History WMG / HouseOfCardsUS

* I admit, I don't have anything to back this up, but It came to me in a dream and I believe it.

* Because Frank Underwood is just that powerful.

* They fought tooth and nail to defend Pennsylvania during Walker's presidential campaign, a state they haven't had serious trouble with for the past 20 years in real life. The party as a whole seems much further to the right in the show universe than it is in reality, with Frank Underwood, a conservative (for a Democrat, anyway) southerner as House Majority Whip, and Garrett Walker, an apparent centrist, as President who pushed through an education bill that incorporates a bunch of conservative policy proposals in education that a real life Democrat wouldn't dare to touch. If the Democrats have had to moderate their positions so much, it's a sign that the country is much more right-wing than in real life.
** Pennsylvania isn't a guaranteed Democratic state in RealLife either, though. Even though it's consistently gone to the Democrats since 1992, it's been fought for each time and could be swayed by a strong challenger. A bit like North Carolina for the other side.

* Frank's bisexuality is touched upon in exactly one episode per season thus far, not enough to make it a prominent character trait, but enough to remind us that it is there. I can imagine that a revelation that he has had relationships with men will cause a media frenzy and a backlash against him. After all, [[SarcasmMode being ruthless and Machiavellian is fine, making out with guys?]] ''[[SarcasmMode Unacceptable!!!]]''.

* Four seasons of 13 episodes each equals 52 episodes total: the same number of cards in a standard deck.
** Apropos? Most definitely! (Especially if there are two "between season" ''comedy'' episodes, in addition. In a word: Jokers!)
** Also appropriate in that each season takes approximately one year, and if the Underwoods lose in 2016, it would coincide with the end of the fourth season.

* After a long, sad and troubled life on the road, Jenny Curran abandons her infant son to the care of her first love and resolves to make something of herself. Drifting to South Carolina and meeting Francis, a man who is the polar opposite of Forrest, she changes her name to Claire and plots a move to the highest office in the land.
** Unlikely. Claire is a wealthy Texas socialite, and it is even occasionally hinted that Frank married her for her family's money.

* Basically, there's the shot of the former in his "office", as the camera pulls back. It's possible he and Frank's new chief of staff (who will take the position officially when [[spoiler: Doug's body is found]]) will face off. As for Rachel--well, assuming she won't just hide somewhere and never be seen again in the show (She Knows Too Much, after all), we could well see her teaming up with the hacktivist (and, what the heck, the remaining member of Zoe's team--who'd panicked after [[spoiler: Zoe's death]]) to seek to expose the truth. Of course, Frank--being Frank--will destroy them by the end of the Season. Cue Season 4.
** [[spoiler: Semi-Jossed for them both. Neither of them are really antagonistic, the hacktivist just trying to stay free and Rachel just trying to not get killed to protect a secret she has no interest in revealing.]]

* The body count is rising - season one opened with the death of [[EstablishingCharacterMoment a dog]] and built up to the death of [[spoiler: Peter Russo]]; season two opened with the death of [[spoiler: Zoe Barnes]] and ended with [[spoiler: Doug Stamper's apparent death]]. Each death leaves Frank more and more vulnerable, and if this trend continues then, once he loses the few people he has left on his side, Frank'll probably end up biting it.
** Turns out [[spoiler: Doug isn't dead after all]].
* Given the ending of the original version of ''House of Cards'', I'd say that Frank's end will be [[spoiler: getting shot by a sniper during the unveiling of a memorial.]]

* Frank Underwood is finally at the top. There is only one direction for him to go. He will be disgraced, just like his predecessor, and will be forced to swallow his just desserts. Season 4 will be all about Frank making amends and returning to power.
** [[spoiler: Jossed for season 3, which has a major theme of him trying to secure re-election, and ends with him winning the Iowa Caucus.]]

* [[spoiler: The letter he thought he was burning, that contains his confession, is still with Walker and will be key in Frank's downfall.]]

* He was LeftForDead by Rachel, but she's just an average young woman who doesn't seem to make a habit of exercising or murdering people, she might not even have really wanted him dead specifically as much as she just wanted to get away from him, and bashing with a rock isn't necessarily the world's most effective murder method, so I doubt his injuries are too severe. Since we didn't even see him lying on the ground or anything, it seems like a pretty strong setup for him to have a surprise reappearance.

* Season 3 and/or 4 will be all about Walker finally realizing that Frank played him like a fiddle and attempting to expose what he's done. The climax will be the 2016 primaries where Walker will once again run and become Frank's main rival for the nomination.
** [[spoiler: Jossed for Season 3, Walker does not appear and is barely mentioned throughout the season.]]
** More likey for season four, in fitting with the fact that that's the next major election cycle (2016), and at thirteen episodes per season, we get 52- the same as a set of cards

* Frank loves to manipulate people, make plays, and he wants more than anything to keep his power strong. If he's losing the presidential or primary election in Season 4, he might just try a Film/WagTheDog, incite tensions with Russia in order to give the voting public a strong reason to keep him around... and then it backfires.

