When the New York Daily News describes House of Cards as "worth your weekend", it means it.

On Friday, US streaming giant Netflix released all 13 episodes of the acclaimed political drama's third season. In response, a chunk of the American population locked themselves away over the weekend and binge-watched the lot.

House of Cards will be a flagship program on Netflix when the service launches in Australia in March.

According to the New York Daily News, the third season – which opens with Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) dealing with the aftershocks of his grab for power – is "worth the lost weekend".

The newspaper singled out Robin Wright's performance as Frank's wife, Claire.

"Wright, who already has won an Emmy for the role, remains one of the best parts of the series, while Underwood's bottomless appetite for dark dealings keeps Spacey so deliciously detestable you can't help but keep rooting for the bad guy to win," said reviewer Don Kaplan.

Vanity Fair described the new season as "still engaging, if a little less exciting" than previous seasons.

With Frank and Claire now occupying the White House, reviewer Richard Lawson said it is "way less fun watching [them] flounder at the top".

"The devious joy of the first two seasons was, of course, seeing these two sociopaths scramble and dupe and improvise in their grand, monomanical quest for power ... there is a distinct air of West Wing-iness to the first six episodes, the show now less about beguiling long-con power grabs and more about daily political process. Which, sure, is engaging enough, a peek behind the curtain or whatever. But it's also a completely different show."

However, Lawson notes that Spacey and Wright "cut mesmerising figures". He also acknowledges that season two was much better than he'd initially deemed it to be.

"I believe good things will come if we just wait. Six episodes is slightly less than half the season, so there is plenty of time for the various plots to braid themselves into a glorious knot worthy of House of Cards.

 

Britain's The Telegraph, in reviewing the first episode only, said the new season was "slow to rouse itself".

"Having plotted his rise across 26 painstaking hours of television, now that Underwood had finally claimed the Oval Office he appeared rather underwhelmed," wrote Ed Power.

Still, Power praises a certain scene that "in less accomplished hands ... might come off as absurd. But Netflix's showpiece drama is such a gorgeous object, every frame assembled from a palette of stylish greys and blacks, that it seems beyond silliness."

The Hollywood Reporter's review was generally critical, declaring the show to suffer a "lack of believability".

"If House of Cards really believed that its ridiculousness was a wink-wink at the audience, its diversions from believability wouldn't be so troubling," said Tim Goodman.

"Instead, House of Cards has been the poster series for both the popularity of Netflix as a streaming service with strong original content and as a big player for the service at awards shows. It takes itself very seriously."

He argued that the series "has one of those problems that soap operas bump up against all the time: story fatigue".

"You can only ask your audience to buy into the political shenanigans of [Francis and Claire] for so long, given the Gumbyesque contortions that the series uses to entertain."

The Mirror, in contrast, said: "House of Cards is quite brilliant – insane but brilliant – and the first episode of the third season proves it".

Mashable said the new season "doesn't rush to wow you again; it knows you'll stick around long enough to get that feeling again, which is part of what makes it great television".

New data from piracy tracking company Excipio shows there has been a surge in illicit downloading of the series in many countries where it is not yet available. Only China, India and the US topped Australia for unauthorised peer-to-peer shared downloads.

What viewers thought:

Non-spoilery #HouseOfCards observation #4 - Claire Underwood is a masterclass in making men uncomfortable now and forever — Sarah M (@sazza_jay) March 1, 2015

The supporting women are the best part of #houseofcards this season: Marvel as Dunbar, Parker as Sharp, Dickens as Baldwin. — Kate Erbland (@katerbland) March 1, 2015

Love seeing more of Remy Danton as a deeper character this season. I so relate to him. And I didn't expect that. #HouseOfCards — Criminelle Law (@CriminelleLaw) March 1, 2015

Sometimes watching #HouseOfCards is like getting beaten over the head with the worst freshman Intro to American Politics essay ever. — Seth Masket (@smotus) February 28, 2015

I just finished #HouseOfCards aka I don't know what anything means anymore, I give up, goodbye. — H. Alan Scott (@HAlanScott) March 1, 2015

SERIOUSLY. THAT'S THE END??!! #HouseOfCards — Imani ABL (@AngryBlackLady) March 1, 2015

Finished #HouseOfCards and now life has no meaning. Nothing left to do, but drown in my sorrows... — Goldie Taylor © (@goldietaylor) March 1, 2015

After binge-watching #HouseOfCards yesterday, I'm watching #thisweek and realize how fake our news is. pic.twitter.com/nHOxCrJ7N4 — #MakeDCListen™ (@RickCanton) March 1, 2015

Our actual Congress is incapable of passing any legislation, so let's binge-watch the new season of #HouseOfCards! — Dylan Saunders (@dylan_saunders) March 1, 2015

My wife and I are now having a serious conversation about some marriage dynamics while watching #houseofcards — Elon James White (@elonjames) March 1, 2015

In #HouseofCards theyre worried about a hurricane, about disaster relief, and i wonder about realism, does this happen? — do what peggy says (@okelay) February 28, 2015

Frank Underwood - you dastardly, despicable man - I hate that I love you. #houseofcards pic.twitter.com/UD9WIJQxlD — Osher Günsberg (@oshergunsberg) February 28, 2015

Netflix hope that original series such House of Cards and Orange is the New Black will lure Australian subscribers when the service launches in March.

Among its other original programs are:

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Co-created by Tiny Fey and Robert Carlock, a comedy about Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) who decides to re-claim her life and start over in New York City after living in a cult for 15 years. (13 episodes, coming this year.)

Marvel's Daredevil: Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero "Daredevil" in New York City. (13 episodes, coming this year.)

Grace & Frankie: Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin) are a pair of frenemies whose lives are turned upside down ­and permanently intertwined –when their husbands leave them for each other. Together, they must face starting over in their 70s in a 21st century world. (13 episodes, coming this year.)

BoJack Horseman: Will Arnett voices BoJack, the failed legendary '90s sitcom star from the favorite family sitcom Horsin' Around, who has been trying to find his way through a muddle of self­loathing, whisky and failed relationships – now primed for a comeback. (12 episodes, available at launch.)

Bloodline: Psychological thriller about the eldest brother and black sheep of the Rayburn family who returns home, exposing the emotional demons that threaten to tear his family apart. (13 episodes, coming this year.)

Marco Polo: Based on based on the famed explorer's adventures in Kublai Khan's court in 13th century China. (10 episodes, available at launch.)

Sense8: A dramatic thriller about eight people who experience a violent vision – and are able to hear, see, feel and talk to each other as if they're in the same place. (10 episodes, coming this year.)

mlallo@fairfaxmedia.com.au