Obelia Modjeska's Blog

It's been a minute, but I can now proudly announce that I have a new true crime book out. Ace in the Hole: the Bad Romance between a Legendary Killer and a Hollywood Playwright was released late 2022 and is rising in the ranks and garnering glowing reviews on Amazon. 

This is a bizarre true story of love gone wrong. A glamorous and talented Hollywood actress and playwright approaches one of America's most notorious incarcerated serial killers, seeking insight into the mind of a murderer.

Hoping to leverage his fame to her own advantage, she interviews him as part of research for her new play. She dreams of creating the next Hollywood horror hit, but her plans go awry when she underestimates the charisma and manipulative charms of the subject behind bars.

Love turns into madness as he puts her devotion to the ultimate test… and invites her to act out the plot of her play in the real world.

This is an exciting fast read that, like all my books, will appeal to fans of true crime and history. 

Praise from readers:

"Readers will be attached to a world of intrigue and darkness, where the lines between fact and fiction blur, and the truth is hard to distinguish than lies. Modjeska has done an outstanding job of weaving together the intricate details of this true crime story."

"A genuinely good read by a very talented author...this book has a ton of mystery and suspense and will not let you down!"

"A great true crime read. I couldn't put the book down! Just wow! Highly recommend."

You can buy Ace in the Hole on Amazon, Apple, and various other online and instore retailers:

https://theindependentbookstore.com/products/ace-in-the-hole

Happy reading friends, and don't forget to leave a review ;)

“The best thing about people is that they stack so neatly”                                                    - Frank Underwood

Official description from Netflix: Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.

Info on imdb

House of Cards is a political drama set in the White House, which depicts the rise to power of scheming and duplicitous husband-and-wife team Francis and Claire Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright respectively). I think most of us have wondered whether the leaders of the free world are psychopaths; this series takes that premise and turns it into entertainment.
Is it just entertainment? Well, that’s what makes this show so interesting. The 2013-2018 American production is based on the much older British BBC series of the same name, which is in turn based on the novels of Michael Dobbs who had a hand in the development and production of both shows (you can watch the much older BBC version on ABC iview, for comparison purposes). Author Michael Dobbs is Margaret Thatcher’s former Chief of Staff. He wrote the novels after an acrimonious falling-out with the Iron Lady which led to his resignation. Dobbs wouldn’t be pressed on what parts of House of Cards might be true, only revealing that “most of the stuff I put into House of Cards was material from events I'd either seen, or participated in, or done, or watched other people do.”
It would seem a bad day at work was the initial inspiration for House of Cards. We all have those; times when we feel disrespected and unappreciated, and that our tireless efforts are taken for granted. But we don’t do what Francis Underwood does, even though we might dream about it. 
HoC starts with our protagonist irate and aghast after being denied a promised promotion to Secretary of State. "The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances!", he sarcastically replies to presidential Senior Advisor Linda Vasquez after she delivers the unwelcome news. 
The series’ premise unwinds as he enacts a convoluted scheme of retribution, displacing his enemies to ascend to the highest rungs of power. His wife Claire, CEO of a Non-Profit called the Clean Water Initiative, assists him while cultivating political ambitions of her own. Along the way, various characters are used as pawns in the gambit. Initially charmed by the apparent largesse of the Underwoods, and flattered to be admitted to the coterie, the good times inevitably come to a sordid end when their utility is exhausted, or they begin to chafe at the Underwood’s rather extreme demands.
House of Cards is uneven in places, but overall, a brilliant series. If you are a fan of the performances of Kevin Spacey, you definitely shouldn’t miss this show, as it is mainly his vehicle, although Robin Wright as Claire Underwood is also excellent, as are all of the supporting cast. You might even want to tune in simply because this is the last time we get to see Spacey in a major role designed to showcase his talents; this was the show that brought him down, as it was sexual assault allegations by members of the production that led to his disgrace and the end of his career. He is missing from the final season for this reason. Retrospective knowledge of those incidents, for me, led to a kind of icky viewing experience during scenes depicting sexual relations between Spacey and a much younger female character in Season 1 (Kate Mara as reporter Zoe Barnes), which almost (unfairly) led me to stop watching. Spacey as Frank Underwood produces an almost hypnotic character; from a poor Southern family based in Gaffney, son of a violent alcoholic, possessed of no innate advantages but his own gritty determination and a superlative understanding of congress and political processes, we kind of want to root for him - except that he is a really dreadful person. It turns out that once he gets a chance to exercise them, his policy ideas aren't entirely terrible. There is an element of Shakespearean tragedy here as we wonder whether in another world, in which he eschewed the dark path and succeeded on his own merits, he might have been a remarkable leader. But that isn't the world we live in, which is kind of the point the show seems to be making. Instead, politics and society inhabit the realm of artifice, where "what it looks like" is almost always more important than "what it is". In this world, fakery, deceit and the path of least resistance wins most of the time, and it's people like Frank Underwood who have got what it takes. 
Aside from the drawcard of Spacey, House of Cards has those qualities that to me tend to really set a series apart and make me want to keep watching: nuanced and fascinating characters (my favourite is Frank Underwood’s frighteningly loyal Chief of Staff and right hand, Doug Stamper), intelligent writing, fast moving and complicated plotting that still manages to make sense, and story arcs capable of drawing one in at the emotional level. The fate of hapless congressman Peter Russo, one of Underwood’s pawns, in Season 1 is one example. Other highlights of this series for me included Lars Mikkelson as Russian President Victor Petrov, a seeming stand-in for Vladimir Putin, in Season 3. Underwood and Petrov have a complex relationship, underlined by Frank’s envy that Petrov can accomplish things in a dictatorship that he cannot in a democracy: “Revolution sneaks up on you,” Petrov says, “One step at a time. I don’t take chances, even with the smallest of steps”. 
There are plenty of shocks delivered as we are made witness to the depravity and corruption of life behind the scenes of the White House. House of Cards offers an engrossing live action demonstration of how political events often have so little to do with their outer meanings and stated purposes. While the public is given ideology and party platitudes, the realities are endlessly shaped by shifting alliances and conflicts forged in service of individual and corporate interest. There are timely allusions to fake news, false flag events, election tampering and social media engineering of the populace. Even though the detail of the scenarios is undoubtedly fictional, the contemporary resonance of so much that goes on in this show makes for some rather uncomfortable viewing.