* Frank Underwood's constant OOC behavior throughout the season ''really'' give the impression that something's "off". Considering how part of the implication of the last several episodes is that it's up to Doug to clean up the mess--and that he's more than up to the challenge--it's interesting to speculate that Doug's dreaming about how desperately Frank "really" needs him, telling himself that without his help, Frank's nothing.

* [[spoiler: Although there IS a terror attack in the last two episodes, where the Islamic Organization Caliphate kills an american citizen.]]

* I think there've been articles and interviews with Constance Zimmer suggesting that Janine Skorsky, last seen hiding as a teacher in Ithaca trying to distance herself from Frank, will revive interest in Zoe's death and bring about Frank's downfall.

* Given that a major element of Season 3 is that Frank is getting played left and right by not!Putin, my hope is that the show will end with Frank and not!Putin forcing each other into a corner, and with Frank wanting to pull a "Wag the Dog" to improve his chances of reelection, he miscalculates his schemes and things go to hell in the end.

#Hammerschmidt's reputation is only just on the mend, especially since he went freelance after he left the ''Herald'' and only returned to the ''Herald'' for backing when he knew he was on the verge of breaking the story. To go public on "Frank Underwood is a murderer" without credible sources to back him up would probably be career suicide.

However, that's assuming that Hammerschmidt was being honest when he says he doesn't believe Frank could have killed anyone. Reporters are known to sometimes lie to get cooperation, and we see this later in season 4 when Hammerschmidt pays a visit to Garrett Walker. From the dialogue, it seems that Hammerschmidt was only able to secure an interview with Walker by claiming he wanted to interview Walker about his scholarship fund. Given that, part of me thinks Hammerschmidt very much suspects Frank killed Zoe and Russo (or at the very least hired assassins to kill them). He just can't go public with that for a few reasons:
#If debunked Clinton "death list" conspiracy theories have shown us anything, it's that the idea of the President of the United States being a murderer is tin foil hat material. And Hammerschmidt would know that. So he's choosing to not 'publicly' pursue that portion of the story. Instead he's wisely choosing to go after something more acceptable, and probably a lot easier for the public to buy: corruption in the White House.
#Hammerschmidt's reputation is only just on the mend. To go public on "Frank Underwood is a murderer" without sources to back him up would probably be career suicide.

It'll be fitting, especially when you consider how he staged the murders he committed (Peter Russo's as a suicide, Zoe Barnes' as either suicide or a tragic accident), and his own views on people who do commit suicide. Plus, it'll give him a chance to make a truly Shakespearean villainous speech to the audience one last time.

* Similarly, in season 2, Frank will get a PS4.

*** In fact, we know 9/11 DID happen in this timeline since Will Conway brings it up at one of his rallies.

** It's Seth Grayson, and Doug is attacking him for leaking a photo of Frank's father posing with KKK members.
#There's a shot of Doug in the hospital. It's either a flashback of something new not seen in Season 2 during his recovery from the ordeal with Rachel, or Doug finds himself hospitalized again. Maybe he somehow loses the Kern fight.

Its already been foreshadowed in season 4 that FU won't make it past season 5. There's his liver problems, and then there's the fact that you get a hint Frank seems to be fighting for his health ever since the events of Season 4, Episode 4.

* Given the ending of the original version of ''House of Cards'', I'd say that Frank's end will be getting shot by a sniper during the unveiling of a memorial.

Its already been foreshadowed in season 4 that FU won't make it past season 5. There's his liver problems, and then there's the fact that you get a hint Frank seems to be fighting for his health ever since the events of Season 4, Episode 4.

Its already been foreshadowed in season 4 that FU won't make it past season 5. There's his liver problems, and then there's the fact that you get a hint Frank seems to be fighting for his health ever since the shooting.

** Her staff are being questioned about a meeting she had with Lucas Goodwin.

* Given that a major element of Season 3 is that Frank is getting played left and right by not!Putin, my hope is that the show will end with Frank and not!Putin forcing each other into a corner, and with Frank wanting to pull a "Wag the Dog" to improve his chances of reelection, he miscalculates his schemes and things go to hell in the end.

* jossed
[[WMG: {{Sony}} is winning the Console War in the House Of Cards verse.]]

* In Chapter 39, there's a scene where Claire lights a cigarette, but if you watch closely, she never actually smokes it.

I'd also bet that Claire was right, and Doug actually did make a backup copy of that journal as insurance, just in case his meeting with Frank didn't go as smoothly as he hoped. Doug may be blindly loyal when it comes to Frank, but the man isn't stupid and considering the role he played in Peter Russo's and Zoe Barnes's deaths, Doug has seen first hand the lengths Frank is willing to go to when someone presents themselves as a threat.

[[WMG:Doug will be killed in the fourth season]]

* Frank loves to manipulate people, make plays, and he wants more than anything to keep his power strong. If he's losing the presidential or primary election in Season 4, he might just try a WagTheDog, incite tensions with Russia in order to give the voting public a strong reason to keep him around... and then it backfires.

