Chris Jancelewicz2013-05-24T20:57:54-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.news.moviefone.ca/author/index.php?author=chris-jancelewiczCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Chris JancelewiczGood old fashioned elbow grease.Epic Meal Time: Top 10 Videostag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-24T16:21:42-04:002013-05-24T16:21:53-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/ Epic Meal Time, a comedy group consisting of Harley Morenstein and his cast of zany characters, has nearly five million subscribers on the video site.
Article Continues After Slideshow!
The first-ever YouTube Comedy Week kicked off May 19 with the “The Big Live Comedy Show,” and will run through May 25. Epic Meal Time will be featured in the live show, along with Canadian funnymen Seth Rogen, Norm McDonald and Michael Cera.
Canadians can tune in at for the week-long comedy lineup and follow the event at #ComedyWeek on Twitter. Epic Meal Time earned a 2011 Shorty Award in the Food Category, landing them deals with Hollywood super agents and production studios. With celebrity special guest drop-ins from and recipes that get more and more insane by the day, the Epic Meal Time boys have built a dedicated audience hungry for more. ]]>Ken Jeong on 'The Hangover Part 3,' Being Naked On-Screen and His Best Chow Momenttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-23T11:31:59-04:002013-05-23T11:32:12-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Ken Jeong used to be a practicing medical doctor when you see him in any of the "Hangover" movies -- he's crass, vulgar and downright hilarious. In "The Hangover 3," his character, Mr. [Leslie] Chow, is exactly the same, but instead of bursting out of a trunk, he's parachuting across the Las Vegas Strip.
Chow is featured more prominently in "Hangover III," and he joins the Wolf Pack (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha) for another (and reportedly their last) insane adventure. Moviefone caught up with Jeong in Toronto on a press tour, where he spoke about how this role changed his life and career, being naked on-screen and his favourite Chow moment.
Moviefone: Chow is pretty much the core of this third movie. How much of his character development has been your creation? Ken Jeong: The seeds were planted in the first movie. It was my idea to jump naked out of that trunk. [Laughs] That was my contribution; the script called for me to have clothes on, but I thought that scene was screaming for Mr. Chow to be naked. I'm not an exhibitionist at heart -- I'm the kind of guy who's so shy about his body that I'm afraid to take my shirt off at the beach. You can ask my wife, I'm pretty demure. Anyway, I think [that scene] kind of bonded me and Todd Phillips early on, and he was amazed that a guy like me, who was only working on the movie for a few days, was willing to put himself on the line. In my head, it was a character choice, not a personal choice. We needed to widen that spectrum of imagination for Chow.
What's the secret behind these movies? Why do they resonate?
I think Todd's vision of this movie is amazing. I think his relationship with the three leads also helps. I can't say enough good things about them -- those three [Zach, Ed and Bradley] are the most egoless, diva-free leads you could ask to work with. They set the tone of the whole movie. People are always shocked to see how low-key we all are in real life. We save it all for the camera. That's why I'm really going to miss the "Hangover" franchise. It's the most fun I've ever had making anything.
How many of the stunts did you do yourself, and was that really you parachuting over Vegas?
The parachute was many different stuntmen -- I can't take credit for that. There are some close-ups, where I was elevated 30 or 40 feet to simulate some of that intensity, but no, it's not me. There's another point in the movie where Chow does a free-fall for 30 feet, and that was me. No double. I'm massively afraid of heights, but I worked with the stunt coordinator for six weeks to get over my mental block. Physically speaking, that was the greatest day of my acting career, just to be able to conquer my demons.
Who would you say are your comedic inspirations?
I grew up watching Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, David Letterman ... for some reason they stand out in my mind. All of them had a sense of fearlessness. Also Dana Carvey on "SNL." There are so many people out there who I admire, I can't name them all. The funniest actor working right now is Zach Galifianakis; whenever I have bad day I go on Funnyordie.com to watch "Between Two Ferns."
There's a certain resignation to the Wolf Pack, now that they're older. How does that impact your character's interaction with them?
Chow's the only character you can really go as over-the-top as you want to go, but it's still within the confines of that character. He's over-the-top because he's over-the-top. In this movie, Chow has such an expanded role in the story. There were times where I would instinctively go for something bigger, but Todd would rein me in just to go from Point A to Point B in the plot.
What is your personal favourite Chow moment?
