By Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta, News Staff

Frank Underwood is a man more ruthless than Walter White, more conniving than Tony Soprano and more vicious than Dexter Morgan. He is calculating, he is morally bankrupt and he is the vice president of the United States of America.

The second season of the Netflix political drama “House of Cards” premiered last Friday sending legions of fans sprinting to their computers, desperate to see what the newly inaugurated Vice President Underwood has in store for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

“House of Cards” premiered a little more than a year ago and it has accumulated a strong following. By releasing entire seasons in full for instant viewing, with “House of Cards” Netflix reinvented how television fans watched television. It was also Netflix’s first incarnation of original content, and against the odds it has succeeded greatly in the medium. It also paved the way for Netflix to produce other critically acclaimed content like “Orange is the New Black” and the most recent season of “Arrested Development.”

The thing that makes House of Cards so remarkable is how Frank Underwood, played by the always amazing Kevin Spacey, can be so heinous in his actions and yet so simultaneously engaging to the audience. When Underwood preps to take down an adversary he will break the fourth wall and make eye contact with the viewer. His lips curl with a southern accent as he vocalizes some of the most quotable political insights spoken on television. “Choosing money over power is a mistake almost everyone makes,” he says in season one. “Money is the big mansion in Saratoga that starts falling apart after ten years. Power is that old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who does not see the difference.”

Frank Underwood is the power-hungry politician you love to watch but hope to God you haven’t elected. The combination of exceptional writing and brilliant acting on House of Cards creates a thinly fictitious US government that encounters threats like cyber terrorism, balances the divide between private and public sectors, and is filled with sharks like Underwood who want nothing more than to climb to the top of the food chain. Doesn’t sound too far from reality, does it?

Spotlight Playlist: Underwood’s Entourage

1. “When A Fire Starts to Burn” by Disclosure

2. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by Daft Punk

3. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who

4. “Ready or Not” by the Fugees

5. “Protect Ya Neck” by Wu-Tang Clan

-Raffaela Kenny-Cinocotta can be reached at [email protected].