'House of Cards' Season 5: The surprising twist of the presidential election

Culture

(Editor's note: Spoilers ahead for House of Cards season five.)

On the latest season of House of Cards, Claire Underwood ascends from vice presidential candidate to the role of acting president of the United States. This is no shocker given the fact that with each installment of the series, she's pushed past her obstacles — even the political motives of her husband, Frank — to climb the political ladder.

Claire's appetite for control has been equal to Frank's, holding several high-profile roles such as CEO of a nonprofit in season one and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations by season three.

Season four of House of Cards ended with the Underwoods seeking to be re-elected and regaining trust of the American people. But in the aftermath, because neither Frank nor Gov. Conway received 270 electoral votes, the election went into the hands of the House of Representatives. The legislative body decided to make Claire the acting president until they chose a more permanent one.

However, Claire Underwood, who has continually kept a line of communication open to Frank through the ebb and flow of their marriage, has chosen to leave her husband out of the picture in the finale of season five.

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