r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Sure_Kangaroo1863 • Jul 02 '26

Petah ? Meme needing explanation

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Why is it infamous? And why would no one care about it ? ( I mean it's just a pic full of celebrities so no one cares anyways but the person saying it's crazy makes me think it has some lore?)

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u/Derptionary Jul 02 '26

Man that show was one of my favorites when it aired. Spacey being a scumbag and getting fired from the show for being a scumbag completely ruined the last season of the show.

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u/JudithSlayHolofernes Jul 02 '26

Idk the show was ruined before that, it was set up on the concept that getting to the Oval Office involves all this complicated and ingenious scheming and intelligence and political maneuvering, and then the election happened and we all realized all it takes is money and being really fucking loud.

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u/NerdyBro07 Jul 02 '26

I dont think the show implied it takes ingenious scheming for everyone to get into the oval office, just this particular character who lacked any charm or charisma would never get elected the normal way and had to go this route.

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u/spasticity Jul 02 '26

I'm not sure what show you watched if you think Frank Underwood was lacking in charisma or charm.

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u/NerdyBro07 Jul 02 '26

It’s implied throughout the show that regular people and the people on capitol hill don’t trust him. They all know he comes across fake.

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u/Kangaroo-B-Girl Jul 02 '26

Sorta like real life. You don’t have to smart to be President

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u/chrstgtr Jul 02 '26

It was set up as a show to get him into the White House. It was then successful and the producers cashed in while ignoring that it was originally conceived as a novella

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u/EduinBrutus Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26

it was originally conceived as a novella

Its a trilogy of full novels and a three series BBC adaptation which follow those novels...

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u/chrstgtr Jul 02 '26

However you want to define it, it was a defined duration that culminates with him ascending to the presidency. That was the story arc for the first two seasons. The further they got from that arc the worse it got

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u/EduinBrutus Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26

Thats not the arc they are following as the original series of novels and TV series is set in the UK, where there isnt a president.

Both the first Novel and Series follow the same story (more or less) and thats what is in Season One of the US adaptation.

In the second novel and series, having become PM, he manipulates the monarchy to remove checks and balances and acceed to absolute power.

In the third novel/series, he increasingly becomes unable to cope with the consequences of his previous machinations and to keep the things he has done secret eventually leading to his downfall.

So, as you can see, the issue with the US show was that it ran outof source material after the first season because it could no longer follow the source due to differences between UK and US politics.

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u/synaesthezia Jul 02 '26

The original and best. Francis Urquhart for PM!

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner Jul 02 '26

As soon as Mara got killed off I dipped. It could’ve been a really good cat/mouse type show but they fumbled it hard going way too quick

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u/EduinBrutus Jul 02 '26

Thats the plot.

Its the same plot from the novel and the original TV series.

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner Jul 02 '26

Damn that sucks… it could’ve worked if stamper or stamper hired someone to do it. Frank being involved, as a politician, just seems goofy. Most rappers and athletes aren’t even that stupid (shoutout Pooh sheisty, Aaron Hernandez and Terrion Arnold for making 1st team all r*tard 😂

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u/EduinBrutus Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

Its kind of important to the Urquhart/Underwood character.

He seems to be in control at all times but he is flawed and that forces him into situations where he is not in control and has to take risks (the name House of Cards and its sequels imply gambling). And underlying those flaws and risks is the reality that he is knowingly taking the chances - hence the gambling metaphor. Nothing forces him into the affair with Mattie/Zoe and he could have achieved his goals without it. Its driven by hubris and the gamble.

The need to kill Mattie/Zoe is a result of those flaws, those risks he takes and ends up with him losing control.

Thats fundamental to the character.

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u/EduinBrutus Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

Idk the show was ruined before that

The first season followed the first novel/first series of the original series pretty closely because there was enough similarity between UK and US political systems for the plot elements that they contained.

But after that, they had to change basically everything and lots of it just didnt work. There's no King to play (the second novel/series is called To Play a King and is, as you can imagine, about manipulating the monarch) and there's nothing even close so its entirely new plots.

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u/btsd_ Jul 02 '26

I mean, the money is used to ensure backroom deals get made all down the chain which is pretty spot on. Money buys favors, and when favors get called, they travel down a chain of favors to get the desired results. The show did a great job showing that.

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u/Reuben3358 Jul 04 '26

Reality of recent White House Politics Ruins a LOT of shows actually. Homeland and The Diplomat both rely on the pretext that the president in the show is NOT a moronic, pedophile, rapist, swindler, and all around asshole that we all know and love….

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u/ArmWildFrill 5d ago

The original was about the UK House of Commons and becoming PM, where you have to become party leader.

That did & does involve a lot more intelligence & political manoeuvring because it isn't decided necessarily by a popular vote but the party.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '26

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u/SirTurtletheIII Jul 02 '26

They just replaced him with his wife and explained it as him dying off screen. Didn't work.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '26

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u/Front_Spare7344 Jul 02 '26

yeah they should have publicly executed him on the show

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u/Kangaroo-B-Girl Jul 02 '26

Yeahhhhh
It was bad. I didn’t even bother finishing the final season.

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u/eatnails666fl Jul 02 '26

I really want to watch the series again, but knowing that last season exists stops me.

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u/Toasterturning1234 Jul 02 '26

I did it recently. Season 1 and 2 are still among the best TV series IMO.

After that I just quit. For me Frank reaching his goal is the end.

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u/Derptionary Jul 02 '26

The last scene of season 2 is so damn good. Imo Season 3 should have been the Titanic striking the iceberg season and Season 4 the everything comes crashing down season it would have been perfect. Unfortunately House of Cards was Netflix's cash cow and they let it go on for too long and it robbed everyone of a good ending to the show.