Netflix has taken the next big step in growing an empire by starting its own programming with this weekend’s premier of House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey; but will it be worth it?
Netflix has dished out $100 million dollars for two seasons of the dark political drama, so apparently money isn’t a problem; but what if the show bombs? What if you view the first two episodes and decide the series is nothing special? Nobody can afford to squander $100 million bucks.
All the pieces are in place with Spacey played congressional majority whip Francis Underwood, who has just been passed over for the secretary of state position by the president, and now has revenge on his mind. Underwood’s wife, Claire (Robin Wright), is the head of a DC non-profit charity organization and she also feels jilted since her husband’s success would have benefitted her goals. Francis uses a mousey female journalist from a DC paper to leak some dirt on the president’s new secretary of state and the revenge game is now in motion.
We all know that there are dark, power-hungry, megalomaniacs running around Washington and this scenario has been done a million times. After watching the first two episodes I don’t see anything special here but I am willing to give the series a chance. Most of the very best shows need a bit of background information in order to hook the viewer, so I would be remiss to dish the effort so soon.
Speaking of the some of the very best shows on television, I have gone back and watched the complete collections of Madmen, Sons of Anarchy, Damages, and my personal favorite Breaking Bad, and the continuity of the episodes provided by Netflix brings a whole new meaning to “Must see TV.” You will be able to watch the whole season of House of Cards in one day if you wish, but if this show plans on competing with the series aforementioned, it is going to have to pick up the tempo.
Reviewers note: House of Cards is produced by David Fincher and is based on a series from the BBC.
My Rating: (First two episodes) 3 out of 5 Revenge Mongers.
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