Separately, I watched House of Cards through to its conclusion and enjoyed it. Still tasting it, so I’ll reevaluate when it’s digested some. But it did well by me in the way The Wire and Deadwood did well by me. Characters are personable even at their most despicable. Violence becomes political, sex is doled out tactically. The dialogue can drop some good lines every now and then.

Here’s the kicker: it’s only season 1. Season fucking 1. Had you told me that this would not be The End I would’ve waited until they were done. It was even right there in between the jumble of other words that aren’t PLAY, but I didn’t allow myself to see it.

My point is to be careful, all you speed readers out there. You keyword searchers. Too much of that high-level stuff will stunt your comprehension, cause dyxlexic flare-ups, and lead to the kind of existential unhappiness that only a season finale can rile up.