an examination on ethnicity and gender, as well as a suspenseful serial with no aversion to using cliffhangers, as well as a cheer inducing drama about the power of the human spirit. There’s been much talk over the past few months about how a lot of signature television series are ending soon, but we should rest assured that if Orange is the New Black is the designated torch holder for the likes of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, then there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. This is the reason you got a Netflix account!

4. Game of Thrones

I have to admit that I haven’t been as in love with Game of Thrones as some of you other people. Sure, it’s a show that possibly has the most impressive production values in TV history, and the nerd in me is just so elated to see a beloved series of fantasy novels turned into an exceedingly popular and adult television serial for a premium station. Still though, I have to say that I had found the previous two seasons too removed from reality for me to care too much about the characters. This season, however, changed everything and I did find myself completely immersed in George R.R. Martin’s characters, and the horrible ordeals he puts them through. There were just so many great scenes this season, from Jaime and Brehn’s tear-soaked bath, to Jon Snow’s coupling with Ygritte, and of course there was that little scene in the penultimate episode that made us go straight to our twitter feeds and express how incredible this fucking show is! No need to exaggerate here, Game of Thrones is the best high fantasy epic ever put to screen.

3. Girls

Did Lena Dunham silence the haters for the sophomore season of her rather divisive HBO dramedy…hell no! What we can be thankful for, however, is that Ms. Dunham did indeed step up her game as a writer and director this season, making it even more raw and dirty than the first year, but with far greater pay-off. We witnessed the characters explore issues of sexuality and over-privilege, while also dropping great hints about how unhappy they are underneath their seeming self-regard. People will continue to think Girls is a shallow and niche take on contemporary 20-something life from a jaded and shallow 20-something, but these people seriously needs to see the episode One’s Man Trash, as I feel it’s the most indepth and intrinsic work that Dunham has done to date. Feel free to continue calling the show a pretentious piece of shit, but just don’t call it the new Sex and the City, as it’s a lot closer to being the new Sopranos.

2. Eastbound and Down

I was wary at first about Eastbound and Down returning for another season, as the creators had previous stated that season 3 would be their last. Fortunately though, it didn’t take long into this season to realize there was still more story to be told about Kenny Powers, and in the end this season proved to be an even better ending for this series. Seeing the character regress from a family man back into a debaucherous dick-head just seemed so genuine for the show, but it was also surprising to see the merits this character would achieve as the season went on. It all led up to a finale that was even more grandiose and satisfying than the conclusion for that other brilliant show that ended this year (see below), and really makes me hopeful that Eastbound and Down will be looked at as an influential American comedy in future years, and find a larger audience. It’s a sit-com that re-invented itself each year, told a fluid and progressive story, and managed to be consistently funny, yet a sad and weighty tale as well. If you haven’t already, now’s the time to watch all 29 episodes of the best comedy that HBO has ever aired (with all respect to Curb Your Enthusiasm).

1. Breaking Bad

No surprise, right? Those of you that read my Breaking Bad: The Legend Ends column already know my thought concerning this show’s final batch of episodes, but I would like to make one final comment: The episode Ozymandias, is what I feel really made this series shine. It was just such a devastating and no holds barred episode that used the serialized and organic nature of the show’s entire run to bring it to an all time dramatic high. It really was the episode we had been waiting for since we witnessed Walt make that unfortunate decision to become a meth cook back in the pilot, and the result was the show’s true transgression from brilliant pulp into great tragedy. It was one of the very best episodes a TV show has ever had…and the next two weren’t too shabby either. There, that’s all that remained to be said.

Emmy Nominations Are In: What Do They Say About the Big Picture in TV?

by Michael Tyminski

This morning, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences released its’ list of nominees for the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards. With the list of nominees, we can take away some conclusions about the state of television over the past year.

