House of Cards

Alex · Feb 16, 2014

The show could benefit from some red herrings. Killing Zoe was the only surprise of the season. You know exactly where the show is headed the entire time, and that's where I feel it falls short. The acting and writing is excellent though so I can forgive that.

tower · Feb 16, 2014

I thought the S3 outline was apparent.

You'll have the tease of Hacker McPoyle/Posner as the downfall of Frank. That'll probably end up going nowhere but someone else will show up and pose a real threat from that angle, while Frank gets challenged politically by Jackie.

Now that may not happen, but it's what they want you to think will happen. I would put the show on the same level as GoT, a step down from the top level but it pulls off what it wants to well and is consistently enjoyable if a little shallow.

Selix · Feb 16, 2014

khalid_sl said:
Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, are all better than s2 of this show. S1 was incredible, this season it has devolved in my mind to being akin to 24. No narrative tension at all, Frank just going around capping shit (not literally) like he is Jack Bauer. Not even a tenuous connection with reality.

Pretty shitty, I was really into it after the first ep of this season, but just blah on the completely one-sided encounters with everyone else.

To each his own. There are clearly some taste differences here. For example GoT is great but it's the book that really makes the show worth it. Not that the show isn't well produced but without having the background of the books to fill in the spaces I don't know how it would rank for me. Breaking Bad is popular but I couldn't go past two seasons on it. I did like those two seasons though. Boardwalk Empire was boring as shit for me. Never watched Mad Men. 24 is some of the most worthless TV in existence and I have no idea how you can put these two shows in the same category. It was a fine concept ... once. It would have even been fine had they used different non-related scenarios, times, people each time.. but no need to get me started.

Then again this is coming from someone who hated Battlestar Galactic even as I tried to stuff my brain in a box and pack it under concrete so I wouldn't think about the glaring plot holes every time I forced myself through another episode. And that is NOTHING compared to the sponge like swiss cheese king of holes that Lost was. I never watched another episode after the smoke monster bullshit. Just no.

I'm not a big fan of TV in general but this is the kind of show I really like along with The Wire, Oz, Shield, Sherlock (BBC ver only), Sopranos (mostly), and a few others.

Khane · Feb 16, 2014

Alex_sl said:
The show could benefit from some red herrings. Killing Zoe was the only surprise of the season. You know exactly where the show is headed the entire time, and that's where I feel it falls short. The acting and writing is excellent though so I can forgive that.

Actually, I think the show's biggest strength is that there aren't Red Herrings. I don't think this show would work at all if we weren't inside Frank's mind every step of the way. We are his passengers. I think it works really well and is something that isn't typical for television. The best scenes are when someone does something you would expect a person to say to someone like Frank. "You're full of shit, go fuck yourself".

Slight spoiler

The biggest problem for me is people who should be saying shit like that to him on the regular (for instance the President), never do. They just keep falling in line with just a smile and a wave. And when they do begrudge him it's for a fleeting instant and then all is forgiven. Those are very big "gimme a break" moments.

Spoiler for the last 2 episodes

Seriously? A fucking note written on a typewriter convinces the President to forgive him for the... I lost count of how many times the President just believed his obvious bullshit. Washington is filled with people just like Frank so I get him being able to manipulate people by giving them something they want. However, Frank did almost none of that this season. He just shook their hand and told them he was a nice guy and they fell back in line.

I wish they'd tone that down a bit.

Selix · Feb 17, 2014

Khane_sl said:
Spoiler for the last 2 episodes

Seriously? A fucking note written on a typewriter convinces the President to forgive him for the... I lost count of how many times the President just believed his obvious bullshit. Washington is filled with people just like Frank so I get him being able to manipulate people by giving them something they want. However, Frank did almost none of that this season. He just shook their hand and told them he was a nice guy and they fell back in line.

I wish they'd tone that down a bit.

Frank gave the president a signed confession. You don't think that would have an impact on someone if they weren't sure where your loyalties lay? You act like everyone knows how manipulative and sociopathic Frank is but the point of the show is showing you how everyone doesn't know that. Only a very few know it for sure and some others have deep suspicions while many have no idea he's the puppet master behind the strings.

And as cool as it would be to tell Frank to go fuck himself that's not how politicians get to a point where they stay politicians. The type of politician who tells someone to go fuck themselves when they get screwed would never make it out of their local school district let alone Congress/Senate. It seems like you had a knee jerk bad reaction to something early on in the show that is coloring everything you see now so you can't think objectively.

