NetflixIf you, like most people, don't have 13-hours to spare on a weekend to binge watch House of Cards, this is for you. Warning: spoilers are ahead. Lots of spoilers. Here are your major season four talking points so you're not left out of the water cooler convo. And this is your last warning about spoilers. Unlike Kevin Spacey, we talk about House of Cards plot points.
CLAIRE AND FRANK RECONCILED
It was beyond fun watching Claire (Robin Wright) battle Frank. Apparently it was too much fun because they finally reconciled after sabotaging each other for several episodes. Claire decided she was done helping Frank get power, now it was her turn. She attempted to get a seat in Congress, but Frank thwarted her. She in turn had a picture of his dad in KKK garb released, which almost cost him the election. They eventually realized they're better together and manipulated just about everybody to get Claire on the ticket as Frank's vice president. Seriously. Yeah, ridiculous, we know.
ELLEN BURSTYN STOLE THE SHOW
When she ran from Frank, Claire went home to Texas to see her mother Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn) and just like that, Ellen Burstyn jumped to the lead of the Emmy race. The two had a fractured relationship, but viewers could easily tell where Claire got her drive for success from. Eventually Elizabeth died (she was sick, Claire helped her die) to help Claire get the votes at the DNC needed for her to be put on the ticket as Frank's veep. Key point to bring up to your friends in conversation: "I am the mother!" scene.
EVERYBODY CAME BACK
Season four had cameos and return appearances by just about everybody who has had more than one scene on the show. Reg E. Cathey, Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Paul Sparks, Kim Dickens, Michel Gill, Constance Zimmer, Sebastian Arcelus and more all came back in some capacity or another.
THERE WAS ANOTHER THREESOME
OK, it wasn't a real threesome, but after Frank Underwood was shot (more on that later), he had a fever dream brought on by all the ammonia in his brain. That dream included a threesome with Mara's Zoe Barnes and Stoll's Pete Russo, the two people (we know of) who Frank killed. He was trapped in the Oval Office and doing everything he could to get out. Do you get the symbolism? These two were instrumental to his rise to power, to taking the Oval Office, and their ghosts will be with him.
FRANK WAS SHOT
While at a rally, Frank was shot by Lucas Goodwin. Meechum (Nathan Darrow) shot and killed Lucas, but also lost his life. RIP to the original threesome member. Frank's liver was basically destroyed and he spent several episodes comatose while Claire manipulated his hapless vice president. Claire for president!
THE TRUTH
After Lucas got out of prison, he was placed into the witness protection program, but he couldn't sit on the truth. He became obsessed with taking Frank down and tried to get Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) to help him. She resisted, but news of her meeting with him came to light after he shot the president and it ruined her campaign. But she began working with Tom Hammerschmidt (Boris McGiver) as he looked into Frank's abuses of power. Hammerschmidt didn't get very far into the murders Frank committed, but he did find enough evidence to publish a piece about Frank's manipulation and corruption. So, he's as good as dead next year, right? Everything Lucas said in his suicide note was true. Thankfully, we have another season to see if somebody can take Frank down.
CLAIRE AND FRANK: TERRORISTS?
They didn't plot the kidnapping, but they certainly made it clear they were going to use a family's hostage crisis to their advantage and get the country even more under their thumbs. The season ended with Claire joining Frank in breaking the fourth wall.
MISCELLANEOUS
Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) bumped a dude off the organ transplant list to get Frank a new liver and then became racked with guilt, so he donated $5,000 to the fund set up in the dead father's name. Because it's Doug, he became obsessed with the wife and started dating her.
Jackie Sharp (Molly Parker) and Remy Danton (Mahershala Ali) rode off into the sunset together after going on record about Frank's manipulation.
Neve Campbell really didn't get a lot to do as LeAnn Harvey. Can we fix that?
Joel Kinnaman smoldered up the screen as the Republican narcissistic presidential candidate.
Claire and Tom Yates started having an affair, but it's cool because Frank knows he can't give her that kind of emotional love and support.
House of Cards has already been renewed for a fifth season, albeit with new showrunners. Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese will take over for exiting creator Beau Willimon.