House of Cards: Season 2, Episodes 9-10

Season 2, Episode 9: 8.5

House of Cards takes time to focus on two underdeveloped characters, with good results.  The episode takes a much needed break from Washington politics to deal with scandal.  The first one involves Claire and Adam, and brings back some of residue from their relationship in Season 1.  Claire destroys any feelings they might have had with each other by ruining Adam’s life to cover her story.  The other scandal involves Freddy, and his troubled background/ family.  Frank offers to help him, but at a distance.  Freddy refuses pridefully. 

The episode highlights two unintentional casualties in Frank and Claire’s lives.  Freddy and Adam are just victims of a war between Frank and Raymond Tusk.  When Freddy closes his restaurant and walks away, we get the worldview of a down on his luck ordinary man, a type of character we never see in House of Cards. 

-Directed by Jodie Foster.

-Episode starts off with Freddy killing a bug, hittin them weights, then burning the newspaper looking like a badass.

-Freddy gets some plot development besides being Frank’s chef?

-Claire did Adam wrong, she could’ve at least told him about their plan.

-“I’m the ceiling”, Stamper claiming his territory.

-Freddy goes out broke and in trouble, but like a G.

- "Do you think I’m a hypocrite? Well, you should”.  Frank sad and regretful, for once.

-Claire and Adam’s fallout is messy and nasty. 

-Tusk kills a bird, he’s terrible.

-Claire requests suffering.

Season 2, Episode 10: 8.0

This will be known as the episode where Meechum walks in on Frank watching porn.   Pretty random right?  Or is it… Maybe Frank planned that, he apparently can predict and plan everything.  Anyways, what else happened.  Claire and Jackie have a face off.  Stamper’s weird relationship with Rachel gets deeper; affecting his work.  A money trail with the casinos and China connects everybody, endangering everybody.  Things are heating up.  Bring on the final 3!

-Stamper spends time listening to Rachel read, then gets in trouble with Frank for slacking off.

-The previous episode reminded me of The Wire; so far this episode (pre-credits) reminds me of Die Hard.

-Meechum works overtime, as long as necessary.

-“You think you can just get me wet and I’ll spill everything?” Uhh, phrasing.

-Frank loathes sleep.

-This show goes through a lot of reporters.

-Stamper needs a bed time story, he’s distraught.