Internet video streaming has yet to accomplish its Super Bowl, but if anything hints at a potential future in the “event” release online, a new season of House of Cards is it.

Sometime, in the dead of this Feb. 27 night, Frank and Claire Underwood will sneak silently into your living room and await you like a villain in a very, very large chair. You will turn on whatever Netflix box you might have, scroll clumsily through the menus and, finally, after months upon months of waiting, take glee in the sardonic slaughtering of American politics.

And just in time, too, with all those presidential elect rumors hitting the real-world news day-in and day-out. If our heads can only bow in shame at the often petty competition of a presidential election, then allow us sweet release upon Frank Underwood’s evisceration of our democratic ideals. It makes sense, in a terrible sort of way. Francis would have it no other way.

In preparation for this fine night in American culture, let us pay our respects to what came before: England. If you didn’t already know, rebellious child that you are, Netflix’s House of Cards is based on the BBC’s own original series of the same name, which itself was adapted from a British novel. The original series aired in 1990 to critical acclaim, following the devious political rise of Francis Urquhart after the resignation of Margaret Thatcher, though the inclusion of that particular plot point is both the beginning and end of the story’s real-world context.

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The British like to create TV shows that aren’t called shows. House of Cards is technically a triumvirate of mini-series, the first titled House of Cards and the latter two called To Play the King and The Final Cut, respectively. Also, this being very British, there’s a Macbeth/Richard III lean to the whole thing, reminding the world once again that, yes, they had Shakespeare. Well we have Kanye West, which definitely means something to Kanye West.

If you, like America’s greatest hero, insist on doing it the American way, you can just watch the first two seasons of the U.S. House of Cards through Netflix. That would be the easy, un-American way to do American things though. If you truly want to show your patriotism, engage in some good old capitalism and purchase either of the first two seasons on blu-ray. Ask yourself, what would Kanye do?

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But, chances are, if you made it to this article then you want none of that disgusting blu-ray technology, because you already watched everything in the world through Netflix. Well, have you tried Youtube? There’s more than enough random House of Cards crap on there. For instance, there’s the Sesame Street parody, which might rate as the only worthwhile kid-friendly parody of the show. You’ll even learn something along the way, granted you’ve never learned anything before.

If you want to knock the whole parody thing out in one sitting, Jimmy Fallon’s take is a fairly robust coverage of all the potential jokes, meandering from the “dude, who are  you talking to?’ bit to some more Tonight Show-friendly twists.

Finally, perhaps the greatest of them all, is this parody/warning video from a guy named Jon Rudnitsky. It might do you well to watch it before jumping back in, the very security of your life and job are at risk. Be warned, it’s a bit NSFW on the language and subtly racist lines. Most importantly, it doesn’t name itself in the House of Blank (name reserved for the impending House of Cards Parody parody) template. Quite impressive, indeed.

Francis Underwood impersonations are all fun and good. Reliving the words of Underwood himself is much, much better. Here’s a lengthy Buzzfeed list of Underwood quotes put up against inspirational images. Because irony. You’ll smile just remembering the moments.

And for all our fallen heroes, two still stand above the rest. Feel free to use this as your desktop background to further increase the agony of the wait.

House of Cards Season 3 is Here, Are You Ready?

So far, Netflix has engaged in a slow burn of self-accreditation, leap-frogging brand new, well-received television shows and a mishmash of movies, comedy specials and returning properties the likes of The Killing and Arrested Development. The strategy isn’t changing, but it is speeding up, signaling a new era of confidence for the streaming behemoth. Over the course of the next three months, a returning critical darling and three completely new shows will debut on the service, each of which to push the boundaries of Netflix’s creative goals into new directions.

House of Cards Season 3 – February 27

If you need an explanation for the what or the why of this show, much less the who, then you’ve already missed the boat. You need to go back, binge watch all the glorious Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright that you can, not before reassessing your priorities, of course, then watch the trailer for season three and experience the swift removal of your pants. So, you know, before this whole process starts, choose to wear your least favorite pants. You’ll never see them, ever again.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – March 6

The creative duo behind 30 Rock, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, are back at it with a half-hour comedy starring the bubbly Ellie Kemper. The role seems tailored to the red-head: she’s a recently liberated cult wife trying to survive for the first time on her own in the most televised city of them all – New York. Though it looks like Fey is staying behind the camera for this one, Jane Krakowski establishes the on-screen 30 Rock influence for avid viewers of NBC’s old show. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was originally developed for the NBC network, only to be sold off to Netflix for this year’s run. It’s got a two-season order in the bag, too.