From the first movie, when Zach falls out of the car. For a second time, I make a fat joke ... something like "Fat guy fall down funny" -- there was a whole extended run where I analyzed the comedic bent of it. In comedy it's a meta joke. Chow is a meta joke. He's making fun of the Asian accent, which is something Chow does: makes fun of Asians and Asian actors, the stereotypes and archetypes.
What do you think of the idea of a Chow spin-off?
I absolutely support that idea. I would love to do it!
"The Hangover Part III" opens in theatres on May 23.
]]>2013 Summer TV: Premiere Dates Of Your Favourite Showstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-16T09:41:55-04:002013-05-16T09:41:58-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/summer TV. Throughout recent history, summer on the boob tube has been known as a wasteland, where lame TV shows are relegated until cancellation, or popular TV shows are featured in endless repeat cycles.
That's not so much the case anymore. Some shows run for the entire year, while others start up as the warmer weather hits, so sometimes it's difficult to know when things are premiering or coming back.
For this reason, we've created a handy collection of all shows coming back/premiering in the summer of 2013 (with Canadian channels listed, where applicable).
Check out the slideshow below for dates, channels and times.
]]>'Star Trek: The Next Generation' Favourite Episodes (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-16T09:29:24-04:002013-05-16T09:29:25-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Star Trek Into Darkness," some staff members at Huffington Post Canada began to reminisce about the days of yore, when "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was on TV all the time. Yes, we know it streams on Netflix, but this is more about nostalgia! (We also know this "Star Trek" movie revolves around Captain Kirk and the original TV series, but none of the editors were around to watch the original during its run.)
We put together a list of our top 10 favourite episodes of "TNG" for you to remember with us. Bear in mind: we would have put almost every single episode on there if we had the choice. It was tough to whittle down to 10.
Did we miss any that you love? Did we commit "Trek" blasphemy? Please let us know in the comments.
]]>John Cho on 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' George Takei, and Whether He Took Something From Settag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-15T10:47:26-04:002013-05-15T10:47:32-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Star Trek" movie franchise, but one aspect that can't be denied is how well they've re-cast the iconic roles. One that stands out in particular is John Cho as Sulu (originally played by George Takei). Even though we know Cho can play funny -- as evidenced by his performances in the "Harold & Kumar" movies -- he can also play serious, and he takes on Sulu with the same rigid, straight-faced look as his predecessor.
Sulu has a more commanding role in the second film of this franchise, "Star Trek Into Darkness." Among other things, we see him take control of the Enterprise for the first time - and deliver some pretty classic one-liners.
Moviefone Canada caught up with Cho on a recent press trip to Toronto, where he talked about his relationship with Takei, if he loved "Trek" growing up, and if he took anything from set (of course he did).
Moviefone: You actually get to sit in the Captain's chair in "Into Darkness." How was that for you? John Cho: It was pretty cool! It feels good sitting in the chair -- it feels just right. It fits my ass. [Laughs] Truly, it's not very comfortable, but other than that, I have no complaints.
Did anyone ever give you any trouble about sitting in the Captain's chair?
We were always trying to, ever since the first movie ... everyone is always jostling for the chair. I think it's a feng shui thing, it's in such a great place. Especially people who don't have chairs. [Laughs] Poor Karl [Urban], he doesn't have a chair. We broke it, it did break. I can't recall who did it.
I apologize for asking, because I'm sure you've been asked a million times, but ...
I'm a Gemini. [Laughs]
... what's your relationship with George Takei, and what does he think about your portrayal of Sulu?
George has been very complimentary to my face -- and behind my back. He's on the board of a theatre company I started acting in Los Angeles called East West Players. I don't remember when I was formally introduced to him, but we've been in the same places a lot and he's a community leader. To get validation from him was a big deal, not only because he played Sulu, but also because he's an outspoken Asian-American leader. That's how I saw him.
Can you do his voice?
[Lowers voice] Not quite. It's hard. Is his biology different? His voice is weirdly deep. [Laughs]
Were you a big "Star Trek" fan before going into this?
Not really. I grew up thinking the look was cheesy, in terms of the original series. Although, in many ways, I did like it. I thought they were thoughtful, and in the best way. It's science-fiction at its best -- sci-fi can talk about things that are difficult to talk about in real life. I think this movie does the same, especially about the state of the world as it is now. Whatever issue was current [on that original series], they could present it in a controlled way that allowed you to meditate on it. As a boy, I loved that there was an Asian guy on television that was badass, who was a helmsman on a spaceship.
