House of Cards is an American political thriller created by Beau Willimon for Netflix, adapted from Michael Dobbs’s 1989 novel and from the acclaimed 1990 British television series written by Andrew Davies. Its first season, consisting of 13 episodes, was released on February 1, 2013, marking a turning point in television history as the first major series produced by a studio specifically for Netflix.

Set in Washington, D.C., the series is a dark, gripping descent into the mechanics of power. At its center stands Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey: a brilliant, ruthless and deeply cynical Democratic congressman from South Carolina, determined to seize the power he believes he has been denied. At his side is his wife, Claire Underwood, portrayed by Robin Wright, equally cold, ambitious and formidable. When Frank is passed over for the position of Secretary of State, he transforms humiliation into revenge, launching a merciless campaign of manipulation, betrayal and political conquest.

What follows is a chilling portrait of power stripped of any moral restraint, a world in which loyalty is transactional, truth is expendable and human lives become tools in a larger game. The series pushes its vision of ruthless pragmatism to its darkest extreme when Frank Underwood goes so far as to murder a young journalist for whom he had posed as a confidential source.

(2013-2018)