House of Cards Season 3 Review

Enough was enough. While it may have alienated the viewers only still hanging around for Frank, the show needed to stop relying on Machiavellian capers and start treating its characters like more than chess pieces. And while this may be the minority opinion, the result was the best season of the Emmy-nominated drama we have seen yet. When we last left Frank Underwood he was knocking on the desk of the Oval Office after predictably evading the authorities in the low-water mark of the series. It wasn't that watching Frank successfully implicate Tusk and Walker while playing the "bank robber who made it to the county line" wasn't thrilling. Seeing Frank keep it together in the face of more danger than he ever faced in Season 1 was amongst the most exciting moments the show had ever seen; or at least it would have if we didn't see it coming from a mile away. Therein lied the problem with Season 2 -- we spent all of it waiting for those inevitable two knocks. Unless Netflix merged House of Cards with its other popular original series, it was abundantly clear Frank was never going to jail. Whereas Season 1 thrived on the uncertainty of Frank's future made possible by his relatively minor role in the government, Season 2 savored of the anticlimax of knowing that there's only one place the second most powerful man in the government can end up by Chapter 26 of this story. And while some felt that Season 3 was equally anticlimactic in that it dedicated 13 episodes to Frank’s re-election campaign and ending with him only winning the Iowa caucus, I would argue that the possibility of the season finishing with anything other than Frank making another clear step towards absolute power was much more exciting than forcing myself to ratchet up enthusiasm for another foregone conclusion. Season 3 begins with Frank’s back against the wall. His approval ratings are in the toilet, the Republicans have consolidated behind apparent 2016 candidate Hector Mendoza, and Frank’s accumulation of burnt bridges and a Mephistophelean reputation have made calling in a favor from an old friend next to impossible. And with Doug Stamper still on the mend from Season 2’s finale, this leaves Frank with a tiny inner circle that will only shrink as the season progresses. To which I say: it’s about time. If Frank was continued to only be judged for his depravity and ability to climb the ranks, he would not have even approached the all-time great character status that the showrunners clearly feel he deserves. To say that Frank has yet to prove himself as being more than a cutthroat is a bit unfair -- just because he’s been the most evil doesn’t mean he hasn’t also been the smartest. But none of this would matter if he didn’t prove his unique brand of politics and ability to “do what no one else has the courage to do” could make an impact at the highest level. It takes a certain level of chilling, calculated genius to push a reporter in front of a train at a perfect time or manipulate a politician by using his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife. But it takes a whole new level of brilliance to gain the support of millions of Americans and push an act as large as America Works through the House when everyone has finally gotten a glimpse at his true nature. Season 3 lacks the cream-puff politicians who only serve to show how much more clever Frank is, and it’s better off for it. Instead, the real battle here is an internal one, and watching Frank fighting for a legacy rather than a position is infinitely more exciting than another showdown against the Garrett Walkers and Jim Matthews of the world. What put off some viewers and intrigued me is that we don’t get to see any real progress towards that legacy in this season -- before Frank can add another story to his house of cards, he has to readjust the foundation. And while this new approach could have led to a melodramatic filler season, what we got instead was an important reevaluation of the gigantic cast that can only help the show in the long run. Season 3 pulls back and finally looks at these people in terms in terms of individual motivations rather than just what they can provide for Frank. The decision has been a controversial one given how the show used to spit in the face of political dramas with a soul like The West Wing, but it actually serves to make Cards even more sinister if Frank continues to abuse and manipulate these characters after the show begins to treat them like real people. That is perhaps the most important takeaway from this season: HoC has stopped being the Frank Underwood show. He’s no longer portrayed as larger than life because no one is bigger than the presidency. He gets shut down by Russian President Putin Petrov, betrayed and outsmarted by those closest to him, and humbled when his entire campaign is put into limbo by a hurricane threat. The best way to think of this season is in terms of the story about Frank swimming across the river. For the first 2 seasons, we are the kids on the shore daring to believe that Frank can actually make it all the way. By season 3 we recognize this is never going to happen, but realize that Frank is going to keep going until his body gives out. How you feel about the season likely comes down to whether you prefer Frank Underwood as a myth capable of anything or as a flawed human still capable of more than most of us could ever dream of. For all the praise I’ve given the season, I’m aware it wasn’t perfect. The Russia/Jordan valley storylines felt more like something the writers forced in to give Frank’s story a greater scope rather than something designed to teach us something about Frank. Doug’s trials and tribulations were refreshing to watch, but a bit overwrought if he doesn’t become more than Frank’s loyal servant in the coming seasons. And most egregious to me was how rapidly the show moved towards getting Claire to leave Frank. Which is not to say that it was unreasonable for Claire to want to leave after all that she had been through, only that it felt forced by the need to end a character-based season on a character-based note. But for every misstep, there were countless examples of growth that renewed my faith in the future of this show. I’m sure I’ll miss the thrill of knowing for certain that Frank is going to get exactly what he wants one way or another, but what this season leaves us with is much greater than that. The show finally came to the conclusion as Tom -- that this story has been about Frank and Claire above all else -- and this allows it to thrive in the ways that the tale of the rise and fall of the modern day Richard III doesn’t allow. I’m sure this season will cause the diehard Frank fans to abandon ship, but I’ll be happy to take their seats. Season 3 of House of Cards was a well acted, well executed, and incredibly well directed season of television. The cards may have wobbled, but the house is intact.