"Chapter 1" (sometimes "Episode 101") is the pilot episode of the American
political thriller
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The ...
drama television series ''
House of Cards
A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an Expression (language), expression that dates back to ...
'' and is the first episode of the
first season. It premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. This episode became the first
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
webisode
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
to earn
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
s and nominations. "Chapter 1" was written by series developer
Beau Willimon
Pack Beauregard Willimon (born October 26, 1977) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He helped develop the American version of the series ''House of Cards'' and served as showrunner for the first four seasons. In 2018, Willimon created th ...
and directed by executive producer
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
. The episode also earned 3 other Emmy nominations as well as
WGA: Episodic Drama and
DGA – Drama Series nominations.
Frank Underwood (
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
) is an ambitious Democratic congressman and the House Majority
Whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
. Underwood helped ensure the election of President Garrett Walker (
Michel Gill
Michel Gill (born April 16, 1960), also known as Michael Gill, is an American actor best known for playing President Garrett Walker in the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Gideon Goddard on ''Mr. Robot''.
Early life
Gill is a first genera ...
), who promised to appoint Underwood as Secretary of State. However, before Walker is sworn in, Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez (
Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey (born February 14, 1962) is an American actress.
Early life
Jaffrey was born in New York City, the youngest daughter of Indian-born parents, actress and food and travel writer Madhur Jaffrey, and actor Saeed Jaffrey. Her parents ...
) announces that the president will not honor the agreement and will instead nominate Senator Michael Kern. Furious at Walker's betrayal, Underwood and his wife
Claire
Clair or Claire may refer to:
*Claire (given name), a list of people with the name Claire
* Clair (surname)
Places
Canada
* Clair, New Brunswick, a former village, now part of Haut-Madawaska
* Clair Parish, New Brunswick
* Pointe-Claire, Q ...
(
Robin Wright
Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress. She has won a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award, and has received eleven Emmy Award nominations for her work in television.
Wright first gained attention for her role in t ...
), an environmental activist, make a pact to destroy Kern. When Zoe Barnes (
Kate Mara
Kate Rooney Mara ( ; born February 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for work in television, playing reporter Zoe Barnes in the Netflix political drama ''House of Cards'' (2013–2014; 2016), computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in t ...
) makes her resources available, she becomes one of their pawns.
The episode was well received by most television critics. They praised the production values of the series as well as the performances of the lead actors.
Plot
Francis "Frank" Underwood (
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
), a
U.S. congressman
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and
Democratic Majority Whip
A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology ...
, leaves his Washington, D.C. residence after hearing his neighbors’ dog get hit by a car. As he comforts the mortally wounded dog, he
addresses the audience before calmly strangling it, introducing his cold and pragmatic nature. Frank and his wife, Claire (
Robin Wright
Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress. She has won a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award, and has received eleven Emmy Award nominations for her work in television.
Wright first gained attention for her role in t ...
), go on to attend a New Year's Eve party in honor of
President-elect
An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Unit ...
Garrett Walker (
Michel Gill
Michel Gill (born April 16, 1960), also known as Michael Gill, is an American actor best known for playing President Garrett Walker in the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Gideon Goddard on ''Mr. Robot''.
Early life
Gill is a first genera ...
). Frank confesses to the viewer that he does not like Walker, but has ingratiated himself to him in the hopes of being nominated as Walker's
Secretary of State.
Frank meets with Walker's
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
, Linda Vasquez (
Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey (born February 14, 1962) is an American actress.
Early life
Jaffrey was born in New York City, the youngest daughter of Indian-born parents, actress and food and travel writer Madhur Jaffrey, and actor Saeed Jaffrey. Her parents ...