For example the president believed Frank's obvious bullshit line. Well when you think about it there are a couple of VERY good reasons for the president to believe him.
1. Not everyone in politics is a POS. Yes I know it's hard to believe but some politicians are trying to generally do the right thing.. most of the time. The president genuinely doesn't look like your standard asshole politician. He probably has other faults though as he is a politician.

2. Who helped get the President elected? Remember episode 1? Remember why Frank got the president elected? It makes sense that the person Frank helped to elect is someone who has some trust built up with Frank and possibly easily manipulated by Frank.

3. Throughout the backdoor manipulating we get to see both sides but the President doesn't. He doesn't know whose truly screwing him but he's not a total idiot and suspects Frank has something to do with it (hence the breakdown of trust over several episodes) But Claire's ongoing support with the President's wife throws a bit of support their way. Still it isn't enough in the end so Frank gives the President a SIGNED CONFESSION that would solve all of the President's problems and saying he's doing so to prove that his word to take the fall for the President was true. Remember this entire time of everyone else calling for the President's impeachment Frank was out there in the press vocally supporting the president. The President sees Frank doing nothing but working for him.

4. Who helped the President's marriage? Whose had him over for dinner like a friend?

5. Finally in the letter Frank admits to wanting the office for himself because the sociopathic side in him knows no one would believe the letter if he just said he wanted nothing. He has to show a flaw to make the letter believable. Then he says that he will wait his turn.. blah.. blah.. the President is the better man so he works for him...blah.. blah...but it is resonably believable from the President's viewpoint. Itstillwouldn't be enough had not Frank delivered his head on a platter to the President with the signed confession.

This is the weakest we have seen Frank yet and he threw everything at a desperate shot that had a real chance of failing. And it all revolved on whether or not the President was as much of a sociopatihic politician as Frank was. Which from everything we have seen he wasn't.

TrollfaceDeux · Feb 17, 2014

khalid_sl said:
Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, are all better than s2 of this show. S1 was incredible, this season it has devolved in my mind to being akin to 24. No narrative tension at all, Frank just going around capping shit (not literally) like he is Jack Bauer. Not even a tenuous connection with reality.

Pretty shitty, I was really into it after the first ep of this season, but just blah on the completely one-sided encounters with everyone else.

I was slightly bored in the middle. Some surprises here and there, but nothing like season 1.

Still, it is still better than any show you mentioned, except Mad Men.

Game of Throne, I am not entertained by it (story, largely because I read the book and George is fucking us with shitty fillers), but I do enjoy fantasy setting.

Again, I hope that the show would make Frank into devil that cannot be defeated. Only fitting end to this show is Frank gets away with everything and does not redeem himself. Go full crazy. Don't do Breaking Bad bullshit. Anticlimatic as fuck.

Foggy · Feb 17, 2014

Selix_sl said:
Frank gave the president a signed confession. You don't think that would have an impact on someone if they weren't sure where your loyalties lay? You act like everyone knows how manipulative and sociopathic Frank is but the point of the show is showing you how everyone doesn't know that. Only a very few know it for sure and some others have deep suspicions while many have no idea he's the puppet master behind the strings.

And as cool as it would be to tell Frank to go fuck himself that's not how politicians get to a point where they stay politicians. The type of politician who tells someone to go fuck themselves when they get screwed would never make it out of their local school district let alone Congress/Senate. It seems like you had a knee jerk bad reaction to something early on in the show that is coloring everything you see now so you can't think objectively.

For example the president believed Frank's obvious bullshit line. Well when you think about it there are a couple of VERY good reasons for the president to believe him.
1. Not everyone in politics is a POS. Yes I know it's hard to believe but some politicians are trying to generally do the right thing.. most of the time. The president genuinely doesn't look like your standard asshole politician. He probably has other faults though as he is a politician.

2. Who helped get the President elected? Remember episode 1? Remember why Frank got the president elected? It makes sense that the person Frank helped to elect is someone who has some trust built up with Frank and possibly easily manipulated by Frank.

3. Throughout the backdoor manipulating we get to see both sides but the President doesn't. He doesn't know whose truly screwing him but he's not a total idiot and suspects Frank has something to do with it (hence the breakdown of trust over several episodes) But Claire's ongoing support with the President's wife throws a bit of support their way. Still it isn't enough in the end so Frank gives the President a SIGNED CONFESSION that would solve all of the President's problems and saying he's doing so to prove that his word to take the fall for the President was true. Remember this entire time of everyone else calling for the President's impeachment Frank was out there in the press vocally supporting the president. The President sees Frank doing nothing but working for him.

