House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Ruthless and cunning, Congressman Francis Underwood and his wife Claire stop at nothing to conquer everything. This wicked political drama penetrates the shadowy world of greed, sex, and corruption in modern D.C.
For more about House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season and the House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray release, see House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on October 4, 2017 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.0 out of 5.
As House of Cards grows ever more complex and, if it weren't so serious, comically absurd, the more it proves to be ever-so-slightly ahead
of
the curve, mirroring not the exact ins-and-outs of Washington today but certainly the wide-reaching qualities that have turned it into the "swamp"
that, in real life,
the American people elected an outsider to drain. The show seems to be leading the charge in depicting with some depth and detail and seemingly
all-too-true realities the ever-widening chasm not between the two political parties, but between political parties and the populace. The show offers
increasingly lurid but still enthralling glimpses into the madness behind the power brokers who have mastered the art of operating in the shadows
even in broad daylight, with
cameras rolling, microphones in their faces, and all eyes on them. Season five continues the show's fascinatingly steady glimpse into the seedy
world
of Washington's power players, growing even more preposterous but, at the same time, eerily familiar and easily believable as a make-believe
reflection of the very real cesspool where, for everyone with a good heart, a thousand stand in their way, each with their own hearts set on only
enriching themselves no matter the cost.
Before proceeding further, newcomers should be sure to start back at the beginning and work forward.
For reviews of the previous three seasons on Blu-ray, please click through the links below:
Official synopsis: In the midst of the presidential election, tensions mount in the White House as Frank (Golden Globe winner Kevin Spacey)
and Claire (Golden Globe winner Robin Wright) continue to navigate their political careers and redefine their relationships -- particularly with each
other. Season five of the Emmy Award-winning political drama is marked by violent power plays, new alliances, stunning betrayals and, as always,
a desire to win at any cost -- and not just from Frank Underwood.
Season five maintains a steady cadence, a beat-beat-beat of political and personal upheaval, widespread and intimate manipulation, all of the
sordid
permutations that have made the show so popular. It would be amazing escapism if it weren't hitting so close to home with every episode, were it
not so
capable of revealing at least a hint of the real calculus going on behind the scenes. It's impossible to watch the show and, even through the
excitement of plot developments, the enjoyment of the quality performances, and the highlights of its narrative and construction, not feel in some
way turned off simply because it so often feel like watching the news, not watching a show. But season five marches forward through a fierce
elections campaign, Frank Underwood's push to wage war on the terror group ICO, and his relationship with wife Claire. In traditional House of
Cards fashion, there are plenty of twists and turns that lead to a major swerve by season's end.
But it's not really the macro level shenanigans that make the show what it is. Sure the crude maneuvers, which ultimately lead to the season's
big twist, propel the show upward and onward, but it's the micro level character details that allow the show to shine. Kevin Spacey's career will be
remembered for his portrayal of Frank Underwood, not because it's coming at the tail end of his career but because he's so adept at
micromanaging the character and presenting him in a full 360-degree field of view where only he and the audience, and perhaps not even the
latter even through five full seasons, truly understand the man's depths, his personal and political ambitions and ambivalence to anything that
doesn't further his stature. Now as President, the man remains unchanged. Cold, calculating, often operating -- and particularly in this season, as
a big reveal at the end of the first episode shows -- outside of the law he is charged with upholding and the morality he is to espouse on his pillar,
which stands higher than anyone else's in the world, he has proven to be one of the most complex and despicable, but for his calculus in a way
admirable, characters on television. He's matched by Robin Wright as his wife Claire, herself now a major power player on the
political scene with aspirations of her own and, again going back to that final episode, changing the game with her own guile and ambition that
must at least match, if not overpower, that of her husband. Season five is certainly not shy about digging into the Underwood underworld very
deeply. It's satisfying, it's sad that it feels all too plausible, but it's ultimately very rewarding television if only to witness the terrifically drawn
characters, first-rate performances, and discover the next layer of personal and political muck that these characters will somehow turn to gold.
The following episodes comprise House of Cards' fifth season. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray insert. Spoilers follow.
Disc One:
Chapter 53: Frank (Kevin Spacey) diverts attention from a congressional investigation into his political misdeeds with his most
audacious declaration ever.
Chapter 54: An opportunity to exploit the dark side of the digital frontier gives Frank a chance to influence swing state voter turnout.