What is it like dealing with "Star Trek" fans now that you're part of this franchise?
I have found "Star Trek" fans to be warm. I was fearful of them before we finished the last one, because I didn't want to get things wrong. They have been very generous and complimentary, but they're protective -- like any of us can be -- of the show. They want to make sure that we love it as much as they do. They want respect for it. It's not so much about "getting it right" as it is about having the right the attitude when you approach it.
Did you all feel closer as a cast for this second movie? Was there more cohesion?
It was, and we did. We felt closer to J.J. [Abrams], too. He's such a larger-than-life kind of persona. For me, I was intimidated and I almost felt at a distance at first because of my admiration for him. But this time around I felt more comfortable and closer to him; it feels like all of us did. We're friends off-set, so I hope we carried some of that in, and it shows on the screen.
Did you take anything from set?
I took Sulu's Starfleet insignia. That's it. [Smiles]
"Star Trek Into Darkness" opens in theatres on May 16.
]]>Ken Jeong Toronto: 'Hangover' Actor Making Appearancetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-14T11:15:22-04:002013-05-15T10:02:15-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Ken Jeong will be making an appearance at the Toronto premiere of "The Hangover Part III" on Wednesday, May 15.
The third and final movie in director Todd Phillips' comedy trilogy, "The Hangover Part III" signals the end of an era.
For full information, see below. Other attending celebrities are to be announced.
"The Hangover Part III" opens in theatres on May 23.]]>'Motive' Season 2: CTV Drama Picked Up For 13 More Episodestag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-10T15:05:48-04:002013-05-10T15:06:17-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Motive" as a gimmicky detective TV show, but the naysayers can now be silenced; not only has the show been picked up by U.S. network ABC for summer simulcast, but "Motive" is getting a second season on CTV.
The number-one new Canadian series of the year, CTV has ordered an additional 13 episodes for the series’ second season. Production is set to begin this summer, with the airdate at some point in 2014. Starring Kristin Lehman and Lauren Holly, the show follows a team of detectives as they try to discover the criminal's motive.
"'Motive' has built a tremendous audience of viewers devoted to its intriguing storylines and recognizable characters," said Phil King, President, CTV Programming and Sports. "Hats off to the incredible production team, both in front of and behind the camera, that has made this series such a success -- we look forward to seeing where they take viewers in a much-deserved second season. And we are pumped to schedule another opportunity this summer for new viewers to see what they've been missing."
"We are thrilled to partner with CTV again, and to have the opportunity to build on Season 1 with our exceptional cast and Vancouver crew. We are delighted that 'Motive' was able to find its audience and we look forward to engaging our fans with more riveting motives in Season 2," said executive producers Rob Merilees and Louise Clark.
The "Motive" Season 1 finale airs on Thursday, May 16 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. CTV will schedule encore presentations of "Motive" in simulcast with ABC, beginning Monday, May 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its new slot on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT timeslot May 23.
]]>'Orphan Black' Season 2: Space, BBC America Renew Sci-Fi Clone Showtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-10T12:29:18-04:002013-05-10T12:29:52-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Orphan Black" has been consistent since it pre-screened at the TCAs in 2012, and as it approaches the end of its first season, it has received the ultimate validation: Space has picked up the series for Season 2.
The mind-bending clone TV show, starring Tatiana Maslany in the title role(s) and Jordan Gavaris, her trusty (and often hilarious) foster brother sidekick, has been getting rave reviews and has quite an impressive fan base despite its short run.
Season 1 draws to a close on June 1, 2013, and Space has announced that Season 2 will premiere at some point in the spring of 2014 with 10 new heart-pounding episodes.
A record-breaker from the beginning, "Orphan Black" had the highest original series premiere ever for Space, with an average of 513,000 viewers for its March 30 launch. After five episodes, "Orphan Black" has been watched in part by 2.8 million Canadians. With a weekly average of 364,000 viewers, the show is the number-two series for Space, behind only cult favourite "Doctor Who."
"'Orphan Black' is a huge success, reflective of our focus on exceptional programming that delivers on the promise of our specialty brands,” said Catherine MacLeod, Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. "This joint-Canadian production demonstrates our commitment to produce original, world-class content in Canada while simultaneously showcasing our amazing homegrown talent."
"Orphan Black" airs on Space on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
]]>'Less Than Kind' Returning For Fourth And Final Seasontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-09T15:47:12-04:002013-05-09T16:44:10-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/Less Than Kind."
