Spoilers ahead for House of Cards Season 5.
Following allegations against Harvey Weinstein's misconduct and assault on women, there have been a ton of new revelations of powerful men in the Hollywood acting similarly. A major bomb dropped earlier this week when Star Trek: Discovery and RENT star Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexually harassing him when he was just 14 years old. Since then, members of the House of Cards crew have also come forward about Spacey's inappropriate behavior, prompting the streaming service to postpone production on Season 6 indefinitely. And now Netflix has completely separated itself from the acclaimed actor/producer, dropping him from House of Cards and cancelling his upcoming biopic Gore. But what's next for the acclaimed series?
Netflix recently addressed the future of HoC (via THR), saying:
Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey. We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.
It looks like House of Cards might not be dead just yet. Because although production isn't currently shooting the series, they're exploring ways that the show can continue without the presence of Kevin Spacey's Francis Underwood.
As awkward as the show will be void of Frank, it does seem like the groundwork has already been laid to make Robin Wright's Claire Underwood the main protagonist of the series. Throughout Season 5, House of Cards teased time and time again that Claire will begin breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience- Frank's signature move in the first four seasons. And after a knowing look or two, she finally took charge in the final moments of the season finale. She looked directly into the camera and said "my turn" before the screen cut to black.
Perhaps the best way to write Francis out of the show would to let the Feds get him for his many wrongdoings over the first five seasons. Last season's finale also strongly implied that President Claire would not be pardoning him for his crimes, out of fear of the public's opinion. If she were to let her husband meet the full extent of the law, then he could easily fade out of the show. Claire said it was her turn, so maybe the final season of House of Cards will let Robin Wright truly lead the series. She's also a recurring director on the show, so she certainly deserves the focus and acclaim.
Let's just hope that Netflix does manage to complete the story of House of Cards and rally another season of movie conclusion. The show changed the map of TV when Netflix premiered the first season back in 2013, and it would be a tragedy for the show not to get a proper ending.
House of Cards is streaming its first five season on Netflix. Be sure to check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
