House of Cards

Sharper, shorter, tighter than the HBO rendition, and all the better for it.

Brilliant acting and imagination for intrigue. Almost too much to be provisionally believable. It plays out like a conservative back bencher's wet dream, in between too many mundane surgery meetings on greenbelt developments and asylum seekers.

Richardson smirking at the camera is a gag that should get old quick, and yet he does it for all four hours and it works every time. The entire thing is really a wonderful piece of intrigue mixed with black comedy that manages strong commentary with great entertainment. The final half hour goes a bit off the rails for my taste. Still very good, but holds it back a bit right at what should be its high point.

Melhor do que Shakespeare.

Urquhart's character is created just marvelously. The series balances satire, thriller, and character study perfectly.

We follow the ambitious politician, Francis Urquhart. A nice old gentleman, a personification of the stereotypical British eloquence and manners. However, as the story progresses, we see his darker side. Every episode begins with Francis' face smiling, and fading into a very grave expression. This reflects the way the character changes in our eyes. Throughout 12 hours of watching, I haven't found myself bored even once. This is truly a masterpiece of television. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

At first all the looking and talking directly to the camera is distracting, but once you get used to that it is a solid miniseries. Great sense of humor and thrilling throughout. All three miniseries parts ('House of Cards', 'To Play the King' and 'The Final Cut') are well worth a watch.