House of Cards is
the new Netflix original series, starring the great Kevin Spacey, based,
loosely, on the original BBC series of the same name. Both versions are worth
your time, especially if you like stories of political intrigue.
Although the first season of the American version is
quite good, it had big shoes to fill, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it falls a
bit short, beginning with the name of its protagonist, Francis Underwood
(Spacey), the Democratic Whip in the House of Representatives. While I realize
that the name “Urquhart” (pronounced Ur-kurt)
is rare in the United States, its harsh, guttural sound, with its implied
malevolence, sets a tone in the BBC version that “Underwood” simply doesn’t
have.
More significantly, however, the plot, particularly towards
the end of this first season, has some wholly unconvincing twists that I won’t
elaborate on here in case you see the show. The acting in the series, however,
is consistently superb, beginning with Spacey’s performance, in
which his character pretends to be obsequious toward the President but really
plans to seize power at the first opportunity. Also outstanding is Robin Wright, who
plays his wife and ally in his quest for power. Through her chilliness and
narcissism, there’s a hint of vulnerability.
Both versions of the show are well worth your time,
especially if you like your anti-heroes on the cynical side, but I especially
hope that you’ll check out the BBC version. And if you think I’m being
unpatriotic by preferring that series, I’ll just have to reply, “You might think very well
that, but I couldn’t possibly comment.”
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