Sunday 6 January 2019

House of Cards — Series 6: Episode 5/Chapter 70 — The Review

6th January, 2019.


Right … 

Firstly … ?

Yes: I have a copy of the Beatles Abbey Road, playing in the background, as I write.

Yes, that Abbey Road: the one whose cover famously proved Paul McCartney was dead.

Or that — at weekends — he was called Clara.


At any rate … ?

I have to confess to having had dinner at my family’s place, today.

Jude, my now right year-old nephew?

Was showing off one of Christmas presents.   It turns out the retro games console he got, can be plugged into the TV.

Hours of fun, there: and yes, he found a retro game with the Turtles on it …


~≈§≈~



At any rate that’s sort of incidental … 

Especially as not even Grandma could figure out how you switched between mini games on the Olimpic game … 

Sorry, I was getting side tracked, there … !

At any rate, most of the chat, really IS incidental: as I’ve caught another episode from House of Cards sixth season … 

One that seems less weak than the last I saw.

~≈§≈~

Episode 5 — Chapter 70 — opens with a minor scandal.

President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright)?   Is officially pulling off a Howard Hughes, and in seclusion in the White House.

Meanwhile?

Siblings Bill and Annett Shepard (Greg Kinnear and Diane Lane) have realised that Vice President Mark Usher (Campbell Scott) can seize power under the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution.

The one that allows the Vice President to — effectively — launch a coup.

Whilst this is going on?

Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) is checking into the death of Catherine Durant (Jayne Atkinson).

The former Secretary of State knew too much about the Vice President’s dealing with Russia for Doug’s comfort.

If Doug is right … ?



Catherine Durant’s funeral was a waste of money: as her lively looking corpse seems to be in Eastern Europe … 

~≈§≈~

Now … good … ?



One thing that’s always caught my eye … ?   Was the ability of Frank Underwood character, played by Kevin Spacey, to break the fourth wall … 

and, with a series of pithy comments, knowing looks and off colour remarks about the various characters, made us complicit in any of his crimes.

Or even just laugh: muttering words along the lines of “Sod off, Frank,” somewhere along the line.

Maybe that latter reaction was me.

But I’m willing to suspect a few of us have done likewise.

I’m also aware that breaking the fourth wall is some Robin Wright’s character only started doing at the end of series five.


And did occasionally in the few episodes leading up to this one.



Frankly?



This episode is where Claire Underwood finally gets into the swing of things.


Gets good!

As is the episode, itself.

Hail to the Chief … again!

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