Forget the fancy dinner at an upscale restaurant, the huge box of chocolates and the dozens of roses that many may have received this past Friday, because Valentine’s Day this year meant only one thing: the season two premiere of House of Cards.  

The three time Emmy award winning Netflix original series, which premiered last year, is an adaptation of the BBC miniseries by the same name. The show follows a set of characters and exploits the lack of morality amongst politicians by demonstrating the manipulation, scheming and hypocrisy used to achieve personal success.

House of Cards fan Ryan George said, “I pretty much view it as Game of Thrones in modern day Congress, which by itself is an interesting concept.” This is a pretty accurate description, especially when you see how the people are pinned against one another and how each scenario pans out.   Creator Beau Willimon’s vision was to create a show that depicted realism and a sense of awareness of what is going on in present day Washington. In season one of the show, there were many ethical situations introduced that shocked fans.

The foundation of the show is the main character, 5th Congressional District and House Majority Whip Francis J. “Frank” Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, begins to retaliate against the President and his cabinet after losing his spot as the next Secretary of State. Congressman Underwood, “intricately plans to disgrace his enemies and obtain a cabinet position acquiring pawns he can manipulate in his power play. He uses his extramarital relationship with Zoe Barnes, a young political reporter, to leak damaging stories about his rivals in the House.”

Another fan Jaylynn Romen said, “The extent of Underwood’s manipulation is fascinating.” The show demonstrates the rather dark, twisted and corrupt reality of politics, leaving you wanting more. Throughout the season you can see how far the Congressman is willing to go to attain his goal.

With a series of roadblocks and betrayals, season two will continue to follow the journey of Congressman Underwood and his rise to the top. Even though the cast and crew have kept things under wraps with little to no clues as to what to expect, fans already know that this season will be jaw dropping and just as shocking as the first. Also, with Netflix’s new model of revitalizing the concept of on demand viewing, fans are able to watch the whole season, all 13 episodes, at their own pace.

This gives them the ability to analyze and discuss the show with others without having to wait a week to find out what happens next, which is also a great PR strategy, because message boards will be buzzing within a day of its release.   Season two of House of Cards became available on Netflix today.

If you didn’t have plans for the holiday, hopefully you ordered take out, got some candy and shared your Valentine’s Day with the Underwoods and their twisted affairs.