The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, March 10, 2015 — 5

‘House of Cards’ 
takes a tumble

Third season of 
Netflix original 

disappoints

By MATT BARNAUSKAS

Daily Arts Writer

This article contains spoilers 

from the third season of Netflix’s 
“House of Cards.”

“The 
Presi-

dency 
is 
the 

illusion 
of 

choice,” Frank 
Underwood 
(Kevin Spacey, 
“American 
Beauty”) muses 
late into season 
three of Netf-
lix’s “House of Cards.” Over the 
first two seasons, Frank fought, 
lied and killed to become the 
leader of the free world. Now, in 
season three, he finds the posi-
tion he sought might not have all 
the power he hoped for.

In the visually dark and unsat-

urated world of “House of Cards,” 
Frank works best in the shadows, 
but now, the harsh spotlight is 
on him. With his approval rating 
sinking, he is a character far more 
desperate than the cold, calculat-
ing schemer seen in the first two 
seasons. Spacey still delivers the 
cruel bravado of a Shakespearean 
villain even as Frank fights for a 
flatlining political life. Beset by 
attacks from both parties, Frank 
tells Stephen Colbert (playing 
his alter-ego from “The Colbert 
Report”), “Both parties want 
the same thing,” to which Col-
bert replies, “A new president in 
2016.” 

Frank is no longer able to exe-

cute the well-laid plans from pre-
vious seasons. Instead, he grasps 
at straws in a desperate attempt 
to survive, and fails more often 
than he succeeds. While this 
brings some humility to the char-
acter, it does cause the momen-
tum of the season to break up, 
and is not nearly satisfying as 
Frank’s rise to power. The strug-
gle to succeed places character 
development before moving the 
plot forward with mixed results.

The impeachment of Presi-

dent Walker (Michael Gill, “Per-
son of Interest”) last season has 
blown a powder keg in D.C., and 
both sides are rushing for power 
among the wreckage. The first 
episodes of the season lay this 
landscape out well with different 
characters set up to challenge or 
work with Frank, but the series 
fails to capitalize on the poten-
tial. The worst failing is when 
Hector Mendoza (Benito Marti-
nez, “The Shield”), a promising 
Republican candidate, is abruptly 
written out halfway through the 
season’s run.

Other 
primary 
characters 

struggle to make a mark this sea-
son. Notably, Heather Dunbar 
(Elizabeth Marvel, “Law & Order: 
SVU”), Frank’s rival for the 2016 
Democratic bid, begins to sink 
into the shadowy morality Frank 
occupies until the man she hates 
says, “You’re finally one of us.” 
Dunbar is interesting because she 
is unaware of her growing hypoc-
risy, caught up in her delusions 
of idealism. But like many story-
lines this season, her relevance is 
inconsistent. She is important one 
moment, takes a backseat the next 
and then comes to the forefront in 
fits and starts.

After being nearly beaten to 

death by Rachel Posner (Rachel 
Brosnahan, “Manhattan”), Doug 
Stamper’s (Michael Kelly, “Person 
of Interest”) survival and recovery 
brought forth the most engaging 
subplot in season three. Physically 
and mentally broken, Doug has to 
come to grips with his reality. He’s 
a wounded animal put out to pas-
ture by Frank, except Doug’s not 
ready to quit. The character has an 
addictive personality, and for years 
has filled his life serving Frank. 
Now that what defines him is gone, 
Doug spirals into self-destruction 
as he relapses into alcohol addic-
tion and obsesses over finding 
Rachel. But he contains an unstop-
pable resilience, even in his lowest 
state, when he drunkenly declares 
to Frank, “I’m not Peter Russo; I 
won’t go like he did.”

One of “House of Cards” ’s big-

gest weaknesses following its stel-
lar first season is the absence of 
Russo (Corey Stoll, “The Strain”). 
Stoll brought forth a man try-
ing to get his life right in order to 
be a better father for his children 
and partner for his girlfriend. His 
relationships and promise made 
his orchestrated demise by Frank 
the series’ greatest tragedy, and 
the show has struggled to create a 
worthy followup.

Doug’s storyline in season three, 

while overextended and taken 
slightly too far near the end, is the 
closest “House of Cards” has come 
to equaling Russo’s conflict. Kelly 
captures a man in flux, desperately 
trying to claw his way back into 
the world he’s been cast out of. His 
attempts to stabilize also bring 
genuine, humanizing moments to 

a stoic character as Doug recon-
nects with his brother and his fam-
ily. But Doug is disturbed man by 
nature, and in his final arc in the 
last three episodes, he cements his 
dark path beside Frank.

