The second season of the American television drama series House of Cards began filming a set of 13 episodes on April 29, 2013, and concluded on November 8. Filming occurred primarily in Baltimore. On December 4, 2013, Netflix announced that the season would be released in its entirety on February 14, 2014. Set in Washington, D.C., season two deals with topics such as entitlement reform, state-sponsored cyberespionage, money laundering in campaign finance, anthrax scares, sexual assault in the United States military, public opinion regarding abortion in the United States, parliamentary procedure of the United States Senate, and Federal government shutdowns. The plot picks back up where season one ends.
Critics previewed the first four episodes of the season under non-disclosure agreements not to reveal any spoilers. Reviews began appearing as early as January 31. Many critics who previewed the season noted the first episode was shocking, but withheld the surprises of the four episodes made available for preview. Willa Paskin of Slate broke the embargo nearly a day early revealing several spoilers. Whereas critics had been somewhat split on the propriety of binge-watching the first season, they were more supportive of the practice for season two.
Early reviews were largely positive, noting that the second season had a darker tone than the first. Molly Parker was praised as an addition to the cast. Nonetheless, many critics were concerned at the domineering presence of Underwood, who appears to have no worthy adversaries. Viewership of the second season was many times higher than season one. The season earned thirteen Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards and three nominations at both the 72nd Golden Globe Awards and the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards. Kevin Spacey won Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama for playing Frank Underwood in season two. Season two of House of Cards was one of the first shows available in 4K video format on Netflix's streaming service.
Summary Francis spends most of the season as the newly appointed Vice President of the United States. In early episodes Frank vanquishes reporters on the trail of a murder he committed in the previous season. However, the drama soon shifts to tensions involving Frank, President Walker, the Chinese government, and billionaire businessman Raymond Tusk, eventually culminating in a bitter political war between Frank and Tusk. Frank's wife Claire publicly reveals that she was raped in college by a prominent general and pursues anti-rape legislation. The most significant new character is Jackie Sharp, Frank's successor as House Whip, who soon finds herself embroiled in Frank's plans. As the war between Frank and Tusk consumes the Presidency, things culminate in a scandal that leads to Walker resigning, Tusk being arrested, and Frank ascending to the Oval Office.
Cast Among the new cast members in season two are Molly Parker and Sam Page, while directors include Carl Franklin, Jodie Foster, James Foley, and Wright. The season features cameos by several notable journalists, including Ashleigh Banfield, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Matt Bai, Morley Safer, Sean Hannity, and Kelly O'Donnell.
Kevin Spacey as Francis J. Underwood, the Vice President of the United States Robin Wright as Claire Underwood, the Second Lady of the United States Michael Kelly as Douglas "Doug" Stamper, the Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States Molly Parker as Jacqueline "Jackie" Sharp, a war veteran, Congresswoman from California and Underwood's successor as House Majority Whip Michel Gill as Garrett Walker, the 45th President of the United States Gerald McRaney as Raymond Tusk, a multi-billionaire businessman and investor who acts as an advisor and confidante to President Walker Nathan Darrow as Edward Meechum, Secret Service agent on Underwood's detail, a former member of the U.S. Capitol Police serving as Underwood's bodyguard and driver Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton, a lobbyist with law firm Glendon Hill and former employee of Frank Underwood Derek Cecil as Seth Grayson, a sinister political operative who becomes Press Secretary for Vice President Underwood Rachel Brosnahan as Rachel Posner, a former sex worker seeking a new life Sakina Jaffrey as Linda Vasquez, the White House Chief of Staff in the Walker Administration Jayne Atkinson as Catherine Durant, the U.S. Secretary of State in the Walker Administration Jimmi Simpson as Gavin Orsay, a hacker and informant for the FBI Joanna Going as Patricia Walker, wife of President Garrett Walker and First Lady of the United States Mozhan Marnò as Ayla Sayyad, a tenacious journalist working for the Wall Street Telegraph Jeremy Holm as Agent Nathan Green, the White House/FBI liaison Sebastian Arcelus as Lucas Goodwin, a senior political editor working at the Washington Herald Terry Chen as Xander Feng, a corrupt Chinese businessman and backchannel diplomat who is Raymond Tusk's business partner Libby Woodbridge as Megan Hennessey, a former U.S. Marine Private who was sexually assaulted by General Dalton McGinnis Kate Lyn Sheil as Lisa Williams, a social worker who befriends Rachel Posner Elizabeth Norment as Nancy Kaufberger, secretary of the office of the Democratic House Whip Gil Birmingham as Daniel Lanagin, a Native American casino owner in Missouri and friend of Raymond Tusk Reg E. Cathey as Freddy Hayes, friend of Frank Underwood and the owner of a BBQ restaurant that Frank frequently visits Samuel Page as Connor Ellis, a smooth talking media consultant who becomes Communications