More metaphors

Frank Underwood, ex-House Majority Whip, ex-VP, double killer, longtime figure of speech addict. Before you sit down to watch House Of Cards you can easily draw up a tick-list of requisites. Firstly, Frank must always address the camera directly (in Chapter 14, the second season opener, as an in-joke to the audience he does not break the fourth wall for the majority of the episode and then, with an all too familiar smirk, says, “Did you think that I’d forgotten you?”). Second of all – and this ties in with the first item – Frank has to glance at the camera exasperatedly whenever someone is talking hokum to him. It’s such a wonderfully scathing look. Lastly, the metaphors and similes: Frank’s signature.

Over the two seasons we’ve had such figurative gems as, “The president is like a lone tree in an empty field – he leans whichever way the wind is blowing” or “He’s in the darkness now and I’m the only beacon of light. Now to gently guide him towards the rocks”. Frank Underwood is like a lion, he must use… no, I’m not good at these.

The repercussions of Peter Russo and Zoe Barnes’ death

Ah, Miss Barnes and Congressman Russo. The latter was one of the saddest of House Of Cards’ cast of characters and while he received a properly rounded arc, it was a tragic one. He fought substance addiction and prejudice from top-drawer politicians in order to achieve a highbrow gubernatorial position – and he very nearly did, until Frank sent him tumbling down, leaving two young children behind. Russo’s case was on the verge of being cracked at the beginning of season two before Frank bumped off the ringleader, his lover, Zoe Barnes – and this sent her co-conspirators, Lucas Goodwin and Janine Skorsky scurrying (though the former didn’t go down without a fight).

What House Of Cards has yet to do is show any cracks. At no point has Frank contemplated what he has done or shown any remorse or upset. The show is bottling every single wrongdoing up and, either in the third season (this seems likely) or in the possible fourth season, it will all spill out and have devastating emotional and physical ramifications.

Rachel Posner and the ‘death’ of Doug Stamper

Doug Stamper, Frank’s trusted aide and close friend, met his untimely ‘demise’ in the last half hour of season two as he was clobbered by Rachel, a young woman he had been infatuated with and whom he had manipulated. Now, we saw Doug’s bloodied body lying on the forest floor and he just might not be dead. The man behind him, Michael Kelly has refused to comment on whether or not he perished so Doug’s fate hangs in the balance. For now let’s say he’s dead, given how likely it seems – if he is alive one theory to nurture is that he’ll probably be comatose for much of season three.