As Doug tries to fall back within 

Frank’s good graces, the series’ 
second lead, Claire Underwood 
(Robin Wright, “The Princess 
Bride”) slowly begins distanc-
ing herself from Frank. Frank 
and Claire realize the integral 
role each has played in their rise, 
but what bound the two together 
soon becomes a problem for the 
pair. Visually striking motifs such 
as eggs and Buddhist sand art 
emphasize the fragile state of their 
union as Claire tells author Tom 
Yates (Paul Sparks, “Boardwalk 
Empire), “I hate how much I need 
us.”

Frank and Claire’s partner-

ship is meant to be equal, but it 
becomes more apparent through-
out the season that the end result 
is anything but that. Claire may 
be just as tactile as Frank but she 
possesses the flaw of humanity. 
It’s what makes Claire see the 
pair as “murderers” while Frank 
says, “We’re survivors.” It’s these 
emotions of empathy that hold 
Claire back from achieving what 
the brutal Frank has gained. 
Claire has sacrificed so much 
to put Frank in power so she 
would one day find herself at the 
top. Sadly, she sees that because 
of her smallest hint of decency, 
she will never gain her end goal. 
Meanwhile, Frank refuses to see 
or acknowledge this. In the final 
episode, all this comes to head in 
a battle of wills inside the Oval 
Office.

The focus on character devel-

opment sets up many of the series’ 
main characters for promising 
arcs in season four. But it still 
feels like setup. After 13 new epi-
sodes, “House of Cards” season 
three did not made great strides. 
The acting by Spacey, Wright and 
Kelly, complemented by fantas-
tic, dark cinematography, carry 
the season. However, the nar-
rative feels stretched too thin, 
unable to fully deliver on several 
promising setups. Instead, it’s 
left waiting for another season to 
pick up the pieces.

Why we need a space 
for female writers 

COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN

A

s a native of Metro Detroit, 
it’s not uncommon for 
me to return home a few 

times a semester to enjoy some 
R&R and catch 
a break from 
the fast-paced 
University life. 
On one of these 
returns a few 
months ago, I 
stopped by an 
exhibit at our 
local science 
museum, which 
featured a col-
lection of National Geographic 
photographs all shot by women. 
Aptly titled “Women of Vision,” 
the exhibit was moving, poignant 
and empowering, but I have to 
admit I didn’t think deeply about 
it until I received the hardcover 
collection as a gift this past week. 
Flipping through the glossy 
pages of striking photographs, it 
became apparent to me just how 
important it was to have a space 
that recognizes not just good pho-
tographers, but fantastic women 
artists. 

We hear cries for gender equal-

ity in politics, we try (unsuccess-
fully) to pass legislation to close 
the wage gap, but there’s a quieter 
movement for equal recognition in 
fields of art. For many years, art has 
been a place to foster social move-
ments, including gender equal-
ity, and while there’s certainly a 

space for women in artistic fields, 
there remains a discrepancy in 
how women artists are recognized 
professionally. Of the 11 photog-
raphers highlighted in “Women 
of Vision,” several make mention 
of how difficult it was to be taken 
seriously in their field profession-
ally, due to gender and not skill. 
One photographer even quoted a 
male colleague’s reaction to her job 
placement: “A girl! I’m not working 
with a girl. She’ll never be able to 
carry my equipment.”

Of course, there are exceptional 

artists, in this case photographers, 
of every gender identity, and tal-
ent should be celebrated without 
dependence to this categorization. 
However, I’ve noticed that females 
often have a skilled eye for reading 
people, a skill that translates well 
through artistic mediums.

Maybe it’s due to nature or 

nurture, two X chromosomes 
or 
something 
else 
biological, 

but when I look at the photos in 
“Women of Vision,” I see individu-
al captures of humanity that really 
encourage emotional response. 
My reactions are not black and 
white, but rather a kaleidoscope 
of emotions, much like the human 
experience itself. Sure, there are 
photos of landscapes, lions stalk-
ing prey in the Kalahari Desert, a 
moonrise behind Mount St. Hel-
ens and cherry blossoms in Kyoto, 
but the majority of the photos are 
focused on raw, unfiltered human-

ity, which is not always easy to look 
at: A Nepali child bride crying out 
in anguish as she’s forcibly taken 
to her husband’s village; unsettling 
polygamous, Mormon families in 
Utah; a Swedish reindeer herder 
mourning the loss of two of his 
herd in the snow. 

