President – IamGuruJay

BY: GURU JAY

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!

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!