Frank and Claire return in a season that looks to have more drama than a weekend night bus.
Following the terror events of the previous season Frank and Claire continue to lead America. Attempting to control the narrative of American politics to hide old skeletons, there is nothing they will not do. With the right people in the right places, and with years of leverage built up, the Underwood machine has become a powerhouse. While some of the previous seasons may have seemed slow it is now clear why, the scope of the story has been carefully laid out to transcend even the White House. The insight into the level of power wielded by those seen and unseen in America brings chills and fascination.
Not only have the writers presented a fantastic script but the director has captured this season beautifully. No shot is taken for granted or angle lazily reused, long shots taken through windows, or through the perspective of devices like phones, brings a troublingly voyeuristic feel. The even the position of the actors is experimented with, one scene sees Frank lying on the floor after a workout while Claire stands over him, leaving you to make your own assumptions of the significance. The symmetry between the Underwoods in every scene gives the impression of very careful planning, not just from a performance perspective but within the context of the plot. How much planning is speculation and what is real? Well you will just have watch and find out for yourself.
Most seasons it has been par for the course that character disappearances are some of the biggest moments, yet it is good to see the reverse in this season. Two characters in particular repeatedly demand your attention, one unlocks some fantastic opportunities for Frank to show off some of the lesser seen facets of his personality, another character delivers their part with a poetry that leaves you mystified and riveted with every scene. Both Spacey and Wright spellbind with their acting and occasional break of the fourth wall, however Wright definitely begins to fill the seat alongside Spacey better than she has in the past. Gone is the strong but ultimately supporting role, duality in the leading roles has been achieved with great skill in writing, directing and acting in equal parts.
Filmed for the most part before the real American election it is safe to point out that very little comments on reality. This does not actually affect the quality of the season, if anything it helps to remind us that these are characters with their own story and journey. Bound by the constraints of what the writers perceived to be the edges of possibility, it is a fascinating time capsule back to what the edge believability looked like before Trump took office.
On the spectrum of House of Cards seasons it is easy to place Season Five near the top, consistently surprising and sharp, there is no blunting the Underwood story just yet. I eagerly await Season Six and expect all rule books to go out the window in the light of modern politics.
Author: Joe, Bath store