), and is initially incensed to learn that she and Walker have decided to go back on their promise of nominating Frank so that he can aid the President-elect's
education agenda in
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
. Despite his assurances to Linda that he will remain Walker's ally, Frank feels personally betrayed and, with help from Claire and Chief of Staff Doug Stamper (
Michael Kelly), formulates a plot for revenge. Meanwhile, Claire is forced to downsize her nonprofit organization, the Clean Water Initiative, which had been promised a large donation upon her husband's confirmation, without which the organization is forced to substantially curtail its budget.
On a whim, ''
The Washington Herald
''The Washington Herald'' was an American daily newspaper in Washington, D.C., from October 8, 1906, to January 31, 1939.
History
The paper was founded in 1906 by Scott C. Bone, who had been managing editor of ''The Washington Post'' from 1888 ...
'' reporter Zoe Barnes (
Kate Mara
Kate Rooney Mara ( ; born February 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for work in television, playing reporter Zoe Barnes in the Netflix political drama ''House of Cards'' (2013–2014; 2016), computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in t ...
) pays a late-night visit to Frank at his home. She offers to be Frank's undercover mouthpiece in the press in exchange for the elevated profile that she would gain from breaking substantive stories. Meanwhile, Peter Russo (
Corey Stoll
Corey Stoll (born March 14, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Congressman Peter Russo on the Netflix political thriller series ''House of Cards'' (2013–2016), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination in 2013, ...
), a young and inexperienced congressman from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, is arrested for
drunk driving
Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash.
In the United States, alcohol is invo ...
with a prostitute named Rachel Posner (
Rachel Brosnahan
Rachel Elizabeth Brosnahan (born July 12, 1990) is an American actress. She stars as aspiring stand-up comedian Miriam "Midge" Maisel in the Amazon Prime Video period comedy series ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' (2017–present), for which she w ...
). Stamper finds out about the arrest and immediately contacts the D.C.
police commissioner, offering Underwood's support for his
mayoral campaign in exchange for releasing Russo. Russo is picked up from jail by his secretary and romantic partner, Christina Gallagher (
Kristen Connolly
Kristen Connolly (born July 12, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Dana in the 2011 film ''The Cabin in the Woods'', Christina Gallagher on the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Jamie Campbell on the CBS series ''Zo ...
), and falsely tells her that he was alone when he was arrested.
Frank meets with Donald Blythe (
Reed Birney
Reed Birney (born September 11, 1954) is an American actor. Birney is known for his performances on stage and screen often acting on and off Broadway. Birney gained acclaim in 2016 for his role in '' The Humans'' winning the Tony Award for Best F ...
), a
progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
congressman with whom the Walker Administration wants to work on an education bill. Frank dismisses his proposal as too ambitious and asks Blythe to rewrite it, but secretly passes a copy to Zoe. He then meets with
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Catherine Durant (
Jayne Atkinson
Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on '' 24'', as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in '' The Rainmaker'' and '' Enchanted April''. She has also appeared in ...
) and suggests that she ought to consider seeking the nomination for Secretary of State. Frank also privately confronts Russo about his arrest and past behavior, and demands his loyalty in exchange for making the incident disappear. Zoe takes the draft of Blythe's bill to the ''Herald''’s political editor, Lucas Goodwin (
Sebastian Arcelus
Sebastian Arcelus (born November 5, 1976) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Lucas Goodwin in the Netflix TV series ''House of Cards'' (2013–2016) and Jay Whitman in the CBS TV series '' Madam Secretary'' (2014–2019). Arcelus ...
), and its chief editor, Tom Hammerschmidt (
Boris McGiver
Boris McGiver (born January 23, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in projects such as ''Lincoln'', ''House of Cards'', ''The Wire'', ''Killing Kennedy'', and ''Person of Interest''.
Personal life
Of Irish and Ukrainian d ...
), who gives her the lead on the story over chief political correspondent Janine Skorsky (
Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for playing Dana Gordon in the television series ''Entourage'' (2005–2011) and Claire Simms in the television series ''Boston Legal'' (2006–2007). She ...