Bloodline – March 20

Netflix borrowed The Fall from BBC, heavily promoting it through its own services and essentially co-opting the prestige that came with that show. This was Netflix’s risk-averse way of delving into the cop drama, and it paid off quite well. Now we have Bloodline, the family drama, though this time it’s a completely new show developed for the streaming service. That comparison might be weak, but getting into an already-established genre is tricky business. That Netflix is diving in utterly and completely in this case is a vote of confidence for the Kyle Chandler-lead show.

Daredevil – April 10

Here’s the show with the absolute largest potential for disruption in both the Netflix and general TV realms. Marvel has already made a big push for televised versions of its comic books, but never with a character as important to the Marvel universe as Daredevil and never exclusively to a streaming service. Both Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the recently debuted Agent Carter, both on ABC, leach off the prestige of larger super hero names without risking the tainting of those heroes’ potential future on both the big and small screens. Daredevil is no such middle ground, and it’s only one of four shows currently planned for Netflix exclusivity, which makes it an all-important lab rat dipped slowly into the fiery cauldrons of super hero TV.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told USA Today that 2015 will bring Netflix about halfway towards its programming goals.

“We can successfully support about 20 original scripted series every year, with a new series or a new season every two to three weeks, and still maintain a level of quality we expect,” he said. Considering the future of Netflix includes some Adam Sandler movies, a sci-fi series from the Wakowski siblings and a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there’s very little to suggest the company is slowing down anytime soon.

The Next Three Months of Netflix Shows Are Packed

Now that Santa Claus is returned home, the Hanukkah candles are stowed away and any other relevant (politically correct to mention) holiday is come to pass, we media consumers can finally celebrate the true light of our lives: zombies, ruthless politicians and modern gunslingers. If you aren’t immediately nodding your head at that last reference, you’ve missed out one one of the best shows of the past decade by about a mile. Don’t worry, it’s woefully underwatched by the rest of the world too:

Justified – January 20

Don’t get too caught up in the somewhat hokey tone of the trailer. What you need to pay attention to is the not-so-subtle subtext. Okay, it’s just text. Raylan, the cowboy-looking U.S. Marshal, and Boyd, the career criminal, have been dodging and weaving each other for a solid five season now. Like many great shows do these days, Justified transitioned out of a “case of the week” format to a more serialized way of things after its first season, propping up larger-than-life bad guys over the course of a season for a final confrontation of sorts. It rarely plays out as you expect and, most importantly, the dialogue is written with a unique blend of quippy southern and modern mentalities. Raylan and Boyd are equal kings of the one-liner.

The Walking Dead – February 8

Rick and the gang might’ve been a jolly romp of a TV show following a happy-go-lucky group of westerners just trying to get their BBQ Joint off the ground (as a spin-off of Freddy’s in House of Cards, of course), but then the zombies came and had to ruin everything. Instead we get trailers like this, where life sucks and people are all kinds of dirty. At least there’s consequence-free violence and less children to worry about as our herd of heroes is thinned, arbitrarily added to and then thinned some more.

 Better Call Saul – February 8

It might not be Breaking Bad, but it’s about the closest we’re going to get since the end of the blue meth. This is the pre-adventure of Walter White’s slimy lawyer Saul Goodman as he transitions from disenfranchised public defender to money hungry, shameless personal defense hound. Thankfully, from some of the same people who did Breaking Bad, expect to enjoy the flaws of the character more than anything redeeming. What better way to watch a lawyer screw people over every week?

House of Cards – February 27

Indomitable politician Francis Underwood and his equally terrifying wife Claire return in what some might consider a better position than they started last year. Nothing about the trailer speaks to a season any more subdued or relaxed than the first two. Fans would be disappointed if it did. Nope, the Underwoods will surely ruin more lives and threaten on a global scale in the name of personal power, because that’s what Americans do, according to television. If you’re planning to binge watch it, head over to our binge watching guide to get ready.

Check Out All the Returning TV Show Trailers Pouring In for the Spring

Are you binge watching right now? Friends has arrived on Netflix, the third season of House of Cards is on its way (and looks as high-stakes as ever) and Amazon is finally tracking in the world of prestigious streaming with its critically beloved Transcendence hitting awards shows left and right.

Binge watching has surpassed the honeymoon phase of memes and jokery. It’s now a bona fide part of digital culture, the claw of never-ending entertainment grasping at even the strongest deniers and succeeding at sucking them into marathon sessions of good and bad shows alike.

Accept your fate, know your weakness, and then you can focus on creating the best binge-watching atmosphere possible. Is it irrational to plan for weeks of non-activity and sloth-like behavior? Probably. Does a lack of logic dictate what people do on a regular basis? Your answer to that question is answered by whether you continue to read further. If you do, you’ll find some handy suggestion on what to take with you into your binge watching life hole.