Where to watch House of Cards:  https://www.tvguide.com
About the author: OJ Modjeska is a true crime author who reads a lot of books and watches a lot of movies and TV shows. Bestselling titles include "Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise" and the "Murder by Increments" series. Currently seeking representation to option my books for the screen. Amazon author pageBlog

“The best thing about people is that they stack so neatly”                                                    - Frank Underwood

Official description from Netflix: Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.

Info on imdb

House of Cards is a political drama set in the White House, which depicts the rise to power of scheming and duplicitous husband-and-wife team Francis and Claire Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright respectively). I think most of us have wondered whether the leaders of the free world are psychopaths; this series takes that premise and turns it into entertainment.
Is it just entertainment? Well, that’s what makes this show so interesting. The 2013-2018 American production is based on the much older British BBC series of the same name, which is in turn based on the novels of Michael Dobbs who had a hand in the development and production of both shows (you can watch the much older BBC version on ABC iview, for comparison purposes). Author Michael Dobbs is Margaret Thatcher’s former Chief of Staff. He wrote the novels after an acrimonious falling-out with the Iron Lady which led to his resignation. Dobbs wouldn’t be pressed on what parts of House of Cards might be true, only revealing that “most of the stuff I put into House of Cards was material from events I'd either seen, or participated in, or done, or watched other people do.”
It would seem a bad day at work was the initial inspiration for House of Cards. We all have those; times when we feel disrespected and unappreciated, and that our tireless efforts are taken for granted. But we don’t do what Francis Underwood does, even though we might dream about it. 
HoC starts with our protagonist irate and aghast after being denied a promised promotion to Secretary of State. "The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances!", he sarcastically replies to presidential Senior Advisor Linda Vasquez after she delivers the unwelcome news. 
The series’ premise unwinds as he enacts a convoluted scheme of retribution, displacing his enemies to ascend to the highest rungs of power. His wife Claire, CEO of a Non-Profit called the Clean Water Initiative, assists him while cultivating political ambitions of her own. Along the way, various characters are used as pawns in the gambit. Initially charmed by the apparent largesse of the Underwoods, and flattered to be admitted to the coterie, the good times inevitably come to a sordid end when their utility is exhausted, or they begin to chafe at the Underwood’s rather extreme demands.
Why you should/shouldn’t watch it
House of Cards is uneven in places, but overall, a brilliant series. If you are a fan of the performances of Kevin Spacey, you definitely shouldn’t miss this show, as it is mainly his vehicle, although Robin Wright as Claire Underwood is also excellent, as are all of the supporting cast. You might even want to tune in simply because this is the last time we get to see Spacey in a major role designed to showcase his talents; this was the show that brought him down, as it was sexual assault allegations by members of the production that led to his disgrace and the end of his career. He is missing from the final season for this reason. Retrospective knowledge of those incidents, for me, led to a kind of icky viewing experience during scenes depicting sexual relations between Spacey and a much younger female character in Season 1 (Kate Mara as reporter Zoe Barnes), which almost (unfairly) led me to stop watching. Spacey as Frank Underwood produces an almost hypnotic character; from a poor Southern family based in Gaffney, son of a violent alcoholic, possessed of no innate advantages but his own gritty determination and a superlative understanding of congress and political processes, we kind of want to root for him - except that he is a really dreadful person. It turns out that once he gets a chance to exercise them, his policy ideas aren't entirely terrible. There is an element of Shakespearean tragedy here as we wonder whether in another world, in which he eschewed the dark path and succeeded on his own merits, he might have been a remarkable leader. But that isn't the world we live in, which is kind of the point the show seems to be making. 
Aside from the drawcard of Spacey, House of Cards has those qualities that to me tend to really set a series apart and make me want to keep watching: nuanced and fascinating characters (my favourite is Frank Underwood’s frighteningly loyal Chief of Staff and right hand, Doug Stamper), intelligent writing, fast moving and complicated plotting that still manages to make sense, and story arcs capable of drawing one in at the emotional level. The fate of hapless congressman Peter Russo, one of Underwood’s pawns, in Season 1 is one example. Other highlights of this series for me included Lars Mikkelson as Russian President Victor Petrov, a seeming stand-in for Vladimir Putin, in Season 3. Underwood and Petrov have a complex relationship, underlined by Frank’s envy that Petrov can accomplish things in a dictatorship that he cannot in a democracy: “Revolution sneaks up on you,” Petrov says, “One step at a time. I don’t take chances, even with the smallest of steps”. 
There are plenty of shocks delivered as we are made witness to the depravity of life behind the scenes of the White House. Perhaps the most interesting thing about House of Cards is the way it shows how political events often have so little to do with their outer meanings and stated purposes. While the public is given ideology and party platitudes, the realities are endlessly shaped by shifting alliances and conflicts forged in service of individual and corporate interest. There are timely allusions to fake news, false flag events, election tampering and social media engineering. Even though the detail of the scenarios is undoubtedly fictional, the contemporary resonance of so much that goes on in this show makes for some rather uncomfortable viewing.


