A newly released House of Cards teaser has fans convinced that Frank Underwood is officially dead.
In the clip posted to the House of Cards Twitter account, Claire Underwood (Robin Write) is seen talking to Frank without the character being shown.
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“I’ll tell you this thought, Francis,” Claire says stoically. “When they bury me, it won’t be in my backyard. And when they pay their respects… they’ll have to wait in line.”
The camera then pans to the gravestone of Frank’s father, Calvin, and then next to that we see one bearing the name of “Francis J. Underwood.”
You should have known. pic.twitter.com/UFGplyDSY1
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) September 5, 2018
The caption on the post reads, “You should have known,” which, in correlation with the grave, seems to imply that this was always going to be the way that Frank was written out of the show after the numerous sexual assault allegations that came out against actor Kevin Spacey.
As was widely reported, the first allegation came in Oct. 2017 when Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp told reporters that Spacey assaulted him when he was only 14 years old.
Spacey subsequently denied the allegations, saying he was “beyond horrified” to hear them, but this only prompted more accusers to come forward and share stories of times the claim the actor has assaulted or molested them.
Following the accusations, Netflix fired Spacey and very seriously considered ending the show entirely, but the producers and the streaming company were able to come to an agreement that would allow the show to have one final season.
That final season will see Claire, the new U.S. President, take the spotlight in the wake of Frank’s permanent absence
In an interview with the Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, Wright opened up about the accusations against Spacey, saying that the cast and crew “were all surprised, of course, and ultimately saddened.”
Regarding whether or not it was the right decision to fire Spacey, Wright said she wasn’t sure “how to comment on that.”
“But I think at that time, the shock was so intense all over the nation for many reasons,” she added, per Deadline. “I think that everybody felt it was respectful to back off.”
She went on to say that, from where she was standing, there were no real “red flags,” as the two were really only “co-workers” and “never socialized outside of work.”
“Kevin and I knew each other between ‘action’ and ‘cut.’ I didn’t know the man,” she also said. “I knew the incredible craftsman that he is.”
House of Cards season seven lands on Netflix on Friday, Nov. 2.
