There’s an important phase in between “great new show” and “jumping the shark,” and I feel like that’s where House of Cards is right now.
There’s a time, often in the third season of a hot show, where the the characters stop serving a higher purpose and the show simply starts serving the characters. You felt it happen with The Sopranos, when the focused retelling of the Borgias tale of a family empire destroying itself became scattered episodes focusing on some of the fun supporting characters.
The first season of House of Cards was a parable of political ruthlessness. The second was about the logical extension of that drive. The third? Well, it could have been Macbeth, which would have suited the narrative so far. Instead it’s a new made-up crisis each episode, with President Underwood actually (and uncredibly) being depicted as sentimental, sloppy and open-minded. This is the character’s downfall. House of Cards remains a fine show, but it’s not about politics anymore. It’s about a random politician, which isn’t nearly so interesting.