A more recent by-product of streaming content has been original streaming content. Netflix and Hulu have been shelling out big bucks in creating shows that are completely separate from the broadcast and cable networks-and it's paying off big time. House of Cards is one such show. Its launch also took advantage of the platform, and Netflix released an entire season at once (instead of rationing episodes one at a time). So from the get-go, people could enjoy it at whatever pace they wanted. Brilliant. House of Cards is centered around Southern Congressman Frank Underwood and his struggle for power. In occasional asides, he reveals his plans to the audience, and watching him spin his web is mesmerizing. Between his strategic leaks to an ambitious reporter, his equally power-hungry wife and his control over a fellow Congressman, he is, in many ways, even more powerful than the President. Every move he makes is perfectly calculated to manipulate a specific action, and ever move is successful (so far, at least). Driven by David Fincher's masterful direction and Kevin Spacey managing to break the 4th wall without looking and sounding cheesy, House of Cards is a phenomenal political drama. This is also one rare occasion where Americans ripping off a BBC series actually worked. Binging Advice: This series has a lot of dramatic irons in the fire. And Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood is definitely a variety of anti-hero, so watching the entire season in one sitting may make you a bit paranoid. But the 2nd season just dropped, so now's the perfect time to get paranoid.