House of Cards — Series 4: Episodes 6, 7 and 8. (Chapters 45, 46 and 47)

Oh, you are kidding me, surely?

As you may or may not be ware, I managed to replace a BT HomeHub 3, this week.

Where the old one would — seemingly at random — reset itself.

Basically switch off, and then back on again.

The new one turned up, on Saturday, I got it set up on Monday night, and the OLD one sent back off, this morning: via BT’s free returns service.

I sat down, tonight, to watch more episodes of the rather good fourth series of House of Cards.

Only to have this new shiny router/hub … 

Reset itself … !

Ye GODS, BT, what HAVE you fobbed me and many other customers off with?

~≈É≈~

At ANY rate … ?

At any rate, And all annoyance aside, tonight’s a free evening: one I wanted to spent, happily … 

In front of the TV set.

With more episodes of House of Cards fourth series.

Yep … 

I’m binge watching a good one.

You can tell, can’t you … ?

~≈É≈~

Episode 6 — Chapter 45 — sees Frank still in hospital: waiting for a donor liver to become available, after almost fatally being shot.   Things are helped as his Chief of Staff, Doug Stamper, manages to get the president up the waiting list.

Meanwhile?   Meanwhile, Claire is playing a vital role in negotiating an oil deal for Russia: much to the discomfort of President Petrov … and Secretary Durant.

All this … while Heather Dunbar is manoeuvred out of the primary process: leaving Frank with a clear run to be his party’s nominee for the 2016 Presidential race.

Episode 7 — Chapter 46 — sees Frank and Claire re-negotiating their relationship, in the wake of Frank’s successful liver transplant.

The episode also introduces us to the charismatic Governor Conway (Joel Kinnaman), the Republican nominee in the Presidential race.

Handily … ?   The Governor is linked to an up and coming search engine called Pollyhop: one noted for monitoring its users more than it could.

Whilst Conway is doing something about that … ?   Claire is seeing gun law reform through the Congressional mire: while the Democrat leaderships tries to find a running mate for Frank.

Episode 8 — Chapter 47 — sees the return of the writer, Tom Yates (Paul Sparks).   Having temporarily given up on writing the Underwoods biography, Will Conway and his wife, Hannah (Dominique McElligott), want as much dirt as he can give them.

Without success: as Tom gets a better offer: from Claire Underwood, herself.

All this?   All this whilst Frank and the Democratic leadership decide the best choice of running mate could WELL be … Secretary Durant … 

Things are moving on … 

~≈É≈~

Now … 

In-between complaining about The duff router I’ve been sent, to replace the duff router I sent back … 

And listening to Tangerine Dream’s Alpha Centuri … 

Have I enjoyed these episodes?

Oh, LORD, yes!

Something that always has appealed about the series — both the original BBC version, AND the Netflix remake — is the main character’s habit of breaking The fourth wall, And talking to us, the audience, directly.

In series three?

These were a hole series of angry comments: where Frank was reacting to events.

In series four, these little asides of Frank’s are back to being what they should be: commentary on the minor characters: and rough outlines of what Frank himself is planning.

The series is all the better for that.