We are now just days away from the release of House of Cards season 4, which is premiering on Netflix on March 4. And it’s going to be an interesting season, for quite a variety of reasons . This time, though, the show has a challenge: It has competition. No, not Veep. House of Cards season 4 has to compete with the actual, real 2016 primary election for the presidency of the United States. And that has as much intrigue as House of Cards ever did (minus the murder).
Can House of Cards Season 4 Be Crazier Than The Real Election?
House of Cards season 4 is going to be, with luck, a return to form for the series. Season 3 delved heavily into Frank and Claire’s relationship, and into actual policymaking, whereas the show’s intrigue—previously the heart of House of Cards—fell somewhat by the wayside. This season, with Doug Stamper newly invested as White House Chief of Staff and Frank Underwood increasingly desperate in the election, you know we’ll see the return of their joint area of expertise— dirty tricks.
So that’s the show. Who will it be in the House of Cards season 4 primary? Heather Dunbar? Frank Underwood? I bet we’ll find out pretty early on, and Underwood will lock down the nomination somehow with Nixon-style sneakery. But the general election in House of Cards is another matter, and we don’t know a ton about it. Who will Underwood face among the Republicans? There aren’t a ton of strong Republican characters in the show, so it may be someone new or unexpected. I bet it’ll be pretty exciting.
But you know what else is exciting? Super Tuesday. The Democratic and Republican primaries. The continuing debates. This is arguably the most exciting and surprising U.S. presidential election in a long time. Certainly, the rise of Donald Trump is very surprising. So is the general acceptance of Bernie Sanders, who embraces the label of socialism in a way that most older Americans reject. Two anointed nominees, Clinton and Bush—one facing an unexpected serious challenge from a candidate from a totally different part of the party, one driven out of the race when everyone expected a near certain victory. It’s pretty shocking stuff.
Sure, House of Cards season 4 has more murder and sex than the 2016 U.S. election, but the latter has more than its fair share of larger-than-life personalities. The real election already feels like a television show. Trump offers just as much drama as Underwood, and says much more unexpected things. I’m not saying House of Cards season 4 won’t be exciting—it certainly will be. When it debuts on March 4, though, the show has competition. Luckily, we can just watch both.