Entertainment
Some Advice from a Misunderstood Underwood
The showrunners and actors from House of Cards are staying tight-lipped on spoilers, leaving us to our own devices in speculating about theories for Season 3 of House of Cards. But that doesn't mean they don't give us a bone every once in a while: the show's screenwriter Beau Willimon revealed some more insight into the devil that is Francis J. Underwood—why, excuse me, PRESIDENT Underwood. Speaking to the Washington, D.C. of the House of Cards universe versus the real life Beltway, Willimon praised Underwood (in a matter of speaking), saying the character isn't necessarily purely evil, he's just misunderstood: "I don’t advocate elected officials offing people, but we are watching someone not tied down by gridlock. When Frank gets boxed in he finds a way to unlock the situation. There’s a certain wish fulfillment for viewers because we’d like to see this more in real life."
In other words, UNDERWOOD GETS STUFF DONE. He's the kind of man that moves through the stalemates and dilly-dallying of Washington with ease, keeping his eyes on the prize. Willimon went on: "I don’t see Frank as morally bankrupt of cynical. If something isn’t working, he’ll try something else. The way he goes about is ethically questionable but Frank Underwood is an optimist." Er... not sure that Frank is a moral compass to follow, but as we've seen from his wheeling, dealing and murdering throughout Seasons 1 and 2 of the political thriller, Frank Underwood is not someone to twiddle his thumbs. Here's some sage Underwood advice to help you follow your dreams and reach your goals—apply it as you will, but you should probably avoid quietly gassing congressmen in their cars in parking garages.
Timing is everything
Whatever you decide your next move is going to be, make your decision during the daylight hours with a clear head (maybe ponder it over some barbecue).
Keep some cards close to your chest
Sure, you want to open up and trust others, but don't reveal everything all in one go: you never know when your secrets could be used against you.
Be confident!
Be your best you! Confidence is contagious!
Know what you're dealing with
Don't hate the players, hate the game. (And I guess if you're Frank, hate the players, too).
But at the end of the day, really, there's only one rule to productivity
It's a lone man's game out there. And it's lonely. It's tough to keep friends when you're constantly using them for political gain and/or trying to kill them. But hey, like Willimon said, Frank is an optimist, and he's optimistic that he can manipulate or use anyone to his advantage. It's just gonna leave him with no one to text emojis to at the end of the night. But at least he's powering through the gridlock.