Where to watch House of Cards:  https://www.tvguide.com

About the author: OJ Modjeska is a true crime author who reads a lot of books and watches a lot of movies and TV shows. Bestselling titles include "Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise" and the "Murder by Increments" series. Amazon author pageBlog

“The best thing about people is that they stack so neatly”                                                    - Frank Underwood, future POTUS

Official description from Netflix: Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.

Info on imdb

House of Cards is a political drama set in the White House, which depicts the rise to power of scheming and duplicitous husband-and-wife team Francis and Claire Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright respectively). I think most of us have wondered whether the leaders of the free world are psychopaths; this series takes that premise and turns it into entertainment.
Is it JUST entertainment? Well, that’s what makes this show so interesting. The 2013-2018 American production is based on the much older British BBC series of the same name, which is in turn based on the novels of Michael Dobbs who had a hand in the development and production of both shows (you can watch the much older BBC version on ABC iview, for comparison purposes). Author Michael Dobbs is Margaret Thatcher’s former Chief of Staff. He wrote the novels after an acrimonious falling-out with the Iron Lady which led to his resignation. Dobbs wouldn’t be pressed on what parts of House of Cards might be true, only revealing that “most of the stuff I put into House of Cards was material from events I'd either seen, or participated in, or done, or watched other people do.”
It would seem a bad day at work was the initial inspiration for House of Cards. We all have those; times when we feel disrespected and unappreciated, and that our tireless efforts are taken for granted. But we don’t do what Francis Underwood does, even though we might dream about it. 
HoC starts with our protagonist irate and aghast after being denied a promised promotion to Secretary of State. "The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances!", he sarcastically replies to presidential Senior Advisor Linda Vasquez after she delivers the unwelcome news. 
The series’ premise unwinds as he enacts a convoluted scheme of retribution, displacing his enemies to ascend to the highest rungs of power. His wife Claire, CEO of a Non-Profit called the Clean Water Initiative, assists him while cultivating political ambitions of her own. Along the way, various characters are used as pawns in the gambit. Initially charmed by the apparent largesse of the Underwoods, and flattered to be admitted to the coterie, the good times inevitably come to a sordid end when their utility is exhausted, or they begin to chafe at the Underwood’s rather extreme demands.
Why you should/shouldn’t watch it
House of Cards is uneven in places, but overall, a brilliant series. If you are a fan of the performances of Kevin Spacey, you definitely shouldn’t miss this show, as it is mainly his vehicle, although Robin Wright as Claire Underwood is also excellent, as are all of the supporting cast. You might even want to tune in simply because this is the last time we get to see Spacey in a major role designed to showcase his talents; this was the show that brought him down, as it was sexual assault allegations by members of the production that led to his disgrace and the end of his career. He is missing from the final season for this reason. Retrospective knowledge of those incidents, for me, led to a kind of icky viewing experience depicting sexual relations between Spacey and a much younger female character in Season 1 (Kate Mara as reporter Zoe Barnes), which almost (unfairly) led me to stop watching. 
Aside from the drawcard of Spacey, House of Cards has those qualities that to me tend to really set a series apart and make me want to keep watching: nuanced and fascinating characters (my favourite is Frank Underwood’s frighteningly loyal Chief of Staff and right hand, Doug Stamper), intelligent writing, fast moving and complicated plotting that still manages to make sense, and story arcs capable of drawing one in at the emotional level. The fate of hapless congressman Peter Russo, one of Underwood’s pawns, in Season 1 is one example. Other highlights of this series for me included Lars Mikkelson as Russian President Victor Petrov, a seeming stand-in for Vladimir Putin, in Season 3. Underwood and Petrov have a complex relationship, underlined by Frank’s envy that Petrov can accomplish things in a dictatorship that he cannot in a democracy: “Revolution sneaks up on you,” Petrov says, “One step at a time. I don’t take chances, even with the smallest of steps”. 
There are plenty of shocks delivered as we are made witness to the depravity of life behind the scenes of the White House. Perhaps the most interesting thing about House of Cards is the way it shows how political events often have so little to do with their outer meanings and stated purposes. While the public is given ideology and party platitudes, the realities are endlessly shaped by shifting alliances and conflicts forged in service of individual and corporate interest. There are timely allusions to fake news, false flag events, election tampering and social media engineering. Even though the detail of the scenarios is undoubtedly fictional, the contemporary resonance of so much that goes on in this show makes for some rather uncomfortable viewing.


