Watch House of Cards with Mumsnet and you could win an iPad mini

[RachelMumsnet]

We’re back again this month with Watch with Mumsnet, where we watch and discuss some great TV series together. Last month we watched Orange is the New Black and this month we’ll be watching another Netflix exclusive, House of Cards.

Some of you may already have watched the original BBC miniseries of the same name, which ran in 1990, or read the book by Michael Dobbs, which this new series is based on.

House of Cards is an uncompromising exploration of power and ambition with the series orbiting Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey). Underwood is the politician’s politician - masterful, beguiling, charismatic and ruthless. He and his equally ambitious wife Claire (Robin Wright) stop at nothing to ensure their ascendancy.

Netflix have already announced that Series 2 is coming on 14th Feb so this is a great chance to catch up on the first series and share your thoughts with other Mumsnetters.

Here’s what Mumsnetters have been saying about the show already:

“I am gripped by this. (US version) Kevin Spacey is fantastic, the woman playing his wife is amazing... in fact all the actors are great.” Calypso2008

“I'm watching the US version with Kevin Spacey. It is very compelling.” Smearedinfood

“The American one is good too, different, as you would expect, but good. KS's wife is played by Robin Wight (once married to Sean Penn): she gives very good icy.” aoife24

You can watch the whole series instantly on Netflix here, and if you subscribe to Netflix now you get the first month free.

Netflix are offering you a chance to win an iPad mini. All you have to do is watch and discuss the series with other Mumsnetters on this thread to be entered into the prize draw. All contributions are welcome, whether or not you've watched the whole series - but if you’re not sure where to start, here are a couple of the questions that we think the series prompts:

What do you think of Francis Underwood? Do you think you could ever be as ruthlessly power hungry?

And what about his wife Claire played by Robin Wright? Which characters do you like and want to find out more about?

Happy watching!
MNHQ

Watch with Mumsnet is sponsored by Netflix

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Just wondering, in the first episode where Zoe gets an email with a photo of Frank checking out her butt-- who sent that photo? I can't help but wonder if her whole interaction with Frank is part of a larger ploy.

Just started watching this a month ago and it is one of the best series available on netflix.

Kevin Spacey plays this role brilliantly

House of cards has been my friend during my recovery from recent surgery. I am finding it compulsive viewing and particularly enjoying the rather terrifying control of Zoe by frank !
Still got 6 more to go and can't wait to see how it all enfolds.
Just got netflix at Christmas and love it! We are streaming through the wii.
Just wish our broadband was a bit faster , but we are a long way from civilization unfortunately!
Looking forward to series 2

I was quite concerned about watching this series, since the original was so good. I've only watched a couple of episodes of the new one, but it seems pretty good and I am enjoying it. Until I get more into the series I won't be able to give a final verdict though!

Really compelling, great characters. Glad season 2 is almost here!

Kevin Spacey - so brilliant, so convincing and appealing in a sinister way. Love it!

its really interesting how Frank Littlewood is repelling and attractive in equal measure. I love when the two of them are at the wondow smoking, But what is their relationship about. ? Did Frank admit to a previous fling with his old Sentinal buddy?

I was impressed by House of Cards’ ability to weave social media into the fabric of the story and make it dramatic, by showing people pausing before texting a reply to somebody, deliberately not picking up a call and listening to the message moments later, or finding words to make dishonesty sound principled in an e-mail as Cory Stoll’s pathetic, doomed Peter Russo fails to do in an e-mail to a constituent outraged about his silence in the port shutdown.

We're 5 episodes in; completely amazed by Frank's ruthlessness.
Not quite sure what to make of Zoe, I haven't figured her out.

I want to whizz through and watch as many episodes as I can in a sitting, OH wants to take his time and watch them together.

Just started - can tell I'm going to get hooked! If only I had more time!

DH and I adore it and have a few episodes to go, we have decided it is the anti West Wing! KS & RW are excellent, love the scenes of them smoking at the window, we have decided it is their sex!

loved this trailer of house of cards very drmatic and easy to follow powerful loved the characters will be watching this when its aired on tv

I really love house of cards. I've always been a big fan of kevin spacey - he really brings all the characters he plays to real life - in House of Cards he shows just how versatile he is.
Really added to the gripping plot, and thoroughly riveting!

DH and I started watching this evening and we are hooked! About to start watching episode 3.

