House of Cards

Introduced as a reproduction of the 1990 BBC series House of Cards, the Netflix original series created by David Fincher had viewer’s attention from the start. The series has come a long way from the original novel by Michael Dobbs, to the BBC version focusing around British Parliament, and finally landing on the Netflix original series starring Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, a power seeking leader of the Democratic Party. In this series, unveiling the truths behind the face of politics, drama, lies, sex and murder are all quite prevalent. American citizens don’t get to see this side of politics, and as always, the unknown is the perfect platform to draw in viewers.

            Throughout the series, the relationships formed in the political community are all put in second place. The community formed through the relationships in the series proves to be quite individualistic. Frank Underwood stated towards the middle of the series, that he would never use someone that he couldn’t dispose of at a later date. The relationship between Underwood and Russo is the perfect example of this. Underwood befriends Russo, instills confidence in a cause that he knows will cause the demise of Russo entirely. By doing so, Underwood is behind the scenes climbing to the top, impressing many along the way. It is almost disappointing to not be able to count on any of the relationships. Underwood also had issues with his wife, causing both to be unfaithful and secretive towards each other. Underwood doesn’t seem to remain loyal to anyone but himself, other than the man working his favorite rib joint. Overall, Underwood puts himself before all others, even those he cares about. This creates instability in the plot by not allowing the viewer to become comfortable with the closest of relationships.

            How then does the storyline keep viewers tuned in? House of Cards does a phenomenal job in introducing plot twists. They seem to come as just the right time. As one area of the story is dulling down, something happens in a different area to ignite the flame under your seat. The series was the first to be released by Netflix. The idea of this is quite interesting. Netflix has turned into a platform for binge watching shows, and just the release of this series shows that they are condoning this type of viewing. The first two episodes were released as a preview to the series, followed by the remaining eleven all at once. Starting off watching this series as appointment television didn’t work. Netflix is smart in this, allowing you to continue without even a click of a button. The combination of the easy accessibility and the episodes ending at a critical moment allow viewers to fly by the series in just a few short days.

This conquest for power has great screenwriting, interesting relationships, and great visual composure. Many await the release of the second season, in hopes that it continues to draw us in with the unveiling of the drama and lifestyle behind US politics.