Despite thinking very highly of 'House of Cards' as an overall whole, Season 6 was a major disappointment in almost every way despite the odd good thing. And no, while Kevin Spacey's/Frank Underwood's absence leaves a massive hole, and the show now feels really under-nourished without him, there are many other problems too and every bit as large. For me, and quite a few others it seems, it is a contender for the worst final season for any show.
Everything that made the season so disappointing is here right from the start in its first episode "Chapter 66". An episode that amplifies what started to go wrong in Season 5 and makes even more glaring problems along the way. With quality this weak, one can be completely forgiven if they think that this is not 'House of Cards' but instead a different show entirely already, because that is exactly what "Chapter 66" and the whole of Season 6 for that matter came over like.
"Chapter 66" has a few things not done too badly. The photography is slick at least, it was only in the season's last two episodes where this aspect didn't impress all that much. The music has its moments, having presence without being overbearing (though generally it could have been more subtle, later episodes did this worse though).
Michael Kelly brings his usual intensity and pathos to Doug, even if the character was more interesting and better used in the previous seasons.
On the other hand, Claire is no longer a particularly compelling or well-written character. She was great as a co-lead and pitted against such a meaty character like Frank, but she lacks gravitas and is out of her depth and lost on her own. There is no fire or nuance here now, here and throughout Season 6 she is a one-dimensional wannabe-Machiavellian incapable of making logical decisions. Robin Wright's acting also suffers, now a blank and as charismatic as wood and she plays the character too coldly.
Performances-wise, only Kelly's is above average. Everybody else in the case looks uncomfortable and disconnected as simplistically written and vaguely underdeveloped characters (to the point of parody). A prime example being Greg Kinnear. The writing is now terrible and one of the main reasons as to why 'House of Cards' felt like a different show in Season 6. With an overload of stale and cheesy one-liners, over-used cliches and seat-squirming-inducing banal dialogue that induces unintentional laughter at times. There is little really going on in the story, which basically just crawls along. When there is anything that happens, it feels forced and unrealistic as well as not leading to much.
In summation, weak start to a majorly disappointing season and a weak episode of 'House of Cards' and anything for that matter. 3/10
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