House of Cards: Seasons 1 and 2

I watched the first two episodes of House of Cards over a socially acceptable two nights. My general feeling was, 'meh.' Then, I watched a couple more and suddenly found myself totally, irreversibly gripped. It was disastrous. Within a week and a half I'd finished both seasons. This is a slow burner but as the levels of the drama deepen, you find yourself immersed in a high-stakes world of political infidelity, professional manipulation, and a marital complex akin to the Macbeths.

First, let's talk about politics. Kevin Spacey is Francis Underwood, the Chief Whip of the ruling Democrats and basically the go-to man in Congress. He is alternately magnificent, slimy, duplicitous and sympathetic. I hated him and yet I rooted for him. There is something magnetic and endlessly watchable about the way he toys with other people, ranging from the sharp young journalist Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) to the President of the United States. Over the two seasons, we watch him manoeuvre his way up the party ranks, involved in his most intimate confessions through a clever use of asides to the camera.

The plot lines are too numerous to cover: there is a suspicious campaign to elect former addict Peter Russo (Corey Stoll) to Governor of Pennsylvania; a mysterious cover up involving call-girl Rachel (Rachel Brosnahan); a veiled political relationship with oily businessman Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney). At the centre of all these strands sits Underwood, a fat spider, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

Next to him throughout is his wife Claire, icily rendered by an impenetrable Robin Wright. Their marriage is undoubtedly the show's (barely) beating heart. They are a cold, calculating pair, retreating at the end of each day to share a celebratory cigarette by the window as they tot up the body-count. Wright's performance is astonishing - it takes a vast range to create such an unreadable and yet fully-formed character, always retaining an edge of unpredictability. It is never quite clear whether she and Francis are each other's only allies, or, tantalisingly, their most formidable opponents.

Season 1 revolves around Underwood's schemes involving Russo and Zoe Barnes; by Season 2, with a rising death-toll, his sights are set much higher. The pace seems to quicken with every episode and the layers of plot and character become ever more engrossing. This is fantastic television. If you don't already have it, get Netflix!