House of Cards

I finally jumped on the House of Cards wagon. Frank Underwood is incredible. The writing is masterfully done, it's always a force of will to root against him; well, not always. At his worst moments, you relish the thought of watching him squirm when the worst can't be avoided.

I guess it's even better when he throws one of his little fits! Because he COULD avoid that humiliation, if he were a better man. But no, he's remarkably transparent; all you've got to do to make him snap is disrespect him.

He's more transparent than the villain-protagonists in other shows, much easier to see through his schemes and it's much harder to believe his victims fall for his plots. That, too, makes it more believable, because it's so much easier to overlook these cues in the real world.

It makes me feel righteous, makes me feel sanctimonious that I am COMPETENT enough to do these sorts of manipulations but not CAPABLE of them. I feel like I'm above that.

Think and feel are two different emotions, though.  It's simply that I wouldn't have the resolve, even if I did have a righteous reason to be a sleazeball (which Underwood does not). It is a part of me that I can only be thankful is absent, just as I can only be thankful for my intelligence. Neither the absent flaw nor the present proficiency are reasons to be proud of anything. I am a product of my nature and nurture, and I have to strive to do the best I can with that product.

Just because it comes naturally sometimes doesn't mean it's right to feel sanctimonious about it. That would put me on the road to becoming like him, if there is such a road. If there's a benefit to be gleaned from this show (aside from the obvious entertainment value), it's to avoid straying in that direction.