"Chapter 13" signals the end of 'House of Cards' first season. A more than solid first season that may have had an understandable slight finding its feet feel, and the show got even better (as well as unfortunately much worse in a complete 180 decline), but with all the episodes ranging between good to outstanding. Most being either very good or great. The weakest being for me "Chapter 8" and the best "Chapter 11".
And it is a great end and a more than worthy conclusion to a consistently solid first season, one that makes one excited for what is to come. It may not quite be one of those going out with a huge bang sort of episodes, for early on 'House of Cards' wasn't that kind of show, but it is one that continues to make the characters compelling and the storytelling equally so and at least feels like a season ending. In a way "Chapter 13" is a sort of setting things up and putting them into place episode, but at the same time it still feels like things are moving forward rather than stationary or back to where the show started.
Everything is done brilliantly here, with no contrivances or over-convenience and while deliberate the pace feels just right. Maybe the very end could have been slightly more rounded off and in terms of being interesting Zoe in the first season was sort of yo-yoing and her material isn't as meaty here. Found that there was a little more intensity and emotion here than in the previous episode, also directed by Allen Coulter.
Directed very well by him that has to be said. Same in "Chapter 13". It may not be the best-directed episode of the season, or of the show, but Coulter still acquits himself very well, all the directors did (yes even Joel Schumacher, who for many is something of a dread name). Maybe not as cinematic as some of the previous or even the succeeding episodes or as dimensional, but the episode was clearly directed by somebody with a sure hand and that knew what he was doing.
Visually, as ever "Chapter 13" looks slick and stylish, with lots of atmosphere and no trouble with cohesion, so there is nothing to complain about on that front. The music knew when to have presence and when to tone things down to let the dialogue and characters properly speak, with again some very clever sound quality.
Once again, there is plenty of sharpness, bite and probing thought in the writing. Can never get enough of the writing for Frank and every bit as much his blistering exchanges with Tusk, but oddly enough one of the standout lines for me came from Gillian. Her chemistry with Claire is not quite as edge of the seat as in "Chapter 12", the episode where one properly takes notice of the character, but there is plenty of tension. All the characters are written compellingly as is how the character interaction is done, and expectedly there are great performances all round with Kevin Spacey being a clear consistent standout throughout Seasons 1-5.
In conclusion, a solid first season gets a more than worthy conclusion. 9/10
And it is a great end and a more than worthy conclusion to a consistently solid first season, one that makes one excited for what is to come. It may not quite be one of those going out with a huge bang sort of episodes, for early on 'House of Cards' wasn't that kind of show, but it is one that continues to make the characters compelling and the storytelling equally so and at least feels like a season ending. In a way "Chapter 13" is a sort of setting things up and putting them into place episode, but at the same time it still feels like things are moving forward rather than stationary or back to where the show started.
Everything is done brilliantly here, with no contrivances or over-convenience and while deliberate the pace feels just right. Maybe the very end could have been slightly more rounded off and in terms of being interesting Zoe in the first season was sort of yo-yoing and her material isn't as meaty here. Found that there was a little more intensity and emotion here than in the previous episode, also directed by Allen Coulter.
Directed very well by him that has to be said. Same in "Chapter 13". It may not be the best-directed episode of the season, or of the show, but Coulter still acquits himself very well, all the directors did (yes even Joel Schumacher, who for many is something of a dread name). Maybe not as cinematic as some of the previous or even the succeeding episodes or as dimensional, but the episode was clearly directed by somebody with a sure hand and that knew what he was doing.
Visually, as ever "Chapter 13" looks slick and stylish, with lots of atmosphere and no trouble with cohesion, so there is nothing to complain about on that front. The music knew when to have presence and when to tone things down to let the dialogue and characters properly speak, with again some very clever sound quality.
Once again, there is plenty of sharpness, bite and probing thought in the writing. Can never get enough of the writing for Frank and every bit as much his blistering exchanges with Tusk, but oddly enough one of the standout lines for me came from Gillian. Her chemistry with Claire is not quite as edge of the seat as in "Chapter 12", the episode where one properly takes notice of the character, but there is plenty of tension. All the characters are written compellingly as is how the character interaction is done, and expectedly there are great performances all round with Kevin Spacey being a clear consistent standout throughout Seasons 1-5.
In conclusion, a solid first season gets a more than worthy conclusion. 9/10