House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Re-elect this great series for another term in your Blu-ray rotation.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 5, 2016

For reviews of the previous three seasons on Blu-ray, please click through the links below:

• Season One
• Season Two
• Season Three

House of Cards doesn't exactly paint a rosy picture of Washington's inside baseball wheelings-and-dealings, and certainly not of the puppeteers who pull the strings. It's dark, violent, scheming, brooding, even frightening, but, really, it's not at all implausible. No, behind the media filter, the carefully written speeches, the "adherence" to the rule of law, essentially all of the "keeping up appearances" that plays out on television screens, radio speakers, and Internet sites really does feel fake if one is completely honest about it. Not to put on a tinfoil hat or anything, but one need not even dig very far back into the past to see holes in official stories, coincidences that are just a little too coincidental, even "accidents" that don't seem all that accidental. House of Cards takes that tinfoil hat, crumples it, and tosses it in the trash. The show, from the mind of Beau Willimon, lifts the proverbial veil and takes viewers into the also proverbial, but also very much real, smoky cloakroom and Washington's most bastardized nooks and crannies for a sprawling spectacle of deceit and personal ambition at the highest levels, where the lives and legacies of those perched at the top of the social and political food chains are all that matter. These people care only for their own well-being and not that of the people they've solemnly sworn to serve and certainly not those who stand in the way of their own personal and political avarice.

Mr. President.

Season four offers much the same, but "much the same" is what has made the show a standout from its peers. Multiple political crises, interpersonal drama, hot new and re-election campaigns, and several other foreign and domestic surprises give the season its rapid-fire, take-no-prisoners shape that ultimately redefines the very lives of several key players involved. As always, the series is thrilling but at the same time somewhat depressing. It sure does hurt to see the veil lifted, to see Washington for what it is. Yes, this is fiction. But it's fiction fit for the front pages, if the front pages could see and hear more than the carefully coordinated script that masquerades as reality. Maybe that's why the show is so successful. It's cathartic, in a way. It's well made and acted, yes, but beyond that it feels like a shot of truth, a beam of light -- even if it's only illuminating depraved darkness -- into the litter of all the perceived lies. It's hard not to feel jaded about the current political landscape, and House of Cards at least has the dignity of opening it all up for the world to see, hopefully a little darker than it really is but probably right on track, if one is completely honest about it.

Season four also offers much of the same by way of its impressive performances and production values. The show is seamless almost to a fault, its authenticity in place, time, and characterization practically as damning to the system as it is entertaining in its sprawling narrative. Season four challenges the cast with a relentless frenzy of activity, covering a wide swath of physical and emotional demands. The cast is unsurprisingly up to the challenge, each of them not only performing admirably but almost relishing the power they wield on the camera and all but falling victim to the endless adrenaline rushes of the trail, the scheme, and everything else at play in the House of Cards political scene. Spacey and Wright are startlingly good in every scene, both practically born to play the roles or, at least, so talented that the complexities come naturally and all of the ebbs and flows of their mental machinations and physical undertakings seem so inherent to who they are that they feel as comfortable in the roles as if they were to slip on pair of slippers, sip a warm drink, and lose themselves in a good book. And considering the absolute depravity that's so often at the center of the show, that's very impressive. Supportive cast is excellent, too, and the series' brooding veneer has never looked better. This is House of Cards at its best.

The following episodes comprise House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season. Synopses are courtesy of an insert included with the Blu-ray packaging. Spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• Chapter 40: Claire's absence causes problems for Frank on the campaign trail amid rumors of a marital rift. Claire tries to strike out on her own.
• Chapter 41: As Claire begins exploring a campaign of her own, she and Frank engage in backdoor political maneurvering. But this time they're not on the same side.
• Chapter 42: Claire joins Frank as he stumps in South Carolina, but he doesn't trust her. A disastrous scandal blindsides Frank's campaign on primary day.
• Chapter 43: Claire threatens Frank. Frank makes a politically bold move that may provoke Russia. An event at a campaign stop changes everything.