Where to watch House of Cards:  https://www.tvguide.com

About the author: OJ Modjeska is a true crime author who reads a lot of books and watches a lot of movies and TV shows. Bestselling titles include "Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise" and the "Murder by Increments" series. Amazon author pageBlog

“The best thing about people is that they stack so neatly”                                                    - Frank Underwood, future POTUS

Official description from Netflix: Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.

Info on imdb

The rundown

I am late to the House of Cards party, this being one of the early TV shows of the streaming era and much lauded both critically and commercially. A friend gave me Season 1 on a USB stick back in 2015, but I didn’t keep going with the show because I didn’t have access to the later seasons. If, like me, you think some of the best shows are older ones you’ve been missing out on without knowing it, you’re in luck! Because you can now watch the entire series all the way through to Season 6 on Netflix.

House of Cards is a political drama set in the White House, which depicts the rise to power of the scheming and duplicitous husband-and-wife team Francis and Claire Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright respectively). Our protagonists are probably clinically insane and as such this post will continue some themes touched on in my previous post discussing Melrose Place, although HoC offers much more dignified entertainment you need not be embarrassed to admit to your friends you watch (me? Embarrassed? Never!).

The 2013-2018 American production is based on the much older British BBC series of the same name, which is in turn based on the novels of Michael Dobbs who had a hand in the development and production of both shows. It may be of interest to viewers in Australia to know that right now you can also watch the BBC version on ABC iview, for comparison purposes. 

Author Michael Dobbs was conservative British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Chief of Staff from 1986-1987. The two had an acrimonious falling out a week before a federal election. It seems Maggie was quaking at the prospect of imminent defeat (which ironically didn’t materialise until some years later) and was casting about for someone to blame.

Dobbs stated: “It all started because Maggie beat me up and was actually rather cruel to me. She took out all her pain and anger and frustration on me, when in fact I was perhaps the most innocent person in the room at the time!” Dobbs resigned his post and while subsequently holidaying in Malta, he scribbled the letters "FU" and a drawing of two raised middle fingers on a piece of paper. The letters would become the initials of the book’s protagonist, Francis Urquhart, the fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party in the UK Parliament. Francis Urquhart is Francis (Frank) Underwood in the US production, the Democratic party Whip in Congress. Dobbs wouldn’t be pressed on what parts of House of Cards might be true, only revealing that “most of the stuff I put into House of Cards was material from events I'd either seen, or participated in, or done, or watched other people do.”

It would seem Dobbs’ bad day at work was the initial inspiration for House of Cards. We all have those; times when we feel disrespected and unappreciated, and that our tireless efforts are taken for granted. But we don’t do what Frank Underwood does, even though we might dream about it. 

HoC starts with our protagonist irate and aghast after being denied a promised promotion to Secretary of State. "The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances!", he sarcastically replies to presidential Senior Advisor Linda Vasquez after she delivers the unwelcome news.  

The series’ premise unwinds as he enacts a convoluted scheme of retribution in which he figuratively, and sometimes literally, eliminates his rivals and becomes Vice-President and ascends to the highest rungs of power. His wife Claire, CEO of a Non-Profit called the Clean Water Initiative, assists him while cultivating political ambitions of her own. Along the way, various characters are used as pawns in the gambit …initially charmed and coaxed by the apparent largesse of the Underwoods, and flattered to be admitted to the coterie, they find themselves sidelined and discarded later when their utility is exhausted, or they begin to chafe at the Underwood’s extreme demands. They must learn the hard way that inside knowledge or even suspicion about the Underwood’s (often illegal) activities is a risky proposition. 

The good and the bad

At first I was a little put off due to the jarring way Kevin Spacey’s character addresses himself directly to the camera/audience, but this turns out to be a critical device whereby we learn things about him that other characters don’t know. Some of his monologues are also very witty: “"Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn't see the difference." 

The affair of this paunchy middle-aged man with reporter Zoe Barnes (played by a seemingly college-aged Kate Mara) also felt very icky in light of the later revelations about Spacey’s sexual assaults and pedophilia, which were, incidentally, the cause of him being fired from the show at the end of Season 5. I persisted though, and Season 1 is some of the best TV I’ve watched. The rise and fall of the hapless Congressman Peter Russo (played by Corey Stoll), one of Underwood’s pawns, was actually very shocking and emotional to watch. Season 2 is also compelling, although it may strain your ability to follow some very intricate plotting. I have to admit that later seasons get progressively weaker, although I did keep watching, which means they still aren’t exactly bad (and definitely not boring). Season 3 is greatly enlivened by the presence of Lars Mikkelsen as Russian President Victor Petrov, a seeming stand-in for Vladimir Putin. Underwood and Petrov have a complex relationship, underlined by Frank’s envy that Petrov can accomplish things in a dictatorship that he cannot in a democracy, even if that democracy is a sham: “Revolution sneaks up on you,” Petrov says, “One step at a time. I don’t take chances, even with the smallest of steps”. 

