You can't stop watching House of Cards

House of Cards, the Netflix 2014 American version (the original British is great, too), continues in Season 2 to be a must-watch feel-bad series, in which one character is more loathsome than the next but you can't take your eyes off them anyway, like watching a train wreck or snakes writhing. Based on first 4 episodes, I think Spacey and Wright are even better in this season, growing further into their roles - the the ultimate schemer and conniver as he rises through the Washington hierarchy and she the ice-cold careerist who will do anything to advance her husband, or, more accurately, herself. Some spoilers to follow: I admit I was shocked the Spacey/Frank Underwood through the reporter Kate Mara/Zoe Barnes in front of a Metro subway, killing her - this is roughly how season one of the British original ended, but I was sure they would not dispose of such an interesting character (and good actor) - but there you go - could she reappear in some way? dream sequences, as in The Sopranos? With Zoe gone, Claire Underwood's role becomes bigger, and at end of episode 4 she gives a stunning live TV interview (she is now the veep's wife) to CNN (they would never do this kind of profile interview live, not would they pursue so aggressively questions about why they never had children - but let's just accept the premise), in which Claire reveals that she has had 3 abortions and (lyingly) says one was the result of a date-rape by a guy who's now a prominent general (he did attack her, but the pregnancy was unrelated) - so another plot element gets launched. As with Season 1, some of the plotting is a bit Byzantine, and the attempt by newspaperman Lucas to link Zoe's death to Underwood is getting really weird, as he pursues a lead the would lead him to do some highly illegal espionage (he's walking into a trap - but I think he'd be smarter, or more cautious at least). Season 2 is often the testing point of the value of any series - they tend to get way better or way worse in season 2 - and Netflix has totally succeeded with Season 2 of HofC as you just can't stop watching.