This was the follow up series to House Of Cards, continuing the rise and rise up the Greasy Pole of Francis Urquhart, good old FU to us viewer-confidantes. Or as in all of his friends opinions, a right old swine because he stops at nothing to cling on to power.
FU is a UK Prime Minister with plenty of dark secrets in his murky past – just for a change – when from his wife he gets the idea of hiring a bright young woman as his "slave" to do his (political) bidding. While engaged in a running battle of wits with the earnest and wimpish ruling monarch he finds that he needs her ideas, input and eventually her sexual support too. And only natural too, for what are Men but mere slaves to the Urge? Unfortunately along with his other aide she gets too many ideas, such as what really happened to his former lover? It's all as well done as the first series, and just as predictable – but refreshing cynicism on its own isn't quite enough this time round. When it came the climax was totally foreseeable – which only made me wonder why they couldn't foresee it! Introducing people per episode, nurturing them and then killing them off was something I used to laugh at in Star Trek over 40 years ago. However, ignoring the shallow ending the plot itself was engrossing enough to keep me hooked for another four hours, and Ian Richardson's wonderfully nasty and slimy performance certainly was a masterclass.
It's an entertaining time passer which also informs and educates if you need it – never ever trust any politician, or aristocrat for that matter, period.
FU is a UK Prime Minister with plenty of dark secrets in his murky past – just for a change – when from his wife he gets the idea of hiring a bright young woman as his "slave" to do his (political) bidding. While engaged in a running battle of wits with the earnest and wimpish ruling monarch he finds that he needs her ideas, input and eventually her sexual support too. And only natural too, for what are Men but mere slaves to the Urge? Unfortunately along with his other aide she gets too many ideas, such as what really happened to his former lover? It's all as well done as the first series, and just as predictable – but refreshing cynicism on its own isn't quite enough this time round. When it came the climax was totally foreseeable – which only made me wonder why they couldn't foresee it! Introducing people per episode, nurturing them and then killing them off was something I used to laugh at in Star Trek over 40 years ago. However, ignoring the shallow ending the plot itself was engrossing enough to keep me hooked for another four hours, and Ian Richardson's wonderfully nasty and slimy performance certainly was a masterclass.
It's an entertaining time passer which also informs and educates if you need it – never ever trust any politician, or aristocrat for that matter, period.