Looks like it’s time to bust out and shine the F. U. cufflinks- Frank and Claire Underwood are back.
The season 5 premiere of House of Cards was announced on Inauguration Day with a twitter post released by Netflix, which contained the teaser video that set the date for May 30 2017, according to Variety.
The clip is only about thirty seconds long, and we see the upside-down American Flag waving beyond a dark and menacing capitol building as the voices of children recite the pledge of allegiance.
The gloriously sombre trailer was captioned with the last words of the season 4 finale, uttered by Frank Underwood,
‘We make the terror. ‘
There couldn’t be a more fitting day to announce the return of the most nefarious political duo than and fans are delighted and excited to know that the beloved series is merely four months away, primed for binge-watching.
While there haven’t been any explicit developments concerning the storyline in season 5, the show’s season 4 finale left audiences dangling at the edge of an enormous precipice. The Underwoods are left dangerously exposed after witnessing the live-stream murder of a hostage at the hands of a terrorist organization. Frank, as portrayed by Kevin Spacey with steely resolve, breaks the fourth wall and says, ‘We don’t submit to terror. We make the terror.’
As noted by Variety, this is the first time in which Claire, played by Robin Wright, joins her husband and breaks the fourth wall. This is nothing new for Frank Underwood but until that moment, was not something afforded to any other character within the series. It could pose for an interesting shift in narrative if Claire begins to have to ability to address the audience with the same authority as Frank.
Audiences are left to wonder how election year in House of Cards will unfold. Variety reports that Frank and Claire find their relationship increasingly strained, despite their union and dependency on power. This could expose perilous weaknesses that would prove fatal for the Underwoods.
Joel Kinnaman is scheduled to return along with Neve Campbell and Michael Kelly. However, show-runner and creator Beau Willimon won’t be returning for season 5. Willimon has been with the show since its inception but made statement last year saying,
‘After five years and four seasons, it’s time for me to move on to new endeavors, but I’m supremely proud of what we’ve built together, wish the show much continued success, and leave it in the hands of a very capable team.’
While some may be worried that Beau’s touch will be lacking, others are excited to see how the narrative will change at the hands of new co-runners James Gibson and Frank Pugliese.
Regardless of the shift in show-runners, one can still expect a sordid and rabid political war to be waged by the Underwoods against their Republican rival Will Conway and anyone who stands in their way.