Chapter 28
- Episode aired Feb 27, 2015
- TV-MA
- 55m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
4.4K
YOUR RATING
Claire's U.N. bid runs into trouble. Frank fights off mutiny with a bold address to the country.Claire's U.N. bid runs into trouble. Frank fights off mutiny with a bold address to the country.Claire's U.N. bid runs into trouble. Frank fights off mutiny with a bold address to the country.
Mozhan Navabi
- Ayla Sayyad
- (as Mozhan Marnò)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAll entries contain spoilers
- GoofsWhen Claire misspeaks in the Senate hearing she says "maybe if you would listen instead of grandstanding!" When the scene is replayed on the news it shows her saying: "Maybe you would benefit more from listening than grandstanding"
- ConnectionsFeatures The Lead with Jake Tapper (2013)
Featured review
"We are entitled to nothing"
'House of Cards' was a prime example of a show that started brilliantly and then declined rapidly in the last two seasons. In Seasons 1-4, all the episodes ranged from solid to brilliant. Season 6 however was especially disappointing and in my mind one of the worst final seasons for any show, feeling like a different show and enough to make one want to give up on the show. Have said this more than once in the past, but it is worth reiterating as it is something that there are strong feelings for.
Found the Season 3 premiere "Chapter 27" to be a promising start for the season, not everybody was completely taken with it and one can understand, as the story direction didn't always feel settled (unusual for 'House of Cards' at this point of its run). Personally though did find much to admire and thought the focus on Doug was done very compellingly. "Chapter 28" is a better episode however, the story feels much more settled, the dynamic between Frank and Claire is the most interesting and most tense it was up to this point of the show and things feel more advanced in storytelling and characterisation. One can see more where things are going and it establishes things very well.
It doesn't quite have the same amount of tautness as the very best episodes, but there is so little to fault. "Chapter 28" is a great episode and among the better episodes of Season 3.
The writing is some of the best of the show up to this point. The dialogue as ever bites and the intelligence and sharpness has not been lost, quite the opposite. This is especially apparent in the writing for Frank, the monologue and speech writing here being extremely powerful in a way that wasn't as passionate or engaging before. The ones regarding his run for presidency and on the government social systems (that one really hits home and hard, also still very relevant today) are indeed the highlights.
Everything politics-oriented, and it is rightly heavily focused upon, intrigues and unsettles without beating around the head. Both Frank and Claire's subplots are equal in the tension and emotional impact and it is not a case of one being more interesting than the other. Both are great characters as well, Frank always was one of the most fascinating lead characters on television and Claire's icy demeanour and unscrupulousness (almost as much as Frank's) is more than believable, doing so with each episode.
Also love the chemistry between them, almost like the Macbeths-like and focused on just as much. Subtle it's not, the "love" scene being an example of this, but was not expecting that in all honesty. The tension between them scintillates and makes for truly absorbing drama, more layered than it seems too, despite the lovelessness and sexlessness the mutual respect is always there.
"Chapter 28" looks great visually, very slick and stylish and the music complements well. John David Coles' direction is alert and sympathetic, with some of his most effective direction visually seen in one shot where Frank talks about his plans and the focus on Kevin Spacey's face and eyes in the reaction to what is said.
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are both brilliant, especially Spacey whose delivery of those two scenes aforementioned especially helped make them stand out in the way they did.
Overall, great. 9/10
Found the Season 3 premiere "Chapter 27" to be a promising start for the season, not everybody was completely taken with it and one can understand, as the story direction didn't always feel settled (unusual for 'House of Cards' at this point of its run). Personally though did find much to admire and thought the focus on Doug was done very compellingly. "Chapter 28" is a better episode however, the story feels much more settled, the dynamic between Frank and Claire is the most interesting and most tense it was up to this point of the show and things feel more advanced in storytelling and characterisation. One can see more where things are going and it establishes things very well.
It doesn't quite have the same amount of tautness as the very best episodes, but there is so little to fault. "Chapter 28" is a great episode and among the better episodes of Season 3.
The writing is some of the best of the show up to this point. The dialogue as ever bites and the intelligence and sharpness has not been lost, quite the opposite. This is especially apparent in the writing for Frank, the monologue and speech writing here being extremely powerful in a way that wasn't as passionate or engaging before. The ones regarding his run for presidency and on the government social systems (that one really hits home and hard, also still very relevant today) are indeed the highlights.
Everything politics-oriented, and it is rightly heavily focused upon, intrigues and unsettles without beating around the head. Both Frank and Claire's subplots are equal in the tension and emotional impact and it is not a case of one being more interesting than the other. Both are great characters as well, Frank always was one of the most fascinating lead characters on television and Claire's icy demeanour and unscrupulousness (almost as much as Frank's) is more than believable, doing so with each episode.
Also love the chemistry between them, almost like the Macbeths-like and focused on just as much. Subtle it's not, the "love" scene being an example of this, but was not expecting that in all honesty. The tension between them scintillates and makes for truly absorbing drama, more layered than it seems too, despite the lovelessness and sexlessness the mutual respect is always there.
"Chapter 28" looks great visually, very slick and stylish and the music complements well. John David Coles' direction is alert and sympathetic, with some of his most effective direction visually seen in one shot where Frank talks about his plans and the focus on Kevin Spacey's face and eyes in the reaction to what is said.
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are both brilliant, especially Spacey whose delivery of those two scenes aforementioned especially helped make them stand out in the way they did.
Overall, great. 9/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 25, 2019
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
- 2.00 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content