House of Cards: Volume Three

The first original series from Netflix to make a major media splash, House of Cards began as a political drama featuring black comedy, but has since grown humorless and grim, even with star Kevin Spacey turning to the camera to make sardonic comments and conspiratorial asides. The third season opens with cutthroat political operator Frank Underwood (Spacey) taking over the Oval Office as an unelected President (after the disgraced President resigns) and Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly)—his reliable hatchet man—recovering from a nearly fatal attack and being sidelined by Underwood, who no longer trusts him. Then again, Underwood doesn't trust anybody: deeply unpopular with both the public and his own party, he fights an uphill battle to rework Social Security and other entitlements while campaigning in the Democratic primary race. Meanwhile, Claire (Robin Wright), now First Lady, has her own agenda and gets herself appointed as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, where she's outmaneuvered by more politically savvy veterans of international diplomacy and hampered by her emerging conscience. It's a different show this season, with Frank working within the system rather than manipulating it from the margins, but it doesn't deliver the cynical, nasty fun of earlier runs. Still, Spacey and Wright are as watchable as ever and the show has a committed fan base. And since non-Netflix subscribers can't otherwise see it, this is worth picking up. Compiling all 13 episodes from 2015, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an additional featurette). Recommended. (S. Axmaker)