Netflix’s original programming model is for real: Amid the nominations, we see a handful of nominations for Netflix Originals Arrested Development and House of Cards. House of Cards seems to hold a slightly higher position on the totem pole, scoring nominations for both Kevin Spacey for best actor as well as a best drama nod for the show itself. Arrested Development received a best actor nomination for Jason Bateman to add to Netflix’s prestige. The network which started releasing original shows in February is off to a good start critically (as well as commercially, as proven by the rumors of a pushed season 5 for Arrested Development).

The major networks did not have a strong year: Many of the major categories this year seem to be dominated by the cable networks and premium channels such as Showtime and HBO. While this doesn’t surprise me (the only strong drama for the big four this season was Hannibal and barely half the season was over by the May 31^st cut-off date). This trend is particularly strong on the drama side of the ledger, where the only broadcast show being considered for best drama is PBS’s Downton Abbey. On the comedy side, the trend is slightly less harsh, but mostly due to the heaping of praise the Academy has placed on 30 Rock’s final season. There is however, one show on the major networks that is standing up against this wave of cable dominance, because…

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences really likes Modern Family: If there was one scripted show on network TV that the Academy has fallen in love with, it’s Modern Family, which has become a master-class for domestic comedies and props up a successful night for ABC. The show has a large number of nominations spread across a variety of categories including best comedy, best supporting actor (with three nominations there), best supporting actress, best writing for a comedy, and best directing for a comedy.

After a few down years, HBO is back and carried on a mix of younger shows and miniseries: After struggling around the end of the last decade, HBO has taken back it’s role as the main home to high quality television. The academy heaped praise upon sophomore comedies Veep and Girls, as well as third-season drama Game of Thrones. Similarly, it’s Liberace feature Behind the Candelabra has received a large amount of attention from the Academy, scoring 15 nominations.

Finally, the Academy did not forget Louie, in spite of skipping a season and airing at the very beginning of this year’s broadcast window: It may have been airing at this time last year (the Emmy window goes from June to May, unlike many other awards), but last year’s transcendent and critically adored second season of Louie has received a large number of nominations in almost every category that the show could qualify for (added bonus for Louis C.K. Also getting a best guest actor nomination for his hosting gig on Saturday Night Live). It’s nice to see, because while it seems that many movies begging for Oscar nods try to crowd into the end of the Oscar window, that the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences didn’t forget a show that could have easily escaped public consciousness over the year.

This years 65^th Annual Emmy Awards are on Sunday September 22^nd at 8 p.m. on CBS. I’ll be here covering the show that night in the same breezy rapid-fire style that I used to cover the Oscars and Grammys.

The full list of Emmy nominations can be found here: http://www.emmys.com/nominations

Netflix’d: House of Cards Season 1

by Peter Foy

Format: Hour-long Drama

Genre: Political Thriller, Drama

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Kate Mara, Robin Wright, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey, Sandrine Holt, Kristen Connolly, Constance Zimmer

Length: 13 Episodes

Similar Too: The West Wing, Homeland, Breaking Bad (or maybe it’s better called a combination of those shows?)

Well, here it is. We’ve been talking about it for years, and now the time has finally come for web-based television. Analysts have been predicting that the state of the internet would eventually combine with that of television, allowing for TV shows to premiere, air, and be viewed entirely online. Netflix, perhaps America’s foremost distributor for on-demand streaming media, has certainly been an indication of how close we were coming to that day, but all their shows had aired on other channels previously. Now, however, Netflix has finally bridged the gap, with House of Cards, a new political drama that had it’s entire first season put on Netflix on February 1rst. House of Cards Season 1 has already become Netflix’s most watched program, and has been met with high critical acclaim. So in regards to popularity and it’s reported potential to change the television landscape, the only question is if the show really lives up to all the hype.