Chapter 55: Election day worries push Frank and Claire (Robin Wright) to the edge of their terror campaign and their marriage.
Chapter 56: With his chances of re-election slipping away, Frank embraces a dangerous gamble to create doubt about the election's
outcome.
Disc Two:
Chapter 57: With the fate of the presidency in Congress' hands, Frank steps into a familiar role, whipping votes while Claire is forced
to reexamine her own ambitions.
Chapter 58: While Frank learns of a new coalition forming against him from within his own party, Claire faces her first crisis in a new
role.
Chapter 59: As the Underwoods fight to remain in the White House, a terrorist threat endangers D.C., straining the balance of power
between Frank and Claire.
Disc Three:
Chapter 60: An elite gathering in the woods and an international incident provide the Underwoods with a chance to rise above their
nature.
Chapter 61: It's a hollow victory as the strange bedfellows Frank and Claire have made along the way begin to sow mistrust in their
inner circle.
Chapter 62: Frank and Claire test their new team's loyalty as the past comes home to roost in the Underwood administration.
Disc Four:
Chapter 63: Alarming leaks from the White House cause Frank and Claire to take drastic measures, even against those in their
trusted inner circle.
Chapter 64: Frank's almost certain political downfall forces Claire to pay the ultimate personal cost to remain in the White House.
Chapter 65: Loyalties strain as Frank and Claire negotiate the terms of their future together, and, most terrifyingly, apart.
House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season arrives on Blu-ray with another good all-around 1080p transfer. The digitally photographed show
does tend towards a somewhat flat appearance but it's also more than capable of revealing high quality details throughout. Fine textural nuances
abound, particularly evident on the usual suspects (speaking of Kevin Spacey), which include finely defined skin details, quality suit jackets and
neckties
and general apparel, fine appointments around the White House, and quality complex element around other locations throughout the season, indoor or
out, rich or ragged, natural or manmade. Colors are nicely balanced as well. Positive saturation is evident, and even in some of the more bronzed, low
light interior core primaries shine through with satisfying depth. Black levels hold up well. Skin tones appear accurate. Light noise creeps about, but
rarely to a distracting extent.
House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season features a well-rounded DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Though it occasionally
struggles to offer total balance around the stage -- the raucous din of yelling and screaming politicians in House chambers early in the film when
President Underwood arrives and makes a scene and a speech on the House floor stretches well to the sides but can't quite find complete rear channel
immersion or seamless detail -- it more often than not enjoys firm envelopment and command, particularly with regard to music. The opening title
track delivers satisfying depth and breadth alike, matched by fine clarity and a sufficient low end accompaniment. Atmospheric support is always
engaged, even if it's just in the form of small little things like circulating air, minor beeps, slight chatter, just enough nuance and detail alike to fill in the
gaps and create a more agreeable sense of place. A few harder-hitting effects present with stout detail and stage placement, but the show is largely
driven by core dialogue, which presents without issue throughout the four-disc set.
This Blu-ray release of House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season contains no supplemental content. A UV digital copy code is included with
purchase. As a quick aside, it's nearly impossible to get the discs out of the packaging without fingerprinting them or feeling like the effort is going to
tear the cardboard. They're packed in tight, the slots are tighter. It looks nice, but bad job.
From a very base perspective, considering what fans have come to expect from the show, House of Cards' fifth season doesn't upset the
proverbial apple cart. It just keeps pushing it along, traversing all of the cracks and crevices and pitfalls and minefields through which it so happily
maneuvers. Characters are unchanged yet go through many new trials that test the Underwood brand and shape and strain the political world like
never before. It's good television, often riveting, though at the same time it's hard to watch without feeling some sort of morbid fascination; the show
often feels like a reflection of Washington, not a make-believe variation of it. House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season's Blu-ray is
disappointingly absent any extra content. Video and audio are fine. Recommended.
Use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to House of Cards. You can also suggest completely new similar titles to House of Cards in the search box below.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced that it will release on Blu-ray House of Cards: The Complete Sixth Season. The release will be available for purchase on March 5.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release on Blu-ray House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season. The four-disc box set will be available for purchase on October 3.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced that it will release on Blu-ray House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season. The release will be available for purchase on July 5.
» Show more related news posts for House of Cards: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray
Use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to House of Cards. You can also suggest completely new similar titles to House of Cards in the search box below.