Really enjoying Robin Wright, she is a real Lady Macbeth character isn't she? Totally ruthless.

I already adore Kevin Spacey but love him in this.

Totally absorbed.

Ok, so now I'm very intrigued by Clare. I thought she was ruthless, but she was clearly affected by the graveyard scene, so what's going on there? Her face gives just a little something away, then no more. It's very finely-balanced acting and I see why she has won awards! What is going on inside her head?

Love it.

Loving it! Only watching because of mumsnet. Its not the type of thing I normally like but I'm really getting into it.

This was recommended by DS and DD who are at university and so have loads of time to watch this sort of thing. Absolutely gripped - think I watched 3 episodes in one siting which is how they watch series and is very immersive. I also watched and enjoyed the original series; I worried that this one would not compare but it is excellent although in a different way.

I also said the same to DH - that I wouldn't be surprised if the whole photo of him admiring her rear was a set up. The way he said "I'm going outside to pretend to use my phone" or words of that ilk to his wife made it sound like something was going on, but then we never found out what. Perhaps that was what it was?

I've just finished re-watching this, in preparation for season 2. As a person whose ultimate TV dream would be to wake up one day having completely forgotten the entire West Wing series, just for the chance to watch it all again for the first time, this series had a lot to live up to!

I absolutely ADORED the first couple of episodes. Spacey and Wright are just pitch perfect, and so so good together. I've always loved Spacey but this is my first encounter with Wright. I really thought she would be much more of a Lady Macbeth character as the series progressed, so I was a little disappointed when it turned out she's actually in competition with Spacey for a lot of the later episodes. Still, skillfully portrayed.

I find the Mara character (Zoe Barnes) a little grating. She's just so useless. I wish she had less screen time, but you can't have everything! I thought Stoll (Peter Russo) was brilliant! He played the kind of character that I can't stand in real life, and yet made him believable and sympathetic.

There was a bit in the middle of the series where it felt like the plot had lost it's way a little. I love the scheming / revenge aspect of Spacey's character, and for a while it seemed as though he'd almost forgotten about being passed over for Secretary of State and instead was just focused on getting back in the good books of the President/Chief of Staff. By the end of the series he was back on point though. I really hope season 2 will see him focus more on taking down those two!

So overall I really enjoyed the series. Although my final criticisms would have to be: 1) AWFUL theme tune, 2) Why is the colour palette of the show so dark and drab?! I really don't understand what this is supposed to add to the series. The superb acting by the main couple, and the fast-moving often twisted storyline make up for these issues though! Love it, and bought the series as a Christmas present for a couple of my West Wing addicted friends as well.

Netflix streams beautifully on my computer, and generally I hook my laptop up to the TV via an HDMI cable. It would be so much nicer to watch season 2 on a shiny new iPad mini though...

Sumptuously produced, beautifully acted, intricately plotted and rather addictive but seldom have I witnessed such a steady stream of dastardly machinations. After watching, I was yearning to bump into a sweet-natured vicar fresh from bottle-feeding orphaned kittens just to restore my faith in humanity.

Next series soon please! Beautifully crafted, fabulously shot. Well done everyone, especially the gorgeous Robin.

What a brilliant show, I was a bit dubious about Kevin Spacey but he has truly won me over. He can play mean and nasty very well!

Robin Wright is also fabulous and portrays such a strong, manipulative character perfectly.

I love the fact that you can watch a whole season in one go and not have to wait for weeks. Definitely a winner, come on Netflix, we need more like this please

Been hooked on Breaking Bad so I've only just found time to try this and watch a few episode.

I have to say that I'm not instantly hooked on this show, although I think the acting is good (really like Kevin Spacey). My DH enjoyed it more than me (and to be fair, political type shows are far more his thing than mine).

We will continue watching it, but probably when we have finished Breaking Bad!

Brilliant really was an amazing watch so addicted to this

Guess what i am going to do tonight under the duvet? (Yes precisely, before this and after that...). Well, attach my iPad to an hdmi cable itself plugged into my very large screen tv in my bedroom, open my new Netflix app and stay glued to the latest season of HOC for as long as I can decently do until my partner, poor angel, falls asleep snoring (regardless of how excellent the series is he always does, morning lark body clock...) eventually spoiling my viewing.
Aaaahh bless...