House of Cards (2013 — 2018)

House of Cards (2013–2018), an American political thriller streaming television series, was created by Beau Willimon and is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs. It is also an adaptation of the 1990 BBC series, which was based on the novel by Andrew Davies. The first season, consisting of 13 episodes, premiered on February 1, 2013, exclusively on Netflix. This marked the first time a TV series had been produced by a studio for the streaming service. House of Cards received rave reviews and garnered numerous award nominations, including 33 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. These included nods for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor for Kevin Spacey, as well as Outstanding Lead Actress for Robin Wright. Notably, it was also the first online-only streaming television series to receive major Emmy nominations. In addition to its success at the Emmys, the show received eight Golden Globe Award nominations and won in two categories – Best Actress for Wright in 2014 and Best Actor for Spacey in 2015.

Season 1 (2013). Frank Underwood, a power-hungry Democratic congressman from South Carolina and House majority whip, celebrates the 2012 election of President Garrett Walker, who had agreed to appoint him Secretary of State in exchange for his support. However, Underwood soon realizes that the President has no intention of fulfilling their agreement and instead wants him to promote his own agenda in Congress. Despite his inner anger, Underwood presents himself as a supportive ally to Walker. In reality, he begins an elaborate plan behind the President’s back. Frank’s wife Claire shares her husband’s drive for control and holds her own influence through her NGO, the Clean Water Initiative. With Frank’s connections, she aims to expand its reach globally. Together, they often plot and strategize with Remy Danton, a corporate lobbyist and former Underwood staffer, to secure funds and increase their power.

Season 2 (2014). Zoe, Lucas Goodwin, and Janine Skorsky team up to investigate Frank, leading them to Rachel. In order to protect her, Frank’s aide Doug Stamper takes Rachel to a safe house while Frank lures Zoe to a Metro station. Without any witnesses or security cameras, he pushes her in front of a train which tragically results in her death. Zoe’s passing causes Janine to give up on the investigation, but Lucas persists on his own. He seeks assistance from a hacker who is actually working for Doug named Gavin Orsay. Gavin tricks Lucas into being framed for cyberterrorism. Later on, Gavin manipulates Rachel in order to blackmail Doug. Fearing for her safety and tired of Doug’s unhealthy obsession with her, Rachel attacks him and flees into hiding. As Frank takes on his role as vice president, Claire forms a bond with the First Lady and discovers that President Walker’s marriage is rocky. Meanwhile, Frank sets out to drive a wedge between Walker and Tusk. He meets Xander Feng, an ally of Tusk’s who is involved in back-channel negotiations that Frank purposely sabotages to damage Tusk’s credibility.

Season 3 (2015). After six months in office, Frank sets his sights on implementing a controversial jobs program known as America Works. Determined not to be a mere “placeholder” President, he changes course and enters the 2016 election against Heather Dunbar in the Democratic primaries. Meanwhile, Claire assumes the role of Ambassador to the United Nations and faces a crisis in the Jordan Valley that pits Frank against Russian President Viktor Petrov. Amid tensions arising from Petrov’s arrest of an American gay rights activist, the Underwoods successfully negotiate for his release, but at a steep price – Petrov demands an apology on Russian television. Tragically, the activist takes his own life while under Claire’s watch. In a further exchange with Petrov regarding Russian troops killed in the Jordan Valley, Frank caves to his demands and removes Claire from her position. However, she gracefully steps down, citing her desire to actively support Frank’s reelection campaign. Meanwhile, Doug makes a shocking move by defecting from Frank’s team and joining forces with Dunbar. In pursuit of Rachel – who is believed to be dead – Doug enlists Gavin’s help and discovers she is living under an assumed identity in New Mexico.

Season 4 (2016). After moving to Dallas and entering the race for Congress in her home district, Claire faces competition from the incumbent, Doris Jones, who plans to endorse her daughter Celia as her successor upon retirement. In an attempt to sway them, Claire offers federal funding for a crucial Planned Parenthood clinic, only to be turned down. However, Frank manages to regain Claire’s support by promising not to undermine her campaign in Texas. This alliance is short-lived when Frank publicly backs Celia in his State of the Union address. Despite their setback in South Carolina due to a series of scandals, the Underwoods continue their political journey. Things take a dangerous turn when Lucas Goodwin resurfaces after being released from prison and plots revenge against Frank for framing him and causing the death of Zoe Barnes. While seeking help from Dunbar, Lucas is turned away and resorts to attempting an assassination on Frank during which bodyguard Edward Meechum tragically loses his life while protecting the president. As Frank remains comatose, Donald Blythe is sworn in as Acting President but struggles with decision-making during a military crisis involving Russia. Seeking guidance, he turns to Claire despite Frank’s opposition.

Season 5 (2017). Prior to the 2016 election, Frank manipulates the situation surrounding ICO to declare martial law and centralize polling places in key states. This is orchestrated covertly with Democratic governors and justified as a safety measure, but ultimately serves to suppress rural Republican votes. In addition, Doug coerces hacker Aidan Macallan into carrying out a cyberattack on the NSA, causing disruption and damage. The Underwood Administration shifts the blame for the attack onto ICO. As the election unfolds, it becomes clear that Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Ohio are crucial states in determining the outcome. Despite initial returns favoring Conway, Frank’s team executes a staged terrorist event in Knoxville, Tennessee which is falsely attributed to an individual suspected of being involved with ICO. Faced with a seeming loss as Conway secures Pennsylvania and gains ground in Ohio, Frank initiates contact with him under false pretenses of conceding. However, this is merely a ploy to catch Conway off guard while the Underwoods convince Ohio’s governor to prematurely close polls due to perceived terrorist threats. These actions result in neither candidate reaching the required number of electoral votes as Ohio and Tennessee refuse to certify results.

Season 6 (2018). After one hundred days in office, Claire faces heightened scrutiny due to her husband’s untimely death following his resignation. The Shepherd siblings, Bill and Annette, make their presence known as they attempt to sway Claire in their favor. They have a connection with Mark Usher, who Claire has appointed as Vice President and who is romantically involved with Annette. Duncan, Annette’s son and head of Gardner Analytics media company, puts pressure on Claire through his influence. The ongoing battle between Claire and the Shepherds revolves around deregulation measures, which escalates when she uses a chemical leak from their operations to shame them. Meanwhile, Doug seeks therapy after confessing to Zoe’s murder, and Assistant Director Green and his psychiatrist are enlisted to monitor him on behalf of Claire. Seeking alternative ways to control her actions, the Shepherds manipulate her through the nomination of a Supreme Court justice and by developing a secretive mobile application with Seth Grayson that can monitor user activity including location. In addition, Secretary of State Durant falls under the Shepherd’s influence and is convinced to speak with prosecutors investigating the Underwoods. As tensions rise between the Shepherds and Claire, they become increasingly estranged from each other.