After a string of men — including eight current and former House of Cards employees — levied sexual-harassment and assault accusations against Kevin Spacey, the actor was fired from the show, leading many to speculate that this would be the end of the line for Netflix’s flagship political drama. Thankfully for fans of Claire Underwood and her impeccable power wardrobe, this will not be the case.
On Monday, Netflix head Ted Sarandos announced that they will continue with a final eight-episode season of the show, with Robin Wright’s Claire in the lead role. This seems like a canny move on Netflix’s part: Claire has long been the most interesting character on the show, and refocusing the series on her character makes a powerful feminist statement, while ensuring that the rest of the cast and crew aren’t punished for one sexual predator’s misdeeds any more than they already have been (it also serves as a rejoinder to all the bad takes accusing victims who call out abusers for ruining beloved entertainment).
While there is sure to be griping from “the all-female Ghostbusters ruined my childhood” contingent, the news of a more Claire-heavy season has delighted many House of Cards fans who have long been calling for Wright to take the reins:
Now: if only it didn’t take a sexual-harassment scandal to get women the lead roles they deserve.