). The episode ends the morning after Walker's
inauguration
In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...
, with Frank visiting his favorite restaurant, Freddy's BBQ Joint, for breakfast. On the front page of the ''Herald'' is Zoe's story about Blythe's "far left" education plan.
Production
The episode was directed by
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
[ and was written by ]Beau Willimon
Pack Beauregard Willimon (born October 26, 1977) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He helped develop the American version of the series ''House of Cards'' and served as showrunner for the first four seasons. In 2018, Willimon created th ...
,[ who has served as an aide to ]Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
, Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, lobbyist, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 200 ...
and Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
. Independent studio Media Rights Capital
MRC II Distribution Company L.P., doing business as MRC (formerly Media Rights Capital), is an American film and television studio. Founded by Mordecai (Modi) Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, the company funds and produces film and television programming. ...
purchased the rights to ''House of Cards'', with the intent on creating a series.[ Netflix agreed to contribute an undisclosed fixed fee to production costs in March 2011. As he was completing his work on '' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'', Fincher was introduced to the original miniseries by his agent and sought to develop a series with ]Eric Roth
Eric R. Roth (born March 22, 1945) is an American screenwriter. He has been nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay — for ''Forrest Gump'' (1994), '' The Insider'' (1999), ''Munich'' (2005), '' The Curious Case of ...
. ''House of Cards'' was pitched to several cable network
Networking cables are networking hardware used to connect one network device to other network devices or to connect two or more computers to share devices such as printers or scanners. Different types of network cables, such as coaxial cable, opt ...
s, including HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
, AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** AM ...
and Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
. Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
, interested in launching their own original programming, outbid the networks, picking the series up for 26 episodes, totaling two seasons. Netflix was the only bidder that was interested in purchasing the rights without seeing a completed pilot. Thus, the show was not forced into manipulating story arcs introduced in the pilot to create artificial cliffhangers.
Casting
Fincher stated that every main cast member was their first choice. In the first read through, he said "I want everybody here to know that you represent our first choice – each actor here represents our first choice for these characters. So do not fuck this up." Spacey, whose last regular television role was in the series '' Wiseguy'', responded positively to the script. He then played Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
, which Fincher said was "great training". Spacey supported the decision to release all of the episodes at once, believing that this type of release pattern will be increasingly common with television shows. He said, "When I ask my friends what they did with their weekend, they say, 'Oh, I stayed in and watched three seasons of ''Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...
or it's two seasons of ''Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
''". He was officially cast on March 18, 2011. Robin Wright
Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress. She has won a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award, and has received eleven Emmy Award nominations for her work in television.
Wright first gained attention for her role in t ...
was approached by Fincher to star in the series when they worked together in ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (original title in sv, Män som hatar kvinnor , lit=''Men Who Hate Women'') is a psychological thriller novel by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson (1954–2004). It was published posthumously in 2 ...
''. She was cast as Claire Underwood
Claire Underwood (née Hale) is a fictional character in ''House of Cards'', played by Robin Wright. She is the wife of the show's protagonist Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and the main protagonist in the final season. She is a lobbyist and r ...
in June 2011. Kate Mara
Kate Rooney Mara ( ; born February 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for work in television, playing reporter Zoe Barnes in the Netflix political drama ''House of Cards'' (2013–2014; 2016), computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in t ...
was cast as Zoe Barnes in early February 2012. Mara's sister, Rooney Mara, worked with Fincher in ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', and when Kate Mara read the part of Zoe, she "fell in love with the character" and asked her sister to "put in a word for me with Fincher". The next month, she got a call for an audition.
Cast
In order billed in the episode opening credits:
*Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
as U.S. Representative Francis J. Underwood
*Robin Wright
Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress. She has won a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award, and has received eleven Emmy Award nominations for her work in television.
Wright first gained attention for her role in t ...
as Claire Underwood
Claire Underwood (née Hale) is a fictional character in ''House of Cards'', played by Robin Wright. She is the wife of the show's protagonist Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and the main protagonist in the final season. She is a lobbyist and r ...