It’s this ability to capture 

moments so deeply human and the 
power to illicit a range of emotions 
that not only cements photography 
as art, but also encourages further 
recognition of women as artists. 
And the ability to bring to light 
political and human rights issues 
in the world through the lens of a 
camera is a skill that starts with 
the artist’s own eye for artistry. 

Just a few weeks ago I found 

myself at a Zine release party, cel-
ebrating 52 glossy pages of poems, 
photographs and designs, all cre-
ated by women artists and many 
from the University. It was truly 
inspiring to see such a large turn-
out for the event, including both 
women and men, all gathered to 
celebrate female artists. Even if 
this sparked desire for women-
curated art begins in progressive 
cities like Ann Arbor, I’ll bet that 
the fire will spread to the rest of 
the world. There just needs to be 
artists encouraged to light the 
match.

Davis is creating a women’s 

art gallery. To contribute, 

email katjaqu@umich.edu.

By GREGORY HICKS

Daily Arts Writer

The king of spring made his way 

through Suntan City, where just a 
sip turned into taking his drunk ass 
home, and now 
he’s packing up 
his ol’ Bronco 
and checkin’ out. 
Luke Bryan had 
a long run with 
his spring break 
EP series and at 
38 years old, the 
country 
super-

star decided to 
call it quits — 
but not before 
releasing 
one 

last record, Spring Break: Checkin’ 
Out, which includes five new tracks 
in combination with his previous 
six-track EP, Spring Break 6 … Like 
We Ain’t Ever.

Bryan knows the ingredients to 

a well-balanced vacay breakfast: 
sand, spring flings and sippin’. The 
record encompasses all the singer’s 
usual substances for the series — 
the mind “games” played out at a 

hot-and-cold bar scene, the linger-
ing visions of “you and the beach” 
and the gal you wish you’d met 
on “night one” of your weeklong 
spring adventure. That’s enough to 
qualify as a Panama Beach nutri-
tionist, right?

On the flip side, if there’s a spe-

cial somebody that you should’ve 
told off on day one, do yourself 
a kindness and find “The Sand I 
Brought to the Beach.” Don’t make 
the same mistake twice, in case 
you missed this free-spirit rocker 
from Spring Break 6… Like We Ain’t 
Ever.

Most of Bryan’s five new songs 

are tailored to the singer’s exit 
strategy (or “checkin’ out” strat-
egy, rather) and leave listeners 
with a reminder that “You and the 
Beach” are a lingering sensation, 
post-departure.

“I was a fool to think I could 

just move on/Because you and the 
beach followed me home.”

But “the sand runs out” offi-

cially on Bryan’s “Spring Break-
down” — a tearjerking roundup 
of the memories made between 
the country star and his longtime 

spring break followers. 

“I’ve watched this crowd grow 

… I remember when we started 
this week-long party/And to think 
that it’s over/It makes me wanna 
spring breakdown.”

The saga began with the 2009 

debut of Spring Break With All 
My Friends, and fans’ heartbro-
ken feelings began swelling upon 
hearing about their party pal’s 
entertainment exit from Panama 
City. The reminiscing words of 
the track are just enough to push 
beach-goers into their own spring 
breakdown.

“Next year I’ll go through pic-

tures/Wishing I was down there 
with ya, hanging out/It’ll kill me 
then, but I’m here right now.”

It’s a sad day indeed when the 

man, the myth, the legend, Luke 
Bryan, has to come to terms with 
his own age — something that’s 
been a recent talking point for the 
“Crash My Party” singer. For the 
time being, however, the spunky 
country star still has the beach 
flare to carry tunes that know no 
age-bounds. Thirty-eight is just a 
number, after all.

‘Murder’ butchers 
its narrative potential

By ALEC STERN

Daily Arts Writer

This review contains spoilers 

from the season finale of “How to 
Get Away with Murder.”

“How 
to 

Get Away with 
Murder” 
had 

an immensely 
successful first 
season. As the 
newest 
addi-

tion to Shon-
daland and the 
lead-out to the 
newly dubbed 
“TGIT” 
line-

up, “Murder” was undoubtedly 
this fall’s most talked about new 
drama. “ ‘How To Get Away With 
Murder’ Exposes Just How Dan-
gerous Gender Stereotypes Can 
Be,” wrote The Huffington Post 
earlier this year. A controver-
sial September New York Times 
article asserted that the series 
should really be called “How to 
Get Away with Being an Angry 
Black Woman.” In one of my own 
columns, I praised “Murder” for 
its commitment to breaking down 
stereotypes of any kind, calling it 
one of the highs of network pre-
miere week. But if “Murder” has 
taught me anything, it’s that talk-
ing about a show — or praising it 
in specific ways — isn’t mutually 
exclusive from the quality of its 
narrative. In other words, “How to 
Get Away with Murder” the series 
is very different from “How to Get 
Away with Murder” the spectacle. 

