Numbers obtained from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes on March 19, 2016.
My rating IMDb Rotten Tomatoes
Critics Audience Critics Audience
7/10 Not available. 9/10 89% 92%
SPOILER WARNING: DON’T READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN SEASON 4 OF HOUSE OF CARDS
It’s hard to write about House of Cards, a fiction, while the political situation in Brazil is so chaotic and unpredictable as a TV show script. But it is better not to talk about Brazilian politics and focus only on the fourth season of the show that talks about US politics.
As I mentioned last year, when I wrote about the third season, House of Cards has worsened considerably over the years. The first two seasons were really great and intriguing, but it seems that the writers went on the wrong direction on the third one. Now, I feel that there was an improvement, but not enough to have the same quality as the beginning of the series.
The biggest problem faced by House of Cards, in my opinion, is that we’ve come to a point where it is impossible to genuinely care for any of the main characters – none of them are worth it. The fight between Frank (Kevin Spacey) and Claire (Robin Wright), which began at the end of last season and lasts for almost half of this one, came to such a bad level that is hard to believe that one day they were real husband and wife. Neither can I root for Doug (Michael Kelly), who would do anything for Frank. At least his story this season is more interesting and less annoying than last’s. But he just whispers and has that “I’m a badass” expression all the time!
What pleased me this time was the fact that they resumed some stories that had been forgotten in the previous season. It was bothering me the disappearance of the journalist Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus), arrested in the second season after finding out about Frank’s crimes. It’s true that he only appears in the first episodes and dies soon, but at least had an ending and got Tom (Boris McGiver) interested in finding out the truth of the facts.
Also, I don’t relate to Remy (Mahershala Ali) and Jackie (Molly Parker): I didn’t care anymore if they were going to be together or not. Nor did I enjoy the return of Freddy (Reg E. Cathey) and Thomas (Paul Sparks). Freddy appears very little and has a totally unexpected and inexplicable rage. Thomas appears only to turn the “marriage” of Claire and Frank into something even crazier – the scene of the 3 sitting for breakfast together was awful.
The character who I enjoyed the most this season was Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn), Claire’s mother. Maybe it’s because I like the actress a lot, but the character has really changed the dynamics of the series in the early episodes of the season. I also found it interesting to give more importance to Claire in this fourth season. Perhaps the fact that Robin Wright now produces the show and has directed several episodes has influenced the script, but in the first six episodes she seems to be the main character of the story. And the final scene of the season also strengthens it this theory. By the way, what was that final scene?? Claire and Frank looking at the camera together, as he says “We make the terror”! How to can someone root for a couple like that? Unscrupulous, selfish, doing anything to stay in power! Sorry, but it’s really impossible to want them to win the presidential elections.
The show has been confirmed for a fifth season. I hope it’s the last one, because it is starting to be one of those series where it is impossible to like any character. It should have ended in the second season, with Frank becoming president. But since it didn’t, the writers have a new opportunity to wrap up the story before it becomes a real disaster – like Brazil’s politics.
