House of Cards and the New Archetype Protagonist

I’d like to talk to you all about that new popular TV show. You know, the gritty drama with the middle-aged, male protagonist

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The guy that’s incredibly smart and cunning, but uses his guile for not entirely honorable purposes. He redefines the term “morally ambiguous”.

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He truly is better than most everyone else and knows it. One of his many flaws is that he is overly blunt and rubs people the wrong way.

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Despite his rough-around-the-edges characteristics and unorthodox methods, he is actually very successful and almost always achieves his goals in the end.

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And through it all he’s able to hide who he really is from everyone except for those that are closest to him. 

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Oh, and he’s got a female in his life whose relationship status would best be described as “it’s complicated”.

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Screw it; it’s the one about a U.S. politician.

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The gentleman pictured above is U.S. Congressman Francis Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey in the Netflix original show House of Cards. House of Cards is the latest show to be produced by Netflix and is based off of a 1990 BBC series of the same name. In the first episode, Francis is passed over for a spot on the new President’s cabinet. The ruthless congressman and his equally callous wife, Claire, spend the rest of the season planning and enacting their revenge. 

As you many have surmised, House of Cards is set up with the exact same architecture as many of its similar predecessors from the past decade or so. The TV watching world has fallen in love with middle-aged, white (with the exception of the BBC’s Luther) guys who don’t give a shit about anything except themselves and successfully outwit and outplay the world around them. The old adage about Hollywood, “if 1 is good then 100 is great,” proves true yet again.

But here’s my twist: this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! House of Cards, and all of the other shows referenced above (House M.D., Breaking Bad, Sherlock, Lie to Me, Dexter, The Blacklist), are all fantastic… the last season of Dexter notwithstanding. When I had caught up on The Blacklist and asked around for suggestions on what I should watch next, I had three people recommend House of Cards to me. I poured through season 1 in a matter of days, and just in time for season 2 to be released on Netflix in one bulk. I binged my way through season 2 at an equal pace. Most of my life is now revolved around waiting for season 3 to come out. (Slight exaggeration).

People do like to criticize modern movies and television dramas for being unoriginal. And there is definitely some truth to that. Just look at the number of box office hits in the past decade that were not remakes, sequels, or reboots (spoiler: it’s a lot lower throughout in the 1900’s than in the 2000’s). However, it is still possible to give a unique take on a familiar plot. These shows are able to create a story that is compelling, relatable, and inspiring enough to keep the viewers coming back for more. 

Despite the field of gritty dramas that is becoming ever more crowded, House of Cards separates itself from the pack. A big part of that is the cast. Kevin Spacey has an already impressive portfolio that includes The Usual Suspects and Se7en, but his performance in ‘Cards may end up being his magnum opus when all is said and done. Other standouts include Kate Mara as young journalist Zoe Barnes, Robin Wright as Francis Underwood’s wife, Claire, and a soul-crushingly impassioned performance from Michael Kelly who plays Francis’s top aid Doug Stamper.

I was asked to include a rating system in my reviews. With that in mind, I’m going to give House of Cards 4 out of a possible 5 plates of Freddy’s Stick Saucy Ribs, because no one cooks them quite like Freddy!

Join me next time when we’ll talk about that new detective show with the two detectives that are tracking a killer in a small American town, but soon discover a dark and mysterious plot that includes a group of cultists and even a possible supernatural origin.

Source: thefilmtemple.blogspot.com

Dammit!

Star Trek Continues - Episode #1 "Pilgrim of Eternity"

 The series, as the title suggests, picks up right where the original series left off with the Enterprise and her crew continuing their 5 year mission.  While I missed the premiere at Phoenix Comicon this year, I was able to finally sit down and watch it a couple of days ago.  I have to admit, I had a moment of doubt that this could be a terrible train-wreck, but that feeling passed not only with the first three 4-minute vignettes, but also with the first few minutes of the first episode "Pilgrim of Eternity".

As a kid, I used to watch Star Trek TOS episodes in reruns with my dad. As an adult, I recently ran through the entire series, along with every other Star Trek show that aired (Thanks, Netflix!).  Watching STC's beautiful love-letter to the original show unfold, I couldn't help but be swept up with notsalgia: the lights, the ambient sounds of the bridge, the orchestral musical cues and stings, even the mannerisms from the entire crew as they matched their 60s counterparts: this episode was proof that it was done by a cast and crew that loved Star Trek as much as any other fan.  The episode even ties in directly with the 1967 episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?".  

After a harrowing encounter with a mysterious object off of the Enterprise's bow, two beings materialize on the bridge of the ship: one of which dies and fades away.  The remaining being is identified as Apollo, the alien with god-like powers the Enterprise crew encountered 2 years prior.  Michael Forest, who originally played the part in 1967, reprises his role as Apollo.   

"Pilgrim of Eternity" carries with it the theme of "what can be done when a person (or in this case, a god) seems to have outlived their usefulness?". What does one do when they no longer get the attention or worship they're accustomed to? The answer is almost never an easy one to face.

Along with Vic, Grant Imahara portrays Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, Chris Doohan steps into his father's shoes as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Todd Haberkorn dons the Vulcan ears of Commander Spock, Larry Nemecek plays Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Kim Stinger as Lieutenant Uhura, and Wyatt Lenhart as Ensign Pavel Chekov. 

It should also be noted that the voice of the computer is Marina Sirtis, who you might recognize as Counselor Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Even more interesting: the actress that played Deanna's mother, Majel Barrett was not only married to Gene Roddenberry, but originally provided the computer's voice in nearly every instance of Star Trek (her final portrayal being the computer voice in the 2009 reboot). So it only made sense that the role of the computer's voice be passed on from "mother" to "daughter". 

If you're a fan, I highly recommend watching the vignettes and the first episode at the Official Site or on Vimeo (which also has a free app for PS3 and Xbox).  If you're not familiar with the crew of the NCC-1701, I'd suggest watching the entire series, but it's not necessary to enjoy this bit of wonderment. 

Thanks for continuing to "boldly go", Vic & crew.

KickStarter of the Week: Bulk - The Series: Season 2

Check out this Kickstarter by clicking on the link right up there in the little widgety thing. We would like to thank Pat Shand for bringing this awesome Kickstarter to our attention.