House of Cards Says a Cold Goodbye to Frank Underwood
Step by step, House of Cards' final season is becoming Claire Underwood's biggest moment yet. The show left off with Robin Wright's power-hungry character becoming the 47th President of the United States, finishing Season 5 by ignoring husband (and former president) Frank's calls and telling viewers, "My turn." Little did the world know at the time that Kevin Spacey would become the subject of several sexual assault allegations in October 2017, leading to a hiatus as the creative team figured out how to structure final episodes around only Wright. Now, the show is hinting at Frank's fate and Claire's future in a new teaser.
The brief clip confirms one important yet unsurprising event: Francis J. Underwood, 46th President of the United States of America, is dead. He passed away in 2017, presumably around the time the Spacey scandal happened, and he now rests in a simple grave alongside his father. The video shows Claire stopping by to pay respects to her late husband, but in typical Underwood fashion, she seems anything but devastated.
“I’ll tell you this though Frances, when they bury me it won’t be in my backyard. And when they pay their respects, they’ll have to wait in line," Claire coldly states while looking at the grave. Frank had said the same to his father in a prior season, but he ultimately ended up right next to him, in a headstone that's nearly identical. His presidential widow could have the same fate or achieve the glory she describes, but what's guaranteed is a season of ambition and drama from start to finish.
For all those who have been waiting since House of Cards' series premiere to see Claire finally get her chance, the final season appears to be a satisfyingly drastic change. Ethics, as always, will be questionable, but the new leader finally gets a chance to run the country her way, without Frank's interference. If the likelihood of a female president in the U.S. anytime soon remains in the balance, at least the world can watch it happen on a Netflix show.