What The Reviews Have To Say About Season 5 Of Netflix's 'House Of Cards'
Does the political intrigue swirling around Frank and Claire Underwood stay entertaining in light of recent events? Season 5 of "House of Cards," available today on Netflix, picks up right where last season left off — two weeks before election day with a terrorist attack weighing on the hearts and minds of America. Topical or too far? Here's what the reviews have to say (early season 5 spoilers):
The Season Kicks Off With Some… Familiar Events
After Tennessee father Jim Miller was beheaded by domestic terrorists on the internet, President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) demands that Congress declare war on the Islamic terrorist state that backed the execution. He and first lady / running mate Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) have their reasons: First, this puts pressure on his GOP rival, Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman), and second, it diverts attention away from his own scandal, as pieced together in a damning expose by the Washington Herald.
[Newsday]
The Underwoods propose a travel ban and have thousands of protesters clamoring at the White House gates as they plot how to win the election while somehow simultaneously brushing Frank's prior transgressions under the rug.
It Struggles To Find The Right Level Of Ridiculousness
The plot regularly veers into outlandish territory — starting with Frank having chosen Claire as his running mate — that, whatever the parallels, shares more with the frothy camp of "Scandal" than reality, even our current one.
My biggest disappointment in Season 5: Nothing Underwood did made me gasp — or even sit up straight in my chair and wonder if I had really seen what I thought I did.
Still, Spacey And Wright Remain Incredible To Watch
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright continue their malevolent waltz of evil, which at times is satisfying but at others veers towards comic book supervillainy. But as the bodies pile up and the American constitution bends seemingly beyond breaking point, it becomes hard to keep cheering for the bad guys.
[Wired]
What about the queen? What is she doing? Depravity doesn't become her. She leaves that to her husband. Instead, Claire grows in resolve… Her focus is on an election, and on telling voters exactly what they're afraid to know. "I've been meaning to talk to you," she says in a campaign commercial. "It's terrifying, isn't it?"
[Newsday]
Sadly, Trump Stuff Usually Trumps The Underwoods
What's typically a blessing for a show like House of Cards has now, during this administration, become a curse. Political dramas depend on real political events as points of inspiration to provide relevant political and sociopolitical commentary, but now, the endless succession of controversies and calamities happening in the real world are actually more cartoonish and wacky than anything a prestige show like House of Cards could attempt to tackle.
Trump is an existential threat to House of Cards' raison d'être, a show the premise of which could be reductively be boiled down to: 'Wouldn't it be crazy if the president was only interested in power, not policy?'
It's not a good sign for the show (or the world) when your fictional antihero seems like the better option. Speaking strictly to the viewing experience, it means the surprises are muted. Elicited reactions aren't as extreme as they were designed to be, and eventually "House of Cards" could become what it fears most: boring.
With Its End Approaching And Plots Thickening, 'House Of Cards' Needs To Figure Out Where It's Going
Despite the departure of creator Beau Willimon this season, the show is as smart, barbed and menacing as ever. I only hope it can up the stakes when it comes to its protagonist, as the last two seasons I felt confused as to Frank's motives. We know he's not interested in changing the world so, now he's achieved the position he wanted, what drives him? Where is he heading as president?
Its vision of politics is one of competence, in which everyone from junior staffers to presidents have veneers of poise that hide modern Machiavellis. This season involves the greatest conspiracy yet, with the Secretary of State and various law-enforcement officials smoothly selling outrageous lies (the convenience-store explosion, the Masterson cover-up).
To an extent, it feels like House of Cards only has one plot and simply repeats it with a slightly different cast of supporting characters. And while in earlier seasons the unending evil was fun, here it just gets claustrophobic.
[Wired]
TL;DR
Spacey and Wright again deliver such toothsome, showy performances — owing more to Lord and Lady Macbeth than Bill and Hillary — that the show remains highly watchable, despite those instances where it bubbles a little too over the top.
Watch The Season 5 Trailer
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