The "house of cards" has come crumbling down on Kevin Spacey. Netflix is just the latest player to aid in its collapse. The streaming service decided to pull the plug on one of their most popular shows on Monday, a direct consequence of the allegation that emerged against Spacey late on Sunday night. The cancellation was swift in comparison to the reactions related to other sexual misconduct allegations as of late. The only question is whether or not Netflix's decision will pay off in the long run.
'House of Cards' folds
TVLine was the first to report the bombshell cancellation news.
Production on Season 6 began at the beginning of the month. It was expected to premiere in 2018. "House of Cards" took a creative shift at the end of the previous season by installing Claire (Robin Wright) as the commander-in-chief, leading to Frank Underwood (Spacey) exiting politics. There are some who believe the show could go on without Spacey due to that creative shift, but Netflix likely thought the program was now too toxic.
The report does state that Netflix made the decision to end "House of Cards" before the Spacey allegations, but the timing is suspect.
This all unfolded after actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Spacey made a sexual advance towards him when he was just 14 years old. Spacey issued an apology, although it was a shallow one, with him claiming not to even remember the encounter.
He arguably made the situation even worse by capitalizing on the moment to come out of the closet as a gay man. GLAAD immediately reacted, noting the inappropriate nature of the "House of Cards" actor's 'coming out' moment.
Cancellation season at Netflix
"House of Cards" is far from the first series to be cancelled at Netflix over the past few months.
The other shows that have been cancelled in recent months are:
- "Hemlock Grove"
- "Lilyhammer"
- "The Killing"
- "Marco Polo"
- "Longmire"
- "Bloodline"
- "The Get Down"
- "Sense8" (which is getting an additional finale)
- "Girlboss"
- "Gypsy"
Nevertheless, this particular cancellation feels like the end of an era. The show was the first original series Netflix created and distributed, leading the way for other successes like "Orange is the New Black," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," and "Master of None." It has been nominated for countless awards over its five-season run.
But just like predecessors in the entertainment industry," House of Cards" was not meant to survive a sexual assault scandal.
