House of Cards - season 2 (2014, VoD) - More ruthless power plays from Willimon and Co.

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Sombre, ominously dark, the stars of Beau Willimon's House of Cards - season 2 reflect the show's ruthless power theme on this poster

House of Cards - season 2 is created by Beau Willimon (The Ides of March (2011)), based on the BBC miniseries of the same name from 1990, which in turn was based on the same-titled 1989 novel by Michael Dobbs (Winston's War (2002)).

The following season summary contains SPOILERS:

 

Claire Underwood threatens an ex-employee, as her husband Frank gets nearer to attain the Vice President's position and finds his candidate as House Whip in Molly Parker's (1922 (2017)) Jaqueline Sharp. Frank's Chief of Staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly (Everest (2015))) works his dark magic to keep reporter Zoe Barnes' nose out of stinky matters. SPOILER When Frank realizes that the young Barnes has him found out nonetheless, he pushes her in front of a train in the episode's surprising climax.

Frank is sworn in and manipulates Secretary of State Durant into a confrontation with China, and the weak President Garrett Walker into backing her up. As VP Frank's first job is to honor a general, who turns out to be the man that raped his wife Claire many years ago. As Sharp elbows her way forward, Zoe's ex is investigating her mysterious death.

This leads him to the Dark Web and a hacker. Frank shows his true chameleon-like colors in securing support for a pension reform.

Frank, Sharp and lobbyist Remy Danton gather votes to avoid a government shutdown during a white powder scare that locks down the White House. Claire conducts an intense interview alone, wherein she admits an abortion and relays her rape story, naming the guilty general.

Zoe's ex-boyfriend's investigation is thwarted, when he gets arrested. Frank meets with a Chinese representative during a Civil War reenactment in the South, and President Walker holds him and billionaire supporter Raymond Tusk to blame when the talk ends in mutual enmity. Claire attains her deceased abortion doctor's diary, trying to hide her true number of abortions from becoming known.

Stamper harasses the prostitute he has some trouble getting rid off, and Sharp carries on an affair with Danton. Frank increases his opposition to Tusk, resulting in an energy crisis.

Stamper heads a criminal money-laundering scheme involving a Montana casino and a Chinese representative. Claire continues to create a rift between the President and the First Lady.

Claire's attempt to become an issue spokesperson (against rapes in the military) loses momentum when her case victim gets cold feet. Frank pressures the President into accepting a Chinese bridge project in exchange for quelled support for the opposing (Republican) party.

Sharp ends her problematic affair with Danton and goes against Claire's rape legislation to Frank's consternation. Frank shows appreciation for his closest Secret Service protector Meechum but fails to commend Stamper, who is embittered.

The Chinese support through a casino story breaks out, and Frank gets Garrett to hand over his calendar, hoping that the recent therapist sessions with wife Trisha will emerge to the public. Claire and Frank literally take Meechum to bed with them.

Garrett realizes that his Vice President is eying his position, confronting him. Frank denies this and lures secretary Durant to his side. Tusk is subpoenaed in the corruption case but pleads the 5th. Carrie and Frank request Sharp to gather votes for them against the President.

The presidential couple elope to Camp David as the news worsen until the point that he resigns and hands over power to Frank Underwood, the wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

Robin Wright (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)) gets more room to shine and assert her character, First Lady Claire Underwood in season 2, and she is phenomenal. Parker is equally eminent as season newcomer fellow Democratic politician Jacqueline Sharp, who carries on a sexy affair with Mahershala Ali's (Green Book (2018)) lobbyist Remy Danton.

Some of the show's refinement falls by the wayside in exchange for more violence in the storylines, including a surprising murder in the first episode. A long-running storyline involving Frank's Chief of Staff Douglas Stamper and a prostitute goes on with its relevance to the main plot becoming ever more murky. The casting of chilly, uncharismatic Michel Gill (Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2003, TV-series)) as President Walker comes to make sense, when his character turns out to be another unfortunate subservient for Frank Underwood to conquer.

At the show's best it portrays and inhabits modern paranoid anxiety very well. The intro credit sequence and theme is fantastic. Season 2 has several good performances and timely themes but is over-all less astonishing and successful than the first season.

Best episode:

Episode 2: Chapter 15 - Written by Willimon; directed by Carl Franklin (Ray Donovan (2017, TV-series))

Frank is sworn in as VP and immediately causes trouble for weak President Walker. Claire must face a pain from her past, and Frank's House Whip candidate Jackie Sharp maneuvers her way forward.

