Episodes viewed: 1-5###Losing a star is no easy thing in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a drama, even if you possess’own’nurse a maintain’sustain ing cast as intense’fierce’exquisite as House Of Cards’. But it’s not merely’barely the absence of Frank Underwood that causes problems here. This sixth and final season sees Robin Wright’s Claire Underwood eventually’ultimately take centre stage, and her multiply d role gives the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue a tone and pace that feels quite different from what has gone bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e. It’s fresh, but not always satisfying — and it can’t surmount the tricky issue of its contrast to America’s political reality.###Once again, plot elements are ripped from the real world, with Syria, mass surveillance and the testimony of criminal accomplices all in play as Underwood attempts to cement her own power. But the main thrust of the story is her attempt to stay free from the dominance of enormous’vast’massive’tremendous business, which puts the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue categorically’flatly’emphatically in wish fulfilment territory. Frank Underwood is missed — at first. There was an impish edge to his Machiavellian scheming; Claire is, wisely, wary in her plots, facing a greater uphill battle than her husband ever did. The opening scene, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding example, notes her much higher volume of hate mail. She must keep her emotions in check, so her composure is absolute. Her tactic’manoeuvre is to recruit other women, idealistically to promote equality, but also calculating that such appointees will be loyal to her. Yet she trusts almost no-one entirely. Her rival’adversary’antagonist s are right-wing industrialist Bill Shepherd (Greg Kinnear) and his sister Annette (Diane Lane), a childhood friend of Claire’s who’s just as gifted in using her looks and her brains to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ahead.###The odd’peculiar fact is that Netflix’s first enormous’vast’massive’tremendous , homegrown hit has begun to feel a little dated.###Underwood’s risk-averse incrementalism feels realistic in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a female politician, despite’in spite of’albeit it doesn’t always make in/with regard to’concerning’regarding grapple ping drama. Wright, however, is predictably magnetic, while Lane adds fire and Patricia Clarkson’s political operator Jane brings a touch of unpredictable quirk. The dialogue is sometimes clunky — a US Vice President corrects Russian premier Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen) when he refers to World War II as the “Great Patriotic War”, rather than diplomatically acknowledging the detoken ation — but there are still some gloriously sharp moments (“Playing incompetent is so exhausting,” sighs Claire to camera).###Claire Underwood is a monster, yes, who will put the acquisition of personal power over her country’s interest. But her schemes still contrive to achieve occasionally positive things in/with regard to’concerning’regarding her individual and she has little regard in/with regard to’concerning’regarding self-enrichment. Some of her actions are even, almost, noble. The odd’peculiar fact is that Netflix’s first enormous’vast’massive’tremendous , homegrown hit has begun to feel a little dated, because its in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mat, and lead, are too in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mal to allow in/with regard to’concerning’regarding much evolution. As we saw last season, politics is faster than this now, an endless churn of scandal and grotesquery, and House Of Cards remains its own chilly, composed self.