, Francis' wife
*Kate Mara
Kate Rooney Mara ( ; born February 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for work in television, playing reporter Zoe Barnes in the Netflix political drama ''House of Cards'' (2013–2014; 2016), computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in t ...
as Zoe Barnes, a reporter
*Corey Stoll
Corey Stoll (born March 14, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Congressman Peter Russo on the Netflix political thriller series ''House of Cards'' (2013–2016), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination in 2013, ...
as U.S. Representative Peter Russo
* Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper, Underwood's Chief of Staff
*Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey (born February 14, 1962) is an American actress.
Early life
Jaffrey was born in New York City, the youngest daughter of Indian-born parents, actress and food and travel writer Madhur Jaffrey, and actor Saeed Jaffrey. Her parents ...
as Linda Vasquez, White House Chief of Staff
*Kristen Connolly
Kristen Connolly (born July 12, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Dana in the 2011 film ''The Cabin in the Woods'', Christina Gallagher on the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Jamie Campbell on the CBS series ''Zo ...
as Christina Gallagher, a congressional staffer
*Sebastian Arcelus
Sebastian Arcelus (born November 5, 1976) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Lucas Goodwin in the Netflix TV series ''House of Cards'' (2013–2016) and Jay Whitman in the CBS TV series '' Madam Secretary'' (2014–2019). Arcelus ...
as Lucas Goodwin
*Boris McGiver
Boris McGiver (born January 23, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in projects such as ''Lincoln'', ''House of Cards'', ''The Wire'', ''Killing Kennedy'', and ''Person of Interest''.
Personal life
Of Irish and Ukrainian d ...
as Tom Hammerschmidt, editor-in-chief for ''The Washington Herald
''The Washington Herald'' was an American daily newspaper in Washington, D.C., from October 8, 1906, to January 31, 1939.
History
The paper was founded in 1906 by Scott C. Bone, who had been managing editor of ''The Washington Post'' from 1888 ...
''
*Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for playing Dana Gordon in the television series ''Entourage'' (2005–2011) and Claire Simms in the television series ''Boston Legal'' (2006–2007). She ...
as Janine Skorsky, a reporter
*Jayne Atkinson
Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on '' 24'', as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in '' The Rainmaker'' and '' Enchanted April''. She has also appeared in ...
as Senator Catherine Durant
*Michel Gill
Michel Gill (born April 16, 1960), also known as Michael Gill, is an American actor best known for playing President Garrett Walker in the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Gideon Goddard on ''Mr. Robot''.
Early life
Gill is a first genera ...
as Garrett Walker, the President
*Dan Ziskie
Dan Ziskie is an American actor and photographer. Ziskie portrayed the character Frank Niggar on a popular sketch on ''Chappelle's Show''. He was on '' Treme'', where he played a politically connected banker in Post-Katrina New Orleans. He had a ...
as Jim Matthews, the Vice President
*Elizabeth Norment as Nancy Kaufberger
*Reed Birney as Rep. Donald Blythe
* Kevin Kilner as Michael Kern
*Francie Swift
Francie Swift is an American actress best known for her role as Cynthia in ''Thoroughbreds'' and her recurring roles as Haylie Grimes on ''Outsiders'' and Anne Vanderbilt Archibald on ''Gossip Girl''.
