First off I haven't seen the BBC series this is based on but after seeing this I'm going to watch the BBC series sometime, to compare them because the BBC does such great job of producing shows for television. And I would like to compare original content to the updated or remade content to actually see if it was necessary for it to be remade or updated or if it was just a gimmick, like the new Conan and Total Recall movie were or for that matter just about any movie Hollywood or TV has remade. But that being said this House of Cards wasn't amazing but had a watch ability to it, as I sat down and watched episode after episode, not being chained to the confines of a weekly release date. Doing that has hugely helped this series, as I did feel more in control of what I was watching and when I was watching it. Watching this way also made it more enjoyable and in a sense more intimate.
Fincher's fingerprints are all over this show as every episode - even the ones he didn't direct - still have the Fincher feel from the first episode he directed. This is a good thing because visually it gives this show a super polished, highly professional look, easily comparable with the shows HBO, Showtime, AMC, and FX have been producing over the last decade or so. I've been a huge Fincher fan since I saw his movie Seven and have seen every film he's made since, with only The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons being the one film of his I didn't like. While The Social Network, Fight Club and Seven being three of the best films I've seen from this "new" crop of directors out there. Personally I think The Social Network is one of the best films to be released in a long time. His visual palate has always been one I like to watch and it translates very well to House of Cards as it totally helps this show transcend any thought that it might not be that good or might not compare with the other cable or network shows out there. Visually it's one of the best shows out there and the production of it also helps to fully lift this show into the realms of the cable shows tearing it up.
Everything in this show looks authentic and realistic, even if they use sound stages it doesn't feel like it's a stage but feels wholly authentic. One of the things I noticed was how production-wise their was a contrasting and juxtaposing of rooms, houses, kitchens, class-ism, clothes, and wealth that added to the depth of everything in this show and it never feels cluttered by how many things were compared, but it only added to the complexity of what was happening on screen. The best example I can give of this is how the main character of Francis Underwood (played by Keven Spacey) his clothes, house and office are compared with the reporter Zoe Barnes (played by Kate Mara) her clothes, apartment and office(s). This is done with intention for every character. Pay close attention to their clothes and location because that is part of their character and part of this show. This point is hammered home by Underwood near the beginning of the first episode where he repeats the word, "Location, location, location," so clearly location in proximity and appearance play a huge part in this show. It's all the better for it, much like Game of Thrones, location helped to define their characters, the same is true for this show.
Now I will say the characters in this show are no where near as in depth as Game of Thrones, but I still found myself engrossed in them as I watched episode after episode. Another thing this show has going for it is pitch perfect casting and some really good acting from the whole cast. Spacey and Wright-Penn own his show with every scene they're in together and apart. This is another good example of a show that doesn't have to rely on high profile actors to move everything forward because there are enough solid, good characters actors that can do much better and everyone in this show does.
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