* They fought tooth and nail to defend Pennsylvania during Walker's presidential campaign, a state they haven't had serious trouble with for the past 20 years in RL. The party as a whole seems much further to the right than it is in reality, with Frank Underwood, a conservative (for a Democrat, anyway) southerner as House Majority Whip, and Garrett Walker, an apparent centrist, as President who pushed through an education bill that incorporates a bunch of conservative policy proposals in education that a real life Democrat wouldn't dare to touch. If the Democrats have had to moderate their positions so much, it's a sign that the country is much more right-wing than in real life.

Think about it. There are allegations that Bill Clinton had a "death list", which is a list of people allegedly ordered killed on orders of the Clinton administration. So, in the show universe, there might be conspiracy theorists who will say that Peter Russo and Zoe Barnes were on the Underwood death list. Now while Frank did take both of those people in ways that look like a suicide and accident respectively, that won't shut up the conspiracy theorists.

[[WMG:Doug will be killed in the fourth season]]

Think about it. There are allegations that Bill Clinton had a "death list", which is a list of people allegedly ordered killed on orders of the Clinton administration. So, in the show universe, there might be conspiracy theorists who will say that Peter Russo and Zoe Barnes were on the Underwood death list. Now while Frank did take both of those people in ways that look like a suicide and accident respectively, that won't shut up the conspiracy theorists.

We know from characters' dialogue and the episode of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' playing on TV that the show's political history matches up with real life at least up until January 20, 2001 and the end of the presidency of UsefulNotes/BillClinton -- but there is never any reference to the presidency of UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush or historical events directly associated with it such as the Iraq War. Furthermore, the show begins with Garrett Walker (D-CO) being a '''new Democratic president''', having been elected in '''2012''', and the Democrats in control of both houses of Congress. It's also explicitly mentioned that Walker is the ''45th'' President of the United States, meaning one things: there were two Presidents between January 20, 2001 and January 21, 2013[[note]]January 20th, 2013 fell on a Sunday, so the official inauguration ceremony for Walker would be held on Monday, as is the tradition[[/note]], and given how the 22nd Amendment works, one of them was a two-term President and the other was a one-term President.

[[WMG: The series is set in an AlternateHistory where UsefulNotes/AlGore won the 2000 presidential election.]]
* We know from characters' dialogue and the episode of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' playing on TV that the show's political history matches up with real life at least up until January 20, 2001 and the end of the presidency of UsefulNotes/BillClinton -- but there is never any reference to the presidency of UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush or historical events directly associated with it such as the Iraq War. Furthermore, the show begins with Garrett Walker (D-CO) being a '''new Democratic president''', having been elected in '''2012''', and the Democrats in control of both houses of Congress. Therefore, the point of divergence between the ''House of Cards'' timeline and ours is UsefulNotes/AlGore winning the 2000 presidential election instead of Bush. Gore then either served one term and was followed by a two-term Republican, or served two terms and was followed by a one-term Republican. This may also account for the Democrats' much more centrist stance in the show, as Gore's victory and the absence of the Bush Administration means that the DLC faction of the Democratic Party is still dominant.
** There is reference to Catherine Durant being "vocally anti-war" which means that 9/11 and the War on Terror still happened in the way they unfolded in real life. For the record, invading Afghanistan would have been a no-brainer after 9/11 regardless of who was President at the time, but it's hard to believe that Al Gore would invade Iraq after that.
*** At one point, the show refers to a "Bush Senior" (implying that there is a junior as well) and the Republicans control the Senate.
**** Alternatively, "Bush Senior" is PRESCOTT Bush (41's father) and the point of divergence from our own time is even further back.
**** It can't be Prescott Bush. The reference to Bush Sr takes place in 1992, meaning it's referring to UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush. Prescott Bush died in 1972, and there are references to the presidencies of UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter and UsefulNotes/BillClinton.
**** Perhaps the inferred "Bush Junior" is Walker's immediate predecessor as President. It doesn't necessarily have to be UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush either -- it could be Jeb Bush, succeeding in 2004/2008 where his brother failed in 2000. Another possibility is that John [=McCain=] was the Republican candidate in 2000 in this timeline, who lost to Gore, freeing up either Bush brother to succeed Gore later.
** I think the safest point of departure would be the 2008 election. The electorate weren't confident that the Democrats who were backing UsefulNotes/BarackObama could get them out of the economic slump and went with [=McCain=] and the Democrats lost the House. Things went very much similarly (or perhaps worst) as they did in our timeline until 2012, when Walker was elected.
** A major plot element in Season 3 is dealing with reducing tensions between Israel and Palestine, and no massive ongoing quagmires in Iraq or Afghanistan are mentioned. Maybe just trying to [[ConservationOfDetail keep things tidy]], but might also be a sign that there is no conflict in Afghanistan or Iraq.

[[WMG:Donald Blythe is somehow related to UsefulNotes/BillClinton]]
My logic is the fact that Bill Clinton's birth name was 'William Jefferson Blythe III'. And like Clinton, Donald Blythe is a Democrat. He even may be a baby boomer, like Clinton is.