Image via Netflix/David Giesbrecht
With the sixth and final season of House of Cards arriving this Friday, we’re nearing the end of an era for Netflix’s original programming. It started 2013 when the streaming platform entered the premium content race with dramas Hemlock Grove, Orange Is the New Black, and House of Cards—a thematically ambitious lineup that would rival fierce competition from HBO, AMC, and FX. And while the former ended without glory and fanfare, the latter two became Netflix’s flagship properties earning significant acclaim and cultural currency over the years to come. All good things must come to an end as both shows enter into their respective finales.
House of Cards’ final season is bittersweet, though. While quality from season to season has been the subject of debate since the beginning, the political reality created by Beau Willimon and led by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright enticed viewers to stick with the highly suspect movements of the Underwoods. House of Cards became the first on-demand series to earn Emmy nominations and fueled Netflix’s early rise in original storytelling. But after serious sexual misconduct allegations were levied against Spacey, production for season six was suspended while Netflix and crew weighed their options. Moving forward without Kevin Spacey, and consequently, the death of Frank Underwood was the only appropriate course of action.
Season five ended on a series high as Frank Underwood’s calculated fall from the presidency in favor of the private sector lands Claire Underwood in the White House as the new commander-in-chief. Her appointment was a culmination of risky moves made by both Frank and Claire to ensure professional longevity and personal well-being in an increasingly volatile political arena. As Frank works to convince himself and us that Claire is loyal to the cause, a gripping final scene shows Claire unmoved by his command to be pardoned as she breaks the fourth wall for the third time with a decisive, “My turn.”
This led us to believe a showdown of sorts would go down between Frank and Claire as the two try to maintain power by any means necessary, including murder. Since the allegations and subsequent dismissal of Kevin Spacey, however, we’ve learned that Claire emerges victorious against her husband while she readies for battle against a horde of political enemies. To get you ready for the final season of House of Cards, we compiled a few things to keep in mind before entering Claire’s White House.
This IS Claire’s House
Make no mistake, the sixth season of House of Cards picks up with the death of Frank Underwood. We’re not sure how he died, but based on President Claire Underwood’s reaction, his death comes as neither a surprise nor a hardship. Taking a page out of Frank’s book, Claire is seen in a season six teaser visiting his grave next to his father’s. It’s there we learn that Claire has no interest in sharing a similar fate as her husband, "I'll tell you this though, Francis. When they bury me, it won't be in my backyard. And when they pay their respects, they'll have to wait in line.”
Throughout the show, we’ve seen Claire navigate the contentious terrain with an air of cool and adaptability. She’s maneuvered out of controversy and kept her husband’s agenda together, but in season five, we saw Claire at her most focused and dangerous. In a deadly move, Frank and Claire snipped loose ends, which, among others, included the death of her lover and White House scribe Thomas Yates. While we’ve seen Claire dutifully defend her husband’s cause, this fatal act demonstrated Claire’s tenacity when it comes to advancing her own position. Now that she’s fully removed from Frank’s shadow, Claire’s White House comes with a new set of rules.
No Bad Deed Goes Unanswered
We’ve witnessed Frank commit heinous acts to preserve his power, but season five took his corruption to deplorable lows. It was his election against Will Conway and a terrorist act against an American family that gave Frank the keys to undermine democracy in the name of national security. Having jumped through endless loopholes and toyed with public policy, Frank secured the White House after his wife, acting President Claire Underwood, orders a special election in Ohio and Tennessee. When their ticket wins, Frank retains presidency while his wife serves as his VP, but that’s not his end game.
Frank’s master plan is revealed as Tom Hammerschmidt, editor-in-chief of The Washington Herald, continues to investigate Frank for the death of Zoe Barnes. Frank implicates trusted righthand Doug Stamper in Zoe’s death and convinces him to take the fall. Subsequently, Frank pushes Secretary Cathy Durant down the stairs to prevent her from testifying at his impeachment hearing and hires contractors to run their campaign manager LeAnn Harvey off the road. These events are tethered to Yates’ death in Claire’s independent bid to secure all loose ends. With his enemies immobilized, Frank resigns from the presidency to gain greater influence in the private sector and work in tandem with his wife’s White House.
Frank’s insatiable thirst for power ultimately cost him everything. Without knowing the exact details surrounding his death, it’s impossible not to imagine that his fate is connected to one of the many crimes he’s committed during his reign. With Frank six feet under, years of bad karma and complicity are about to descend upon Claire’s presidency.
It’s Everyone’s Turn
Fourth wall declarations be damned, everyone will scramble in the wake of Frank’s death to gain some sort of leverage on Claire’s presidency. Teasers have alluded to a rivalry between Claire and Doug, who both possess damaging information on the other. Doug is working to control Claire while she holds no interest in answering to any man. And there’s no counting Cathy Durant out, who survived her trip down the stairs or special advisor Mark Usher, whose influence has only gotten stronger since joining the winner’s circle. Claire’s threats run deep. Anyone from their past could make an unwelcome return. Jackie Sharp, Seth Grayson, Will Conway, Raymond Tusk, Remy Dalton, and Heather Dunbar are a few aggrieved parties that come to mind. And then there’s Hammerschmidt, whose investigative pursuit of Frank will likely extend to Claire and her complicity.
Additionally, season six welcomes Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear as Annette and Bill Shepherd, siblings who inherited an industrial conglomerate and carry significant influence in Washington D.C. They come to Claire on an agreement they secured with Frank only to be reminded that Frank is dead and Claire holds no responsibility for his previous dealings. This tension will no doubt drive this season forward as the Shepherd’s wage a political war rooted in personal disdain for the Underwood legacy.
Netflix morphed Claire’s two-word declaration into its own hashtag campaign featuring clips of Doug, Annette, Bill, Mark, and others breaking the fourth wall with the same message. That message is clear, Claire will have to defend her turn.
All Bets Are Off
With a condensed eight-episode season, House of Cards’ final run has the daunting task of answering for five years of Frank Underwood while giving Claire Underwood a story deserving of the “greatest president” the show’s ever had. Like her late husband, Claire is confident in her ability to stay steps ahead of her enemies. But as POTUS, she’ll have to navigate dangerous waters under the spotlight. How will Claire contend with these external threats while trying to unite a country divided by the actions of her husband?
Claire’s rise in House of Cards is symbolic of Robin Wright’s contribution to the show as an actress, a director, and a producer. Having helmed several episodes, including last season’s finale and the upcoming series finale, Wright’s creative control underscores her prominence in the show, with and without Spacey. In fact, when production was suspended following Spacey’s dismissal, it was Wright who counseled Netflix and pushed for the show’s return in defense of the thousands of crewmembers who relied on its success. It’s a strong indication of where the power’s lied in this show all along.
It’s impossible to ignore the symmetry of what happened behind the scenes and how the show’s story is unfolding. Robin Wright played an integral role in ensuring the show’s continued production in the wake of Spacey’s transgressions, while Claire Underwood attempts to guide the country after her corrupt husband’s death. The show’s final season underwent narrative surgery to explain Spacey’s absence while giving Claire the platform to shine on her own. Will she serve as POTUS unscathed by her husband’s legacy? Will Claire outsmart her long list of foes? Or will karma bring the Underwood presidency down for good? All bets are off.
Season 6 of House of Cards hits Netflix on November 2, 2018.