4. Who helped the President's marriage? Whose had him over for dinner like a friend?

5. Finally in the letter Frank admits to wanting the office for himself because the sociopathic side in him knows no one would believe the letter if he just said he wanted nothing. He has to show a flaw to make the letter believable. Then he says that he will wait his turn.. blah.. blah.. the President is the better man so he works for him...blah.. blah...but it is resonably believable from the President's viewpoint. Itstillwouldn't be enough had not Frank delivered his head on a platter to the President with the signed confession.

This is the weakest we have seen Frank yet and he threw everything at a desperate shot that had a real chance of failing. And it all revolved on whether or not the President was as much of a sociopatihic politician as Frank was. Which from everything we have seen he wasn't.

Spoilers about the season in general, particularly the ending:

That basically sums it up. The conclusion was far from assured. Frank just lucked out on a hailmary. Tusk realized it so he decided mid-testimony to support Frank as a result, also lucky for Frank. Really, Netflix announcing season 3 and 4 is what spoiled some of the suspense of the show. If they hadn't announced season 3 and 4, nobody would know how it would come out. Once you know there will be more seasons, you know Frank will win season 2.

Lanx · Feb 17, 2014

i think why some of us cannot get behind frank, is because when we first see him, we see him as powerful. And not only that, but he stays powerful and becomes 10x as so by the end of it. he doesn't slip up, hes basically like teflon, and all the fuck ups are the ppl around his life, which doesn't affect him much if any. he has no adversary, no one is even nearly his equal, the president is so dumb, he puts bush to shame. all these other senators are just waiting for handouts and votes are secured. there's no trials and tribulations for frank, just minor speed bumps.

oh his wifes abortion comes out? make it all about armed forces rape instead. Oh his wifes infidelity comes out? threaten the dumb photographer with 5 braincells. Oh look blackman with a thug sons restaurant is threatened and in shambles, fuck him, the president can have 5 star ribs everyday if he wants.

the cyber terrorism thing i guess was just trying to be relevant with the times, even tho it's pure entrapment.

khalid · Feb 17, 2014

lanx_sl said:
i think why some of us cannot get behind frank, is because when we first see him, we see him as powerful. And not only that, but he stays powerful and becomes 10x as so by the end of it. he doesn't slip up, hes basically like teflon, and all the fuck ups are the ppl around his life, which doesn't affect him much if any. he has no adversary, no one is even nearly his equal, the president is so dumb, he puts bush to shame. all these other senators are just waiting for handouts and votes are secured. there's no trials and tribulations for frank, just minor speed bumps.

Yep, every trial isn't even a real trial, its just an excuse to show Frank's awesomeness. Which wore thin on me after it happened for the 10th time.

Khane · Feb 17, 2014

Selix_sl said:
Frank gave the president a signed confession. You don't think that would have an impact on someone if they weren't sure where your loyalties lay? You act like everyone knows how manipulative and sociopathic Frank is but the point of the show is showing you how everyone doesn't know that. Only a very few know it for sure and some others have deep suspicions while many have no idea he's the puppet master behind the strings.

And as cool as it would be to tell Frank to go fuck himself that's not how politicians get to a point where they stay politicians. The type of politician who tells someone to go fuck themselves when they get screwed would never make it out of their local school district let alone Congress/Senate. It seems like you had a knee jerk bad reaction to something early on in the show that is coloring everything you see now so you can't think objectively.

For example the president believed Frank's obvious bullshit line. Well when you think about it there are a couple of VERY good reasons for the president to believe him.
1. Not everyone in politics is a POS. Yes I know it's hard to believe but some politicians are trying to generally do the right thing.. most of the time. The president genuinely doesn't look like your standard asshole politician. He probably has other faults though as he is a politician.

2. Who helped get the President elected? Remember episode 1? Remember why Frank got the president elected? It makes sense that the person Frank helped to elect is someone who has some trust built up with Frank and possibly easily manipulated by Frank.