Opening with two back-to-back episodes on Sunday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET/MT, nothing is certain but change for the quirky Blechers. Following its debut, new episodes premiere in their regular time slot, Sundays at 8:30 p.m. ET/MT, on HBO Canada.
"We are so happy to bring the Blechers back for the fourth and concluding chapter of 'Less Than Kind,'" says executive producer, writer and showrunner Mark McKinney. "The series has been blessed by an amazing cast that only grew stronger and funnier each season. This season's storyline brings their characters’ journeys to a very satisfying finish."
On the heels of recognition at the WGC Awards, Canadian Screen Awards, and Canadian Comedy Awards, including top honours as Best Comedy at the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards, Season 4 of "Less Than Kind" draws to a close during a period of transition for the Blechers.
Anne (Wendel Meldrum) is still dealing with anxiety at the looming loss of Sheldon (Jesse Camacho) to a gap-year adventure and to the advances of employee Jim Sheridan (Nicholas Campbell). Newly engaged Josh (Benjamin Arthur) pursues a career at Manitoba Labels in order to move out, move up and start his own family with the increasingly demanding Shandra (Lisa Anne Durupt). Aunt Clara (Nancy Sorel) finds herself facing the harsh prospect of unwelcome spinsterhood.
As for the loveable teenage trio -- Sheldon, Miriam (Brooke Palsson) and Danny (Tyler Johnston) -- their relationships will be strained to the breaking point by a series of tumultuous events. Life will never be the same again for the Blechers. And that might not be bad.
Season 4 of "Less Than Kind" premieres on June 2 at 8 p.m. ET/MT.
]]>Laura Vandervoort, 'Bitten' Star, Becoming A Werewolftag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-09T14:53:16-04:002013-05-09T15:00:17-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/
Played by Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort ("Smallville," "Ted"), the 13-episode series is called "Bitten," and will be shot in and around Toronto. Based on the critically acclaimed "Women Of The Otherworld" novels by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong, the show centres on foster child Elena Michaels (Vandervoort), who craves a “normal” life and thinks she's finally found it with her boyfriend Clayton Danvers (Greyston Holt, "Durham County," "Fringe").
But the secret life he kept from her ends up changing her forever -- with one small bite, Elena is forced to survive life with the Pack as a werewolf. Still craving the normal life she lost, Elena finds refuge in Toronto working as a photographer and dating a new man.
Hiding her werewolf existence from her ad-exec boyfriend Philip McAdams (Paul Greene, "Harry's Law"), Elena is pulled back into her former life when bodies turn up in the backwoods of Stonehaven, the rural mansion that has served as a werewolf sanctuary for generations. Caught between two worlds and two loves, Elena returns to Stonehaven out of duty, turning to Clay’s foster father and leader of the Pack Jeremy Danvers (Greg Bryk, "The Gathering," "Rookie Blue") for support.
Once back in the fold, Elena realizes that when push comes to shove, like any true alpha female, she’ll stop at nothing to defend her family. ]]>'Big Brother Canada' Reunion: Gary, Peter, Emmett On Their Futures (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-08T13:44:03-04:002013-05-08T13:49:04-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/favourite "Big Brother Canada" contestants, we chatted with Peter, Gary and Emmett about the controversial finale, what they plan to do next and if they have any regrets about their strategies on the show.
But those questions are kind of dull, right? You really want to know why Peter yelled all the time, or why the other houseguests insisted that Gary was the messiest person to co-habitate with. Lucky for you: we asked them those questions, too.
"Big Brother Canada" ended up being a highly entertaining reality show -- a rather adventurous Canadian venture (when compared to other Canadian reality productions). We'll be there for a Season 2 if it comes to fruition.
Watch the video, above. You can check out the first part of the video below.]]>May 2013 TV Finales: Dates For Your Favourite Showstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-08T12:05:38-04:002013-05-13T09:52:59-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/
Having trouble remembering when your shows are ending this year? Well, we've compiled a handy-dandy list of the remaining shows' finales taking place in May 2013.