A remake of a British mini-series from the 90s, House of Cards Season 1 is set in contemporary America and focuses on main character Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a South Carolinia congressman who can’t really be called a protagonist. The character is so ruthless and unquestionable in his methods that he can’t really be seen as an anti-hero either, he’s closer to being a straight up villain. The closest thing we have to a protagonist in this show is a young journalist (Kate Mara) who gets tied up with Frank after he’s denied a promotion to secretary of state. We then see how Frank has composed an elaborate plan to get what he wants in office, and needless to say plenty of bad shit goes down, from his involvement with a drug-abusing Pennsylvania congressman (Corey Stoll), to the tilting relationship he has with his wife (Robin Wright).

I have to admit, it’s funny that I was watching this show intermittently while viewing The West Wing. I couldn’t help but compare the two, as they’re both political dramas set amidst a fictional presidential administration, but the two shows don’t really have very much in common at all. If anything, House of Cards is a more serialized version of The West Wing, that’s also R-rated, and happened to have really brushed up on it’s Shakespeare. Right from the start the show has really noticeable tension, from the music to the camera work. As the story goes on, and the twists become more regular, you start to realize that none of these characters are safe, and the show certainly doesn’t disappoint in regards to closure. For this reason the show really benefits from having it’s entire season released at once, as viewers can go through the show at a brisk pace without it ever losing any of its intended momentum.

The show certainly has quite a group of talented backers, with Beau Willimon (The Ides of March) as showrunner, and Eric Roth and David Fincher as producers. Fincher (The Social Network) definitely appears to be a driving force for the show, as he directed the first two episodes. Having an A-list director for the first two episodes could have actually hurt the show stylistically, similar to how people were complaining that Martin Scorsese’s direction of the pilot of Boardwalk Empire made the work of that series’ other directors seem inconsistent. Instead though, the show never outdoes itself, and it actually retains its unique style throughout. One of the most distinguishing features of this show is that they allow Frank Underwood to break-the-fourth-wall from time-to-time. Such a tactic could have proved gimmicky, especially for a show as serious as this, but instead it acts as a fascinating feature for us to get inside the mind of this cunning character, and eventually we realize that we the viewer are the only person that Frank tells the truth too.

With all it’s double-dealings and smoky room politics, the show sometimes feels like a 70s political thriller, but it’s undeniably ultra-modern. There’s a lot of usage of technology on the show, including internet usage (the show makes a reference to how satirical youtube videos can really harm a politician’s career), but most notably cell phones. Introducing another cool technique that plays with Fincher’s visual sensibilities, occasionally you will see character texting. Rather than have the camera zone in on the cell phone, the view will instead stay on the character and then a dialog box will pop up that shows what they are reading/saying. It’s used quite effectively in the start of the season, although it becomes less common in the second half. I really hope that the next season will find even more clever ways to use this technique.

So how’s the acting? Well, it excels here too. Kevin Spacey has always been one of our generation’s best screen actors, and he certainly indulges in this character. Speaking in a southern accent and using colorfully flamboyant language, Frank Underwood holds every scene he’s in, even if we’re aware of how evil he is. The supporting cast is all great too, with Kate Mara proving that acting ability runs in her family, as yes I will admit that I was under the impression that she was her sister Rooney for most of the series (I misread the credits I guess). Corey Stoll also gives a rather excellent performance as the womanizing and drug-addicted Peter Russo, as he gives the character the right amount of affability and cowardice that makes you really wish that he achieves redemption.

House of Cards is certainly a great show, but it isn’t perfect. The plot is spread too thin at times, and there is a sense of filler every now-and-then that does give me the feeling that I’m watching a TV Show. I feel that the best television dramas (The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos) have a more organic feel, and really give you the sense that you’re viewing a great movie, or reading some sort of excellent novel. House of Cards Season 1 does feel a bit televised at time, but that shouldn’t distract that this is possibly the best freshman season of a show to come out in a fairly long time. Already you can feel the writers and film makers have found a voice for the show, and it results in a sublime series that really unravels the seedy side of politics. With a second season already in the works, as well as the much discussed revival season for Arrested Development nearly here, Netflix might very well become the best television breakout since AMC, and it’s not even on TV.

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