Chapter 23
- Episode aired Feb 14, 2014
- TV-MA
- 52m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
With a military stalemate abroad and a possible violent situation at home, Francis wants to put an end to Tusk forever. Claire and Jackie Sharp collide.With a military stalemate abroad and a possible violent situation at home, Francis wants to put an end to Tusk forever. Claire and Jackie Sharp collide.With a military stalemate abroad and a possible violent situation at home, Francis wants to put an end to Tusk forever. Claire and Jackie Sharp collide.
Mozhan Navabi
- Ayla Sayyad
- (as Mozhan Marno)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the first episode of ten, directed by the female star of the show Robin Wright.
- GoofsSecretary of State Durant tells President Walker that the Japanese are sending three destroyers and a light cruiser to a sea area disputed by China. However, Japan designates all its ships as destroyers and the classification light cruiser hasn't been used by the USN since at least 1975. Peru operates the only light cruiser still in service anywhere, the BAP Almirante Grau (ex-HNLMS De Ruyter).
- Quotes
Francis Underwood: The only thing more satisfying than convincing someone to do what I want, is failing to persuade them on purpose. It's like a "do not enter" sign, it just begs you to walk though the door.
- ConnectionsFeatures Hardball with Chris Matthews (1997)
Featured review
"Unlike you, I don't peddle my goods for whoever can pay the highest retainer"
Season 2 of 'House of Cards' is a more than solid season, with none of the episodes being less than very good. It doesn't have the same number of great episodes that the first season did and there was a slight slump in quality between "Chapter 14" and "Chapter 19", but even then the episodes were very close to great with many fantastic things let down slightly by an over-dominant Frank and in a few of them the charater of Lucas.
Living up to and following from an episode as brilliant as "Chapter 22", one of the season's best and one of the best of the show up to this point, could not have been easy at all, but "Chapter 23" does a great job in that respect. Is it on the same level? No, not quite. Is it quite as great? Again, not quite. Is it great? Oh yes. Does it have a lot of fantastic things about it? Absolutely. It is an incredibly well done and balanced episode with nothing really inherently wrong with it.
Did feel that "Chapter 23" didn't quite have the same level of tension that "Chapter 22" did. The emotional impact of that episode isn't quite matched either.
Not that "Chapter 23" is devoid of either of those things. It actually has both. Especially the tension. Particularly good is the characterisation. Frank, who provides the tension with his increasing unscrupulousness without dominating too much, and Claire continue to be fascinating characters played to the absolute thrilling hilt by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Their chemistry blisters and does their dialogue, along with one of Jackie's best ever lines listed above they have the lines to savour. The latter also directing her first 'House of Cards' episode of ten, and despite not being experienced in directing at that point the inexperience in my opinion did not show, she never allows the episode or drama to become dull and balances the components adeptly.
It is not just Frank and Claire who are interesting. This is a character showcase for Stamper, with Michael Kelly's intensity as the character literally burning through the television screen, with his interaction with Rachel (with her meatiest material yet) being very well written and acted. His sourness is almost frightening and makes one interested in seeing how it turns out. Another very well character in "Chapter 23" is Jackie, one of the better written newer characters from the start, her ferocity and steel being brought to the forefront that is neither over or under played. Molly Parker continues to impress.
Continue to love the darker tone, while the sharply cynical political edge hasn't lost its intrigue, is intelligently done and isn't laid on too thick. Visually, the episode looks great, the slickness has not been lost and neither has the atmosphere. The music knew when to have presence and when to tone things down to let the dialogue and characters properly speak. The writing is sharp and has bite.
All in all, a great episode if not quite on the same level as the previous one. 9/10
Living up to and following from an episode as brilliant as "Chapter 22", one of the season's best and one of the best of the show up to this point, could not have been easy at all, but "Chapter 23" does a great job in that respect. Is it on the same level? No, not quite. Is it quite as great? Again, not quite. Is it great? Oh yes. Does it have a lot of fantastic things about it? Absolutely. It is an incredibly well done and balanced episode with nothing really inherently wrong with it.
Did feel that "Chapter 23" didn't quite have the same level of tension that "Chapter 22" did. The emotional impact of that episode isn't quite matched either.
Not that "Chapter 23" is devoid of either of those things. It actually has both. Especially the tension. Particularly good is the characterisation. Frank, who provides the tension with his increasing unscrupulousness without dominating too much, and Claire continue to be fascinating characters played to the absolute thrilling hilt by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Their chemistry blisters and does their dialogue, along with one of Jackie's best ever lines listed above they have the lines to savour. The latter also directing her first 'House of Cards' episode of ten, and despite not being experienced in directing at that point the inexperience in my opinion did not show, she never allows the episode or drama to become dull and balances the components adeptly.
It is not just Frank and Claire who are interesting. This is a character showcase for Stamper, with Michael Kelly's intensity as the character literally burning through the television screen, with his interaction with Rachel (with her meatiest material yet) being very well written and acted. His sourness is almost frightening and makes one interested in seeing how it turns out. Another very well character in "Chapter 23" is Jackie, one of the better written newer characters from the start, her ferocity and steel being brought to the forefront that is neither over or under played. Molly Parker continues to impress.
Continue to love the darker tone, while the sharply cynical political edge hasn't lost its intrigue, is intelligently done and isn't laid on too thick. Visually, the episode looks great, the slickness has not been lost and neither has the atmosphere. The music knew when to have presence and when to tone things down to let the dialogue and characters properly speak. The writing is sharp and has bite.
All in all, a great episode if not quite on the same level as the previous one. 9/10
helpful•32
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 2, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime52 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
- 2.00 : 1
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