House Of Cards Season 6 Review: 2 Ups & 6 Downs

Downs...

6. The Spectre Of Kevin Spacey Looms Large

It would've obviously been incredibly silly for Frank Underwood (Spacey) to be quietly written out of the show as though he never existed, but it's surprising just how far the show goes in the other direction, making him a focal part of the entire season's narrative.

The nature of his death and the legacy he leaves behind is one of season six's major through-lines, when it probably would've made more sense to begin the series with a time jump, where Frank's death could be mentioned in the first episode and barely referenced afterwards.

Obviously the writers had to scramble to cobble together new scripts, but even so, if Netflix really wanted to make a statement with Spacey here, they would've kept him a far more peripheral figure.

Even in death, Frank is constantly on the audience's mind, to the point that Claire (Wright) quite aptly says at one point, "I'm so tired of talking about Francis."

The strength of Wright's performance certainly makes it clear that the show could've survived with her alone, but sadly she's never really given the chance to just run with the ball.