By Mayank Jain:
Nothing comes close to creating high tension political drama than Frank Underwood’s strategic manoeuvres and Claire’s equally piercing witty repartees that pierce through the characters as easily as they pierce us while we devour the show, ‘House of Cards‘. The second season has just debuted on Netflix and on Show Box, people are rushing to catch it. Here are some things we can learn from the show which is high on brilliance.
1. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer:
Frank Underwood comes off as an ideal majority whip who knows how to get things done. He always makes it a point to keep a tab on his enemy’s moves more than whereabouts of his own people. His hawk eye didn’t spare Remy, Raymond Tusk or even the President on occasions.
2. Opportunities don’t knock twice:
Who better than the pragmatic reporter Zoe Barnes to learn proactiveness from. She was always on the lookout for great story and didn’t shy away from speaking her mind out even if it meant getting fired but she did find herself in a better place because of her ability to go the extra mile to get a good story.
3. Money is not power:
There is enough evidence in the show of wealthy individuals falling in line with Frank’s plan who never had the kind of money but he did have the vision and strategy to control them. “Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn’t see the difference.”
4. Promises are meant to be kept:
Manipulating is one thing, deceiving is another. Frank makes clear distinction between the two by constantly honouring his promises and spoken word throughout even when he is putting words into mouth of the other promises. “The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances.”
5. Respect your companion:
Frank and Claire are caring, cunning and they complement each other at every step of the way towards their grand strategy. They both come back to each other after a bad day and share a cigarette, hug it out and get ready for the next day. Even when Claire went to stay with her beau with no news, Frank made no attempts to contact her to bring her back.
6. Success doesn’t come easy, doesn’t mean you should stop trying:
The grit, determination and courage of each character in the show to rise up and give one more shot is unparalleled. From Russo’s stint to be a governor to Vice President’s dissatisfaction on being only the second most powerful person in the country, House of Cards is full of inspiration to keep trying harder.
7. Keep your cards close to your chest:
Frank Underwood is a lesson in discretion. He is the ultimate secret keeper who is different to each person he encounters and never reveals more than he should. He knows to not count chickens before they hatch and hence, he never trusts anyone with his own dark secrets that make him vulnerable. “After all, we are nothing more or less than what we choose to reveal.”
