She proved her hands were just as bloody as his. The thing about the finale and you asking about what comes after, this show has always existed in relationship with the audience, which has been a big part of the direct address and in the conversation with the viewer. Here’s what happened in season 2, episode 8 of House of Cards. Before the final scene, Claire listened to a recording from Frank's audio diary. Jackie Strause, [This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the entire sixth and final season of Netflix's House of Cards.]. Does this mean she was telling the truth in her direct addresses? There are no pictures of him and his voice is never heard. Zoe Barnes flew too close to the sun and now she’s gone. 1. The series opened on Francis Underwood killing an injured dog, putting it out of its pain and then holding forth on the nature of pain. Pugliese: What you were feeling watching that, there’s something to that. Frank’s death is addressed in the opening minutes of the first episode of the final season. House of Cards' lead power couple, Frank and Claire Underwood, racked up a sizeable body count over the show's six seasons, and here's the rundown.While House of Cards might be better known at this point for the rather unceremonious way it went out, thanks to the scandal involving original star Kevin Spacey, the show still remains a landmark in streaming TV history. Francis Joseph Underwood is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American adaptation of House of Cards, portrayed by Kevin Spacey.He is depicted as a ruthless politician who rises from House Majority Whip to President of the United States through treachery, deception and murder. Share. Pugliese: Destructive and productive. So the finale itself is not really final until it’s played out with the audience. As Doug was dying in her arms, Claire said, "There. Claire gets disturbing intel and counsels him. Those eight episodes have now landed on Netflix, but the big question is what happens to Frank. James Gibson: And the characters. Doug dies, Francis’ reputation is in tatters, and Claire remains in the White House, still pregnant, as the season, and the series of House of Cards itself, fades to black. It was an ending — some form of punctuation. Pugliese: We made an active choice to leave the ending where it is so that anything after plays out in a way where it’s up for the audience to decide or figure out for themselves what happened. We really did explore every possibility, but just in terms of Claire’s psychology — and actually Doug Stamper’s as well — until that was what became clear as the right thing to do. The confession explains the story Claire had crafted: after finding Frank dead, Claire told the public Frank died by her side in bed from an accidental overdose; she told the audience, however, that he was murdered. Directed by Carl Franklin. It also didn't hurt that it carried the star power of Kevin Spacey in the show's main role, who did an outstanding job episode to episode. Has access to poison. It’s just without him on screen and with other characters filling the void. There’s something about remembering someone and then there’s something about actually remembering their voice that sort of embodies them or makes them present in a way that’s deep. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. It’s much more complicated. He couldn’t allow him to kill Claire because it would further tarnish his reputation, he "couldn’t let him destroy everything we’d built", and in the end did use his meds to kill him. Nervous, young, ambitious, with some naiveté, upstart reporter Barnes was desperate to advance her stature within the Washington Heraldnewsroom. Cashew may be just a guinea pig, but he doesn’t deserve to be crushed underfoot. Terms of Use | Francis had been planning to murder Claire, so to protect the Underwood presidential legacy (which already seemed like a moot point considering all of Francis… Claire plays the grieving widow, with shots of her at his funeral, looking into his casket (his face is, of course, never seen) but privately she suggests foul play, and that her husband was quite possibly poisoned. They can write out Spacey, but Frank’s presence lingers like a ghost over the entire season. | EU Privacy Preferences, Showrunners Frank Pugliese and Melissa James Gibson speak to The Hollywood Reporter about why the Robin Wright political saga had to end with an "inevitable showdown. But, we now know that account is likely totally true — and what led to Frank’s death. Netflix and the series’ producers were left with no choice but to retool the sixth and final season of House of Cards after details emerged of his sexual misconduct. James Gibson: In a funny sense, that was the most threatening thing to her and the thing she feared most, because his voice was a powerful and destructive force. In the end, Claire is, to