Chapter 14
Season 2 begins exactly where season 1 left off. Zoë continues being inexperienced and blithely dumb. Underwood is disgruntled and does venal things and makes a new ally. Stamper tries to control Rachel. Claire decides to fight Gillian’s scurrilous lawsuit with over whelming force. Underwood has his birthday cards binned. Lucas, Zoë and Janine continue their investigation. This episode was unsentimental and good. Underwood acts evasively and coyly. Zoë is weak willed and unable to scrutinise. She and her gang can’t substantiate their theories. Underwood wears a silly hat and throws Zoë under a train. Janine does a runner. Lucas is determined to go on and Meechum gives Underwood silver cufflinks with his initials on them: F U.
Best Lines:
“Anything cheap.”
“Goes to the Interns.”
“Assume nothing.”
“Lying bitch. AM I EMBARSSING YOU?”
“No, I really don’t.”
“Be careful of the internet.”
“Am I really the sort of enemy you want to make?”
“These are questions anyone could ask.”
“But no one is except you.”
“Finish your thought.”
~
Chapter 15
Underwood is sworn in as VP but is pissed a reporter called him a place holder. Tusk shows up. Lucas rants and watches the footage of Zoë’s death. Tusk is directing Walker’s policy on China and Underwood decides the duplicitous Tusk needs to go. The race for the new Whip gets ugly. Claire is visibly shaken by the unmistakably sleazy General McGinnis. Lucas cracks up and rants at Tom, the fired newspaper editor, who regards Lucas' ranting with incredulity. Underwood can’t handle the lack of privacy. Claire has a secret that proves divisive but Underwood is supportive. Why is Tusk such a behemoth that he runs Walker and by extension the country? Lucas wants Underwood’s phone records. Underwood plays Walker. Ambition wins out for wannabe whip Jackie. This was okay.
Best Lines:
“Tusk should not be determining policy.”
“Walker doesn’t flinch at the lack of respect it implies.”
“Be careful what you click.”
“He’s easily manipulated.”
“Cleary, not in this case.”
~
Heavy Is The Head
The goaty faced Lance Hunter is uninteresting and blighted. The swaggering gang that is SHIELD annoy and Coulson looks like he is suffering from leaky gut syndrome and withdrawal from Tinder spambot prostitutes. He is histrionic, obstructive, vexatious, peeved and unctuous. Skye and her idiosyncratically attention seeking shrieks is contemptuous, sullen, inconsistent and has poo toned bronzer and looks reeky. No-one has any concern for Hunter’s welfare as the blank thuggish looking Brit meets Talbot (Adrian Pasdar). Ward is not in this episode at all, is he in a dark place of no return? People are anything but forgiving of Simmons leaving. Fitz is an emotionally unstable irritant. Talbot is a bitter-ender and a Senator is after Coulson. Hunter has glazed nonchalance and is care worn. Skye is infuriating and fulminating.
Coulson is all smug misfeasance, Ward’s open dishonesty is better than Coulson’s feigned integrity. The embalmed looking May bores. This decrepit episode had no credibility and is a weird mess mishap that is absurdly preposterous. Creel isn’t in a good way. Raina shows up allied with Skye’s lurking creepy pa (Kyle MacLachlan). Why are we supposed to care about these capricious idiots and their lavatorial humour and lack of self-analysis? Hunter shoots people, huge pre-Opec style cars flip over and Coulson is inherently abhorrent. Hunter is stoically resigned. Am I supposed to care that Coulson has had yet another psychotic episode? Or that Skye is bound to become disillusioned with SHIELD at some point? Coulson carves symbols - I guess I am supposed to care. I guess I am also supposed to care that Raina can touch the obelisk without dying. What is Skye’s dad? Should I care? Because I’m not. About anything to do with this show.
Best Lines:
“That doesn’t sound covert.”
“Tell me the stories are true.”
“Mouth breathing mercs.”
“SHIELD isn’t a life.”
“What is he lonely?”
“Can we make this quick?”
“Why?”
“So 1945.”
“Compliance will be rewarded.”
“I’m happy to comply.”
“Maybe a little more secure than last time.”
“Where’s Hunter?”
“Watching ‘Cake Boss’.”