The Interview: House of Cards (Spoiler Alert)

Netflix favourite House of Cards is back and Frank Underwood is as treacherous as ever. Beware of spoilers.

[O]n February 27th Netflix’s hit series House of Cards returned with a third season of 13 episodes. While Frank Underwood’s return to our screens shows him to be just as treacherous and machiavellian as in previous seasons, this year he takes it a step further: urinating on his father’s grave in the first episode and spitting on a statue of Jesus later in the season. The series plays out very much like a Shakespearean tragedy, and one can only wonder when Frank’s tragic turn will occur.

While Kevin Spacey has made no secret that the series is based upon several works from Shakespeare, particularly Richard III, what is interesting how Robin Wright characterises Claire Underwood as someone who aspires “for more in general […] but there’s never going to be enough.” Wright and Spacey clearly play off each other well, both in the series and in our interview, showing how House of Cards is about the quest for power from both sides of the couple not necessarily Frank Underwood’s desire to be President. The third season questions many motivations of the characters we have met thus far including the bedrock of the relationship of Frank and Claire.

Our interview with Michael Kelly, who plays Doug Stamper, contains spoilers for the third season but he reveals some of the unique advantages that come with working on a TV show as opposed to a feature film. Kelly characterises time as one of these advantages noting that “the great thing about television is how long you have to explore a character.” Kelly, Spacey and Wright all credit Netflix for the amount of control that they allow the creatives of the show, particularly show runner and creator Beau Willimon, to wield.

In episode three President Frank Underwood tells the Russian President “Men like you don’t show up without an appetite” and judging by the success of the series so far it is clear that there is an appetite for more political and personal treachery for years to come. Let us hope that Frank and Claire Underwood’s vaulting ambition doesn’t bring about their downfall any time soon.

All three seasons of House of Cards are available to stream on Netflix now.