What I’m Watching: House of Cards (Season Premiere)

House of Cards: Season 2, Episode 1 “Chapter 14” (B+)

I watched this show last year, but long after the entire season first premiered on Netflix. I decided that the only way to actually keep up with this show and stay sane was to pretend that it airs once a week and to review episodes one at a time. Since everything was released on a Friday, that’s where I’ll put it in the order of my reviews each week. I may of course watch ahead, but my reviews will follow that format. This highly-buzzed about premiere was certainly a strong and rather chilling immersion back into this world. There was something oddly cartoonish about a disguised Frank meeting Zoe in the Metro, but that just made Frank casually pushing Zoe in front of the train because she was asking too many questions all the more shocking and horrifying. Killing off a major character is a big thing, and Claire’s non-reaction and Frank’s quick response to the question of whether he had ever killed anyone were equally chilling. I don’t know where this leaves Lucas and Janine, though I hope for their sakes that they don’t continue pushing. Doug’s handling of Rachel is unsettling at best, though hopefully she shouldn’t be too much of a risk anymore now that Zoe is dead. Claire is playing dirty with Gillian, though hopefully her death threat to the baby means that she really just does want to bury the hatchet and move forward. I like the addition of Molly Parker as Frank’s potential replacement, and I’m eager to see how that plays out. Frank turning to the camera at the end of the episode and saying “Do you think I’d forgotten you?” was a great way to conclude the hour and heighten excitement for the season, followed by the final shot of Frank’s cufflinks, monogrammed with his initials.