House Of Cards

House Of Cards

Developed By: Beau Willimon

Produced By: David Fincher, Michael Dobbs, Kevin Spacey, Eric Roth, Joshua Donen, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, John Melfi, Beau Willimon, David Manson

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey, Kristen Connelly, Constance Zimmer

Plot: When Congressman Frank Underwood is betrayed by both the President and his staff, he designs an intricate plan that will span years, and that will hopefully gain the presidency for himself.

When Netflix first announced that they were releasing the entire season of House Of Cards in one go, I thought this was on odd idea. Surely this would defeat the object of suspense, and to gain a larger audience? Apparently not. The series has proved highly popular, and for good reason. My initial reaction to the first episode was a confused one, with lots of terminology relating to US politics. However, once you grasp what the characters are talking about, it becomes relatively easy to understand.

The main character, played by the fantastic Kevin Spacey, is simply astounding. He comes across as ruthless, charming, impressive and completely devoted to his cause. His Southern American charm hides the deviousness that is hidden under his steely exterior image. As Shrek greatly described himself as being like an onion, with layers, the same applies to the character of Frank Underwood. We see the person he portrays in front of his colleagues, but the way he interacts with the audience shows his underlying hatred for the majority of people he works with. 

The rest of the cast show an extreme amount of talent, ranging from the hardworking journalist to Frank's wife. The producers truly have brought together a group of extraordinary actors and actresses. 

The story is fantastic, with each few episodes revolving around a goal that Frank works towards, and it's only within the last two episodes that we realize that literally everything that he does is to further his efforts in taking the presidency (That by the way, isn't a spoiler or at any means a reveal). The season has been adapted from a novel and British mini-series, applying the story to American politics. The season genuinely fascinated and intrigued me about the workings of The White House.

If you're a fan of high pace, action shows then this might not be the thing for you. The series mainly takes place within The White House, Congress, and offices. There isn't much violence of any kind. And this is genuinely where I was surprised at how hooked I became on the show (My usual favorites are things such as Dexter, Fringe, Lost etc). Both the underlying themes of corruption, and the outlining of how a man can be broken, are completely fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of each episode, and was entertained throughout. 

Genuinely one of the best television shows around at this time.

9/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs