House of Cards
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One hundred days into Claire Underwoods presidency and the peoples reviews are … mixed!

Pretty sure these psychos are still sussing out the difference between their and there.
(Dont even get them started on theyre.)
But this isHouse of Cards.
Did you expect subtlety?
Dont make me laugh while ending this sentence with Franks signature knock-knock.
As you surely know,Frank Underwood is as deadasKevin Spaceys career.
Regular readers of these recaps (hi!
The question theoretically looming over the proceedings is: Who killed Frank, and how?
(See also: Tom.)
(Chances are well be seeing that aesthetic repeat throughout the season.)
She wants to address some new recruits before shipping them off to Syria.
Tomorrow will be thefifthof July, Claire says, hair immobile as a helmet.
She will go to the base as planned.
Claires direct addresses arent exactly the thrill they used to be, no?
And it feels like this show has forgotten how to use them.
Claire saying one thing to the world and another thing to us isnt surprising.
But Claire has her secrets, and I want to know what they are.
Im not saying itcantbe a useful technique, but in this premiere, I am underwhelmed by its utility.
Also by the bird-in-the-wall scene.
Wow, such symbolism!
Who is this soul I see, pacing in circles outdoors?
Why, it is DOUG, a man without a country, for what is America with no Frank?
Poor Doug: Out of the Sadness Cave and into the psych ward.
Doug is in Victorian mourning for the only person hes ever loved.
Doug is … swole now?
Then again, maybe its just that weve never seen him in a T-shirt before.
Smug, douchey Seth pops by mostly for plot-exposition-through-dialogue reasons.
Dougs patented whisper-growl returns when he asks if Claire even shed a tear over Franks death.
No one loved Doug like Frank!
Also, Doug is holding out for a pardon from Claire that Im sure is coming any day now!
So what if hes an addict?
She only wants whats worst for him.
Time to meet the new kids.
Theyre siblings: Diane Lane is Annette Shepherd and Greg Kinnear is her brother, Bill.
Also who cares?)
and makes this cool thing called plot happen.
This bill has been in the works for ages and Frank pinky-swore hed sign it.
But Claire says shes not beholden to Franks promises.
The Shepherds also arent feeling Claires slate of candidates, including this Nancy Gallagher character.
But he does not want Nancy for whatever Nancy is running for.
Claire says something very Leslie Knope-like about believing in government and its ability to make peoples lives better.
I assume this show is set in the distant past.
And on the way home, someone shoots at the Beast.
The bulletproof glass holds and the assassination attempt is kept (mostly) under wraps.
Are you building in time for us to get up and find snacks since there arent any commercials?
This episode is almost an hour long and it could easily have been 45 minutes or less.
Why is everyone in this universe so cavalier about homicide?
Claire confides in Nathan, the FBI guy, that she is starting to believe Frank was murdered.
Wonder what her endgame is here, drawing attention to the suspicious circumstances of Franks death.
Who do you think shes going to frame for it?
Three guesses who did it?
Seems very Shepherd-y, or of course, it could be Mark.
He is an unsettling man and Claire did make him clean up Toms dead body that time.
Maybe hes holding a grudge.