House of Cards is a Netflix original series about a man named Frank Underwood. Frank is a corrupt Capitol Hill politician who demonstrates throughout the show that there are no bounds to the lengths he is willing to go to in achieving power and prestige in Washington.

House of Cards is interesting because it does not follow the typical recurring style of other shows. For example, Underwood, played superbly by Kevin Spacey, is not what you would call a protagonist, although he is the main character in the show. Spacey instead plays the power hungry, ladder-climbing Democratic majority leader, a complex and twisted character.

The story is mostly shot in the third person, however,  now and again Underwood will punctuate a dramatic scene with a sardonic remark directed straight at the Netflix audience, revealing his sometimes quite sinister motives.

Claire Underwood is the definition of a political wife, supporting and motivating while leading her own non-profit organization. Although she doesn’t directly encourage him to do unethical things, you really get the sense that she is in it for the power just as much as he is.

The storyline follows Frank’s ascent to power, and it is enthralling to watch everything he achieves throughout the show because it almost seems like everything falls into place like a puzzle. Cold, calculated moves that he and Claire make eliminate the trial and error found in a typical story line as you witness their seamless ascent to power on Capitol Hill.