Chapter 37
- Episode aired Feb 27, 2015
- TV-MA
- 53m
IMDb RATING
9.0/10
4.4K
YOUR RATING
Things turn ugly when Frank, Jackie, and Heather square off during their first debate. Tom joins Claire on the campaign trail.Things turn ugly when Frank, Jackie, and Heather square off during their first debate. Tom joins Claire on the campaign trail.Things turn ugly when Frank, Jackie, and Heather square off during their first debate. Tom joins Claire on the campaign trail.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaReed Birney & Rachel Brosnahan also appeared together on an episode of The Blacklist - episode 1.15, The Judge (No. 57) (2014).
- ConnectionsReferences Petticoat Junction (1963)
Featured review
"It's like blaming a snake for having fangs"
Even if not as excellent as the whole of Season 1 and the second half of Season 2, 'House of Cards' was still in the period when it was good and even at its best one of the best and most addictive shows around with Season 3. Not in the period when the show lost what made it so great, with Season 6 especially feeling like a different show altogether. Regarding the third season, all the previous episodes were to me good to excellent, even the more divisive ones.
With "Chapter 37", we are two episodes away from the end of the third season and up to this point of it it is the season at its best. The first truly outstanding Season 3 episode and the only one of the eleven episodes thus far to equal the best of Seasons 1 and 2 in my view. A big task to take on but "Chapter 37" does it, brilliantly. My only very minor criticism, and it was nowhere near enough to bring down the episode and is more a nit-pick, is the Rachel twist which was a little reliant on convenience. That is easily overlookable though because everything about the episode is truly captivating and a strong representation as to what makes me love 'House of Cards' so much.
One thing that particularly struck me was the tension. Political and personal. It is indeed ferocious to nail-biting effect, namely with Jackie and Heather and Frank versus anybody which feels pretty much like the rest of the characters. Frank is at his most ruthless here all season, yes even when up against Petrov. The other standout character is Jackie, at her most interesting this season, love her fierce steel. Found myself again feeling sorry for Doug and his intense but also sometimes poignant subplot does not feel like it's come to a standstill. Remy was the other relatable character, understood his actions here.
The story is thoroughly absorbing, especially the tension, the intrigue and the character interaction. There are a lot of twists and turns that are unpredictable and intriguing, ones that don't over-crowd or over-complicate what is already going on, which is already a lot. The storytelling throughout feels advanced and not stuck or gone backwards. The script is sharp and biting, with a lot of thought-provoking and not talky conversations like with Frank and Jackie. Freddy's lines, like the above, have a lot of truth to them.
All the acting is top class, with Kevin Spacey commanding effortlessly and the same goes for Robin Wright. Molly Parker and Michael Kelly are the other standouts, their intensity burning. The direction keeps things taut but never rushes things, while the production values are as stylish as ever.
In conclusion, an outstanding episode and a Season 3 high point. 10/10
With "Chapter 37", we are two episodes away from the end of the third season and up to this point of it it is the season at its best. The first truly outstanding Season 3 episode and the only one of the eleven episodes thus far to equal the best of Seasons 1 and 2 in my view. A big task to take on but "Chapter 37" does it, brilliantly. My only very minor criticism, and it was nowhere near enough to bring down the episode and is more a nit-pick, is the Rachel twist which was a little reliant on convenience. That is easily overlookable though because everything about the episode is truly captivating and a strong representation as to what makes me love 'House of Cards' so much.
One thing that particularly struck me was the tension. Political and personal. It is indeed ferocious to nail-biting effect, namely with Jackie and Heather and Frank versus anybody which feels pretty much like the rest of the characters. Frank is at his most ruthless here all season, yes even when up against Petrov. The other standout character is Jackie, at her most interesting this season, love her fierce steel. Found myself again feeling sorry for Doug and his intense but also sometimes poignant subplot does not feel like it's come to a standstill. Remy was the other relatable character, understood his actions here.
The story is thoroughly absorbing, especially the tension, the intrigue and the character interaction. There are a lot of twists and turns that are unpredictable and intriguing, ones that don't over-crowd or over-complicate what is already going on, which is already a lot. The storytelling throughout feels advanced and not stuck or gone backwards. The script is sharp and biting, with a lot of thought-provoking and not talky conversations like with Frank and Jackie. Freddy's lines, like the above, have a lot of truth to them.
All the acting is top class, with Kevin Spacey commanding effortlessly and the same goes for Robin Wright. Molly Parker and Michael Kelly are the other standouts, their intensity burning. The direction keeps things taut but never rushes things, while the production values are as stylish as ever.
In conclusion, an outstanding episode and a Season 3 high point. 10/10
helpful•50
- TheLittleSongbird
- Aug 15, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime53 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
- 2.00 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content