House of Cards, Season 1 (2013)
I was quietly optimistic after all the hype around the new series House of Cards. Kevin Spacey is just amazing in his role as congressman Underwood. He plays alongside Robin Wright who plays his wife beautifully. Robin Wright's role as Claire is an interesting character who appears cold, but gives a complex range of subtle reactions and complexities. Their relationship is the focal point of the show, their trusting complex and devoted relationship is just great television.
The show is fast paced and complicated, but not overly flashy or too complex for a casual viewer to follow. The twists and turns are able to be discerned to the vigilant viewer so no real surprises. While the acting is superb and the characters have great depth, the style of having Kevin Spacey as narrator is distracting as it breaks the fourth wall. It just isn't necessary as the screenplays are so good that the motivations and subtleties are already communicated without his overt observations. Overall the series is complex and is a great character drama and doesn't need much pre-existing knowledge of politics or interest to still capture audience attention.
