PREVIEW: House of Cards Season 3

There are no spoilers below for season 3 but if you haven't seen seasons 1 and 2, DO NOT read on.

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On Friday morning (at 8.01am to be precise) the new season of House of Cards premieres on Netflix but we were lucky enough to have a sneak preview of the first few episodes... The critically-acclaimed drama returns not so much with a bang, like the second season did, but more with a fraught tension that could explode at any moment. When we left them last, Frank and Claire Underwood had just gotten their ticket to the top of the political chain and Doug Stamper was left for dead by Rachel. At the start of the new series Frank is fighting to secure his legacy while also dealing with foreign policy issues and an unsupportive party. Meanwhile Claire isn’t content with just being First Lady and discussing decorative eggs. She as always wants much more but unlike before, it isn’t coming easily. Unlike the previous two, the third series is bogged down in legislation and Frank’s political struggles albeit this time they’re within the walls of the White House. Still, Kevin Spacey as Frank is as brilliant as ever. He’s cutting, ruthless and manipulative despite the cracks that are seriously starting to show. Robin Wright's Claire might not know where her place is in the opening episodes but we can't see that being the case for the entire duration. To be completely honest, it isn’t entirely clear where the characters or the action can go from this point but we have a feeling that it's going to memorable and that the latest season of House of Cards won't crumble like its title suggests.