House of Cards and real world connections

**SPOILER ALERT**

For those coping with severe withdrawal symptoms, Friday was a fabulous day for the House of Cards addict. After that brief tease a few weeks ago, Season Three is here to stay. When Season Two wrapped up with that breathtaking scene of Frank in the Oval Office, a lot of viewers were probably thinking, “Now that he’s President, where is the show going to go next?” And the answer is: politics.

Season One and Two essentially flirted with the politics of politics; how a Congressman uses every trick up his sleeve — bills, political allies, leverage in Congress — to manipulate his way to the presidency. With this new season, the drama is actually starting to explore political scenarios that run parallel to current issues in Washington D.C.

Though in reality, Vladimir Putin has never allegedly tried to kiss First Lady Michelle Obama, the underlying tension in Russian-American relations doesn’t just exist in the world of House of Cards. Moreover, the discussion about taking action in the Middle East and the tragic human cost of drone attacks are all very hot topics in the current political forum. By addressing these real issues, the political drama is not just making a statement about the complex social network that is Capitol Hill, but it’s also taking a critical stance on the way Washington D.C. handles these pertinent issues.

 

As always, however, we as viewers should be wary of distinguishing the show’s politics and real politics. In a television show, it is, after all, the narrative that foregrounds all else — not a balanced and accurate portrayal of our political capital.