Disc Two:

• Chapter 44: Claire advises Donald Blythe on dealing with Petrov. Further investigation of Lucas Goodwin dredges up his accusations against Frank.
• Chapter 45: Claire clashes with the Secretary of State over her involvement in negotiations with Russia. Dunbar must choose between her campaign and her ethics.
• Chapter 46: Frank and Claire adjust to their new reality. The search for Frank's running mate begins. Frank starts a campaign to weaken Conway's strong support.

Disc Three:

• Chapter 47: Formidable as ever, both Underwoods have their eyes on the big picture as they manipulate a potential running mate and push the gun bill.
• Chapter 48: At the convention, Frank and his team publicly push for Catherine Durant to be chosen as his running mate, but privately pursue a different agenda.
• Chapter 49: As Frank deals with a new threat to his candidacy, Claire has doubts about their plan. Claire faces a difficult decision concerning her mother.

Disc Four:

• Chapter 50: Frank ups the ante on the war on terror to counter Conway's public show of strength. Hammerschmidt joins Claire on the campaign trail.
• Chapter 51: Frank asks Conway to help deal with extremists threatening to murder hostages. Hammerschmidt digs deeper into the allegations against Frank.
• Chapter 52: As the hostage situation continues, Claire secretly negotiates with Yusef al Ahmadi. Frank confronts Hammerschmidt.

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season looks terrific on Blu-ray and retraces the footsteps of format excellence laid by its predecessors. The show is darkly filtered, more brown and bleak than it is punchy and cheerful. Colors are certainly muted and held in reserve, but there's enough pop and vitality when necessary -- neckties, dresses, flags -- to help offset the show's otherwise rather dour façade. The digitally sourced image is very smooth and clean, so much so that, at a few junctures, it feels artificial to excess and to the detriment of detail, but for the most part the digital veneer instead captures a crisp, revealing flavor. Pinpoint attire details, facial lines, office nicknacks, and all variety of object detail in the show, really, all stand out with impressive clarity and texturing, even through the source's flat surface. Black levels hold deep and accurate. Flesh tones are influenced by the surrounding lighting and filtering but never appear unduly altered. Trace banding and extremely fine noise are present, but never in any sort of debilitating, or even bothersome, quantity. This is another home run House of Cards transfer from Sony.

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season arrives on Blu-ray with a highly detailed and, when necessary, highly engaging DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Certainly, the show is dialogue intensive. For the most part, the track offers steady, unobstructed, well prioritized, center focused, and richly lifelike dialogue. Music allows for a broader circumference of activity, with regular immersion beyond the front dominance, engaging the surrounds and the subwoofer in harmonious support. A few heavier effects kick in with, again, satisfactorily abundant bass and stage penetration. Ambient effects frequently chime in to support, with natural placement about the listening area. Whether bursting crowds, immersive applause, screaming motorcade sirens, or bouts of chaos after a major event, the track always draws the listener into its grasp by every avenue available to it. No doubt a tighter and more immersive listen could be had with a 7.1 track and added overheads, but for a "standard" 5.1 track the results are impressive to say the least.

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplemental content to be found on any of the four discs. Season one did not contain extras, either, while seasons two and three offered only a sparse collection of featurettes. A UV digital copy voucher is included in the package.

House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Season four is arguably the best season yet. The intrigue runs deep. Surprises abound. It encapsulates everything that's great about the show and everything that one could imagine that's bad about the political system. It's dark and engrossing, expertly performed and a pleasure to watch both on its face and almost in a strangely cathartic sort of way, too, with the veil of phoniness of "real" politics removed and the truth exposed for all to see. Sony's Blu-ray release of House of Cards: The Complete Fourth Season unfortunately features no supplemental content. Video and audio are impressive. Highly recommended, but newcomers should obviously start back at the beginning.