Top 10 Things We Need in House of Cards' Final Season

When you build a house out of cards, the walls will eventually tumble down. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things We Want To See In House of Cards the Final Season.

For this list, we’re taking a look at story and character arcs we want to see fully realized, as this Netflix Original Series approaches its exit from office. If you’re not caught up, consider this your spoiler alert.

#10: Fan Favorite Supporting Characters

In addition to boasting household names like Robin Wright and Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards” showcased its supporting players. Standouts included Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton, Molly Parker as Jackie Sharp, and Gerald McRaney as Raymond Tusk. It’d be great to see all of these characters get a proper send-off in the show’s final eight episodes, whether they play major roles or simply make guest appearances. One character we’d especially love to say goodbye to is Freddy Hayes, since actor Reg E. Cathey – who won an Emmy for the role – sadly passed away in February 2018.

#9: An Explanation for What Happened to Cathy Durant

Towards the end of Season 5, Secretary of State Cathy Durant threatens to throw a monkey wrench into Frank’s grand plan by testifying before a special committee. When trying to reason with her doesn’t pan out, Frank decides that Cathy needs to take a fall. No, literally, he pushes her down the stairs. When we last saw Cathy, she was unconscious and being rushed to the hospital. Did she survive the fall? Will she regain consciousness? Even if she does, will Cathy have any recollection of Frank pushing her? These are all questions that need to be answered in the final season. Here’s hoping the writers don’t just sweep Cathy under the rug.

#8: Jane Davis in a Larger Role

Introduced in Season 5, Jane Davis acts as the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. She quickly asserted herself as a crafty and manipulative figure who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Jane’s backstory and motivations could still use fleshing out, however. From what we’ve seen so far, Jane seems like an ideal right-hand woman. What remains unclear is just how far Jane is willing to go for the White House. Is she mainly looking out for her own best interests, or will she be loyal to a fault, like Doug? When you have an Oscar-nominated actress like Patricia Clarkson, give her character some really meaty material to sink her teeth into.

#7: LeAnn Harvey’s Fate

LeAnn just couldn’t catch a break in the Season 5 finale. After being promoted to Claire’s Chief of Staff, she’s almost immediately stripped of the position and finds herself out of a job. On her way to meet Doug, LeAnn’s vehicle gets run off the road, as Frank watches from his laptop. Frank claims that you don’t have to watch the whole movie to know how it ends. In the realm of television, however, nobody is truly dead until the audience gets a good look at their body. In LeAnn’s case, we never see her corpse after the crash. Although it’s strongly suggested that she died, the credits haven’t necessarily rolled on LeAnn’s story yet.

#6: A Worthy Enemy For Claire

The Underwoods’ ascension to the White House wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting without a few formidable foes standing in their way. Now that Claire has reached the pinnacle of power, it’d be fun to see her go up against an enemy who could potentially jeopardize everything she’s worked for. As for their motivations, Claire’s opponent could either be a politician who wants to further their own career or a whistleblower who wants the Underwoods to pay for their crimes. Whether it’s somebody who’s been on the show for a while or an entirely new character, this rival could give “House of Cards” the spark it needs to reach the home stretch in glory.

#5: Setting Up a Doug Stamper Spinoff

“House of Cards” might be ending, but it’s been reported that a spinoff series is in the works at Netflix. While the details aren’t set in stone yet, Doug Stamper seems like the prime candidate to take center stage. Dedicating his life to Frank, Doug has emerged as one of the show’s most interesting and disturbing characters. With the Underwoods out of the picture, though, Doug’s purpose in life might take on a whole new meaning. It’d be nothing short of fascinating to see how Doug functions without his supreme overlords. Even if the spinoff ultimately doesn’t materialize, we’re still eager to see what Doug’s fate will be. After all, Claire still hasn’t pardoned him.

#4: Conway Making a Comeback

Whereas most of the characters on “House of Cards” are just power-hungry, Will Conway emerges as a candidate who could actually, potentially make the country a better place. Despite the occasional outburst, he’s still an infinitely more honest politician than Frank or Claire. Yet, good morals and values don’t always get you ahead in Washington. Through manipulation, the Underwoods are able to secure their places in the White House. Conway is forced to concede, leaving both him and his family in an uncertain place. Can Conway make a political comeback? Does his presidential loss also mean the end of his marriage? There’s still a fair deal that can be done with him in Season 6.

#3: The Underwoods Getting Their Just Desserts

They may sometimes be more antiheroes than straight-up villains, but it’d still be very necessary and satisfying to see Frank and Claire finally pay for their crimes. Some of our favorite characters have died because of their corruption, including Peter Russo, Rachel Posner, and Tom Yates. Zoe Barnes’ death in particular left behind a trail of tragedy, although Tom Hammerschmidt has fought to bring her killer to justice. Seeing how freedom of the press and fake news are such hot topics right now, it’d be appropriate if “House of Cards” ended with the Washington Herald exposing the Underwoods for the monsters they are.

#2: Claire Underwood Taking Her Turn As President

Season 5 gave us a taste of what Claire Underwood can do as Acting President of the United States. She also established that she’s well aware of the audience’s presence, raising an iron fist to the fourth wall. Now that Frank is out of the way, Claire can take her turn as Commander in Chief. In some respects, Mrs. Underwood is even more ruthless and two-faced than her husband, which means things are really just getting started. The final episodes could not only explore how similar Claire is to Frank, but also how their leadership methods differ. With Claire in charge, we can expect something along the lines of “Lady MacBeth Goes to Washington”.

Before we get to our top pick, here’s one honorable mention:

- More of Viktor Petrov and Russia

#1: A Fitting Exit For Frank Underwood

Facing sexual misconduct accusations, actor Kevin Spacey was fired from “House of Cards.” Netflix claims that Spacey won’t have any involvement in the final season, although it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if he made a brief cameo. In any case, the writers have a lot of loose ends to tie up concerning Frank. For starters, did Claire pardon Frank? If not, what does that mean for their marriage? Did they separate or get divorced? Will Frank be in prison the whole season or will he get killed off? It might actually be poetic if somebody strangled Frank, just as he put a dying dog out of its misery back in the show’s first scene.