Abhijeet Singh ’15

The second season of House of Cards was bigger, better, more shocking, and more dynamic all around. Frank Underwood, now Vice President of the United States, continues to climb the ladder of power while fighting off the subtle threats that may knock him off.

When it comes to characters, there is no new character arc as satisfying as that of Peter Russo in Season 1, yet the increased focus on President Walker and Remy Danton, as well as the introduction of some like Jackie Sharp, satiate the viewer’s appetite several times over. With so many interesting characters that are further developed, new characters would likely only complicate the plot anyways.
Notable moments include shocking deaths, more of Frank’s Machiavellian tactics, and the revelations about supposedly stable characters such as Claire Underwood and Stamper, both of whose inner stability is further shown as a facade for their emotional instability. The ending itself is predictable— but the way that the show takes us there, and the ups and downs along the way, are not as much so. While the Chinese storyline and some of the Congressional battles were tougher to relate to, they still set the way for the audience to be shown the cunning and deceptive techniques of Frank, who will time and time again stop at nothing (even cold-blooded murder) to get his way.
Altogether, Season 2 of House of Cards shows Frank, his tactics, and politics at their best and worst. Luckily, no weekly wait is needed between the episodes of the second season— Netflix’s all-episodes-at-once strategy is a gift from heaven for the binge watcher. Seize the opportunity and watch all 13 episodes of the season— or 26, if one hasn’t began the show at all.
Edsman Rating: 9.5/10