If you’re anything like me you’ll find yourself wondering just how realistic a depiction of life behind the scenes of big politics HoC actually is. It’s obvious that the show’s creators have based Frank Underwood’s character on some real presidents past, Richard Nixon for one and Lyndon B Johnson for another, the man so gross he was known to conduct presidential business from the throne (the white one with the handle that is). The latter comparison is alluded to by the photograph in Frank’s office of LBJ standing over an underling in an intimidating posture. Underwood is a very interesting character: from a poor Southern family based in Gaffney, Carolina, what he lacks in charisma and innate advantage he makes up for with ambition, ruthlessness and a deep understanding of administration and political process, all of which he uses to his advantage throughout the show.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about House of Cards is the way it shows how political events often have so little to do with their outer meanings and stated purposes, revealing the inner workings of what is surely one of the biggest scams going, the American political system. While the public is given ideology and party platitudes, the realities are endlessly shaped by shifting alliances and conflicts forged in service of individual and corporate interest. There are also timely allusions to fake news, false flag events, election tampering and social media engineering. I think we have all wondered which of our national crises and unexpected political happenings might be designed to distract from the implementation of some hidden sinister political agenda; HoC shows us exactly how such events might come about.

In the end however, we are reminded that this is just a TV show after all - some plot devices, particularly in later Seasons, truly strain credulity, such as Underwood appointing his wife Claire as his running mate in Season 5. I’ve stopped watching at this point, but I may come back to Season 6 when I run out of other stuff! Without Frank Underwood/Kevin Spacey it doesn’t feel quite as compelling anymore. Here are some bits of the best of Frank. 

Where to watch House of Cards:  https://www.tvguide.com

“The best thing about people is that they stack so neatly”                                                    - Frank Underwood, future POTUS

Official description from Netflix: Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.

Info on imdb

I am late to the House of Cards party, this being one of the early TV shows of the streaming era and much lauded both critically and commercially. A friend gave me Season 1 on a USB stick back in 2015, but I didn’t keep going with the show because I didn’t have access to the later seasons. If, like me, you think some of the best shows are older ones you’ve been missing out on without knowing it, you’re in luck! Because you can now watch the entire series all the way through to Season 6 on Netflix.

House of Cards is a political drama set in the White House, which depicts the rise to power of the scheming and duplicitous husband-and-wife team Francis and Claire Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright respectively). Our protagonists are probably clinically insane and as such this post will continue some themes touched on in my previous post discussing Melrose Place, although HoC offers much more dignified entertainment you need not be embarrassed to admit to your friends you watch (me? Embarrassed? Never!).

The 2013-2018 American production is based on the much older British BBC series of the same name, which is in turn based on the novels of Michael Dobbs who had a hand in the development and production of both shows. It may be of interest to viewers in Australia to know that right now you can also watch the BBC version on ABC iview, for comparison purposes. 

Author Michael Dobbs was conservative British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Chief of Staff from 1986-1987. The two had an acrimonious falling out a week before a federal election. It seems Maggie was quaking at the prospect of imminent defeat (which ironically didn’t materialise until some years later) and was casting about for someone to blame.

Dobbs stated: “It all started because Maggie beat me up and was actually rather cruel to me. She took out all her pain and anger and frustration on me, when in fact I was perhaps the most innocent person in the room at the time!” Dobbs resigned his post and while subsequently holidaying in Malta, he scribbled the letters "FU" and a drawing of two raised middle fingers on a piece of paper. The letters would become the initials of the book’s protagonist, Francis Urquhart, the fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party in the UK Parliament. Francis Urquhart is Francis (Frank) Underwood in the US production, the Democratic party Whip in Congress. Dobbs wouldn’t be pressed on what parts of House of Cards might be true, only revealing that “most of the stuff I put into House of Cards was material from events I'd either seen, or participated in, or done, or watched other people do.”

It would seem Dobbs’ bad day at work was the initial inspiration for House of Cards. We all have those; times when we feel disrespected and unappreciated, and that our tireless efforts are taken for granted. But we don’t do what Frank Underwood does, even though we might dream about it. 

HoC starts with our protagonist irate and aghast after being denied a promised promotion to Secretary of State. "The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances!", he sarcastically replies to presidential Senior Advisor Linda Vasquez after she delivers the unwelcome news.  

The series’ premise unwinds as he enacts a convoluted scheme of retribution in which he figuratively, and sometimes literally, eliminates his rivals and becomes Vice-President and then ultimately President of the United States. His wife Claire, CEO of a Non-Profit called the Clean Water Initiative, assists him while cultivating political ambitions of her own which come to fruition in later seasons. Along the way, various characters are used as pawns in the gambit …initially charmed and coaxed by the apparent largesse of the Underwoods, and flattered to be admitted to the coterie, they find themselves sidelined and discarded later when their utility is exhausted, or they begin to chafe at the Underwood’s extreme demands. They must learn the hard way that inside knowledge or even suspicion about the Underwood’s (often illegal) activities places a target on one’s back. 

At first I was a little put off due to the jarring way Kevin Spacey’s character addresses himself directly to the camera/audience, but this turns out to be a critical device whereby we learn things about him that other characters don’t know. Some of his monologues are also very witty: “"Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn't see the difference." 

