House Of Cards Review: 10 Spoiler-Free Reactions To Season 5

6. Some Subplots Underwhelm

House of Cards Tom Yates
David Giesbrecht/Netflix

One issue with the show that still hasn't been fixed - at least not fully - are the number of subplots that don't provide the same level of interest or excitement as the main narrative, and instead serve as distractions that disrupt the flow of what we're watching.

Not all of these subplots are bad, but there is a lot of fat that could do with being trimmed. Tom Yates is still around the White House, and his presence now no longer really offers much beyond the implausibility of him being kept there. There are further diversions to Russia, more of the Conways, and an old friend of LeAnn's getting caught up with the NSA that all, to varying degrees, take up a bit too much time without being wholly worth investing in.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.