Category: political thriller

House of Cards Season 3: Episode 1 Recap

Post author By iamgurujay
Post date February 28, 2015

BY: GURU JAY

Photo By: Wikimedia Commons

Kevin Spacey, who plays President Francis Underwood, kicks off the season with an iron foot. In the beginning, Underwood visits his father’s gravesite and urinates on the tombstone. This is just the tip of the iceberg foreshadowing future events.

Former White House Chief of Staff Doug Stamper survives last season’s devastating injuries and awakens from a coma. It is December 2014 and Stamper must regain his motor skills and memory. After Stamper starts functioning, First Lady Claire instructs him to lie to investigators.

Unsurprisingly, while at the White House the President loses his temper. Underwood is upset that unemployment has spiraled out of control. Furthermore, there are 10 million jobless Americans, who are clearly frustrated. Therefore, Underwood wants to overhaul programs, slash entitlements, repeal policies, and reform. The President assembles an economic team to solve the financial crisis.

But team leader Paul mistakenly interrupts the disciplinarian executor. And current White House Chief of Staff Remy Denton immediately fires Paul for speaking out of turn. Obviously, the executive branch won’t tolerate disapproval.

Meanwhile President Frank Underwood monitors Doug Stamper’s situation making sure authorities don’t discover the truth. Underwood has a secret closet filled with skeletons and his devotee Doug feels guilty. Clearly, the President is spying on Stamper but the blind follower can’t distinguish reality from fiction.

The President’s approval numbers have plummeted to single digits. What is more, he has an unhappy First Lady who desires the United Nations ambassadorship. Still determined, Underwood tells his wife he will not go down in history as a placeholder president. But Claire keeps pressing the issue and Frank finally responds.

Michael Kelly is House of Cards’ diamond in the rough. In the first episode of Season 3, Michael shined brighter than everyone except Spacey. I will watch this episode again, largely because of Kelly’s brilliant performance. I am Guru Jay launching off into orbit in 5-4-3-2-1!

ABC Celebrities Entertainment Guru Jay Hollywood Kerry Washington legal drama No More Blood plot twists political thriller power powerful Recap Scandal Shonda Rhimes Shondaland suspense TGIT TV

Scandal ‘No More Blood’ Recap: From Powerless to Powerful

Post author By iamgurujay
Post date February 20, 2015

BY: GURU JAY

Photo By: Wikimedia Commons

Finally, the utility company also known as Shondaland restored Olivia Pope’s power. Were you worried that they would neutralize this supposed threat to national security? Once again, Scandal comes to a brilliant closing.

Recap

At a pivotal moment, Pope’s captor asks her a trick question. Does she want to leave with the Russians or Marie Wallace? Olivia seems to make the costly assumption that they give a damn!

Jake gets inside Huck’s mind by identifying their inner struggles with the “beast.” He tells Huck he deals with similar problems. The Gladiators make Huck promise to stop all the killing. Hence the episode title “No More Blood” is their new motto.

In the beginning, White House Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry) daydreams about resigning and giving the president an earful lecture. Instead, he secretly meets with intelligence and attempts to murder Olivia without President Fitzgerald Grant’s approval. Luckily, fate plans another course of action and Cyrus (Jeff Perry) cancels the neutralization in an abrupt and dramatic fashion. In the end, Perry’s character saves the day by carefully observing the predicament and recognizing Stephen Finch.

Finch is Olivia’s old colleague with Russian connections. Fortunately, Olivia would have won either way because the Gladiators were on the other end. Earlier in the episode, Pope spoke Farsi and talked herself out of becoming Iran’s hostage.

Olivia Pope went from the most powerful female TV character to the most powerless. She neutralized herself mentally. Pope was prepared to give her life for the country she loved and the greater good.

President Grant was prepared to sacrifice everything for the woman he loved. Olivia lost respect for Grant because he allowed the Vice President to force him to wage an unjust war against Angola. In the words of Bobby Caldwell, what you won’t do for love!

I am Guru Jay launching off into orbit in 5-4-3-2-1!

CIA Entertainment Episode 11 FBI gladiators hostage Kerry Washington legal drama Olivia Pope political corruption political thriller President Recap Scandal Season 4 suspense TGIT TV Vice President

Scandal: Season 4, Episode 11 Recap

Post author By iamgurujay
Post date February 6, 2015

BY: GURU JAY

Photo By: Wikimedia Commons

Despite cruel circumstances, Olivia Pope manages to preserve her brainpower. The crisis manager gets inside the kidnapper’s mind by autosuggesting ideas and manipulating his thought process. Like a true gladiator, Pope is still in power and ready to rumble.

In Episode 11, Olivia convinces her captor to abolish plans and take action on his own accord. Pope plants in his head that exploiting her will help him control the president. And by virtue of controlling the president, the hostage taker will have the world in his palms. Apparently, the captor fell asleep in civics class, because there are three branches of government and a balance of power.

During the ending, they show Olivia flying on a private plane with her hostage taker. Pope’s predicament is literally and figuratively up in the air. Contacting President Fitzgerald lets Huck and fellow gladiators know she’s alive and active on the grid.

Kerry Washington’s character calculates like a Texas Instrument graphing calculator. Pope requests a glass of water to create a reflection revealing the kidnappers’ operations. Thinking ten steps ahead, Olivia has placed her captors in mental bondage.

Vice President Andrew Nichols is the puppeteer pulling President Fitzgerald’s strings. Luckily, Nichols drops his guard allowing the First Lady to steal his cell phones. Soon the Second Lady delivers the goods to the Scandal team. They now have enough information to connect the dots and indirectly communicate.

They came so close to rescuing Pope. Still, who can say if the raid would have been successful? Olivia could have died during the seizure.

It might sound crazy but I’m happy they didn’t save Olivia Pope. Olivia’s trying to save herself by taking matters in her own hands. Scandal’s message is simply about self-reliance. Instead of waiting for someone else to rescue you, save yourself.

I am Guru Jay launching off into orbit in 5-4-3-2-1!