Related posts:

 

Beau Willimon: House of Cards - season 1 (2013, VoD) - Mean streaks at the sausage factory

The Ides of March (2011) - Clooney's political thriller looks at the cynical downside of modern politics (screenwriter; based on his play) 

Watch a short trailer for the season here

Cost: Uncertain but reportedly around 55 mil. $

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain, but considered a hit

[House of Cards - season 2 was released in full on 14 February on Netflix and runs approximately 663 minutes (13 episodes of around 51 minutes each). Shooting took place in from April - November 2013 in Maryland, including in Baltimore, and in Washington DC. The second season reportedly cost 55 mil. $ to produce. Netflix regrettably do not report viewership numbers. The season was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmys and won 1/3 Golden Globe nominations. IMDb's users have rated the TV-series in at #108 on the site's TV Top 250, sitting between Friday Night Lights (2006) and Berserk (1997). House of Cards returned with season 3 in 2015, also Willimon's return as writer/producer. In 2014 Kevin Spacey (Rebel in the Rye (2017)) also narrated Nature Is Speaking (TV-series) and co-starred in Horrible Bosses 2; Wright also starred in A Most Wanted Man and narrated Until We Could (short). House of Cards - season 2 is certified fresh at 83 % with a 7.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of House of Cards - season 2?

Deadwood - season 3 (2006) - The uneven but strangely endearing conclusion to the gritty western show

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+ Best Western Title of the Year + Best TV-series of the Year + Best Fight Scene of the Year (fight in the mud scene, episode 5: A Two-Headed Beast)

A ghoulish blue poster for the last season of David Milch's Deadwood

The third and last season of David Milch's (Luck (2011-12)) fine HBO western show, - which takes place in the real, titular town of Deadwood, South Dakota around the year 1877, and is part-historical, part-fictional, - comes off to a poor start: Everyone speaks the same gutter mouth and mopes around in the same pestilential mood. The show continues to be overly theatrical and dourly obsessed with its own past for a while. The season kicks into speed rather late, but still manages to go out as a unique and strangely endearing series.

Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), Alma Garret (Molly Parker), Trixie (Paula Malcomson) and sheriff Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) on this neat character poster for the third season of David Milch's Deadwood

The details:

The following summary will contain numerous SPOILERS:

The wealthy Hearst is responsible for the first murder of the season, while Mrs. Bullock opens the first school in town. Alma Garret (played very well by Molly Parker (The Playroom (2012))) loses her child, while mayor Farnum conducts a big speech on blatant anti-Semitism. 
Brian Cox's (L.I.E. (2001)) actor character and Hearst's 'Aunt' Lou (Cleo King (Just Before I Go (2014))) are both amusing additions to the town's gallery of characters. The season paddles on with a subplot about the racist drunk Steve and his horse stable, while Garret's bank positions itself, and the town's unofficial boss Al Swearengen battles impotence.
Hearst's anger is feared in town, while Cy Tolliver spreads his gall as per usual. Calamity Jane starts a lesbian flirt with the otherwise vague Joanie Stubbs.
The season continues towards its conclusion mostly in twilight, with often driveling characters, always in fearful anticipation of the grand attack of Hearst. This kind of electricity accelerates with an assassination attempt and a clandestine murder and culminates when Hearst has Garret's husband Elcott murdered, which Trixie, - another often tiringly uniformly cussing character, - becomes so angered by that she shoots Hearst. - Which he survives!
Although Swearengen's alliance with Chinese boss Wu against Hearst is another enjoyable string of the plot, it never really amounts to much, because it all seems to seep out in the last episode, in which Swearengen murders another professional of his own as sacrifice for Trixie's hasty assassination attempt. And Hearst finally leaves camp by his own accord.
Thus the distinctive, uneven show ends with a familiar scrubbing of blood off the floor.

Best episodes:

5. A Two-Headed Beast - written by Milch and Regina Corrado (The Strain (2014-15)); directed by Daniel Minahan (Game of Thrones (2011-13))
The Hearst-loathing in Deadwood climaxes for the time being, as Swearengen's right hand man Dan beats Hearst's goon to death in the town's mud in an epic battle, and sheriff Bullock drags Hearst away by the nose!

6. A Rich Find - written by Milch, Corrado and Alix Lambert (John from Cincinnati (2007), TV-series); directed by Tim Hunter (Hannibal (2013-14))
The series finally gets back to its former, high quality level, and the swearing at times takes on a Mark Twain-like poetry. 