If you take away the think-

pieces, the controversy and the 
penises on dead girls’ phones, 
what are you really left with? A 
“Damages”-inspired legal thriller 
that’s not nearly as great as, well, 
“Damages.” A twisty soap opera 
not nearly as fun as “Scandal.” An 
ensemble drama with only a few 
integral cast members. Despite its 
many triumphs, it was always, if 
anything, “How to Get Away with 
Murder” the series that fell short, 
and the two-hour season finale 
was no exception.

Throughout its entire first 

season, “How to Get Away with 
Murder” ’s biggest issue was its 
repetitiveness — not just with its 
obvious visual motifs or flashback 
to the murder night (though I’d be 
ok to never see another cheerlead-
er twirl or coin toss ever again), but 
dramatically as well. Who killed 
Lila? What was Sam’s involve-

ment? Can Annalise be trusted? 
How does Asher fit in? Will the 
Keating Five fold under the pres-
sure? And in its closing moments, 
“Murder” ’s big reveal didn’t seem 
to forge a new journey for the 
characters, but rather rehash the 
same ideas. In fact, “Murder” ’s 
finale brought us right back to the 
very beginning. 

The sight of Rebecca’s dead 

body, eyes open, lying under 
the stairs might have been a big 
enough twist to satiate “Murder” 
’s dedicated fan base, but beyond 
its high shock value, the Rebecca 
whodunit almost assures that 
“Murder” ’s second season will 
hit all the same notes as its first 
— just change the names and the 
scenery and you’ve got season 
two. Who killed Rebecca? What 
was Frank’s involvement? Can 
Annalise be trusted? How does 
Asher fit in? Will the Keating Five 
fold under the pressure? 

Admittedly, I might be mak-

ing a lot of assumptions about the 
second season already, which is 
yet to even film, let alone air. But 
season finales aren’t only about 
wrapping up the current sto-
rylines. Even more importantly, a 
finale must convince its audience 
to come back after a long summer 
hiatus — seven months in “Mur-
der” ’s case. Perhaps in that time, 
I’ll grow more accustomed to the 
idea of yet another murder to get 
away with. But for now, the sight 
of dead Rebecca was less exciting 
than it was exhausting — more of 
a here we go again. 

That’s not to say there weren’t 

bright spots in “Murder” ’s two-
hour finale. Most significantly, 
we finally did get to see exactly 
who killed Lila, as most of the 
first hour took place on the night 
of her murder. In the end, it was 
Frank, the mysterious not-a-law-
yer/hit-man, who strangled Lila 
on the roof of the sorority house. 

Though the biggest mystery of all 
is how two grown men made it to 
the roof of a sorority house on one 
of the busiest nights of the year 
without being noticed. Regard-
less, in another satisfying twist, 
Lila’s murder was under Sam’s 
orders, not Annalise’s, teasing 
an interesting backstory to come 
between the two men in Annal-
ise’s life. And even in such a busy 
episode, the finale’s first hour 
managed to shoehorn in a case-of-
the-week. Like in “Scandal,” the 
more episodic elements of “Mur-
der” defuse the high energy and 
tension, and the finale’s unique 
priestly murder case did just that. 

“How to Get Away with Mur-

der” ’s first season was a success 
by any measure. Despite two 
previous Academy Award nomi-
nations under Viola Davis’s 
belt, “Murder” finally put the 
deserving actress on the map. It 
showcased different faces and 
voices, and it has become the 
foremost talked-about series 
when it comes to diversity. It 
broke down stereotypes and 
barriers for women and por-
trayed both its straight and 
gay characters with refreshing 
realism. But most often, and 
arguably even more important-
ly, what got lost in the shuffle 
was its narrative. 

“How to Get Away with 

Murder” — best in spectacle, 
not in show.

B

House of 
Cards

Available to 

stream on Netflix

TV REVIEW

KATHLEEN 

DAVIS

NBC

The Donald is always watching ...

TV REVIEW

NETFLIX

And with that review, Matt Barnauskas disappeared under a train.

Bryan’s last ‘Break’

ALBUM REVIEW

A-

Spring 
Break ... 
Checkin’ Out

Luke Bryan

Capitol Records 

Nashville

B

How to Get 
Away with 
Murder

Season 1 Finale

ABC

ABC

“Why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone?

Separate the 
show from the 
surrounding

spectacle