Of all the dramatic twists and turns in the first two seasons of the Netflix series House of Cards, my favorite scene was the final one in the pilot episode.

At dawn, Washington power players were shocked to read a page one story in the fictional Washington Herald newspaper that detailed a leaked education draft bill. As the rich and powerful reacted to the news, frantically reshuffling alliances, the scene transitioned to show Reporter Zoe Barnes, who wrote the story.

In stark contrast to her story subjects' chauffeured Town Cars and resplendent Capitol Hill offices, the journalist sat on the toilet in her slummy efficiency apartment, scrolling through her phone, blissfully unaware of what she had done.