House of Cards - Netflix, Too Nice Politicians and Underwood vs Tucker

25th March

House of Cards (contains minor spoilers for Season 1 of House of Cards)

House of Cards has become the most watched tv show in our house over the past couple of weeks and it keeps getting better and better. Perhaps the most notable thing about House of Cards is that it is a production of Netflix, not something they have bought but made themselves. This goes alongside Orange is the New Black, the relaunched Arrested Development (probably the best American sitcom ever) and others, giving Netflix a very respectable stable. Being the product of an online streaming and DVD rental service would probably be a source of suspicion, I would imagine it to be cheap and without much merit. But House of Cards has Kevin Spacey, which is instantly and immensely reassuring. Spacey is a great actor and makes for a great politician.

House of Cards was a British television show in the early 90s, focusing on Francis Urquhart, the Tory party chief whip, the American version has Kevin Spacey playing Francis Underwood, chief whip of the Democrats. In Britain such a story would almost definitely require a Tory, while each party has it's heroes and villains sinister double-dealing and grabs for power feels very Tory (I feel with the left it would be more broken promises and hypocrisy). Underwood is played brilliantly by Spacey, talking to camera (or even just knowing looks to camera) and explaining his plans and what he thinks power means. after not getting what he wants from the new President (a man he helped get elected) he seemingly begins to turn on him and Frank Underwood is not someone you want as an enemy. It is a gripping show but not without problems. It does sometimes feel that Underwood's enemies compliantly line up to be destroyed by him, men and women who are intelligent, sharp people easily defeated.

House of Cards isn't entirely dominated by Francis Underwood, his wife, Claire Underwood, is also a very interesting character and their relationship is fascinating. Played by Robin Wright (Princess Buttercup from The Princess Bride) she is the perfect partner for Underwood, so far matching her husband in drive and ruthlessness  but I suspect the distance between them and what they are prepared to do will go. She works for a charity but as far as I can see cares little for the work of the charity and merely loves the job and would be equally suited to running an arms manufacturer. For a politician's wife she is neither meek and deferring to her husband or a Lady MacBeth character, usually the two roles such fictional women fall into. The other main female character is Zoe Barnes, at the start of the show she is a journalist working at the Washington Herald and is an exceptionally annoying character. She wants to cultivate a relationship with Underwood wheres she can get information and stories and in return will run stories that help him. She is annoying for many reasons but it starts early in the show, she works for the presitigious Washington Herald and being young is at the bottom of the pile, yet this seems to her a terrible and injustice and is outraged that everyone else in the paper doesn't recognise her greatness. She is a little unconvincing as an expert journalist and does not compare well with Claire Underwood and certainly is no match for Francis Underwood.

Something we've discussed in our house has been a comparison of House of Cards with The West Wing. The West Wing is a brilliant television show, discussing complicated ideas and topics in an intelligent way. However, one problem I had with The West Wing was that they were too nice, too good, too principled. It seemed an unrealistic portrayal of American politics, or indeed the politics of any country. The president in The West Wing, is Jed Bartlett, like Underwood a Democrat. Bartlett is a Noble Prize winning economist, a man of intelligence, intellect and principles and watching this while Bush Jnr was president was like watching a documentary from bizarro-world, every negative quality Bush had reversed for bizarro-world President Bartlett. The team around Bartlett The White House staff, are very similar in their wonderfulness. I can't help but think if there was a West Wing - House of Cards crossover Underwood would devour each and every one of them.

In my mind the most entertaining portrayal of British politics in recent years, maybe ever, is The Thick Of It, with Malcolm Tucker perhaps being an appropriate opponent for Francis Underwood, he certainly swears a lot more. Tucker isn't an elective representative, he is the chief spin doctor of his party,a very angry, very loud Scottish terror. A man whose skin gets increasingly grey as the show goes on Tucker does have a certain way with words, delivering probably the best insults ever heard on television, (for example "Feet off the furniture you Oxbridge twat, you're not on a punt now.").  An out and out satirical comedy it does make astute points about modern politics; the abandonment of beliefs, chasing what is popular over what is right or sensible, style over substance. It is apparently popular amongst those who work in politics who say it closely resembles their jobs, bear in mind this is a programme where the Leader of the Opposition has to practice walking and someone creates a bank by accident.

Neither Tucker or Underwood seem to have a concern about doing what is right or have any political beliefs at all really, Tucker does seem to be doing what he thinks is best for his party (not just what is best for himself) and Underwood is more Machiavellian but does seem to respect competence. In a political battle between the two in the end I would have to back Underwood mainly because Tucker spends most of his time dealing with the problems others have created, Underwood is advancing his own agenda. It would be a sad state of affairs if politics resembled the worlds represented in The Thick of It or House of Cards, it would be more entertaining.

Other Interesting things -Books - Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser. A book that has entirely changed my opinion on Queen Mary and is very enjoyable to read, in this version of history Queen Mary was an intelligent and charismatic woman who ended up leading a very tragic life. As bad as Francis Underwood is in House of Cards he doesn't compare to the Earl of Bothwell who orchestrated the murder of Mary's husband, abducted her and forced her to marry him in a bid to become king.