House of Cards: The Final Season

The ghost of Frank Underwood, the supremely manipulative U.S. president played by Kevin Spacey in the first five seasons of this Netflix series—before the actor was fired after accusations of sexual impropriety—hangs heavy over this final run. The focus has shifted to his widow Claire (Robin Wright), whose selection as vice-president was engineered by Frank before he resigned, bringing her to power. Although Frank’s death is peremptorily announced in the opening episode, its cause remains a mystery until the very end. The short season’s narrative arc concentrates on the efforts of a powerful corporate couple (Greg Kinnear and Diane Lane) to undermine Claire, working in cahoots with their tech-savvy son (Cody Fern) and Claire’s newly-appointed vice president (Campbell Scott). Claire must also face down challenges from such diverse opponents as the Russian president, unreliable staff and cabinet members, snooping reporters, and especially Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly), her late husband’s chief fixer, who thinks Claire has robbed him of his fair share of Frank’s legacy. This last season is filled with countless plots, counterplots, betrayals, double-crosses—even a pregnancy—but it sorely misses the demonic energy that Spacey brought to the over-the-top goings-on, as Wright’s cool solemnity does not prove to be an adequate replacement. Still, this at least provides House of Cards fans with a degree of closure. Compiling all eight episodes from the 2018 sixth and final season, this is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)