Life and career
Swift was born in Amarillo ...
as Felicity Holburn
*Karl Kenzler as Senator Charles Holburn
* Chuck Cooper as Barney Hull
* Maryann Plunkett as Evelyn Baxter
*Chance Kelly
Chance Kelly is an American film and television actor who portrayed NFL Coach Mike Martz in the film American Underdog (2021). He also played Detective Ed Cutler on the NBC series ''Aquarius''. He is also known for starring as Lt. Col. "Godfathe ...
as Steve
*Rachel Brosnahan
Rachel Elizabeth Brosnahan (born July 12, 1990) is an American actress. She stars as aspiring stand-up comedian Miriam "Midge" Maisel in the Amazon Prime Video period comedy series ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' (2017–present), for which she w ...
as Rachel Posner, a former prostitute
*Reg E. Cathey
Reginald Eurias Cathey (August 18, 1958 – February 9, 2018) was an American character actor. He was best known for his roles as Norman Wilson in ''The Wire'', Martin Querns in '' Oz'', the game show announcer in ''Square One Television'', Dr. ...
as Freddy Hayes, the owner of Freddy's BBQ
Filming
While Netflix had ventured into original programming by greenlighting foreign shows that were new to United States audiences with shows such as '' Lilyhammer'', ''House of Cards'' represented the first show made for Netflix.[ Filming for the first season began in January 2012 in ]Harford County
Harford County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is al ...
, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
.
"Chapter 1" sets the tone for the environs of the series. According to David Carr the political environs have such "marbleness" that it belies the clandestine nature of political activities, including those of Underwood who says he is there to "clear the pipes and keep the sludge moving". The fictional newspaper, ''The Washington Herald'', is set with "brutal" lighting and drab furniture, in part because it was filmed at the real life offices of ''The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
''. Carr uses several pejorative adjectives to describe Barnes' apartment including sad, grubby, dirty, dreary and humble but note that this implies that the digital revolution is dominated by people "on laptops who have no furniture". Similarly, Underwood and his associates are nattily clad, Barnes shows a lack of fashion recognition.[
]
Release
The episode was broadcast online by Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
on February 1, 2013, as part of the simultaneous release of all 13 episodes of season 1 of the series. The debut date was a weekend when there was little competition on television other than Super Bowl XLVII and a new episode of '' Downton Abbey'' on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
. Netflix broadcast "Chapter 1" and "Chapter 2" to critics several days in advance of the release.
Reception
Reviews
The episode received positive reviews from critics. Elements of the opening scene were lauded. Matt Roush of ''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' praised Spacey's self introduction as a Machiavellian politician in which he says "I have no patience for useless things." ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' Matthew Gilbert noted that "the first two episodes were expertly directed by David Fincher" and Spacey's harmonious cadence such as those used in the first scene of this episode "makes even his character's mercy killing of an injured dog – which he does by hand – seem a little less brutal." Not only is Underwood described as Machiavellian, one critic from ''The New York Times'' notes that his belief in the omnipresence of dirt expressed as "Nobody's a Boy Scout, not even a Boy Scout" harkens back to Willie Stark
''Willie Stark'' is an opera in three acts and nine scenes by Carlisle Floyd to his own libretto, after the 1946 novel ''All the King's Men'' by Robert Penn Warren, which in turn was inspired by the life of the Louisiana governor Huey Long. The o ...
in '' All the King's Men'' who said "There's always something".[
'']Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' television critic James Poniewozik, notes that by the end of the first episode Frank establishes that his metaphor of choice is meat because both literally and figuratively it is his preference. He may begin a day with a celebratory rack of ribs, because "I'm feelin' hungry today!", but also he describes life with meat metaphors: he describes the White House Chief of Staff with grudging admiration: "She's as tough as a two-dollar steak."; he plans to destroy an enemy the way "you devour a whale. One bite at a time"; and he endures a tedious weekly meeting with House leaders, he tells us, by " maginingtheir lightly salted faces frying in a skillet." Poniewozik notes that all of this comes from a character whose name, Underwood is a reference to the hallmark deviled ham of the William Underwood Company.[
Roush also notes that the first two weeks show how Claire "runs a charity with a brutally iron fist".][ While Frank is Machiavellian, Claire presents a woman urging on her husband's assertion of power in the image of ]Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy '' Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...
.[ ]Hank Stuever
Hank Stuever (born 1968) is an American journalist who writes about popular culture for the ''Style'' section of ''The Washington Post''.