The affair of this paunchy middle-aged man with reporter Zoe Barnes (played by a seemingly college-aged Kate Mara) also felt very icky in light of the later revelations about Spacey’s sexual assaults and pedophilia, which were, incidentally, the cause of him being fired from the show at the end of Season 5. I persisted though, and Season 1 is some of the best TV I’ve watched. The rise and fall of the hapless Congressman Peter Russo (played by Corey Stoll), one of Underwood’s pawns - an alcoholic who Underwood and his creepy right hand man Doug Stamper put through recovery and up for the post of Governor of Pennsylvania, just so they can totally shit on him later - was actually a very emotional viewing experience. Season 2 is also compelling, although it may strain your ability to follow some very intricate plotting. I have to admit that later seasons get progressively weaker, although I did keep watching, which means they still aren’t exactly bad (and definitely not boring). Season 3 is greatly enlivened by the presence of Lars Mikkelsen as Russian President Victor Petrov, a seeming stand-in for Vladimir Putin. Underwood and Petrov have a complex relationship, underlined by Frank’s envy that Petrov can accomplish things in a dictatorship that he cannot in a democracy, even if that democracy is a sham: “Revolution sneaks up on you,” Petrov says, “One step at a time. I don’t take chances, even with the smallest of steps”. 

If you’re anything like me you’ll find yourself wondering just how realistic a depiction of life behind the scenes of big politics HoC actually is. It’s obvious that the show’s creators have based Frank Underwood’s character on some real presidents past, Richard Nixon for one and Lyndon B Johnson for another, the man so gross he was known to conduct presidential business from the throne (the white one with the handle that is). The latter comparison is alluded to by the photograph in Frank’s office of LBJ standing over an underling in an intimidating posture. Underwood is a very interesting character: from a poor Southern family based in Gaffney, Carolina, what he lacks in charisma and innate advantage he makes up for with ambition, ruthlessness and a deep understanding of administration and political process, all of which he uses to his advantage throughout the show.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about House of Cards is the way it shows how political events often have so little to do with their outer meanings and stated purposes, revealing the inner workings of what is surely one of the biggest scams going, the American political system. While the public is given ideology and party platitudes, the realities are endlessly shaped by shifting alliances and conflicts forged in service of individual and corporate interest. There are also timely allusions to fake news, false flag events, election tampering and social media engineering. I think we have all wondered which of our national crises and unexpected political happenings might be designed to distract from the implementation of some hidden sinister political agenda; HoC shows us exactly how such events might come about.

In the end however, we are reminded that this is just a TV show after all - some plot devices, particularly in later Seasons, truly strain credulity, such as Underwood appointing his wife Claire as his running mate in Season 5. I’ve stopped watching at this point, but I may come back to Season 6 when I run out of other stuff! Without Frank Underwood/Kevin Spacey it doesn’t feel quite as compelling anymore. Here are some bits of the best of Frank. 

Where to watch House of Cards:  https://www.tvguide.com

"Real friends stab you in the front"
                                - AnonymousOfficial description: This sudsy drama from Aaron Spelling focuses on the lives and loves of young adults in an apartment complex in Los Angeles. From the complicated scheming of scandals to the murderous plots of lovers, the residents at Melrose Place are more messed up than average folk.
Info in IMDb
Ah, the nineties! Memories of my university days, Kurt Cobain's furry cardigans and subsequent suicide, Newtown when it was still affordably squalid... and Melrose Place.
This loopy soap opera was my favourite show when I was in my twenties. I loved it so much I ordered the DVDs back in pre-streaming days. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my hands on Seasons 6 and 7, so I was thrilled to find out that Melrose Place is now available on the new streaming service Paramount+... I am now catching up on all the episodes I could vaguely remember from when I first watched the show in the nineties, but hadn’t been able to find on DVD.
Melrose Place was so popular back in the day that just about everyone at the girls’ on-campus college I was living in when I was 19 attended weekly viewings in the common room. It was also the only soap to have a prime time slot in the evening. Trashy and distasteful it may be, but now that I’ve had a chance to rewatch it, I can see why it was such a hit….
Melrose Place follows the lives, loves and catastrophes of a group of 20-somethings living in a hip Spanish-style apartment block on Melrose Avenue in the famous entertainment district of Los Angeles. The format harkens back to the sixties soap opera Peyton Place, but Melrose does something rather clever with the genre of soap opera… it becomes a parody of itself, such that the show’s theatrics and drama become so overblown and ridiculous it veers into comedy gold. 
The show started as a rather sanitary and dull spin off of the teen drama Beverly Hills 90210. Although Melrose was conceived as a program for adults, where it's forerunner was designed for teens, Season 1 is about as insipid as 90210 and doesn’t do much to maintain interest, but persist and you shall be rewarded. In Season 2 Melrose Place becomes its own beast, presenting stories of a more sensational nature such as blackmail, revenge, insanity, addiction and love gone very wrong. Later seasons continued these themes gaining the show the reputation it holds today. I'm also pretty sure Melrose Place was the first mainstream TV show to feature women having fistfights.
Melrose Place is a show about the twisted paths life may take for those who desire to win at all costs. One way to read the show is as a comment on the decade just gone, the 1980s. Melrose Place gives us the archetypal rugged American individualist as a card-carrying and sometimes homicidal psycho. The Machiavellian schemes of its’ characters as they vie for position against each other would, in the real world, qualify these shiny-faced and trendily-attired young yuppies as outright sociopaths. Like the later show Mad Men, Melrose offers a little light relief for its pervasive tawdry darkness in the form of moral characters such as Jane Andrews and, later, hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Megan. But the show’s most awful characters are also its most entertaining and watchable: arch-villain/clown Michael Mancini is a comedic work of art with salty and sarcastic lines such as “What was I thinking? That you'd actually listen to me? That you'd actually stay out of my life? Course you won't. You can't. You haven't got the capabilities! It's like asking an ape to do algebra!” 
And who can forget ever-mouthy manipulative tramp Taylor McBride and her fake pregnancy? Alcoholic Alison Parker giving every person in the building a slurring serve? Crazy Kimberly Shaw who survives a murder attempt by husband Michael and returns from the dead to haunt the rest of his days? Or ice-Queen ballbusting advertising executive Amanda Woodward who marries every male character of the cast at least once?
The storylines in Melrose Place are so crazy that the implausibility does not detract, rather enhances - after all, we can’t be sure we are watching drama or satire. Try and imagine a show that has the balls to depict the following scenario with a straight face: Jennifer Mancini, Michael’s little sister, has told her meddling Italian mother who is visiting from New Jersey that she is engaged to the wealthy and handsome Craig Field, who in fact has a serious case of commitment phobia and has recently skipped town entirely for destinations unknown. Jennifer persuades neighbour and friend Billy Campbell to pretend to “be” Craig Field while her mother is in town… but during the family dinner with Michael, her mother and Billy-as-Craig, she receives a phone call from the police advising her that her ex Craig has been found dead in his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now Jennifer somehow has to maintain the ruse and play it straight through the rest of dinner!
One of the best things about this show is the witty and often scathing verbal shots exchanged between characters. Here’s a little from my favourite Michael.




