On Feb. 14, the second season of the Netflix original, House of Cards, was released after much anticipation from viewers.

Directed by David Fincher, House of Cards is based off a popular British series. Netflix has now made a hit of the series in the United States.

Starring Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Kate Mara, the show is gaining praise. According to the New York Times, “House of Cards” is the most streamed piece of content in the United States and in 40 other countries.

This drama and political thriller has been nominated for many awards, including Emmy’s and  Golden Globes.

“It’s such a good watch because it gives off a ‘no bullsh*t’ kind of vibe,” senior Grace Knudsen said.

“All of the show and the characters are very down to earth.”

The plot focuses on a congressman from South Carolina named Frank Underwood (Spacey) who works with his wife, Claire (Wright), to get revenge on the people who betrayed him. Underwood is attempting to work his way up the ladder in Washington D.C.

Underwood teams up with Zoe Barnes (Mara), a reporter from the Washington Herald newspaper, to expose his political enemies.

The show has a unique viewer/character interaction.

At times throughout the episodes, Underwood looks directly at the camera, telling viewers exactly what he is thinking or about his next move.

Spacey really takes over the spotlight and becomes someone who is a “love-hate character,” senior Luke Haglin said.

Students are not the only ones who have taken interest in the new Netflix hit.

English and Journalism teacher, Kyle Ann Herring, has been watching House of Cards since it debuted on Netflix last February.

“Mr. Herring and I finished season one in about a weekend,” K.  Herring said.

One thing Herring dislikes about the series is that she cannot show it to her students because of inappropriate content.

“It’s so good, I wish I could show relevant scenes to my classes,” Herring said.

With the mixture of political drama and journalistic muckraking, the show appeals to all sorts of audiences.

“I like how Shakespearean it is,” social studies teacher David Herring said.

Herring teaches Honors Political Science at Orono and wants his students to watch the series.

“The value to a political science class is the way it portraits  pluralist democracy and the influence of interest groups and money,” D. Herring said.

“You never know what will happen in the next episode,” Haglin said.

The second season is now available, making some Orono students happy that the wait was over.

“Excited is a bit of an understatement,” senior Katherine Hutter said. “You know where [I was] on Valentine’s Day.”

House of Cards is not one of a kind in its form. Netflix has come out with more “Netflix Originals” since their first (Arrested Development) and this series debuted.

Lilyhammer, Hemlock Grove, Arrested Development, and Orange is the New Black are some of Netflix’s successful originals.

The second season of House of Cards is as exciting and dramatic as the first season.

For a person wanting to start the series, here is what he or she needs to know.

According to Popwatch, there are six episodes (chapters) that viewers need to watch before viewing season two: chapters 1, 4, 8, 10, 11, and 13.

“The season finale is a very intense episode,” Haglin said.

Many viewers watching Netflix enjoy the luxury of binge watching a show instead of waiting every week for the next episode.

“I would much rather binge watch an entire season than wait every week for one episode,” junior Jack  Ellis said.

“Anyone who has a Netflix account should have already watched this show,” Hutter said. “If you haven’t yet, start today.”

The second season has 13 episodes and each episode is about an hour long.

“Once you start watching it, you won’t be able to stop,” Hutter said. “Even though the episodes are super long.”

If a person is in a need for a new show to watch, House of Cards should be considered.