House of Cards was perhaps one of the best television shows of the modern era. Or, at least, it was until the scandal. Once the news came out of Kevin Spacey's gross misbehavior, his (rightful) firing from the show doomed the final season.
Everyone had tuned in to watch the story of the evil, manipulative Frank Underwood. Although Claire is also a greatly compelling character, the show's sixth and final season without Frank simply felt empty. What added to this empty feeling was the fact that so many questions were left unanswered. Here are the top ten storylines that House of Cards never resolved.
Is There Another Copy of the Diary?
Although it is said that the copy of the diary Doug brought to the White House was the original, it seems that there is a likely possibility that there could be another copy somewhere. He had been leaking small excerpts of the tape for quite some time, and it seems quite likely that a copy would have been made.
Even if a copy hadn't have been made, would Claire dispose of it effectively? Or would someone else catch on and manage to recover the audio files? It's hinted that the monologues the audience had been listening to for six seasons were actually being recorded. There reveal would be devastating for the Underwood legacy.
Will Claire Tarnish Frank's Legacy?
Claire promised the American people that she would permit a thorough investigation into Frank's possible misdeeds. It seemed that this storyline would have revealed many of Frank's crimes to the American public. Claire was obviously trying to pin everything on her late husband.
Another lingering question remains: would Claire get away with it? With so many people eagerly sifting through the Underwood affairs, it's more than likely that some dirt would be dug up on the Madame President herself. Unfortunately, we'll never know if she gets her just deserts.
Will Claire Survive?
There have already been a few assassination attempts on Claire Underwood. Plenty of powerful people want her dead, including the Shepherd family. Was Doug their final attempt? Will they try again?
It seems very likely that someone else is going to take a shot at Claire, but we'll never get to see if her conflict with ICO, the Shepherds, and various other enemies are ever resolved.
Who's The Father?
When Claire finds out she's pregnant, that revelation threatens her presidency. In a move of strength, Claire decides to carry the baby while she carries out her term as Commander in Chief.
Both Claire and the audience are left with a big question: who is the father? She had sexual relations with both her husband and Tom Yates within the proper time frame. She even says to herself, "What if I'm carrying a demon seed or something? The odds are 50-50."
What Will Happen To The Child?
In her comments about her "demon seed," audiences are left wondering how much Claire truly cares about this child. On the one hand, she did show a sincere want to give birth and raise this new child. On the other, she seems to view it as the return of Frank, who she couldn't hate anymore.
Will she keep the child or give it up for adoption? Or maybe decided to have another abortion? Doug asks Claire to name the baby Frances Underwood in honor of Frank. It seems unlikely that she'll do Doug that favor. Maybe Claire will groom her new child to join the ranks of Underwood presidents and keep the family in power. If only they had explored this storyline just a bit more.
Will The Underwoods' Crimes Be Revealed?
Janine Skorsky is hell-bent on making the Underwoods pay for their crimes. She was extremely close to taking Claire down. If only Doug had shown up and given her the evidence as he had promised.
Nevertheless, it seems that Janine has the passion and poise to take down the Underwood legacy. Too bad we'll never get to see if she succeeds. Or if Claire has her murdered like Tom Hammerschmidt.
The Nuclear Strike on ICO
In order to distract from her own scandals, Claire creates a crisis to divert the public's attention. Once Claire manufactures claims that ICO (the Islamic Caliphate Organization) is about to acquire nuclear weapons, things really start to ramp up as it appears that she is about to order a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the terrorist organization.
The series ends before we see this conflict resolved, which is a big bummer. Such a massive event needed to be brought to its conclusion, whether that was going to be a massive nuclear conflict or simply a false alarm.
What About the Shepherds?
The Shepherds were the new antagonists for Season Six that seemed to have come out of nowhere. There influence and wealth seemed to know no bounds. When Claire made it clear she would no longer work with them, they decided that she needed to be dealt with.
After their final failed assassination attempt, we never get to see what they do next. It seems pretty evident that Bill doesn't have much time left. It would've been nice if we could see their conflict with Claire actual come to a conclusion.
Did Janine Publish Her Article?
Janine had an article ready to go to expose Claire. All she needed was Doug's firsthand testimony to prove everything. When he failed to show up, it all fell apart. Or did it?
Tom Hammerschmidt's legacy is at stake. Janine knows everything at stake and wants to nail the Underwoods once and for all. Maybe she was going to release a version of the article anyway. So many questions would have been brought up that maybe new evidence would then come forward.
What Happens Next?
In the final scene, with Claire have just murdered Doug Stamper in the oval office, most audiences were left screaming "NO" as the screen faded to black. The events of her stabbing Doug were intensely interesting. What would have been just as interesting, if not more so, would've been seeing how Claire got away with all of this. Or even if she did. Sadly, this storyline will never be drawn out, along with many others.