3. Throughout the backdoor manipulating we get to see both sides but the President doesn't. He doesn't know whose truly screwing him but he's not a total idiot and suspects Frank has something to do with it (hence the breakdown of trust over several episodes) But Claire's ongoing support with the President's wife throws a bit of support their way. Still it isn't enough in the end so Frank gives the President a SIGNED CONFESSION that would solve all of the President's problems and saying he's doing so to prove that his word to take the fall for the President was true. Remember this entire time of everyone else calling for the President's impeachment Frank was out there in the press vocally supporting the president. The President sees Frank doing nothing but working for him.

4. Who helped the President's marriage? Whose had him over for dinner like a friend?

5. Finally in the letter Frank admits to wanting the office for himself because the sociopathic side in him knows no one would believe the letter if he just said he wanted nothing. He has to show a flaw to make the letter believable. Then he says that he will wait his turn.. blah.. blah.. the President is the better man so he works for him...blah.. blah...but it is resonably believable from the President's viewpoint. Itstillwouldn't be enough had not Frank delivered his head on a platter to the President with the signed confession.

This is the weakest we have seen Frank yet and he threw everything at a desperate shot that had a real chance of failing. And it all revolved on whether or not the President was as much of a sociopatihic politician as Frank was. Which from everything we have seen he wasn't.

I see where you are coming from but they portray the President as far too weak.

Frank manipulated the President over the course of this season into feeling like a friend, he wasn't considered a friend until midway through. Also, Raymond Tusk was a friend of the President's for 20 years and it was way, way too easy for Frank to manipulate and end that friendship. I mean... it took almost no effort. Why weren't the President and Tusk talking throughout that, how come they were both too stupid to figure out what Frank was up to? You're talking about the President of the United States and one of the smartest, most cunning businessmen on the planet. Even a billionaire sociopath like Raymond Tusk couldn't even stack up to Frank in the slightest. People like Tusk don't just give people the benefit of the doubt and give them a few strikes before they are out. It's just too much.

Maybe a politician would be more tactful than to say "Go fuck yourself", but they certainly wouldn't lay down and give in to Frank as easily as they do. They would certainly stand their ground unless something was in it for them. The first season worked more that way, Frank was trading favors. This season? He just smiles and fools them even though his choice of words when he's trying to sweet talk and act innocent is so transparent a high schooler could see through it. Take that letter for instance. Instead of just apologizing he talks about a typewriter and it's symbolism and plays the victim even in his apology (I came from nothing), anyone with half a brain will immediately see that isn't a sincere apology, but a play at emotion. In other words, as Khalid and other have pointed out the problem isn't that Frank wins, it's that he is the Devil himself and there is no God to challenge him. Not even close.

khalid · Feb 17, 2014

.

Khane_sl said:
They would certainly stand their ground unless something was in it for them. The first season worked more that way, Frank was trading favors. This season? He just smiles and fools them even though his choice of words when he's trying to sweet talk and act innocent is so transparent a high schooler could see through it.

Exactly, it is absurd. The worst case of this silliness to me was from ep 9ish

When the presidents chief of staff is drummed out. Even though she has all kinds of reasons to know the nature of Frank, she is still easily manipulated. Not only that, but after she is manipulated and essentially drummed out of her job, she STILL doesn't tell the president or anyone else the kind of person Frank is. Doesn't warn him at all pretty much, says she won't talk to the media and EVEN GIVES HIM A FUCKING MEDAL. It was just so absurd. It was yet another incident of everything having to work out perfectly for Frank, even though there were a bunch of ways that it could have gone horribly for him.

PKS · Feb 17, 2014

Khane_sl said:
stuff

I agree the problem stemmed with the said weakness and mainly attribute it to a combination of writing. This was always the Frank versus Tusk show, we just didn't know it until it was revealed later on in various ways. The president was always inevitably the weaker pawn between the two - however is own acting / portrayal didn't help and of course Kevin Spacey casting his shadow.

The Presidents inability to keep any coherence regarding his actions or opinions of people: it appeared that all it took was a punching bag and a meal to be come 'BFF' for Frank, and to alienate himself from his 20 year long friend & partner Tusk, to flip on this the moment Tusk moved against him regarding China and to again flip on the last minute (forcing the resignation) based on Franks letter. There were a few more flips along the way which I won't list but for me the problem stemmed towards to the actor portraying the President to come across as an inconsistent individual, not only emotionally but also his actions reacting to what problem occurred from different people or camps.
Which was the focus point for Franks ascension: using the Presidents inability to be a stronger person against Tusk or himself - up until the half way point in the season you were lead to believe Frank didn't have any concrete plans for presidency in motion and just wanted to isolate him against Tusk until he realised Tusk was far more embroiled in the affairs of the entire Senate - the golden ticket.