11. The Catbird Seat - written by Milch and Bernadette McNamara (NYPD Blue (1999), TV-series); directed by Gregg Fienberg (True Blood (2014), TV-series)
The animosity between Hearst and Deadwood finally explodes.

Related reviews:

David Milch: 2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Deadwood - season 2 (2005) - The dirty frontier West continues to entertain thoroughly
Deadwood - season 1 (2004) - Milch presents a new f-ing take on the old frontier West

In lieu of a trailer for the season, here's the title theme - enjoy

 
Budget: Reportedly 4.5 mil. $ per episode, or 54 mil. $ 
Box office: None - TV-series 
= Unknown
[Deadwood season 3 was first aired in the summer of 2006 on HBO. It runs 12 48-60 min. episodes. According to Metacritic, the third season, with 85 % positive reviews, was nearly as well-reviewed as the second (at 93), which remains the best reviewed of the three. The costly show was canceled after the 3rd season, however a TV movie script has been commissioned by HBO in 2016, after Deadwood has remained a talked-about audience and critical favorite for years. The season won 1 of 6 Emmy nominations, for its outstanding makeup in a single episode. 62,621 IMDb users have given Deadwood an 8.8 rating.]

What do you think of Deadwood and its 3rd season?

Deadwood - season 2 (2005) - Milch's dirty frontier West continues to entertain thorougly

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The not very aesthetically pleasing poster for the second season of David Milch's Deadwood

The second season (out of three) of creator David Milch's (NYPD Blue (1993-05)) lavish, historical HBO series set in the titular town in 1877 begins about 7 months after the first season and spans 12 ca. 45 minute-long episodes.
The show continues to be a joy to watch due to its endearing characters, the general perfidy of the camp and the rare instances of greatness among its tough residents. Mayor Farnum (well-played by William Sanderson (Blade Runner (1982))) and newspaperman Merrick (Jeffrey Jones (Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986))) grow into a couple of really funny characters in season two. But it continues to irritate that the main character, sheriff Bullock, is played so stoically jaw-clenched by Timothy Olyphant (Die Hard 4.0 (2007)).
The minor problem of Deadwood's at times snail-pace plot might be that it seems like it, apart from its general direction, is sort of made up as it rolls along, without any real sense of underlying necessity.

Ian McShane (Cuban Fury (2014)) continues to be a huge part of David Milch's Deadwood's attraction as the boss of the town, Al Swearengen

The details:

The following plot summary contains SPOILERS:

The season's main subject is the annexation of Deadwood into Dakota state territory. Some of the details of this become too muddy as it moves along, and the mistrusted Pinkerton family from the first season send out a snakelike agent by the name of Isringhausen, whose ulterior motives also remain somewhat unknown for the entire season. On the more positive side, the violent town receives an enthusiastic Stephen Tobolowsky (Groundhog Day (1993)) as a Dakota commissary.
Another agent, this one for the wealthy Hearst, Wolcott, turns out to be a perverted killer of women, who in turn lays bare the cynicism of the town's original, secondary power figure Cy Tolliver (Powers Boothe (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014))).
When Swearengen finally recovers from serious illness, Sol (John Hawkes (The Sessions (2012))), Bullock and Alma Garret (Molly Parker (Hollywoodland (2006))) have opened a bank. Bullock's wife arrives, and his relationship with Garret ends in agonizing silence, while he and his wife's pretty son expire in a tragic horse accident.
Joanie's (Kim Dickens (Gone Girl (2014))) brothel Chez Amis closes following a triple murder. Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert (Mississippi Grind (2015))) receives some much needed help and gives some in return. The town's Chinese boss Wu (Keone Young (Men in Black 3 (2012))) makes a vendetta over a brutal Chinese gangster from San Francisco, and Alma gets engaged to Ellsworth (Jim Beaver (Crimson Peak (2015))).
As the season draws to its end, Wolcott gets a death sentence from Hearst; Deadwood is annexed into Dakota territory for a substantial prize; Farnum's hotel gets sold to Hearst; Tolliver gets stabbed in his stomach by the new priest in town, - a bitter, old acquaintance, - and an election is announced.

At the season's exciting end, one looks greatly forward to the third season.

Best episode:

3: New Money - written by Milch, Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost (2005-10)), directed by Steve Shill (Rome (2005-07))
Al Swearengen is operated for gallstones, - and rarely has a TV scene been more excruciating to behold!