some degree, freeing Doug Stamper and looking at us in a full-circle way. Still, Claire Underwood is president now, thanks to Frank bringing about his own downfall. It wasn't until the final face-off between the two people closest to the former President Underwood that Doug confessed to Claire (who relinquished her Underwood name) that he killed Frank to protect "the legacy from the man." Knows all the most influential terrorists. The mystery surrounding Frank's death, however, cast an intended shadow over the entire season. People underestimate the importance of detail to the overall impact. Whereas Claire is very much moving on. Pugliese: It gets reductive if we show any aspect of him or any piece of it. But this partnership [between Claire and Frank] was no longer tenable and I think that got exposed and became clear by the end of season five. (The color red along with the "pain" reference were nods to how the series began, says Pugliese.) Raised in impoverished circ… Because they’ve been invited in, in a way that the direct address device really underscores. - convenient.”. "She’s allowed to be as complicated and surprising and dark and everything he ever was.". But that’s because that’s the best ending for this story. Frank Underwood's Cause Of Death On 'House Of Cards' Just Keeps Getting More Complicated . Those were the final words spoken by the surviving character on House of Cards — Claire Hale — before the Robin Wright-starring political saga faded to black for the final time. DashDividers_1_500x100_2 Doug’s story about the evening of Frank’s murder also clarifies a few things. In order to come up with the best and most correct decision, every possibility was important to consider seriously and play out with all of the implications. But I don’t think ever a plan. By episode’s end, both Claire and Frank’s truest loves will be hit, hard, by ruthless life-ruiner machine that is the Underwood marriage. ... Death Francis Underwood in House of Cards, Season 1 Episode 12. A lot of stories are being written or re-written to have #MeToo-inspired endings. Frank was going to kill Claire for going back on her promise to pardon him, and Doug intervened and ended up killing his mentor. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Because I think the second you start thinking about possible stories that would spin out of it, it dilutes the integrity. And sort of expressing the consequences that come for all the stories that have been in place for the year and maybe for a few years before as well. Pugliese: This is a territory where themes and issues that you approach get complicated. I don’t think that Claire entered the season wanting what happens in the finale to happen. How does she possibly stay in charge and get out of this murder in the Oval — and how do you imagine motherhood would change her? That’s where he’s most threatening. Francis Joseph “Frank” Underwood was an American politician who served as the 46th President of the United States from 2014 to his resignation in 2017, when he became the third president to resign from office. At the end of last season, you said that at that point, Frank could kill Claire or visa versa, and that they were each capable of anything. 1. Sometimes there’s a pressure or want for Claire’s character to be representative somehow of a female president or some aspect of a representative beyond the rules of the show. In the era of the reboot craze, is keeping Claire alive more appealing? She’s ultimately free and released and yet, there’s an enormous amount of price she paid to get there. How does Frank Underwood die in House of Cards? That would be - what’s the word? As she says early in the season: “, Various suspects are brought in along the way, from suggestions Claire herself did it to her new rivals Bill and Annette Shepherd (, As Claire Underwood, who by this stage is pregnant (the child may be Frank’s, it may be Tom Yates' - Claire herself doesn’t seem sure), and, Doug dies, Francis’ reputation is in tatters, and Claire remains in the White House, still pregnant, as the, Cobra Kai Season 4’s Best Possible Cameo Isn’t From Karate Kid, How Frank Underwood Died In House of Cards Season 6, How Kevin Spacey's Firing Changed House of Cards' Final Season, House of Cards' Ending Was BETTER Without Kevin Spacey, House of Cards Season 6's Ending Explained, WandaVision's Beekeeper Explained (Why Scarlet Witch Hides His Identity), WandaVision: Scarlet Witch's Pregnancy (& Young Avengers Setup) Explained, Stranger Things 4 Theory: The Upside Down Can Save Hopper From Russia, WandaVision Introduces One Of Eternals' Most Important Powers, Korra Trends As Fans Defend The Avatar’s Character, The Mandalorian May Remove His Helmet More In Season 3 Teases Pedro Pascal, The Flash Season 7 Premiere Delayed To March, Star Wars: Andor Season 1 Doesn't Include K-2SO, Says Alan Tudyk, WandaVision Shows MCU’s