House of Cards (TV Series) Chapter 42 (2016) User Reviews

House of Cards doing what it does best.

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 9/10 · 4 March 2016]

My favourite episodes of House of Cards are the ones that focus on PR; dealing with scandals. I really enjoy seeing the inner and outer workings of them, and this show is very good at showing that. This was a classic House of Cards style scandal episode.

When a photo detrimental to Frank's success in his home-state is leaked, Frank and his team search for the one responsible. This shakes everything up, and ultimately reveals a not entirely surprising truth. The drama in this episode was great, especially a monologue from Kevin Spacey towards the end. I do wonder where some of the subplots are going, but they're interesting enough, I suppose.

Overall, great episode, showing me what I want to see when I watch House of Cards.

"It's as though she never left. And that's what I'm afraid of"

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 1 October 2019]

Season 4 started off very promisingly with "Chapter 40". It wasn't perfect, but it did very well as a setting things up episode and was an improvement over the still very well done if somewhat disappointing previous season's finale "Chapter 39". "Chapter 41" was even better and balanced the political and personal elements more evenly and intriguingly and made what was set up in the previous episode even more interesting, which a follow up episode should do.

"Chapter 42" was for me very well done and does very well as a "major scandal" episode , but did prefer the previous two episodes and was a little disappointed. What was progressed in "Chapter 41" is still interesting here, although there was more progression to me actually in the previous episode, and the intrigue has not been lost, but a few things distracted me from giving it a higher rating and being even more positive about it.

Did find Lucas' subplot unnecessary in this particular episode and it could have been left out entirely easily. Like "Chapter 40" there could have been more of the political elements and a little less on the personal ones, luckily the personal life elements and everything to do with the scandals intrigue but the political edge is one of the show's main attractions for me and what sets it apart.

Frank also in my mind didn't need to be so insulting to Claire.

However, as always the episode looks great, very stylish and classy as usual. The music complements the tone well and the direction is both alert and accomodating in all the right places. The dialogue is thought-provoking and has bite, especially in Frank's monologue and the blistering chemistry between him and Claire where it is reinforced that it is thought that they are equal to each other but actually Claire is the one who's gained nothing. The story is mostly absorbing, the scandal storyline just about avoided heavy-handedness and the mother and daughter argument had the right amount of icy tension.

Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are both brilliant, with Spacey particularly dominating the episode without dominating it too much so nobody else shines. Which is not the case, LeAnn does and so does Elizabeth (of course).

All in all, very solid but could have been better and had potential to be. 8/10

Retaliation

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 2 November 2020]

Frank finds himself at the centre of a PR scandal in his home state.

This is an excellent episode with strong visual storytelling, great performances and a high level of drama. It shows how engrossed you are in something when the episode finishes and you then rush to empty a full bladder.

Frank and Claire's conflict escalates as a particularly nasty bit of mud is slung in the direction of his campaign. There is intrigue in the build up to this event and great drama watching the fallout. Everyone's loyalty is questioned before the real culprit steps forward.

Kevin Spacey is brilliant as Frank makes rousing speeches, heartfelt monologues and in the end completely loses it. By contrast Robin Wright plays Claire as icy, calculating and ruthless as ever.

The sub-plot involving Lucas Goodwin gets a bit more interesting and I felt sympathy for him in one of the most frustrating scenes in the episode.

As ever the cinematography and editing is excellent. One sequence that cuts between Frank preparing and delivering a speech is very effective. The idea with the earrings was also great.

What happens at the end hints that the story is going in a direction that might stretch the boundaries of plausibility. (That being said Donald Trump was elected president in the same year that this season was released) I can't say I take the show so seriously that I cannot suspend disbelief when necessary.

Claire Goes Over the Top

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 7 March 2016]

This episode continues Frank's courting the black vote. Through some underhanded shenanigans, financed by Claire, a billboard near his birthplace shows a picture of Frank's father, standing next to a hooded Klan member. Of course, by default, Frank's upbringing comes into question. The black caucus begins to turn on him and he tries to make his way back by making deals. Claire has a huge row with her mother. She comes across even more despicable and ambitious as the poor woman must confront her, dealing with terminal cancer. She is asked not to return to the house, and Claire says she will do whatever she wants, ignoring her mother's wished. Frank and Claire finally get together once again, and the sickness continued. Claire has a proposal that seems beyond the pale and I can see why. There is another subplot with the much maligned Lucas who has made his way back, skipping out on his terms of his witness protection requirements in order to face Dunbar and enlist her help.

Continuing the descent into silliness...

[gizmomogwai · 6/10 · 5 March 2016]

House of Cards was at its very best in the first two seasons, when Underwood was climbing to the top and everything followed that cohesive story. Where it was going to go once he reached this climactic point, was, and still is, a bit of a dilemma. It's one the British House of Cards faced to a certain extent; The Final Cut was nowhere near as interesting as the original House of Cards miniseries.

Season 3 stumbled with soap opera-like focus on Frank and Claire's suddenly troubled marriage. Three episodes into season 4, there's little promise for the new season. There's more of the same old- new embarrassing photos emerge and reemerge, and Underwood's team spins into damage control. Claire is behind it now, and what we get in the climax of the episode is that she seriously wants onto the ticket. You can imagine how ridiculous it would look if a presidential candidate seriously ran with his wife as a running candidate, but then, House of Cards has little connect to reality any more, if it had much to begin with. Here's hoping the season improves...