Related review:

David Milch: Deadwood - season 1 (2004) - Milch presents a new f-ing take on the old frontier West

 In lieu of a trailer for the season, not currently available on Youtube, here is a video with the great opening theme of the show, by David Schwartz (Arrested Development (2003-13))

Budget: Reportedly 4.5 mil. $ per episode, or 54 mil. $
Box office: None - TV-series
= Unknown
[As with the first season, the viewer ratings for the show are not to be found online. Metacritic reports that the 2nd season is the best reviewed of the show's 3, with 93 % good reviews, 'near universal acclaim'. The season was nominated for 11 Emmys, winning 5, which were all technical, episode-specific ones. After several years mull, HBO has as of January 2016 commissioned Milch, who is today reportedly 17 mil. $ in debt due to obsessive gambling, to write scripts for two TV-movies that are to conclude Deadwood, which ended prematurely with season 3. Deadwood is #69 on IMDb's Top 250 TV-shows, where 61k+ users have given it an 8.8 average rating.]

What do you think of the second season of Deadwood?

Deadwood - season 1 (2004) - Milch presents a new f-ing take on the old frontier west

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+ Best New TV-series of the Year + Best Western Title of the Year

Five characters from David Milch's Deadwood stare you down on this poster for the first season

Deadwood is an HBO TV-series in 3 seasons from creator David Milch (NYPD Blue (1993-05)), based on the real town of Deadwood, South Dakota. The season comprises 12 48-60 min. episodes.

Season one takes place within approximately two weeks of 1876 in the raw gold-digger camp, which is more or less run by Al Swearengen (Ian McShane (Sexy Beast (2000))), owner of the brothel and saloon The Gem. Our other protagonist is the former sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy OIyphant (The Grinder (2015-16))), who founds a lumber store in the town with his business partner Sol (John Hawkes (The Sessions (2012))) and rich New Yorker madam Alma Garret (Molly Parker (House of Cards (2014-15))), whose husband SPOILER gets pushed to his death on the land he bought cheap.Western legend Wild Bill Hickok arrives with his companions; the drunken, miserable Calamity Jane and Charlie Utter, who opens a post office, SPOILER after Hickok gets shot dead by an embittered poker enemy by the name Jack 'the Coward' McCall, who is freed after a mock trial in town.

The details:

Powers Boothe (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2015-16)) is spectacular as Cy Tolliver, the entrepreneur who opens Swearengen's competing brothel, The Bella Union, where he gets into trouble with a young conman couple, SPOILER who he later murders brutally in front of his closest employees, a soft, lesbian prostitute and a gay card shark, who consequently lose sympathy for their employer.
Other festive elements of Deadwood include the priest, who has some kind of brain tumor, which gives him seizures and makes him increasingly pitiful, until Swearengen shows mercy SPOILER and strangles him to death. - And the doctor (splendidly portrayed by Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975))), a choleric but honest man, who helps and falls for an invalid who works in The Gem.
The last of the town's residents I feel implored to mention is Mister Wu (Keone Young (Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos (1986), TV-series)), who runs the Chinese part of town similarly as Swearengen, whom he respectfully calls 'Swegen!', runs the town general.
McShane is a force to be reckoned with and has one of his career's best parts in Swearengen. The show features raw aesthetics and innovative, refreshing (and very, sometimes even exaggeratedly expletive-laden) dialog. It is refined if psychologically somewhat flat, and not unlike a western soap opera, a good one though, mind you.

Best episode:

12. Sold Under Sin - written by Milch and Ted Man (NYPD Blue (1994-99)), directed by Davis Guggenheim (He Named Me Malala (2015))
The season's last episode is a royal finisher, in which Bullock goes against Garret's vile father and accepts the sheriff's star of Deadwood, while Swearengen cements his power, despite the town getting itself a mayor.

 

Related post:

 

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch a trailer for the first season here 

Cost: Reportedly 4.5 mil. $ per episode, or 54 mil. $
Box office: None (TV-series) 
= Unknown
[Deadwood was an expensive show to produce, and it was finally canceled because of this I suspect. I have not been able to find its viewer ratings, (shoot me a comment with a link, if you do.) The season received 80 % positive reviews, according to Metacritic, based on 26 of them, which is the lowest of the three seasons. It is #69 on IMDb's Top 250 TV-shows where 60k+ users have given it an 8.8 average rating.]

What do you think of Deadwood season 1?
Other good western TV-series?