Netflix & Chilled: 'House of Cards' Quietly Enters Fourth Season

It's been four years since "House of Cards" first debuted on Netflix. In 2013, the TV landscape is quite different from what it is today: there was less to watch, with most audiences tuning into big shows like "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead" and "Scandal," which dominated the national conversation. We were on the cusp of the Golden Age of TV, and the release of the first season of "House of Cards" on the streaming service was a pivotal moment.

The political drama was not only celebrated at the time for being a quality show, but also as a gutsy move for Netflix: it was as much a compelling soap opera about government officials' thirst for power as it was a groundbreaking and defining moment in TV history.

Now in its fourth season, "House of Cards" exists in a completely different space. There are more programs than ever but fewer Big Shows that we all discuss on a national level. The first two seasons of "House of Cards" dominated national headlines, and became a #trending topic but its fourth season debuted last week with a whimper.

"House of Cards" was exciting when the details of the show were first revealed: Kevin Spacey plays Frank Underwood, a diabolical politician who is hungry to get to the top. His wife and partner in crime Claire Underwood, played by Robin Wright, is a strong woman who won't stop at getting what she wants. The series' first two episodes were directed by David Fincher, who remains one of the show's executive producers, and the show continues to do an impressive job at encapsulating is sleek and cool aesthetic.

While the quality of "House of Cards" hasn't changed much over the years, it is no longer a water cooler show. That's not to say people don't watch it - though Netflix does not release its data, the streaming service recently renewed the series for a fifth season. But one may wonder exactly how long "House of Cards," which is based on a British mini-series, can continue. There will come a time when the Underwoods exhaust their political time in the White House. That same question can be applied to "Orange is the New Black," which debuted in the summer of 2013 and has been renewed through 2019, which is one of Netflix's first original programs, along with "House of Cards."

But what really separates "House of Cards," and even "Orange is the New Black," from prestige dramas on HBO, AMC and FX is the way it's built for the binge model. All 13 episodes of the series appear on the same day and are specifically designed with the assumption that the "House of Cards" audience will spend their weekends watching one episode after the next. While most dramas pepper their twists and turns throughout each episode, the biggest punches come towards the end of an "House of Cards" episode. That way, you're more compelled to click the "play next episode" prompt while the credits of the episode you just finished scroll by you.

The binge model also allows the series to take its time when telling a story; "House of Cards" unveils itself at a different pace. This gives the show more time to tug at different plot threads, choose different avenues to explore and introduce an array of characters than most conventional network shows.

In Season 4, "House of Cards" takes full advantage of being on Netflix. Without spoiling much, the series dives backwards and pulls out forgotten characters and puts them into the spotlight to drive the plot in interesting directions. It seems in its fourth season that "House of Cards" is completely aware of its finite lifespan and its creators and writers have developed a clear path that will keep the Underwoods around for a long while.

Season 4 is a step up in a lot of ways from the last few seasons of "House of Cards." With the plot being more focused and set, actors are allowed to give brilliant performances. Spacey and Wright, who is credited to directing a few episodes, are excellent as always. Powerhouses Ellen Burstyn, Cicely Tyson and Neve Campbell joined the cast this year, and all three women are incredible, with Burstyn giving an Emmy-worthy performance.

It's also interesting that "House of Cards" exists during at time when "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" is thriving on the airwaves. The anthology drama is incredibly self-conscious about transforming tabloid fodder into a top shelf series. "House of Cards," on the other hand, is the inversion: taking highbrow subjects and melting them down into a gooey saccharine mush of 13 extremely watchable hours of TV.