Spoiler Free: For better or for worse - they row back
Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is fighting for his re-election. First, the series seems to begin, as usual. Frank begins in the usual mania the threads to hang on his human puppets, where he intends to draw later. But this time, just not everything works as usual. Some of his victims to break away unexpectedly and repeatedly the house of cards of his planning will suddenly collapse.
What a treat: watching Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Her performance makes this season a remarkable event. Even if the two fight in the last third of the season, more and more with and also against the script.
Until about Episode 8 I had the Season can look at a stretch. Then the mess was too much and slowly the storyline began at my interest to fight and lose myself more and more.
Spoiler Free: criticism
Current Season drops sharply compared with the first and second. Franks reckless game of chess in the struggle for his goal built on a quiet smug voltage. By the middle of Season 3, this topic continues, but Frank is increasingly losing control. The universe of this series has changed. Claire performs more than a U-turn on the floor of their ambitions, collides with the presidents of Russia, rethinks her relationship with Frank, gives way, resists and totters at the end to a decision that will probably occupy us in Season 4 very.
And here we arrive at the very point of my criticism (more of that in the spoiler section below). Season 1 and 2 remained largely self-contained. The action culminated to a climax in the latest episode. Season 3 fights clearly with this heritage. Since not lurk completed storylines to an end. At the same time Serienkuh Frank Underwood will be even milked in Season 4. So act for me the last 4 episodes just uninteresting and disappointing - garnished with a "yes, and what now?" End. In the middle of an ongoing season I would have swallowed these few episodes. At the end of a rather boring and implausible episode to plant a cliffhanger of the type shown, I think is very daring.
(Reveal plot details are) Small SPOILER: what bothered me
The multilayered psychological warfare with Russian President embodied certainly a climax of the story. What a masterful look behind the political scenes! What a power play!
The Image. Impressive. The monks when creating her portrait watch. What a parallel! And in the end is nothing but a heap of sand. A great parable of life and also to Frank's doing. Just as the monks precisely their colors Apply to create a perfect overall picture, as precise Frank built his power and position in the previous seasons to a functioning presidency together. Now he fears his legacy will be the same gray sand pile, like the portrait of the monks.
Doug's role: Unlike Frank Doug seems faced with fewer problems. Almost scary he begins methodically to pursue his new goal. And he goes (who has just taught him?) On corpses. Unfortunately, I found his "end sequence" with Rachel as too long and too illogical for a Season Finale. Clear: Rachel knew too much and Rachel, it was she who killed him at the end of the second season almost. But why the Chief of Staff of the President staged such a complex fuss to eliminate a person? The scoop from the hardware store and buying the car left too many traces. That does not smell like "work like the pros"!
