House of Cards - S1, E1 - "Chapter 1" Review

First, let me just say that these reviews will probably be different than those you would find on a regular website. This is my blog, so these are my complete, uninhibited thoughts about subjects that interest me. As it pertains to reviews, there will be spoilers; There will not be a score of any sort at the end of each review, as to better the chances of my audience reading through the entirety of the post. If you're okay with this, enjoy my review for the very first episode of House of Cards.

The first thing I noticed while watching this show was that David Fincher directed the episode. That was all I needed to know. The director of Se7en, The Social Network, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? I was in. The cast seems to be the right fit as well. Kevin Spacey just owns the role of Frank Underwood. Every scene he's in is literally a masterpiece. I really love the fact that his character talks to us, the audience, as if we were right there with him. There was one great bit where he looked to us before having a meeting with someone, made a prediction about that meeting, and then when his prediction came true, he took a quick second to look back at us as if to say, "Told you so." It was genius.

Robin Wright and Kate Mara round out the main cast as Frank's wife, Claire, and a reporter named Zoe Barnes, respectively. Wright is absolutely ruthless in the role; it was unlike anything I've seen her in. At times, it seems as if she's in control of the relationship with Frank, and that was interesting to see. Mara does well as the go-get-the-tough-story reporter, but in a way, I kept waiting for her to go crazy or show a violent side. Apparently, she did so well in American Horror Story that I couldn't get those thoughts out of my head. She's definitely a good actress, so I'm hoping she'll fall into this role just as easily and make it memorable. I did like the scene where she confronted Frank at his house and tried to get his attention by wearing a low-cut shirt, and then he called her out on it right away, pretty much saying "Are you serious with that?" It was a scene full of great acting, and that's something that I really enjoyed.

There were a few other characters and story lines introduced, but they didn't really do anything for me just yet. There was something about some guy who finally told his girlfriend that he loved her, only to be pulled over some time later with another girl in the car; then, he lied to his girlfriend when she asked if he was alone, which I assume will come back to bite him in the ass later. That's all I really got out of it for now.

Overall, I was satisfied with the episode. I'm not a huge fan of politics, or anything related to it, but with the acting as good as it is, I have high hopes for future episodes. Well done, Netflix.