Director for Claire Underwood Larry Pine as Bob Birch, a Democratic Congressman from Michigan and the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kristen Connolly as Christina Gallagher, a headstrong aide to President Walker and former girlfriend of Peter Russo Curtiss Cook as Terry Womack, House Majority Leader from Missouri's 5th congressional district Constance Zimmer as Janine Skorsky, a veteran journalist working for news blog Slugline Michael Warner as Oliver Spence Benito Martinez as Hector Mendoza, a Republican Senator from Arizona and the Senate Majority Leader Boris McGiver as Tom Hammerschmidt, former chief editor of the Washington Herald David Clennon as Ted Havermeyer, a veteran Congressman from California and PAC Chairman who is a mentor to Congresswoman Sharp Elizabeth Marvel as Heather Dunbar, an uncompromising lawyer who is appointed Special Prosecutor in the investigation into money laundering of foreign money via PACs Tom Galantich as Reverend Thomas Larkin, a minister and relationship therapist Mark Zeisler as Bill Gallich, the White House Counsel Reed Birney as Donald Blythe, a Democratic Congressman from New Hampshire Sandrine Holt as Gillian Cole Ben Daniels as Adam Galloway, a world-renowned photographer and former lover of Claire Underwood Kate Mara as Zoe Barnes, an ambitious journalist working for news blog Slugline and former lover of Frank Underwood
Episodes
Background The second season was made available in its entirety on February 14, 2014 (Valentine's Day) at 12:01 a.m. PT. Prior to the release of season 1, three reviewers, Hank Stuever of The Washington Post, Nancy deWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal, and Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times, commented on possible binge viewing by Netflix customers. Stanley notes that the show "is probably seen best one episode at a time. It's a delicious immorality play with an excellent cast, but the tempo is slow and oddly ponderous—a romp slowed down to a dirge". Smith also notes that due to its "relentless theme", "House of Cards might go down better in smaller portions and thus be enjoyably prolonged", deriding potential binge watchers as people who liken a delicacy to a "bag of M&M's". However, Stuever disagreed about season 1 saying "So, on the iffy chance that House of Cards draws you in and you simply cannot stop watching, then, yes, you may power-binge your way through all 13 hours at once". Upon viewing the four episode season 2 preview Time James Poniewozik says "I could easily see powering through the season in a free weekend, precisely because no individual episode needs much time to sink in". Stanley also felt the second season was "binge-worthy" upon viewing the preview. However, Ellen Gray of Philly.com supports not binge-watching the season, as she believes it does not serve it well.
Production
Writing
In interviews during the writing and filming of season 2 showrunner Beau Willimon said he had drawn inspiration for the series from a variety of sources including Robert Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson and Jeremy Larner's Nobody Knows. Lyndon B. Johnson was a repeated source for themes and issues. Willimon also commented on the fictional world of politics that the show represented: "It's a rough-and-tumble game whenever power is involved—people's ambitions, their desires, their competitive spirit will often push them to play outside the rules." Willimon noted that "I don't think about topping things ... The evolution of character is not a game of one-upmanship. It is about change. Souls are vast and so the opportunity to explore ways in which characters contradict themselves and evolve is also vast" and that season 2 provided the opportunity "to expand the world and more deeply explore the characters".
For Spacey, the portrayal of Underwood for a second season was a learning process. "There is so much I don't know about Francis, so much that I'm learning ... I've always thought that the profession closest to that of an actor is being a detective ... We are given clues by writers, sometimes clues they're aware of and sometimes not. Then you lay them all out and try to make them come alive as a character who's complex and surprising, maybe even to yourself". Gerald McRaney spoke about his expanded role by saying that whereas in season 1 the challenge to playing his character, Raymond Tusk, was in "having to learn Mandarin", in season 2 his character has become "somebody who you don't know which color hat he's wearing".
Filming Netflix had ordered two seasons of 13 episodes when it made its original commitment to the series in 2011. According to Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley, production of the first season brought $140 million in the form of 2,200 jobs and transactions with 1,800 vendors to the Baltimore metropolitan area economy and the Maryland General Assembly expanded its Film Production Tax Credit so that season two could have similar impact over the course of 150 days of filming. Like the first season, the second season was largely filmed in the Baltimore area. Although production was publicized as being in Baltimore, Season 1 had based production in Harford County, Maryland, and season 2 also had its production office in Edgewood and a Joppa sound stage. The April 27, 2013 White House Correspondents Dinner spoofed House of Cards from the Maryland set prior to the beginning of the filming of season 2. Filming began on Monday, April 29, 2013, which was just a few weeks later in the year than season 1 had started. On May 14, O'Malley visited the set to publicize the success of the tax incentives.