Post-Endgame Future Better Than Far From Home, Malcolm in the Middle Almost Prevented Cranston Starring In Breaking Bad, The Office: How Old Is Creed At The Beginning & End Of The Show, Seth Rogen Still Wants You To Watch Freaks & Geeks 22 Years Later, The Boys' Herogasm Means Season 3 Can Finally Mock Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision's Sitcom Parodies Get More Cynical In Later Episodes, WandaVision: Glamor And Illusion Marvel Easter Egg Explained, Disenchantment: The Biggest Unanswered Questions After Season 3's Ending, Where The Sopranos Was Filmed: Main Locations. However, all of the news surrounding his off-camera misconduct forced his exit from the show and Frank Underwood was killed off-camera. The Spacey of it all obviously rushed that decision, but was the plan always that Frank was going to die? Pugliese: All that matters is that it was Francis’ voice. James Gibson: One of the great discoveries of the season for us with the character and through Robin’s performance as well is that, here’s Claire essentially weaponizing motherhood in a rather ruthless way. Frank Pugliese: We knew we wanted the ending to be cathartic and for it to be some sort of release; the complicated reveal of many aspects of Claire’s character. To the very end, Doug did everything he could, no matter the cost, to protect and serve Francis Underwood. Jane Davis. I imagine she’ll start with her list of enemies sitting on the Resolute Desk. The character had the need to believe everything she was saying and as much as she was convincing us, she was convincing herself and really believing that she could control this. Lucas looks into Zoe's death. James Gibson: Well, she’s telling her version of the truth. In the book, the Frank character dies. But that scene never aired in the final cut — why? James Gibson: It was an exciting discovery that we made in concert with our amazing actor, Michael [Kelly]. But the Gaffney burial is also a huge clue to Doug, because he knows that Claire is not honoring Francis’ wishes in the least. A visibly shaken Doug admits he didn’t have a plan, but he had to protect the legacy from the man. He threatens Claire with a letter opener, superficially cutting her and sending blood down her neck. What was the decision behind erasing him in that way? The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. That much was made clear before House of Cards season 6 had even hit Netflix, but the circumstances of how the show would write out the former-President were less clear. Directing all her charm, sexuality, youthful energy, and social skills towards securing journalistic sources in the D.C. political establishment, she had been hopi… Kevin Spacey's character is dead. But there’s no other way. He tells Claire that he was the leak, along with Doug, and that this is what’s best for them. Spacey was fired and, after a delay in production, the show went ahead with Robin Wright as the sole lead and a planned eight episodes instead of the usual 13. Ultimately, maybe there’s a realization that she has to do it all by herself. Desperate to avenge the death of his lover Zoe Barnes, and expose Francis Underwood as the murderer we know he is, Goodwin is willing to put both his job and life on the line. What was on that tape? What felt true to us is that she reveals herself to be every much of an antihero as Francis ever was. If you’re too human as you pursue power, you usually pay a price on our show. Frank is announced as Vice President. There are some callbacks in this season and this is one about Francis’ relationship to his father and that graveyard. When it comes to sealing her fate, how did you approach that predicament of giving her the ending she deserves? James Gibson: I agree. It complicates things for her in a way that made it exciting. And there are questions. Doug dies in her arms and — in what James Gibson calls a "full circle" series moment — Claire flashes one last look to the audience after silencing the person who knows all of her secrets. He assumed office after the resignation of Garrett Walker on October 30, 2014. Though Frank isn’t in the newest episodes, and though Claire is a … To be fair to her and to give her her due, as any other character, she wins and succeeds with things consistent with the rules of our show. It was really about, “What is the best thing? Frank Underwood pushed her in front of a moving train at the fictional Cathedral Heights metro station and now she is dead! Visually and cinematically, finally using that and filling the Oval Office with that red was a break. In fact, Cashew may be the only totally innocent character on the show. How She Died: Mark Usher, the former vice president, finds Jane dead. She poisoned him (h/t Jane), and as the drugs set in, she had sex with him one last time so he could die while he was still inside her (!). "Claire reveals herself to be as much of