Netflix Original Series Round-Up: House of Cards

If this is how Netflix is going to use its unique powers, creating great original series and bringing back Arrested Development, they will get all my money.

This show can most easily be compared to Revenge, in that every single character is a chessmaster. The plot is set in motion by a betrayal of Frank Underwood by the newly elected president, who decides to go against his promise to nominate him for Secretary of State. Frank then destroys everyone, everywhere.

I almost wish I was kidding, but I'm not. If Frank didn't go on his rampage, nobody would be where they are by the end of the first season. Most notably, a character would not be dead.

In such a realistic series as this, and one with a very lovable anti-hero (I think he becomes an anti-villain at the end of the series) the death mid-season comes as a complete shock, and a moral-event-horizon for me.

Enough stabbing-in-the-dark at vague plot points, let me introduce the chess masters:

Frank Underwood: Obviously.
Claire Underwood: She runs a charitable organization, but that doesn't mean she is charitable.
Zoe Barnes: She may be young, but she's VERY clever.
Gillian Cole: A bit of a spoiler, but by the end of the season, you'll see why she makes the list.

These three, and by the end of the season, four (and two mystery chess-masters), are constantly running into each-other, and plans both benefit and fall apart thanks to each-other.

This show screams Gritty. It opens with a dog being shot, a line that not many shows cross. The protagonist is revealed to be bisexual, and that bit of himself is portrayed positively, which is also a line not many are willing to cross. He is in an open relationship with his wife, meaning they both cheat on each other, but they both know who with and when the cheating happens, and don't really care. A character is an alcoholic and a drug addict. Another is a prostitute. Another gets into a very abusive relationship with a much older man. There is nudity. References to self-injury and suicide. Netflix knows that it doesn't really have moral guardians to answer to. After all, children aren't really going to stumble upon this show while channel-surfing. They take full advantage of this fact.

It is NOT an easy show to watch, but I am still somehow hooked. I like all of these characters, including Frank, which is quite an impressive feat of writing and of course I suspect has much to do with Kevin Spacey, his actor, as well. All of these characters could have been considered to cross the line at one point, but they're all still likeable somehow anyway. That is an achievement.