The video message is both terse and delightfully ominous – Frank and his equally crafty wife, Claire (played again, brilliantly by Robin Wright) walk up the steps to enter what we can only assume to be Air Force One to go – who knows where? Right before the video shuts off, we see Frank turn to face the camera, i.e. we, the viewers, undoubtedly about to relay something clever, cunning, and probably sinister, in his signature style.
A special message from the White House. https://t.co/YxFcHfA5qy
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) December 1, 2014
House of Cards is more than just another enticement for Netflix fans to keep their subscription to the service. The award-winning show has brought legitimacy to original content from Internet TV services, specifically helping to put Netflix on the map as a viable content creator — something that will be integral to the company’s future as it looks to take on its perceived premium network rival, HBO. The two have increasingly mirrored each other, as HBO recently followed Netflix’s move into original content creation by announcing it would offer a standalone Internet service next year, free from the bonds of cable and satellite TV.
And for those who have already dared to lay out cash for the new hardware required to step into the burgeoning world of 4K UHD from the likes of Sony, Panasonic, Vizio, LG, and Samsung 4K UHD TVs, today’s news also means there will likely be another bit of coveted 4K UHD content to add to the slowly growing online arsenal. Netflix famously premiered its 4K UHD streaming with season 2 of House of Cards last April, marking a new era for the vivid resolution of tomorrow.
When we left Frank in Season 2 (spoiler alert) he had just outed the president’s marriage counseling visits to the public, which triggered a set of events that caused the honorable, yet woefully naive President Garret Walker to step down. At the end of last season, we see Frank being sworn in as the new President. Claire, by the way, is no slouch herself. It was her careful manipulation of the former First Lady that convinced the President to enter counseling in the first place.
What’s in store for the devious pair as the new leaders of the free world? Looks like we only have a few months to wait before we find out. And because Netflix releases its shows in full season bursts, it means we truly will get the full story.
With last season’s release, more than half-a-million subscribers finished the full 13-episode bundle in just the first three days after its debut, according to The Verge. This is binge-watching fare at its finest. So grab your plate of ribs and a single cigarette and get ready to indulge in chapter three of one of Netflix’s greatest creations.