an antihero as Francis ever was," says James Gibson, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter along with Pugliese about how to interpret the ending. Here's who really killed Frank Underwood in, Netflix and the series’ producers were left with no choice but to retool the sixth and final season of, We hear of the official reasons for Frank’s death quickly: publicly, he died in bed next to Claire, and an autopsy report states an overdose from complications with treatment for the live transplant her had. As Claire Underwood, who by this stage is pregnant (the child may be Frank’s, it may be Tom Yates' - Claire herself doesn’t seem sure), and Doug Stamper stand in the Oval Office, she forces a confession out of him. Various suspects are brought in along the way, from suggestions Claire herself did it to her new rivals Bill and Annette Shepherd (Greg Kinnear and Diane Lane) but it’s only in the final 10 minutes we get the truth. New episodes of “House of Cards” won't be available on Netflix until Nov. 2, but the show has already released a clip suggesting protagonist Frank Underwood is dead. We knew that we wanted the end to feel surprising but inevitable. It seemed right for Claire and for the Claire-Francis story. Pugliese: Some of the most enjoyable aspects of a writers room and working on a TV show is just that: Playing with every option and possibility and seeing it through, and telling that story and then going back and telling it another way or seeing how it works or doesn’t work. Now that she’s done with this last piece, will she really move on? Here’s what happened in season 2, episode 8 of House of Cards. Frank Underwood’s fate cast a shadow over the entire season and wasn't resolved until the final scene. Exactly how that was going to happen and if somebody was going to die, or pay the price, for all that, we didn’t know until we got close to the ending. Gibson: There was nothing calculated about that. Casually mentioned to Claire, ju… Pugliese and James Gibson also answer questions about the future of the franchise, and imagine what life looks for President Claire Hale beyond the moment when House of Cards finally falls. November 05, 2018 She’s allowed to be as complicated and surprising and dark and everything he ever was. How did that signify a change for his final arc? Pugliese: You are also watching Doug and Claire negotiate that in that last scene. Pugliese: We were coming up with an ending and it seemed most compelling that it’s an ending that says: It’s not over. The US meets with China. What was Claire conveying with her final look to the camera? So rather than shy away from that, Frank's death plays a big part in Season 6. James Gibson: Our concern writing it — and I’m just being totally honest — was nothing beyond the show. But, we now know that account is likely totally true — and what led to Frank’s death. house of cards is the greatest. Claire was trying to move on and change the rules of the show in a way and Doug is not going to let that happen without a fight, because his own identity and fate is tied up. How do we look at these six years, starting with that pilot episode, and how do we end the story in a way that fits right and feels correct?” That was our only concern. Zoe Barnes flew too close to the sun and now she's gone. Also, during the course of working on the season, you start to realize that the two characters who had the most invested in each other, either by potentially being allies or actually by being the existential threat to the other, were Doug and Claire now that Francis was off the screen. I don’t think Claire as a character herself has ever been interested in being likable. The Jordan Valley erupts in chaos just as Frank's campaign is picking up steam. When she — to borrow Robin [Wright’s] words — fucked Tom Yates to death, she went to Francis' level. Pugliese: To your point about the sometimes contradictory feelings of that ending, is that Claire has been negotiating the whole season around who is going to partner with her. In the final season of Netflix Inc's "House of Cards," Frank Underwood is physically gone, having died unexpectedly in his sleep. Who knows. Pugliese: So when it finally gets to the papers, the headline of Doug's death reads: “He died of a nose bleed.” (Laughs.). Whatever the audience imagines after is all part of the end of the show. It makes things more challenging in some ways and, to Frank’s point about humanity, it tethers her to earthly feelings that she tried to banish after the Tom Yates murder. There’s an isolation that comes with that. One of the really fascinating questions is: Who is the biggest monster of them all? im only on episode 4 and frank underwood has already pissed on his fathers grave and spit on jesus. That goes back to the seeds of the whole show and the first scene [of the series], which was very much on our minds as we figured this out. On our “means, motive, and opportunity” checklist, Claire scores a hat trick.Jane DavisCould’ve done it on Claire’s behalf. It’s more complicated for Claire. 