If you already have streaming hardware, skip past the first section. If not, read on!

Must-Have Hardware

If you aren’t streaming your entertainment directly through a TV, video game console or ancient magic, the world of streaming devices isn’t so heavily populated that you should cower in fear like old people did when cell phones were invented. In fact, there are really only a few notable competitors out there. The first device comes from perhaps the most notable competitor of all, in all things, everywhere.

Chromecast

Google’s tiny little streaming device plugs directly into any HDMI port and does one of two things. It either accesses the traditional catalog of streaming services available through most devices, or it simply mirrors the image of whatever device you might be using (computer, phone, tablet, etc.) directly onto the big screen. Both options require interfacing with an outside device, which diminishes the convenience factor just a bit. On the other hand, Chromecast wins the category for most adaptable. It’s the most likely device to be able to put whatever you want on screen. Here’s our review of it.

Roku 3

On the other side of the spectrum are the Roku devices, which run all on their own and even comes with a button stick (remote controller). You won’t need another device to make it work. Just wi-fi, and pretty much any Roku device is going to run any moderately popular streaming application. Far less technical, for sure, but the convenience of that comes at a steeper price tag than the Chromecast. Here’s our review of the Roku 3. Roku also has its own streaming stick, which we reviewed, but it’s a bit limited in the mirroring department.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Lastly but certainly not least is Amazon’s own streaming stick thingamajig. Again, we’ve reviewed this one, and we reviewed it quite well. Not only does it run games and allow voice control, it’s well integrated with Amazon’s own media streaming services (music and video). If you’re an Amazon Prime member, this is your choice, hands down. If not, it still might be your choice. It’s well-priced and it performs well, though doesn’t mirror anything.

Satiating Your Hunger

Nowhere else than in your own home do you have more control over that one inescapable necessity of life – the need to eat. It’s perhaps the greatest benefit to binge-watching that you aren’t privy to the whims of other people’s preferences or a movie theater’s severe lack of non-life-threatening goodies. That said, to deprive yourself of well-made popcorn simply because some poor high school kid isn’t making it for you behind the counter is a sin. That’s why you need to buy yourself a popcorn machine. They come in three flavors.

But if you aren’t into popcorn all that much (which would make you inhuman), there are other ways to transport the delicacies of the world into your living room without degrading their prestige with a microwave.

Relaxing in Complete Comfort

After keeping yourself alive, healthily or not, finding the utmost feng shui of comfort in front of that TV screen should take priority. And chief among comfort items are blankets and pillows. A rigorous online search happened us upon these sinfully comfy body huggers:

The Blanket that Never Lets You Go

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Give it enough time and your feet just might find there way out of the bottom of your blanket. Twenty minutes later your whole body feels cold, but you don’t quite register. And hour later and you’re on the brink of frostbite. If only you had this Pure Bliss Comforter from Brookstone, which pockets your feet in a reverse kangaroo pouch on the bottom.

‘Tis the Lack of Feels that Moves You

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It’s in the name, really, called an Indulgence Blanket. With made up terms like microweave and coral fleece being thrown around, you can expect something pretty special. It’s a queen-sized blanket with the warmth to match but the weight of a sheet. You feel it, without really feeling it. Ya know?

Head on a Cloud

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The 100 percent, 300thread cotton count probably means something technical to a sewing machine. To me it means my head won’t need to move for at least 12 hours, granted I’ve already made my popcorn. Then again, perhaps not. This one’s on sale at Amazon for varying rates (dependent on size) hovering around 50 percent off.

Make it Convenient

Now you’re settled and fed. It’s time to slow everything down and allow the binge to overcome you, which means upping the convenience factor of your Kevin Spacey den. Despite our best efforts as a global society, the remote control still haunts the living room. There are remedies, if not a cure.

A Blind Grab

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Most remote controller organizers are simply boxes with a price tag. This one has the unique feature of not being a box, but also allowing you rank you remotes by importance and access them accordingly. And that’s bottom to top, of course, as not to strain those arm muscles too much.

Automated Mood Creation Device

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It dims lights.

The Do Everything Button

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You won’t find a universal remote these days without some sort of mobile connectivity, but this is the one CNET claims as the best for 2015. It’s convenient, features buttons that actually put you somehwere worth being and, of course, interfaces seamlessly with any moderately competent Android or iOS smart phone. (You can check out the rest of CNET’s best Universal Remotes list here).

10 Essentials for Enjoying Your Next, All-Day Netflix Binge