The whole mess with the money laundering was avoidable for the President the whole time - Frank did admit from day 1 to him that he is shouldering the responsibility regarding any problems, that he'll deal with it and the president is vertically removed from any bad scenario. He was only ever protected by Linda until she got manoeuvred out of the way - so in a writing perspective he was already a weak person who had to rely on Tusk from day 0 and continued to pander to Tusks opinions, Lindas, Franks and later his wife. I was interested in meeting the gentleman who was elected president for what made him be voted by 70 million Americans. He rarely appeared in the writing perspective.

Perhaps I would have been a little happier with the whole thing if the actor did a better job retaining scepticism or not appear so malleable - but that's the trait the writers firmly avoided. That or just Kevin Spacey portraying his character impeccably that in any situation the President looked a tool by simple comparison.
Here's for hoping for a strong antagonist to rival the man in season 3. Sure isn't going to be the 2 loose ends with the Rachael and the hacker and the Tusk versus Frank story was set in motion from the start of episode 1 where he was denied the 'promised' Secretary of state job. Can he return?

Selix · Feb 17, 2014

Khane_sl said:
I see where you are coming from but they portray the President as far too weak.

Frank manipulated the President over the course of this season into feeling like a friend, he wasn't considered a friend until midway through. Also, Raymond Tusk was a friend of the President's for 20 years and it was way, way too easy for Frank to manipulate and end that friendship. I mean... it took almost no effort. Why weren't the President and Tusk talking throughout that, how come they were both too stupid to figure out what Frank was up to? You're talking about the President of the United States and one of the smartest, most cunning businessmen on the planet. Even a billionaire sociopath like Raymond Tusk couldn't even stack up to Frank in the slightest. People like Tusk don't just give people the benefit of the doubt and give them a few strikes before they are out. It's just too much.

Maybe a politician would be more tactful than to say "Go fuck yourself", but they certainly wouldn't lay down and give in to Frank as easily as they do. They would certainly stand their ground unless something was in it for them. The first season worked more that way, Frank was trading favors. This season? He just smiles and fools them even though his choice of words when he's trying to sweet talk and act innocent is so transparent a high schooler could see through it. Take that letter for instance. Instead of just apologizing he talks about a typewriter and it's symbolism and plays the victim even in his apology (I came from nothing), anyone with half a brain will immediately see that isn't a sincere apology, but a play at emotion. In other words, as Khalid and other have pointed out the problem isn't that Frank wins, it's that he is the Devil himself and there is no God to challenge him. Not even close.

Any time you think the President should have been more then just a puppet remember we had Bush II in office in real life.

Khane · Feb 17, 2014

Selix_sl said:
Any time you think the President should have been more then just a puppet remember we had Bush II in office in real life.

Let me clarify my point because I haven't construed it very well

The President is clearly supposed to be an impressionable character. Raymond Tusk wouldn't have befriended and catapulted him to his position if he wasn't. My problem is how easily manipulated by Frank into severing his ties with Tusk, who was his confidant for 20 years, much longer than his relationship with Frank Underwood. It took almost no effort at all for Frank to undermine and ruin that friendship and he wasn't even clever about it. He blatantly and obviously fucked the deal with China and lied to Feng about what the White House and Tusk wanted and lied to the White House and Tusk about what Feng was saying and doing. Feng and Tusk had a close relationship before Frank came into the picture, how could all this even happen without Tusk and Feng talking and realizing what Frank was up to? Seriously, the amount of trust a man like Raymond Tusk puts into Frank and the amount of leeway he affords him is ludicrous. No man in that position of power in the private sector gets there by being such a sucker.

Selix · Feb 17, 2014

Khane_sl said:
Let me clarify my point because I haven't construed it very well

The President is clearly supposed to be an impressionable character. Raymond Tusk wouldn't have befriended and catapulted him to his position if he wasn't. My problem is how easily manipulated by Frank into severing his ties with Tusk, who was his confidant for 20 years, much longer than his relationship with Frank Underwood. It took almost no effort at all for Frank to undermine and ruin that friendship and he wasn't even clever about it. He blatantly and obviously fucked the deal with China and lied to Feng about what the White House and Tusk wanted and lied to the White House and Tusk about what Feng was saying and doing. Feng and Tusk had a close relationship before Frank came into the picture, how could all this even happen without Tusk and Feng talking and realizing what Frank was up to? Seriously, the amount of trust a man like Raymond Tusk puts into Frank and the amount of leeway he affords him is ludicrous. No man in that position of power in the private sector gets there by being such a sucker.