Thursday, May 9
"Community" (8:00 p.m. ET, City)
"Two and a Half Men" (8:30 p.m. ET, CTV)
"Glee" (9:00 p.m. ET, Global)
Friday, May 10
"Vegas" (9:00 p.m., Global)
Sunday, May 12
"Once Upon a Time" (7:00 p.m. ET, CTV)
"Survivor: Caramoan" (8:00 p.m. ET, Global)
Monday, May 13
"How I Met Your Mother" (8:00 p.m. ET, City)
Tuesday, May 14
"New Girl" (9:00 p.m. ET, City)
"The Mindy Project" (9:30 p.m. ET, City)
Wednesday, May 15
"NCIS" (8:00 p.m., Global)
"NCIS: Los Angeles" (9:00 p.m., Global)
"Supernatural" (9:00 p.m., The CW)
"CSI" (10:00 p.m. ET, CTV)
Thursday, May 16
"The Big Bang Theory" (8:00 p.m. ET, CTV)
"The Vampire Diaries" (9:00 p.m. ET, CTV Two)
"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00 p.m. ET, CTV)
"The Office" (9:00 p.m. ET, Global)
"Scandal" (10 p.m. ET, City)
Saturday, May 18
"Saturday Night Live" (11:30 p.m. ET, Global)
Sunday, May 19
"The Simpsons" (8:00 p.m., Global/Fox)
"Family Guy" (7:00 p.m., Global)
"The Celebrity Apprentice: All-Stars" (9:00 p.m. ET, Global)
Monday, May 20
"Hawaii 50" (10:00 p.m. ET, Global)
Tuesday, May 21
"Dancing With The Stars" (9:00 p.m. ET, CTV)
Honourable Mention for: Tuesday, June 18
"The Voice" (8:00 p.m., CTV)]]>'Big Brother Canada' Fan Favourite: Peter, Emmett, Gary Receive Awards (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-07T14:56:40-04:002013-05-07T15:02:44-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/favourite "Big Brother Canada" contestants? Well, the results came in just before the finale, and, as promised, we bestowed the top three favourites with trophies.
The morning following the controversial "Big Brother Canada" finale, we met with your top three faves at the Shaw Media office, and gave the awards out to Gary (third place), Emmett (second place) and Peter (first place).
A big thanks to all the "Big Brother Canada" fans out there who took the time to vote, and weighed in with comments during the course of the season. We love an engaged audience and look forward to next season!
Watch the video, above. (Stay tuned for the rest of the interview tomorrow.)
Here are the official results!
]]>'Amazing Race Canada' Prize: Money, Chevys, And Free Traveltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-06T14:43:44-04:002013-05-06T15:45:25-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/The Amazing Race Canada," CTV and Insight Productions are certainly forging a new path.
The winning team of "Amazing Race Canada" won't just win money. "The Amazing Race Canada" prizes include, in addition to $250,000, two Chevrolet Stingrays and free travel (up to 10 trips) on Air Canada for a year -- in executive first class. The U.S. version of "The Amazing Race" has traditionally awarded $1 million, usually with the opportunity for teams to win cars at some point during the Race, but the free travel is an award that's distinctly Canadian. Teams will also be competing for special pit stop prizes with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
"Teams will need to bring their A-game in a race for one of the most lucrative prizes in television and largest in Canadian television history," said Phil King, President, CTV Programming and Sports. "With the stakes now raised, we can't wait to see how hard teams will push themselves to cross the finish line first."
Added John Brunton, Chairman and CEO, Insight Productions: "This is all so exciting. The stakes are real, the grand prize is eye-popping, and I fully expect teams to lay it all on the line from the start of the race to the finish line."
With the knowledge that most Canadians have not travelled beyond their own province, "The Amazing Race Canada" gives Canadians the opportunity to race around Canada and discover the country they love in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Teams will race to the finish line, criss-crossing up to 9,000 kms. A stunning depiction of the Canadian fabric, the teams will travel through the country's urban centres as well as the most remote outposts.
]]>House Of Cards Season 1, Episode 13 Recap: All's Well That Ends Well (Or Not)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.32148412013-05-04T11:16:15-04:002013-05-04T11:16:28-04:00Chris Jancelewiczhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-jancelewicz/
Contains spoilers -- do not read unless you've seen House Of Cards Season 1, Episode 13
Sometimes smashing a sink faucet with a hammer is just smashing a sink faucet with a hammer. At other times, as in the finale of House Of Cards' first season, it means a whole lot more. Brute force might silence a dripping faucet, but it doesn't stop the underlying problem. Frank is surely going to find this out, across all areas of his life, in the second season.