Early life and education
Stuever was born and raised in Oklahoma City, where he attended Bishop McGuinn ...
of ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' describes her as an ice-queen wife. She encourages his vices while noting her disapproval of his weakness saying "My husband doesn't apologize...even to me." Nancy deWolf Smith
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
of ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' describes what she sees of their relationship in the first two episodes as pivotal to the show's success: "Benign though they may seem – and their harmless air is what makes the Underwoods so effective as political plotters – this is a power couple with the same malignant chemistry as pairs of serial killers, where each needs the other in order to become lethal".
Gilbert also notes that Mara's surprising naivete is a welcome respite against a backdrop of a "terminally jaded" cast.[ As the show begins, aspiring journalist Zoe Barnes is desperate to rise from covering the "Fairfax County Council" beat to covering "'what's behind the veil' of power in the Capitol hallways."][ Alessandra Stanley of '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' notes that by the end of the first episode, Mara's Barnes is among the cadre of Frank's accomplices. After she pleads for a relationship with him by promising to earn his trust and not "ask any questions", Frank uses her fiendishly.[ However, Ashley Parker of ''The New York Times'' considers her unfathomably aggressive and too overt, transactional and sexual. Parker points out that Barnes' statement "I protect your identity, I print what you tell me, and I'll never ask any questions" almost discredits itself.][
''The Washington Post'' Stuever has many complaints about the show including the fact that it is about Washington, DC, but filmed in ]Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.[ He also complains about its entrance into the television landscape littered with "more fictitious administrations than anyone can keep track of". He says that perspective will affect your perception of the show. Those not already inundated with "Type A personalities inside the Beltway" in their daily lives may be drawn to the show. However, it is not likely a show that will serve well those who spend a lot of time with the issues that the show deals with.][ After viewing the first two episodes, Stuever also finds fault with the use of breaking the fourth wall, describing it as "the show's unwise narrative trope".][ ''The Wall Street Journal'' Smith defends the fourth wall as an "artifice that generally works well here to loosen our bearings".][
Ryan McGee of '']The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' notes Russo seems to employ vices without restraint, which is a respite from the other exacting characters in the episode and a makes him a sort of metaphor for the show. McGee also notes that the episode includes "establishing shots within Zoe's apartment that offer up almost everything you need to know about her current position in life".[
]
Accolades
On July 18, 2013, ''House of Cards'' (along with Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
's other web series' '' Arrested Development'' and '' Hemlock Grove'') earned the first Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nominations for original online only streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in prime time television programming from June 1, 2012 until May 31, 2013, were held on Sunday, September 22, 2013 at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. CBS televised the cere ...
in 2013. Among ''House of Cards nine nominations, "Chapter 1" received four nominations for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards and 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards The 65th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 15, 2013, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual Primetime Emmy Awards and is presented in recognition ...
becoming the first webisode
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
(online-only episode) of a television series to receive a major Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series is presented to the best directing of a television drama series, usually for a particular episode.Though this category is the dominant one in which dramatic directing has been ...
for David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
. This episode also received several Creative Arts Emmy Award
The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, set ...
nominations, including Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic).[ "Chapter 1" was also Spacey's pick to support his nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.]
On September 15, at the Creative Arts Emmy Award
The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, set ...
presentation, "Chapter 1" and Eigil Bryld earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series, making "Chapter 1" the first ever Emmy-awarded webisode
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
. Then on September 22, David Fincher won Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for directing the pilot episode "Chapter 1", bringing the series to a total of three wins and marking the first ever win for a webisode at the Primetime Emmy award ceremony. None of the Emmy awards were considered to be in major categories, however.
Notes
External links
''House of Cards'' on Netflix
*
{{EmmyAward DirectingDrama 2001–2025
2013 American television episodes
House of Cards (American TV series) episodes
American television series premieres
Emmy Award-winning episodes