What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 6 “Chapter 71” (C)

I don’t even know what to do about this show anymore. There are only two more episodes left, and to give up now might be symbolic but unproductive given that I’d at least like to see how it all ends. Claire was lecturing the audience about her four piles throughout this episode, and by the end of the hour, she had completely changed her hand. The suspension of disbelief required to watch this show is becoming untenable, mainly with all of the direct personal visits that Claire makes to people right before they get killed and which definitely involve breaking and entering. Doug was more than happy to essentially confirm anything Tom wanted to know right before he got himself shot in the head in the diner. Cathy might have escaped but she’s dead too, and Jane was also euthanized because she posed some apparent threat to Claire. Her press secretary can’t get a word out with the president around but now she has a permanent job, which makes no sense. Why we’re still following the Shepherd family, including the ailing Bill and the newly confused Duncan, is a mystery since they have not been central to anything on this show, while the spotlight on the spiraling Mark is more understandable given his role in Claire’s ascension to the presidency. She seems to be more than capable of controlling the situation herself, being so manipulative as to wait until Frank was dead to officially be pregnant with his offspring for the sole purpose of not allowing Doug to collect what he had left him. My head is spinning, but not for good reasons.