Well, this was really a divisive season. I definitely agree that it seemed to lack a lot of focus.
Spacey is most amusing and entertaining when he feels like a man with a plan. But this Season, despite gaining the Presidency, he starts off on the defensive, and pretty much stays that way throughout the entire Season. I don't mind that he wasn't doing the same thing he's been doing before, but I think they didn't really give Frank any real time to shine. Even the threats he made to his opponents like Dunbar I thought felt more empty than before despite his power.
Of course I enjoyed the interactions with Petrov the most. He was the next best "enemy" for Frank after having beaten his congressional opponents like Birch and Businessman like Tusk. Another head of state to whom nothing is objectionable or impossible. I hope they bring him back for more as he's the perfect foil for Underwood given that he is pretty much exactly like him.
Doug's story was, well, I still don't know what to make of it. I like Stamper but I feel the show's writing has done him a lot of disservice despite being given a lot of air time. I suppose you could look at his escapades this Season as all trying to recover from how he was in Season 2. I did enjoy watching his travails in rehabilitation and recovering and I definitely felt more for him than I did last Season where his obsession with Rachel was just numbingly boring. They did do a good job admittedly faking out the viewer thinking he had "changed" in some manner. But in the end, I wonder if it was all just a waste of time, given that he's pretty much ended up back where he began. And in a way I feel cheated that it's taken two whole Seasons to get our old Doug back.
That said, is Rachel really dead? We didn't see the hit and I can't imagine they would have shied away from that on purpose given how graphic they were with Zoe's death. It could be another fakeout since I was sure Doug was dead at the end of Season 2 with his open eyes and pale looking skin. I guess we'll have to see if anything more happens here.
Claire's story was the most disappointing and frustrating this Season. I honestly couldn't get a good read on what she was doing most of the time as she acted impulsive and unfocused most of the Season. I know they tried to explain it all away with the final episode and how she was acting all this way because of both being suffocated by lies and also always being in Frank's shadow no matter what and would never be the one "making the calls". Some of her behavior though was just so contradictory. At one point she chided Frank for getting too "sentimental" when he was feeling pity for that guy who got his legs blown off with his whole family, yet the next episode she herself got sentimental for the gay guy who suicided in Russia and single handedly torpedo'd all of Frank's hard work with Petrov.
One thing that I liked about Claire's character was that she was supposed to be as Ruthless as Frank, perhaps even more so in some way. And that she wouldn't be the typical "wife" character of the one who objects to the husbands goals and motives (ie. not a Skylar). But this Season she started to drift in that direction and that just didn't sit well with me. Again, I get they tried to explain it by her not having the power she wanted, but even so it doesn't explain her oddball actions the remainder of the Season. I think the writers really need to get better focus on these characters and get them not going OOC.
The whole thing with Thomas and the book was somewhat interesting. I guess it was supposed to be part of the catalyst that began what happened at the end of the Season. I wonder if it'll ever go anywhere else, or if he and it will disappear like other plot lines now that it's usefulness in that regard is done.
But yeah, I definitely agree with a lot of the criticism of this Season. It just lacked something. I think it was cohesion. Well, at the very least next Season should be interesting. Middle of the primary and Claire supposedly leaves. Doug back to work doing what he does best. Remy gone and Seth either sidelined or diminished (one thing that was abundantly clear this season was that those two could barely fill Doug's shoes at all). Still no VP candidate and Supreme Court justice replacement.
Spacey is most amusing and entertaining when he feels like a man with a plan. But this Season, despite gaining the Presidency, he starts off on the defensive, and pretty much stays that way throughout the entire Season. I don't mind that he wasn't doing the same thing he's been doing before, but I think they didn't really give Frank any real time to shine. Even the threats he made to his opponents like Dunbar I thought felt more empty than before despite his power.
Of course I enjoyed the interactions with Petrov the most. He was the next best "enemy" for Frank after having beaten his congressional opponents like Birch and Businessman like Tusk. Another head of state to whom nothing is objectionable or impossible. I hope they bring him back for more as he's the perfect foil for Underwood given that he is pretty much exactly like him.
Doug's story was, well, I still don't know what to make of it. I like Stamper but I feel the show's writing has done him a lot of disservice despite being given a lot of air time. I suppose you could look at his escapades this Season as all trying to recover from how he was in Season 2. I did enjoy watching his travails in rehabilitation and recovering and I definitely felt more for him than I did last Season where his obsession with Rachel was just numbingly boring. They did do a good job admittedly faking out the viewer thinking he had "changed" in some manner. But in the end, I wonder if it was all just a waste of time, given that he's pretty much ended up back where he began. And in a way I feel cheated that it's taken two whole Seasons to get our old Doug back.
That said, is Rachel really dead? We didn't see the hit and I can't imagine they would have shied away from that on purpose given how graphic they were with Zoe's death. It could be another fakeout since I was sure Doug was dead at the end of Season 2 with his open eyes and pale looking skin. I guess we'll have to see if anything more happens here.
Claire's story was the most disappointing and frustrating this Season. I honestly couldn't get a good read on what she was doing most of the time as she acted impulsive and unfocused most of the Season. I know they tried to explain it all away with the final episode and how she was acting all this way because of both being suffocated by lies and also always being in Frank's shadow no matter what and would never be the one "making the calls". Some of her behavior though was just so contradictory. At one point she chided Frank for getting too "sentimental" when he was feeling pity for that guy who got his legs blown off with his whole family, yet the next episode she herself got sentimental for the gay guy who suicided in Russia and single handedly torpedo'd all of Frank's hard work with Petrov.
One thing that I liked about Claire's character was that she was supposed to be as Ruthless as Frank, perhaps even more so in some way. And that she wouldn't be the typical "wife" character of the one who objects to the husbands goals and motives (ie. not a Skylar). But this Season she started to drift in that direction and that just didn't sit well with me. Again, I get they tried to explain it by her not having the power she wanted, but even so it doesn't explain her oddball actions the remainder of the Season. I think the writers really need to get better focus on these characters and get them not going OOC.
The whole thing with Thomas and the book was somewhat interesting. I guess it was supposed to be part of the catalyst that began what happened at the end of the Season. I wonder if it'll ever go anywhere else, or if he and it will disappear like other plot lines now that it's usefulness in that regard is done.
But yeah, I definitely agree with a lot of the criticism of this Season. It just lacked something. I think it was cohesion. Well, at the very least next Season should be interesting. Middle of the primary and Claire supposedly leaves. Doug back to work doing what he does best. Remy gone and Seth either sidelined or diminished (one thing that was abundantly clear this season was that those two could barely fill Doug's shoes at all). Still no VP candidate and Supreme Court justice replacement.
