Jackson Ball reviews the ninth episode of House of Cards season 2….
This latest instalment from the second season returns House of Cards to its compelling best, as we finally see the collateral damage caused by the schemes of Francis ‘Frank’ Underwood (Kevin Spacey). Until now it has mostly been political figures and journalists that have been laid to waste by Frank’s cunning, but now it appears that the ‘real’, everyday people connected to him are being thrown under the bus also.
Spoilers Ahead – You have been warned!
First off there’s Adam Galloway (Ben Daniels): artsy photographer and former lover of Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). When the Underwood’s adversaries leak news of Claire’s affair, a scandal and press-storm ensues, forcing them to go straight into damage control. Fortunately, Claire has already proven herself time and time again to be the ultimate Ice Queen of manipulation. The sheer ease with which she tricks Adam here (and, indeed, us) is almost frightening. Especially when you consider the fact that we already know she genuinely still cares for the man whose life she is ruining.
If Adam’s implosion is uncomfortable to watch, then the real tragedy is saved for the downfall of Freddy (Reg E. Cathey). As the humble BBQ chef, and one of the few characters who seem to honestly like Frank, I’ve long since wondered where the writers of the show were going to take the character of Freddy Armstrong. I needn’t have worried though because, while the circumstances of his breakdown are gut-wrenchingly unjust, the story arc is a master class in television writing.
Just like Frank had to sacrifice his friendship with Freddy in order to progress, the House of Cards creative team had to sacrifice one of the ‘nice guys’ in order to really kick the thematic trajectory of this season into gear. What’s so fascinating about both of these betrayals is that they show a clear difference between Frank and Claire. Whilst we know that remorse doesn’t come easy to either of them, there is at least some reluctance on the part of Frank. In stark contrast though, Claire confirms herself as the hardest Underwood, appearing almost machine-like in her steely lack of emotion towards Adam; just another example of Robin Wright’s supreme talent for subtle nuances.
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