2 February 2013 | me-589-145643

10 | Pioneering Perfection

I firmly believe that one of the major aspects of what makes House of Cards so good is the ability to watch all the episodes back-to-back with no commercials or programming schedules to get in the way. This small but hugely significant idea will be an industry game changer and I am certain that this is just the beginning



To me, the biggest advantage that this idea contributes to House of Cards is that it frees up significant time during episodes because it makes things like flashbacks or repeats of events almost completely redundant. There's simply no need for them because everything is so fresh in your mind, which leaves all that extra time for more story, more action, more conspiracy, more drama, more of the stuff that viewers really want to see. However it must be said that it does take a few episodes to get used to this, and you have to be really switched on and completely focused to ensure you don't miss a beat, because you really will pay a price if you do because what's said is never repeated, only referenced further down the track



As for the show itself, I can't sum it up any better than by saying it's incredibly good to watch. The one aspect of the show I enjoy the most is the monologue, or removal of the fourth wall, between the viewer and Underwood. It's an incredibly effective method of storytelling as well as the expression of emotion or opinion, and Kevin Spacey does a superb job at pulling it off, along with every other aspect of his complex and intriguing character.



The quality of writing, directing, and storytelling is as good as you'll ever see on the best shows in the world right now. Underwood has a massive ship to steer, and it is fascinating watching how he does it, through manipulation, blackmail, greed and determination. Each and every character has a critical role to play - there's no characters you could cast aside as being irrelevant or unnecessary to the story. That is a very difficult feat to achieve, and House of Cards easily passes that test



If you're going to pioneer something, like Netflix have with how viewers can watch House of Cards, you have to do it well. Everything has to be perfect, otherwise it will flop. A top quality show in House of Cards coupled with the worlds best internet streaming service is a very very good place to start. Netflix and the House of Cards team deserve a huge round of applause for daring to go places where no one has gone before. The $100 million gamble has definitely paid off, and I cannot wait for more



Needless to say, House of Cards earns a 10/10 rating, and an absolute must-watch from me