How Will 'House of Cards' Deal With Frank Underwood's Death?

When House of Cards debuted on Netflix, it was one of the streaming service's most popular shows and demonstrated that not only could Netflix produce some darn good television, but it had a series that put many of its "traditional" TV outlet counterparts to shame.

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. However, all of the news surrounding his off-camera misconduct forced his exit from the show and Frank Underwood was killed off-camera.

There's been a lot of talk surrounding just how Netflix is going to handle the show's sixth and final season, especially without Underwood at the forefront of it. Netflix made no secret what happened to Underwood when they debuted this teaser trailer, which shows Robin Wright's Claire Underwood addressing her dearly departed husband.

The line that Claire delivers is a powerful one for multiple reasons, because it not only speaks to Frank's character, but maybe the controversy surrounding Spacey's as well:

"I’ll tell you this though, Francis. When they bury me, it won’t be in my backyard. And when they pay their respects, they’ll have to wait in line." 

What does it all mean? Well, Claire sounds like she's making big political moves herself. She was sworn in at the end of Season 5 and doesn't make any mention of pardoning Frank for his crimes. Anyone who's watched the show knows Claire's even more politically adept and cunning than her now-dead husband, so there's going to be some great power plays and plenty of Claire badassery going on.

Here's what we do know about the upcoming season, which debuts on November 2: we know that the story behind Frank's death is that he peacefully went in his sleep. But seriously, what are the chances of that?

Claire gets sworn is as President after Frank resigns, and refuses to pardon him, and then he mysteriously dies in bed? Expect the circumstances surrounding Frank's death to be a huge plot point in Season 6.

Then there are the number of shady characters Frank aligned himself with and copious amounts of dirty laundry she's inherited from her departed husband, so Claire will have to navigate that. Then there's sexism, lots and lots of sexism.

Being the first female President and dealing with characters like eccentric sibling billionaires Annette and Bill Shepherd (who comes off as misogynistic), along with Republican male senators who aren't happy that a sharply dressed woman with an impeccable short haircut is leading the country aren't going to be happy that she's the new Commander-in-Chief.

Oh, and if you needed any more proof this latest season will deal hardcore with gender inequality, just check out this quote from Claire:

"The reign of the middle-aged white man is over. The Bill Shepherds of the world who won’t let go, have to go."

Honestly, this sixth and final season might be the best House of Cards has to offer. Claire's character development has been one of the strongest throughout the series, and Robin Wright has directed more episodes of the program than anyone else, which includes the series finale. Amazing.