If you feels like like men have been getting away with awful behavior lately, you’re not alone. House of Cards is here to give us the rage outlet we need to deal with these fraught political times. The new trailer for season 6 just dropped, and as we expected, Vice President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) has ascended to the presidency. And the newest President Underwood is not here to deal with sexist shenanigans.
The trailer opens with eerily accurate portrayals of cable news, as they dissect and criticize every aspect of Underwood’s presidency. A CNN chyron calls her the “Commander-in-Grief,” while an anchor says gravely, “I think she might be the worst that has happened to this country.” It’s hinted that she’s still grieving the death of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), but it quickly becomes apparent that Claire has much bigger fish to fry than pining over her dead husband, whom she arguably didn’t really love, anyway.
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In true House of Cards form, a shadowy cabal of power-hungry operatives is out to wreak havoc on her presidency. At a women’s conference, Claire stands at the podium and declares, “They are trying to strip me of my Constitutional power as your commander-in-chief.” But she appears ready to use that power to make some serious changes — including distancing herself from former Chief of Staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly). “We’ve been entwined, you and I, for decades now,” she says to him, while stirring a cup of tea Get Out-style. “We deserve to go our separate ways.”
But wait! That scheming Stamper, who ruthlessly supported Frank, now appears to be the antagonist. Ever the mole, he’s seen talking to reporters about her faults, calling her “just as guilty” as Frank — which, after what happened to Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara), is a fair statement.
Still, Claire dazzles us with her low tolerance for bullshit. “I’m not going to be told what to do anymore...by any man, anymore. Guess which kind of people I’m done suffering.” She throws a stack of paperwork across the Resolute desk. And declares forcefully that, “The first female president of the United States will not keep her mouth shut.” Hail to the chief who steeps her tea in male tears.
House of Cards debuts season 6 on Netflix on November 2, 2018.