Frank's acute anger is in itself a very blunt metaphor, illustrating how frustrated he is with his lack of progress. In fact, this whole episode is a boring, blunt instrument, and a straight-up plod to the end. For three quarters of this episode I knew exactly what was going to happen, and I kept looking at my watch. The Frank and Zoe plotlines are entirely predictable. We know that Frank is going to become vice-president (or at least nominated) by the end of the episode, but we have to suffer through paint-drying negotiations with Remy and other no-names (who even understands all this natural gas/nuclear/stocks crap, anyway?). Frank's meeting with Tusk at the end was so unnecessary -- their back-and-forth "debate" about loyalty and honour was really just a cock-fight. And somehow Frank, as a member of Congress, has the ability to negotiate the transfer of nuclear materials better than the President? Come on, House Of Cards, you can come up with a less ridiculous explanation than that.
We also had to sit through Janine, Zoe and Lucas's painstaking investigation of Frank, Peter and Rachel. I'll call them JZL and FPR for now, just to keep it simple. JZL is the worst. There, I said it. Whether it's Janine and Zoe quietly whispering in Slugline's office, or Lucas fawning over Zoe even though he loathes her past behaviours (this relationship is completely unrealistic, but I've ranted enough about that before), it's a tough slog, and it's painfully dull to watch. We, as viewers, already know about Rachel. We know her entire sordid history with Peter, so it's inherently stupid to make viewers sit through an hour of JZL searching and solving when we know the outcome. We know that they're going to eventually figure FPR out, so why make us sit through the process? Especially in the season finale! We could have just as easily assumed that Christina told Zoe all she needed to know at the end of Episode 12, since we're already assuming anyway. When JZL figures out the truth about FPR, as they're circling a lamp in a derelict room, I literally threw my hands up in the air. Come on.
The only segment of this episode that held my interest in any capacity was Claire's storyline, which, for the most part, has nothing to do with Frank's run for the vice-presidency or boring politics. Claire's story is ultimately about the life she's discarded to be with Frank, and all of the sacrifices, ethical or otherwise, that she's made. Gillian, who Claire fired in the last episode, is suing CWI for wrongful dismissal (on the basis that she's pregnant), and she will not settle. Even when Claire attempts to visit her and talk it out, Gillian shuts her down, and lets her know that this trial will be a national case, and everyone will know about her dealings with huge (and thereby inherently evil) corporations. Now that I write this out, I'm thinking about Dick Cheney's associations with foreign oil and arms makers, and how no one (save the big environmental groups) really noticed/cared. Even this storyline rings a bit hollow.
It's only when things get personal that they get interesting, and that's for about five minutes of the episode. At their wonderful little smoking window (I love these scenes), Claire ponders the bigger picture. While Frank is middling and selfishly planning his own journey, Claire asks, "What do we leave behind?" Sure, she's talking about not having any children, but also about their legacy. How will the Underwoods be remembered? At this point, they're a couple of heartless, rich elitists who have thrown numerous people under the bus to get where they are. Hell, Frank even killed someone. And who knows what's going to happen to Gillian, her unborn baby, Zoe, Lucas, Janine, Rachel, or even Remy? How many of them will end up dead in Season 2? I won't even get into the environmental and political ramifications of Frank and Claire's actions, which are many.
As a solution to her emptiness (or perhaps as a way to defuse the lawsuit -- don't put it past her, this woman has had three abortions), Claire wants to have a baby, even though we saw her endure the first symptoms of menopause throughout the season. Surely this isn't the best move, but Claire reeks of desperation. She hasn't even told Frank about the seriousness of the lawsuit for fear of his reaction. If analyzed properly, it's all Frank's fault anyway. He's the one who pressured Claire with Remy in the first place. I'm starting to think that Claire will ultimately be Frank's downfall. She may have fixed the faucet, but how many times will she clean up his mess? Eventually it will all end.
After such strong, powerful, eventful episodes like 11 and 12, it's a shame that the finale had to be so lifeless. Sadly, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and doesn't really propel my desire to watch Season 2. I'm not sure if I want to invest 13 hours of my life to reach the inevitable conclusion: Frank and Claire destroy themselves, with the help of all the people they've screwed over to get to the top. The fun moments of Frank talking to us, Claire taking names or Stamper being a wiseass are simply too few and far between. Even the sex on this show is, in a word, gross.
Breathing life into politics is a hard task, but it's been done better on TV before. House Of Cards could get there, but it needs a pretty serious overhaul.
Best Frank Quote: "Of all the things I hold in high regard, rules are not one of them."
You can stream House Of Cards at any time on Netflix.