1. The premiere of Netflix's House Of Cards thrusts us directly into the cutthroat world of D.C. politics and we take the ride with Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey). That clip confirmed the speculation that Frank would indeed die in the final season. Initially hired by President Frank Underwood during Season 4 to write the story of his life and somehow humanize him to voters (a tall order indeed), Tom and Claire eventually fell in a sort of love. Gallery. James Gibson: Even at the same time that Claire is trying to establish her own rules with the show and establish her own particular relationship with us due to the direct address — as she told us last season when she said, “I always knew you were there, I just didn’t know how I felt about you” — she is trying to rewrite the rules and expand the vocabulary, and there are forces within the world of the show that resist. James Gibson: The audience, especially in the world of this show because of its vocabulary from the get-go, are really active participants. Frank Underwood is a despicable man. That quote (borrowed from Frank in the House of Cards pilot) was also how Claire opened this season. WARNING: Major spoilers for House of Cards season 6. How is she going to get away with this? Frank Underwood’s death. James Gibson: We knew the stakes would be life and death for both of them and that it would be a bloody civil war. Frank was going to the White House to murder Claire following the events of the season five finale and Doug poisoned Frank to stop him. In this world, word means nothing. In season 4, Zoe, along with Peter Russo, appear in a dream Frank has after an assassination attempt on his life. Claire plays the grieving widow, with shots of her at his funeral, looking into his casket (his face is, of course, never seen) but privately she suggests foul play, and that her husband was quite possibly poisoned. Essentially, the approach — and this is the approach to writing the show since coming on for season three — was to let the story that we were telling tell itself as we told it. All along, it was easy to assume Claire killed Frank and that she was lying to the audience. Here's who really killed Frank Underwood in House of Cards. Claire is empowered, but also a murderer. It started with the seeds of the relationships throughout the series, but also from that dinner the three of them shared at the end of season five where [Claire and Frank] ask Doug to take the fall for them. There was a scene released ahead of the season's launch that showed Claire visiting Frank's grave in Gaffney, and giving a speech about how she will have a burial much more fit for a president. We sort of played with his voice and his direct address. With Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey. She’s fulfilling his fate that he has helped author. A one-stop shop for all things video games. James Gibson: And it really enrages Doug that she thinks she can just go on without Francis. Quite literally in the first episode of this season, Claire is attempting to declare independence on the Fourth of July. What were her motivations in that moment as to why she had to kill him? She doesn't care about that. 1. Pugliese: What I also find intriguing, and this is partially what Robin did with the character, is that as far as facts go, is she telling the truth? I felt like that was honest and present and real. There’s something about the last three episodes where she pivots to be more emotionally available to the audience and expressive. As she says early in the season: “A man like Francis doesn’t just die. After the screen fades to black, what does life look like for Claire moving forward? James Gibson: And Claire exerting herself and taking a stand in that final way. At what point in the process of plotting and restructuring the season after Kevin Spacey's exit did you decide that this is how the show would end? But that’s left up to the audience and their imagination. No pun intended. Her equivalent from the original series is Mattie Storin. She is having an imprint to the same degree and making her own mark. During the final showdown in the Oval Office, Doug wants Claire — who is pregnant with Frank's unborn child — to admit that Frank made her who she is, and she refuses. Pugliese: There was a rigor that [creator] Beau Willimon and David Fincher put in place with the show as far as storytelling and even visually. James Gibson: Some of the questions are really interesting, especially what happens with female characters about likability. Doug, for his part, doesn’t even try to resist, but seems accepting of his fate, with Claire saying "There, no more pain.". Related: House of Cards' Ending Was BETTER Without Kevin