Chapter 10

Screenwriter Sarah Treem doesn't disappoint with the manner she continues House of Cards after its first really pivotal moment with Claire defying Frank on the two voters against the watershed act at the end of the last chapter and the series gains tension for a possibly favourable season finale. Situations for virtually all characters are altered and grave decisions are made, resulting in the tenth chapter being likely the most momentous in the first thirteen.

Kevin Spacey doesn't add much to his acting in this one, since his outbursts of bad temper have been prevalent all the way through the series, but Robin Wright certainly does. Her character Claire provokes her husband for the first time and it's indubitably one of the most rememberable dialogue and acting scenes the first season of House of Cards has to offer, going on for some while longer than the usual, short scene on this show and ending on a perfect note with Frank asking, the clumsiest he ever gets, whether all of this is because of her hot flashes. Smooth move, señor. Now you could go on to tell your security guard he should track down wifey's lodgings right away.

But Claire may present her intimidating side as often as she wants in this chapter (stand-out scene shared with Kate Mara is in her repertoire too!), the MVP position has been bestowed upon Peter Russo's firm hands from the second the ink of this episode's script dried up. Corey Stall turns out to know how to handle this situation and successfully portrays his character's embarrassing drunken side yet another time – this time though, using some communication media you should avoid slurring f-bombs on as a politician. Without a hint of a doubt, Frank and Stamper's plan on him is the most Machiavellian and malicious scheme the two of them have enforced up to that point and bars your breath by the time you realise what's going on. Yet it's still passing off in an overly easy manner and I'm reluctant to believe that Peter is as weak-willed and oblivious to make their ploy work.

Anyway, that is how it goes down in this chapter and even if the story arc doesn't pass every single category on the believability test sheet, it does remarkably enhance House of Cards' suspense and is directed in a competent way. Some other minor affairs like Zoe's current unimportance and Adam's utter lack of facets besides being attractive and debonair can also be ignored in the face of the series revealing what we all we wanted to see revealed about politics.

Memoranda: • There's not much to get from her otherwise in this episode, but it is wonderful to see Zoe having the advantage over Frank for once in one of the earlier scenes. • Very interesting variation of looks by Adam as he discovers Claire has come to visit him. At least Ben Daniels makes the most out of a character with such few characteristic traits. • I wonder how Frank teaching Stamper how to play chess would have been in comparison to D'Angelo explaining it to Bodie and Wallace on The Wire. • The statement "I can sleep through anything" is incorrect, Lucas, if you wake up as Zoe crawls into your bed. • Best/Most important quote: "I'm not afraid of you anymore, Frank." – That's about as intelligent of a thing to say as Frank's comment on the hot flashes from earlier on, but the difference in effect is crucially different for these two characters.

Claire appears to have had enough. She starts to flex her muscles. Because the bill did not pass, it leaves Francis hanging out there for a while. She goes off to New York because it is too claustrophobic. She has some fairly liberal principles and must, at times, remove herself. But don't get too comfortable because there is that rope that leads back to Francis and the power. This episode simply addresses the issues of the previous ones and sets up things for the future, yet to be resolved. Peter continues to move forward but he has so many vulnerabilities that his fragility is always going to be ripe for the picking.

Have made it well known by now what my general stance of 'House of Cards' is, which is also the general consensus. A brilliant and addictive show for most of its run, up to Season 4, before suffering from one of the biggest declines in quality for any show. Inexplicably it's managed to have a sixth season with Kevin Spacey's/Frank's absence leaving a big hole, and it was not only not needed in the slightest the quality is also even worse than the drastically inferior quality of Season 5.

"Chapter 10" may not be among the best episodes of the first season, from personal opinion that is. Directed by Carl Franklin, in the first of four episodes, it is still a very good episode. Franklin acquits him very well here as director, "Chapter 10" may not be one of the most visually interesting episodes, then again living up to the cinematic quality of David Fincher's directing in the first two episodes is always a tall order, but he is at ease and in control of the material from start to finish and never stops making the storytelling engaging.

Didn't find Zoe very interesting here and her material felt underwritten somewhat, which is a shame because previous episodes were doing really well giving her some meat.

The same goes for Adam agreed, who adds little and doesn't have enough personality to shine properly.

On the other hand, the style and atmosphere in the production values still remain. The music knew when to have presence and when to tone things down to let the dialogue and characters properly speak, with again some very clever sound quality.

Writing is sharp, has plenty of bite and is thought-provoking, Frank's opening line and Peter's line used in this review summary are especially telling. The story is deliberate in pace yet always compelling because the advancing character development and interactions are so well done.

Characterisation was always a major strength in prime period 'House of Cards', it is here. Claire's material is very meaty here and provides a good deal of tension as well as balancing that with enough tension, like "Chapter 9" she pretty much dominates the episode. While Peter's character development is increasingly advancing and rooted for him the most in "Chapter 10". Continue to find Frank fascinating and love his lines. Have no fault with the acting, other than Kate Mara having too little to do in comparison with the others, with Robin Wright and Corey Stoll coming out on top.

In conclusion, very good episode if not one of the best of Season 1. 8/10