We are talking about the same Billionaire Raymond Tusk who has also been manipulating his "friend in politics" over the years to suit his own goals? Forget the 20 years confidant thing and realize that to Frank and Tusk the President was just a pawn. A piece to be moved around. But still your point is not without merit Tusk did have 20 years on Frank except Frank had x unknown years with the President whom he helped get elected. Probably less then 20 but not an insignificant amount. And what is 20 years when a recent friend who you see daily in your own offices and helps get you elected is ALWAYS around? Still this is just splitting hairs. Who was the closer more reliable better friend? That's entirely a flip of the coin on back history we just don't know.

Tusk set himself up to be used when he grabbed off Remmy and tried to use Frank like he uses the President in season 1 but Frank knew how the game worked and maneuvered to set up Tusk. Still Frank's maneuvering came VERY VERY VERY close to failing because Tusk as you say Tusk isn't a sucker.

As to Feng vs Tusk. Feng does tell Doug that he can bypass him so the threat was there if Frank (through Doug) didn't deliver. Tusk did know what Frank was up to which was why they were working at opposites ends trying to regain the President's trust who eventually shut them both out because he didn't know who to trust.

Khane · Feb 17, 2014

Well we'll just have to agree to disagree. I believe things were far too easy for our friend Mr. Underwood this season considering his main obstacle was such a powerful, savvy and sociopathic man.

khalid · Feb 17, 2014

It isn't like ours is a minority opinion either. Many reviews of the show are hitting on how it skirts daytime soap levels of silliness and villainy.

iannis · Feb 17, 2014

You just have to accept the premise.

I agree it skirts melodrama but that doesn't bother me. A show like this is going to skirt it. Political dramaissoap opera for men. I think I said it in this very thread, months ago, and remarked that they managed to avoid the worst parts of it successfully in s1 by developing Franks character. But they can't do that as much in s2 since it's already been done. You go too far in 1 direction and it becomes Days of our Frank. But if you go too far in the other direction you have to read the wikipedia to understand what the fuck is going on. Mindful of that difficulty with the subject material, I think they've done just about the best possible job of it.

Mr. Hearst is an abstraction. So is Frank.

That's why I equate it to Mad Men. Mad Men is more of an ensemble. HoC is what Mad Men would look like if it was 90% Don Draper all the time. And actually look at the complaints about Mad Men, they're similar complaints. "Too much Betty" is just another way to say "Too much soap opera". Do you quickly forget 50 Shades of Draper?

Whenever the Raymond Tusk character shows up (great actor)... you know how it's gonna be. He's going to be the robber baron. He's a character actor and thats his character. The last season of deadwood would have been better if Sweegin had just taken him out back and shot him, too.

So yeah. Let it digest for a little while. Its still top notch.

The green screen sequences bugged me more than the other stuff.

felldoh · Feb 17, 2014

Yep. Its a good show to binge watch because Frank's presence keeps you enthralled, but doesn't really hold when you break it down and start thinking about it. I think if it were a weekly show, there'd be a lot more criticism of how events get played out. Even episode one starts to lose its luster when you ask yourself

how the surveillance camera caught Zoe flying into the subway track, but didn't manage to catch anyone moving into or out of the area she had just vacated. Ditto with the crowd.

iannis · Feb 17, 2014

They decided to tell a story about how a Congressman backdoors his way into the Presidency. They had 2 seasons to do that. Don't forget the nature of their production deal.

If that's really the main complaint I entirely agree. S2 would have been better if they'd been able to pace it over the course of 2, or maybe even 3, entire seasons. They could have shown Frank facing more adversity and still squeaking it out. They could have given more screen time to exploring the interesting characters in the show that aren't named Frank. Which is still all of them.

Maybe they rushed it. But they had to get in and get out in 2 seasons. And while the premise itself is a bit absurd it works decently on the meta level, if you think about it. Barring some straightforward bullet diplomacy -- absolutely everything has to go Franks way.

Edit: Chief Big Wampum made me laugh. I do wish we'd had more of the Chief. Tell it like it is, you Native so and so.

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