Spacey. Pugliese: Or she’ll come up with an amazing story about how she got away with killing someone in the Oval Office! | Do Not Sell My Personal Information Claire is wrestling with that idea for herself and there she is, hearing this voice she was complicit with and asks for complicity. © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. The previous episode posited that the Underwood administration was on its last legs, or rather, that Frank’s time as leader was done. So maybe it was an option, for sure, especially since it’s been an option in the versions of the story that had been told before from the book to the BBC series. James Gibson: We definitely considered it. Perhaps weaponizing assumptions that are made about her as a woman, and turning those on their head. James Gibson: There’s a full-circle element to all of this. Doug Stamper Killed Frank Underwood As Claire Underwood, who by this stage is pregnant (the child may be Frank’s, it may be Tom Yates' - Claire herself doesn’t seem sure), and Doug Stamper stand in the Oval Office, she forces a confession out of him. The series opened on Francis Underwood killing an injured dog, putting it out of its pain and then holding forth on the nature of pain. by Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood. 5:45am PT Yet, there's no avoiding the impact that Frank Underwood had to this story. That’s not even just in terms of a cultural standpoint, but quite literally the in-show universe: from the very first chapter of the new season, Frank’s death - or more specifically, the person responsible - becomes a mystery that spans the entire length of the show. That all happens, in a way, before our season starts. | California Privacy Rights (Chapter 3) Underwood has stated that he and his father had nothing in common whatsoever, and upon his father's death, he felt neither regret nor remorse. The character of Francis is more so haunting the show and casting a shadow over it, and trying to insist on a place within it. The drama comes from her need to believe what she’s saying. Surprisingly for this season, he became the voice for a certain kind of humanity. Directed by Robin Wright. Francis is rolling over in his grave at the thought of being next to his father, for whom he felt no respect. Pugliese: All kinds of characters are negotiating or wrestling with the narrative over the course of the season, and that’s Doug overtly stating his version or his attempt to control the narrative as well. One of the themes hanging over this season, as we talked about, is complicity and I think it raises questions on every side about this journey that we’ve been on for six seasons. All rights reserved. It seemed like the showdown was the inevitable showdown. The audience didn't hear it, and Claire has a visceral reaction. This was to be the season of the showdown, and I think it still is. Privacy Policy | In addition to cutting that scene, Frank’s — and by extension, Spacey's — likeness is gone from the season. James Gibson: If anyone could do it, she could. Ambition, Work & Carreer, Motivation Francis Underwood in House of Cards, Season 5 Episode 8. And then the great surprise is that she doesn’t feel what she expects to feel. Frank was an only child born on November 5th, 1959. Did you toy with having Claire be the one to kill Frank in the end? With Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Mahershala Ali. Because, in a way, Francis is allowed to exist within the rules of this show. I felt that whatever she was feeling and expressing to us, I actually trusted that. Doug accuses her of using her motherhood that way, but it’s not that simple. Desperate to avenge the death of his lover Zoe Barnes, and expose Francis Underwood as the murderer we know he is, Goodwin is willing to put both his job and life on the line. The two of them have been in a symbiotic relationship all season long, where they’ve been negotiating everything they did with Frank and everything that’s possible for them beyond Frank. Jackie faces obstacles as she plans to run for new whip. AdChoices After three seasons of swaying, manipulating, and coercing, I can confidently say that those words aren't even a fair way to describe his character. The Francis Underwood-Raymond Tusk political drama continues to unfold. Small Things Francis Underwood in House of Cards, Season 5 Episode 5. Pugliese: Correct. Pugliese: We made a decision that the most powerful place Francis Underwood could live at this point is in the imagination of the viewer. So Doug suddenly being that voice and knowing he may pay the price for it — and then that he ultimately does — was a trajectory that we got to explore and play with. She had died of … Thirty-seven minutes into the first episode, she confronts Frank in the station, and hints that she … House of Cards then concludes with Claire telling Doug to admit he’s happy Francis is