The trailer for the upcoming installment of House of Cards arrived Monday, and make no mistake: The fifth season of the Netflix series is taking on the 2016 election.
"The American people don't know what's best for them," Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) says in his Southern drawl at the start of the trailer. The voice-over crawls over images of people protesting at the White House. One sign reads "Never Underwood." Another says "Not My President." Yet another derides the electoral college. Sound familiar?
The end of the fourth season of the popular thriller saw political deviant Frank Underwood declaring war against terrorists.
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"We don't submit to terror. We make the terror," Underwood told the camera in the final scene. He's president now, and has been since the third season; in this season, he's running for reelection, and the controversy surrounding his presidency can be compared to that of Donald Trump's recent ascension.
In addition, season 5 will heavily feature Republican governor Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman), who's in the running to be the Republican candidate. Will Conway isn't a media-savvy blonde woman, but the name "Conway" is awful familiar. (Kellyanne — ever heard of her?)
The trailer will incite real chills when Frank Underwood lists his future campaigns: Frank Underwood 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, and so on and so forth. He has no plans on backing down, despite the apparent ire of the public. Huh.
Of course, the series has always been in conversation with national politics. In 2013, following the show's premiere, The Atlantic published a piece titled "The Very Real History Behind the Crazy Politics of House Of Cards." Similarly, Mashable pointed out a list of ways the 4th season mirrored real-life events last year. Yes, it's a fictional show, but creator Beau Willimon notably spent a good amount of time working in politics, and the show tends to reflect the current climate. And who can deny that America's executive branch is both terrifying and hugely entertaining? Suffice to say, politics makes for good television, the 2016 election especially so.
Watch the full trailer for the upcoming season, which will be available on Netflix on May 30, 2016.