Is Frank Underwood Dead in 'House of Cards'? This Chilling New Promo Reveals All

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published 5 September 2018

The Netflix hit House of Cards doesn't hold back when it comes to grisly ends—remember when Kate Mara was pushed in front of of an oncoming subway car?—and so, maybe, in its own words, "You should have known." Frank Underwood is dead in House of Cards' sixth season, a new promo for the hit show reveals. Not Jon Snow in Game of Thrones dead, but really dead. There's a shiny tombstone and fresh flowers and everything.

The character of Frank Underwood was written entirely out of the sixth and final season after Kevin Spacey faced sexual assault allegations last winter (which he denies). At the time, rumors swirled that Netflix would just kill off his character—especially when it was confirmed that Claire Underwood, the true hero of the entire series, would become president. (Finally! The ending in politics we all deserve.) Little was known for sure about Frank's fate, however, until the promo dropped Wednesday morning.

The teaser opens with Robin Wright standing in a garden. "I'll tell you this, though, Francis," says a very chill-looking Claire, considering her husband of several decades has perished. "When they bury me, it won't be in my backyard. And when they pay their respects, they'll have to wait in line."

You should have known. pic.twitter.com/UFGplyDSY1September 5, 2018

The camera pans out to two tombstones, one belonging to Frank (or Francis Underwood, as is written on the grave), and the other belonging to his father. Frank, according to the tombstone, lived until 2017, which also happened to be the time that the allegations against Spacey resurfaced, effectively ending his career. Subtle, Netflix.

You can stream House of Cards on Netflix from November 2.

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

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Jenny is the Digital Director at Marie Claire. A graduate of Leeds University, and a native of London, she moved to New York in 2012 to attend the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the first intern at Bustle when it launched in 2013, and spent five years building out its news and politics department. In 2018 she joined Marie Claire, where she held the roles of Deputy Digital Editor and Director of Content Strategy before becoming Digital Director. Working closely with Marie Claire's exceptional editorial, audience, commercial, and e-commerce teams, Jenny oversees the brand's digital arm, with an emphasis on driving readership. When she isn't editing or knee-deep in Google Analytics, you can find Jenny writing about television, celebrities, her lifelong hate of umbrellas, or (most likely) her dog, Captain. In her spare time, she also writes fiction: her first novel, the thriller EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD, was published with Minotaur Books (UK) and Little, Brown (US) in February 2024 and became a USA Today bestseller. She has also written extensively about developmental coordination disorder, or dyspraxia , which she was diagnosed with when she was nine. She is currently working on her second novel.