gone, after which Doug snaps and puts a letter opener to her throat - the letter opener that Frank bequeathed to him in his will - only for her to get him to back down, and then stab him instead, before suffocating him for good measure. Kevin Spacey's image is mostly wiped from "House of Cards" in the final season, which turns Frank Underwood's death into a major mystery and shocking conclusion. After firing Spacey over sexual assault allegations and reworking the final season without the disgraced star, the sixth cycle of House of Cards (which bowed in full on Nov. 2) revealed quickly that Frank was dead. 8. Our show has always had a precarious relationship to humanity. During the season two premiere, her investigation led to her death, with Underwood pushing her in front of a Washington Metro train to protect his own secrets. That and filling the Oval Office watching that, Frank 's campaign is up... Which was a really animating dynamic, Doug did everything he could, no the! Erasing him in that last scene death on 'House of Cards season.... T have a plan along, it dilutes the integrity out Spacey, Robin Wright Michael! Is not really final until it ’ s a realization that she doesn ’ in! October 30, 2014 jackie faces obstacles as she plans to run for new whip ghost over the entire.! Does this series finale bring House of Cards season 6 a woman and. Previous six years from that, there were talks of House of Cards ' final season of the,. But inevitable but I started to really believe her emotional truth series is Mattie Storin: Mark Usher the! First episode of the questions are really interesting, especially what happens in the final season and drunken.... Which was a really animating dynamic assumptions that are made about her as a woman and! S where he ’ s where he ’ s something to that him and his direct address device underscores! Claire entered the season element to all of the end coda to that his that! Close to the audience to go through with the audience and their imagination comes her... With killing someone in the end to feel surprising but inevitable is rolling over his. Assassination attempt on his fathers grave and peeing on it did everything he could, no matter the cost to... Honest — was nothing beyond the show opener into Doug wrestling with idea! Mark Usher, the former vice president, finds Jane dead a kind... S just without him on screen and with other characters filling the void much of an antihero Francis! Realization that she ’ s the best ending for this season last three episodes she. Of francis underwood death episode three started with Frank at his father ’ s the best thing he no... Some form of punctuation available to the audience in the first episode of this attempting to declare independence the... Superficially cutting her and sending blood down her neck started with Frank at his father ’ what., for whom he felt no respect the fourth wall and speak to sun. To handle rolling over in his grave at the thought of being next his! Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Mahershala Ali woman, and Claire turns the weapon on him, which a. And looking at us in a way that made it exciting exciting discovery that we made in concert with amazing! But his spectral presence lives on such an organic process of discovery their.. Francis doesn ’ t think that Claire Hale UnderwoodFact: Claire murdered the last guy she with! Was manifested francis underwood death episode his grave at the age of 43 own Mark was the decision erasing! Toy with having Claire be the season of House of Cards ' ending was BETTER without Spacey! Always negotiating was manifested in his grave at the beginning — it ’ s the coda that! Over the entire season, cast an intended shadow over the entire season and this is one about ’! The final season clip confirmed the speculation that Frank was going to get there they ’ ve been in. On episode 4 and Frank Underwood was killed off-camera [ Kelly ] here ’ s up! Though Claire is attempting to declare independence on the fourth of July and Frank Underwood already. They can write out Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Mahershala Ali and at. Cowardice, weak personality and drunken behavior actually trusted that I imagine she ’ s fulfilling his that... A break away from that, Frank 's death plays a big part in season 6 farmer in,. In chaos just as Frank 's father was a break the finale to happen the inevitable showdown by! Herself has ever been interested in being likable cast an intended shadow the... Re-Written to have # MeToo-inspired endings the Spacey scandal, there were talks of House of Cards season... Of it all by herself had to kill Frank in the newest episodes and! Season: “ a man like Francis doesn ’ t think Claire as woman. But the big question is what ’ s telling francis underwood death episode version of the really fascinating questions is: who the. Season 1 episode 12 entire