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House of Cards

House of Cards

There are two kinds of pain.

2013–2018Ended6 seasons73 episodes~50 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch House of Cards?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists House of Cards streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about House of Cards?

House of Cards earns 9 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of shows.

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  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is House of Cards worth watching?

House of Cards' Midcredits score is the 98th percentile of all shows, from 568K ratings across 2 sources. 93% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

98th percentile

Better received than 98% of shows

98th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

84 /100

95th percentile of all shows

96th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

93% liked it

97th percentile of all shows

97th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2010s
93% rated it 7–107% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

565K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show's identity and central appeal was Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood, and his absence in season 6 broke the series.

Fans praised

  • Kevin Spacey's magnetic, career-defining performance as Frank Underwood
  • Superb writing with sharp, Shakespearean dialogue and intricate plotting
  • Ruthless, intelligent political thriller with dark, immersive atmosphere

Detractors panned

  • Season 6 is a disjointed, boring mess without Spacey's character
  • Repetitive storylines where the Underwoods conveniently defeat all rivals
  • Final season devolves into hollow feminism and nonsensical plot

What stands out

Acting85

Kevin Spacey's tour de force as Frank Underwood is universally praised; Robin Wright also lauded, but her season 6 performance deemed insufficient to carry the show

DialogueDivisive85

Sharp, witty, Shakespearean monologues; Frank's fourth-wall breaks are a highlight

CharactersDivisive75

Frank Underwood is a deeply written, compelling antihero; Claire and Doug are well-developed but season 6 flattens Claire into one-dimensional villain

TensionDivisive70

High-stakes political suspense in early seasons; later seasons lack genuine tension

OriginalityDivisive65

Fresh take on political drama with innovative binge-release model; later seasons felt formulaic

Plot and storyDivisive60

Intricate, suspenseful political maneuvering in early seasons; later seasons repetitive and season 6 incoherent with loose threads

PacingDivisive55

Early seasons taut and addictive; seasons 5 and 6 drag with slow, disjointed storytelling

Ending20

Universally panned as one of the worst series finales; unresolved and unsatisfying

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Episodes

6 seasons

Season 6 · 2018 · 8 episodes · 4.8 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S6E1

    Chapter 66

    Nov 2, 201853 minTMDB rating 5.5Season best
  • S6E2

    Chapter 67

    Nov 2, 201853 minTMDB rating 5.0
  • S6E3

    Chapter 68

    Nov 2, 201853 minTMDB rating 5.0
  • S6E4

    Chapter 69

    Nov 2, 201853 minTMDB rating 5.0
  • S6E5

    Chapter 70

    Nov 2, 201859 minTMDB rating 4.7
  • S6E6

    Chapter 71

    Nov 2, 201857 minTMDB rating 4.6
  • S6E7

    Chapter 72

    Nov 2, 201857 minTMDB rating 4.4
  • S6E8

    Chapter 73

    Nov 2, 201855 minTMDB rating 3.8Finale

Watch experience

What is House of Cards like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseColdManic
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Cold and cerebral · 6% of shows: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Bleak · 3% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedOne continuous story
ToneThe series plays its Machiavellian drama straight, with a cold, detached gaze and a bleak worldview conveyed through Frank's sardonic direct address.
The rideSustained tension and cold calculation define the series, with manic bursts during crises; the pressure never fully dissipates.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear, cause-and-effect fashion across seasons, with occasional direct address but no structural experimentation.
Episode formatThe show is a continuous serialized narrative across all six seasons; episodes are chapters in an ongoing story.
Season formatSeasons continue the same overarching plot and character arcs without restarting; each season builds on the last.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
UnsettlingThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves you disturbed by the ruthless pragmatism of its characters and questioning the nature of political power and corruption.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% (this title) · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

4% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series chronicles Frank Underwood's calculated rise to power and subsequent moral and political collapse, following a classic tragedy of ambition and corruption.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% (this title) · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Power

Power · 5% of showsAmbition · 14% of showsCorruption · 3% of shows
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost. stakesDual lead
How it treats its themeThe series is fundamentally about the pursuit and exercise of political power, following Frank and Claire Underwood as it corrodes everything in its path.
StanceThe show warns against the corrosive nature of ambition and power, while also, at times, seeming to celebrate the Underwoods' cunning.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Jeff Beal
SettingWashington D.C. political corridors and power circles
MusicJeff Beal's score is a brooding, minimalist blend of strings and electronics that underscores the show's cynical mood.

Content guide

Is House of Cards okay for kids?

TV-MA

House of Cards is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (52/100), sexual content at intense (74/100), language at intense (73/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (65/100) and frightening material at moderate (59/100). Overall it is heavier than 60% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 36 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • New Zealand16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • ArgentinaSAM 16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • BG16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK16
  • Greece16
  • Hungary16
  • IDD
  • IndiaA
  • ItalyVM12
  • LU16
  • MexicoC
  • MY18
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland16
  • Portugal16
  • PRTV-MA
  • ROAP
  • Russia12+
  • SingaporeR21
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
  • UA16+
  • VITV-MA
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 79% of all showsHeavier than 60% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 33%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 85%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 62%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 72%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 49%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is sexual content, language, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does House of Cards have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in House of Cards?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; 2 award-winning performances in the cast.

Robin Wright
as Claire Underwood
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Kelly
as Doug Stamper
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kevin Spacey
as Francis Underwood
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Justin Doescher
as Frank Underwood Security
Derek Cecil
as Seth Grayson
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jayne Atkinson
as Catherine Durant
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Nathan Darrow
as Edward Meechum
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Mahershala Ali
as Remy Danton
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
newcomer then · star now
Boris McGiver
as Tom Hammerschmidt
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Paul Sparks
as Thomas Yates
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

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