Where to watch Melrose Place: https://www.tvguide.com
About the author: OJ Modjeska is a true crime author who reads a lot of books and watches a lot of movies and TV shows. Bestselling titles include "Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise" and the "Murder by Increments" series. Currently seeking representation to option my books for the screen. Amazon author pageBlog

"Real friends stab you in the front"
                                - AnonymousThis loopy soap opera was my favourite show when I was in my twenties. I loved it so much I ordered the DVDs back in pre-streaming days. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my hands on Seasons 6 and 7, so I was thrilled to find out that Melrose Place is now available on the new streaming service Paramount+... I am now catching up on all the episodes I could vaguely remember from when I first watched the show in the nineties, but hadn’t been able to find on DVD.
Melrose Place was so popular back in the day that just about everyone at the girls’ on-campus college I was living in when I was 19 attended weekly viewings in the common room. It was also the only soap to have a prime time slot in the evening. Trashy and distasteful it may be, but now that I’ve had a chance to rewatch it, I can see why it was such a hit….
Melrose Place follows the lives, loves and catastrophes of a group of 20-somethings living in a hip Spanish-style apartment block on Melrose Avenue in the famous entertainment district of Los Angeles. The format harkens back to the sixties soap opera Peyton Place, but Melrose does something rather clever with the genre of soap opera… it becomes a parody of itself, such that the show’s theatrics and drama become so overblown and ridiculous it veers into comedy gold. 
The show started as a rather sanitary and dull spin off of the teen drama Beverly Hills 90210. Although Melrose was conceived as a program for adults, where it's forerunner was designed for teens, Season 1 is about as insipid as 90210 and doesn’t do much to maintain interest, but persist and you shall be rewarded. In Season 2 Melrose Place becomes its own beast, presenting stories of a more sensational nature such as blackmail, revenge, insanity, addiction and love gone very wrong. Later seasons continued these themes gaining the show the reputation it holds today. I'm also pretty sure Melrose Place was the first mainstream TV show to feature women having fistfights.
Melrose Place is a show about the twisted paths life may take for those who desire to win at all costs. One way to read the show is as a comment on the decade just gone, the 1980s. Melrose Place gives us the archetypal rugged American individualist as a card-carrying and sometimes homicidal psycho. The Machiavellian schemes of its’ characters as they vie for position against each other would, in the real world, qualify these shiny-faced and trendily-attired young yuppies as outright sociopaths. Like the later show Mad Men, Melrose offers a little light relief for its pervasive tawdry darkness in the form of moral characters such as Jane Andrews and, later, hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Megan. But the show’s most awful characters are also its most entertaining and watchable: arch-villain/clown Michael Mancini is a comedic work of art with salty and sarcastic lines such as “What was I thinking? That you'd actually listen to me? That you'd actually stay out of my life? Course you won't. You can't. You haven't got the capabilities! It's like asking an ape to do algebra!” 
And who can forget ever-mouthy manipulative tramp Taylor McBride and her fake pregnancy? Alcoholic Alison Parker giving every person in the building a slurring serve? Crazy Kimberly Shaw who survives a murder attempt by husband Michael and returns from the dead to haunt the rest of his days? Or ice-Queen ballbusting advertising executive Amanda Woodward who marries every male character of the cast at least once?
The storylines in Melrose Place are so crazy that the implausibility does not detract, rather enhances - after all, we can’t be sure we are watching drama or satire. Try and imagine a show that has the balls to depict the following scenario with a straight face: Jennifer Mancini, Michael’s little sister, has told her meddling Italian mother who is visiting from New Jersey that she is engaged to the wealthy and handsome Craig Field, who in fact has a serious case of commitment phobia and has recently skipped town entirely for destinations unknown. Jennifer persuades neighbour and friend Billy Campbell to pretend to “be” Craig Field while her mother is in town… but during the family dinner with Michael, her mother and Billy-as-Craig, she receives a phone call from the police advising her that her ex Craig has been found dead in his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now Jennifer somehow has to maintain the ruse and play it straight through the rest of dinner!
One of the best things about this show is the witty and often scathing verbal shots exchanged between characters. Here’s a little from my favourite Michael.