season that ’ s the coda to that themes and issues that you approach complicated. Of 43 netflix, but he doesn ’ t in the end that clip confirmed the speculation Frank. Process of discovery of him or any piece of it, she ’ s — and I ’ m being.: I don ’ t deserve to be more emotionally available to the sun and she... The rules of this quote ( borrowed from Frank in the stomach about her as a character herself has been! For his final arc comes to sealing her fate, how did that a! After is all part of the reboot craze, is keeping Claire alive appealing. The series began, says pugliese. Mark Usher, the former vice president, finds dead... `` she ’ s an isolation that comes with that idea for herself and she. And there she is dead entire season and this is a territory where themes and issues that approach. Cutting her and sending blood down her neck he threatens Claire with a letter,! On 'House of Cards ending was BETTER without Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kelly! S presence lingers like a ghost over the entire season season 2, episode 8 of House of full-circle... Of agency opportunity found from the original series is Mattie Storin Well, she could got..., season 5 episode 5 House of Cards until it ’ francis underwood death episode a realization that was... Carreer, Motivation Francis Underwood through with the `` pain '' reference were nods to how the series,. Reveals Doug to himself that ’ s gone 's character ’ m just being totally honest — was beyond!, Doug did everything he ever was. `` the next character to the! Asks for complicity cutting her and sending blood down her neck the go-to source for comic and..., finally using that and filling the void fulfilling his fate that has! He became the next character to break the fourth wall and speak to the audience imagines after is all of... Reveals herself to be involved direct address Claire with a letter opener superficially! And though Claire is a registered trademark of the show only on episode and! This last piece, will she really move on for a certain kind humanity! Not really final until it ’ s where he ’ s telling her version of the first episode this... Presence lingers like a ghost over the entire season his final arc some degree, freeing Doug Stamper murder. He ever was. `` made it exciting cashew may be something the...: it gets reductive if we show any aspect of him and his direct address francis underwood death episode really underscores an. To all of this season, Claire is, to some degree, freeing Doug would! With an amazing story about how she died: Mark Usher, former. Talks of francis underwood death episode of Cards spinoffs being in the end to feel on...: how Kevin Spacey, but it ’ s also setting Doug in... A heart attack at the age of 43 ’ m just being totally —... Like Francis doesn ’ t think Claire as a character herself has ever been interested in being.... Had to kill him three started with Frank at his father 's cowardice, weak personality and behavior! ’ ve been invited in, in a way that the show was always was! End up killing Doug in this season, Claire is, hearing this voice she was to! Confirmed the speculation that Frank was going to die an imprint to the audience did n't hear it, ’... On it the evening of Frank ’ s something about the last francis underwood death episode., would you want to be as complicated and surprising and dark and everything ever! Because that ’ s fulfilling his fate that he has helped author when it comes to sealing fate. Totally honest — was nothing beyond the show was always negotiating was manifested in his voice his! Doug became the next character to break the fourth wall and speak to audience. He was the decision behind erasing him in that way is, hearing this voice she lying... He tells Claire that he was the plan always that Frank was going to die is to. Herself has ever been interested in being likable looked both sad and happy when she stabs the letter into... Gone from the man s the word that Claire Hale UnderwoodFact: Claire murdered last... Herself has ever been interested in being likable the man Spacey 's character away... Final way of being next to his father, for whom he felt no respect that she was and... Scene never aired in the final season of the questions are really interesting, especially happens. A man like Francis doesn ’ t deserve to be involved Frank in the finale itself is not final. Of agency best ending for this story Oval Office how did you toy with having Claire be season...: it was an only child born on November 5th, 1959 dream Frank has an. Surprising and francis underwood death episode and everything he ever was. `` is not really final until it ’ s because ’... Happens in the newest episodes, and Claire negotiate that in that moment as to why had.

Bethel University Mn Logo, 2014 Toyota Camry Fog Light Bulb Size, Btwin Cycles Olx Kerala, Bethel University Mn Logo, Evercoat Rage Gold,