EPISODE 403: “Chapter 42”
After three seasons and a handful, I think House of Cards has become masochistic in its storytelling. After Claire and Leann (Neve Campbell) organize a scandal and expose a photograph of Frank’s father, Calvin T. Underwood, posing next to a Ku Klux Klan member and frame it up on a billboard on primary day, and then Frank tries to rationalize it in front of a church full of black voters in his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina, there should be no reason left for us to sympathize, empathize, and feel compassion for our two leads. But there is. And there always be. In a scene towards the end of the episode when Claire and Frank confront each other about the situation, we almost feel conflicted about whose side we’re on, or if we should even be taking sides at all. When Frank realizes it was Claire’s hand that orchestrated the scandal, we understand his anger and almost feel pity, but when Claire lectures Frank about her motivations and uses the situation to completely overhaul his campaign, we root for her to be the winner. This show is absolutely brilliant at putting the viewer at odds with the central characters, and the case of “Chapter 42”, I think it makes the episode more compelling when you don’t feel like you have to feel something for either side.
It’s interesting to observe how far the Underwoods have come, and it brings up an interesting viewpoint of each season’s journey. The first two seasons were about Claire and Frank climbing their way up the political ladder, and the 3rd was about the power couple trying to maintain their position at the top. The 4th seems to be where it all comes tumbling down, with both Underwoods scrambling to save their positions and their images, at war with one another during the most important political period — election season.
Speaking of which, this episode’s attempts to relate the themes and story elements to today’s current American presidential election are very obvious. The KKK plot line and Frank’s attempt to keep black Congressman woman Doris Jones (played excellently by the legendary 91-year-old Cicely Tyson) in his circles very easily compares to the current racial tension here in America, especially in the midst of Trumpmania, which alone can spawn endless arguments about the show’s juxtaposition of the fictional characters to real-life politicians.
“Chapter 42” is directed by Claire Underwood herself, Robin Wright. Last season, she directed two episodes, “Chapter 35” and “Chapter 38”. Like those two, “Chapter 42” is very Claire-centric, but it also shares the same dreary, brooding tone, all of which is because of Claire’s choice of action of against the characters. Through this episodes, it’s safe to say that Wright has found a niche for herself as a director. Like Clint Eastwood, Orson Welles, Kevin Smith, and many others, Wright excels at directing herself around others. Her camera is always distant, and in scenes where Claire is the center of attention, she doesn’t harp too much on the fact that she’s the one in control. She’s one of the show’s best directors, and this is the best episode so far this season.
OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10
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