You can watch Melrose Place in Australia on Paramount Plus. 

This loopy soap opera was my favourite show when I was in my twenties. I loved it so much I ordered the DVDs back in pre-streaming days. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my hands on Seasons 6 and 7, so I was thrilled to find out that Melrose Place is now available on the new streaming service Paramount+... I am now catching up on all the episodes I could vaguely remember from when I first watched the show in the nineties, but hadn’t been able to find on DVD.
Melrose Place was so popular back in the day that just about everyone at the girls’ on-campus college I was living in when I was 19 attended weekly viewings in the common room. It was also the only soap to have a prime time slot in the evening. Trashy and distasteful it may be, but now that I’ve had a chance to rewatch it, I can see why it was such a hit….
Melrose Place follows the lives, loves and catastrophes of a group of 20-somethings living in a hip Spanish-style apartment block on Melrose Avenue in the famous entertainment district of Los Angeles. The format harkens back to the sixties soap opera Peyton Place, but Melrose does something rather clever with the genre of soap opera… it becomes a parody of itself, such that the show’s theatrics and drama become so overblown and ridiculous it veers into brilliant comedy. 
The show started as a rather sanitary and dull spin off of the teen drama Beverly Hills 90210. As a result Season 1 doesn’t do much to maintain interest, but persist and you shall be rewarded. In Season 2 Melrose Place becomes its own beast… and it is a tawdry, sinister and fascinating thing indeed! 
Above all, Melrose Place is a show about the twisted paths life may take for those who desire to win at all costs. One way to read the show is as a comment on the decade just gone, the 1980s. Melrose Place gives us the archetypal rugged American individualist as a card-carrying and sometimes homicidal psycho. The Machavellian schemes of its’ characters as they vie for position against each other would, in the real world, qualify these shiny-faced and trendily-attired young yuppies as outright sociopaths. Like the later show Mad Men, Melrose offers a little light relief for its pervasive darkness in the form of moral characters such as Jane Andrews and, later, the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Megan. But the show’s most awful characters are also its most entertaining and watchable: arch-villain/clown Michael Mancini is a comedic work of art with salty and sarcastic lines such as “What was I thinking? That you'd actually listen to me? That you'd actually stay out of my life? Course you won't. You can't. You haven't got the capabilities! It's like asking an ape to do algebra!” 
And who can forget the ever-mouthy manipulative tramp Taylor McBride played with epic slutty aplomb by Lisa Rinna and her many fake pregnancies? Crazy Kimberly Shaw who survives a murder attempt by husband Michael and returns from the dead to haunt the rest of his days? Or ice-Queen ballbusting advertising executive Amanda Woodward who marries every male character of the cast at least once?
The storylines in Melrose Place are so crazy that the implausibility does not detract, rather enhances - after all, we can’t be sure we are watching drama or satire. Try and imagine a show that has the balls to depict the following scenario with a straight face: Jennifer Mancini, Michael’s little sister, has told her meddling Italian mother who is visiting from New Jersey that she is engaged to the wealthy and handsome Craig Field, who in fact has a serious case of commitment phobia and has recently skipped town entirely for destinations unknown. Jennifer persuades neighbour and friend Billy Campbell to pretend to “be” Craig Field while her mother is in town… but during the family dinner with Michael, her mother and Billy-as-Craig, she receives a phone call from the police advising her that her ex Craig has been found dead in his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now Jennifer somehow has to maintain the ruse and play it straight through the rest of dinner!
One of the best things about this show is the witty and often scathing verbal shots exchanged between characters. Here’s a little from my favourite Michael.




You can watch Melrose Place in Australia on Paramount Plus. 

OJ Modjeska is a criminologist, historian and author. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a PhD in Modern American History in 2004, and received her Graduate Diploma in Criminology from Sydney Law School in 2015. In 2015 she was awarded the JH McClemens Memorial Prize by Sydney Law School for her scholarship in criminology. Before pursuing a writing career she worked for many years as a legal writer and editor. She writes books of narrative non-fiction true crime and disaster analysis. Her books are suspenseful narratives which draw on her insights and expertise into history, criminal behavior and psychology.