In the wake of its success, Netflix's original series "House of Cards" is gearing up for its second season. Politically charged Congressman Frank Underwood will make his return to the show's icy and manipulative depiction of Washington, D.C. in early 2014, and fans couldn't be more excited. For those who simply cannot wait any longer, here are a few details from the season 2 production to help ease the pain.
One of the shows odder characters, an eerily poignant billionaire reminiscent of real world millionaire financier Rex Sinquefield, will be returning in the forthcoming season, according to the Riverfront Times. In season 1, Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney) flew Underwood (Kevin Spacey) to his home in St. Louis to talk shop and make a critical assessment of his potential vice presidential qualities.
The LA production Knight Takes King recently contacted a St. Louis based firm to shoot background shots of downtown STL to set the scene for a pensive Mr. Tusk. The production company, called Illustrated Man, was charged with the task of finding the perfect view of downtown to serve as a backdrop for Tusk's deliberation.
The job came as a blessing for Illustrated Man, as the company had been strapped for cash after purchasing a high-tech camera. "We're always on the edge of technology," said senior creative director Joe Mason. "The image is four times greater than HD."
"The setup is that they call him from D.C., and he's in the middle of making this huge power play," Mason added. "He's standing on the balcony or roof of his building working downtown... he's bird-watching in the middle of winter."
In completely unrelated, yet still exciting "House of Cards" news, Robin Wright, who plays Claire, the wife of Kevin Spacey's Francis Underwood, recently spoke to The Herald about the creative process behind the politically charged series.
"I think part of me was, 'TV? Really?' It's not TV. It's a 13-episode film. That's what it feels like," Wright said. "David assured me that I'd be a part of the collaboration in building the character with Kevin and Beau. A lot of times in this business, we are sold a package of goods, but I got exactly what I was sold."
"House of Cards" is expected to debut on Netflix sometime in early 2014.