New show "House of Cards" is a must see for fans of political dramas [View all]

[Bjorn Against]

I just watched the first two episodes of House of Cards that debuted on Netflix today and it looks like it has very strong potential to be one of the best television drama shows ever. House of Cards is the first big budget television series to not even air on television, it is exclusive to Netflix and they released every episode of the first season simultaneously today.

While I can only comment on the first two episodes of the thirteen episode season as that is all I have had time to watch so far, those first two episodes pulled me in and did not let go.

I don't want to give any big spoilers so I am going to be somewhat vague in what I say about the plot, but it is a show that people who are cynical about American politics are going to love. While the show takes place in Washington in the halls of Congress and the White House, this is not The West Wing. While The West Wing was very idealistic, House of Cards is a very dark and cynical take on Washington.

Kevin Spacey plays the Democratic House Majority Whip, but if you are expecting a Democrat that stands up for our values you are going to hate his character. Spacey plays the worst type of Blue Dog southern Democrat, he is a man who is in politics only for his own personal gain and does not care about who his actions hurt. He pretends to be loyal to his party but when no one is looking he is more than happy to leak info to the right-wing media for them to use against anyone who gets in his way.

That is all I will say about the plot because this is one of those shows you need to watch to see what will happen next, but the acting, writing, and cinematography are all top notch. Spacey's performance is easily his best since American Beauty, you may want to smack his character upside the head but he is still certain to mesmerize you. Robin Wright plays his wife and she seems to be a pretty ruthless person herself, Wright's performance is also top notch.

The show was created from a collaboration between David Fincher (director of Fight Club and The Social Network) and Beau Willimon (screenwriter for The Ides of March). Fincher directs the first two episodes and he does an amazing job at it, he is a master at using music and editing to pull you into the scene and keep you entertained without dumbing anything down.

The first two episodes don't get into too many controversial political issues, that very well may come later in the series but the first couple of episodes are mostly focused on the shady side of Washington where people are bribed and politicians are blackmailed. Those who say Democrats can do no wrong may not like it, but those on the left who take a more cynical look at our political system are going to love the show.

If you have Netflix go watch it right now.