Netflix Puts Gravestone for Kevin Spacey’s ‘House of Cards’ Character in SC
Written by SOURCE on November 8, 2018
The final season of House of Cards is out and Frank Underwood is dead.
For anyone who follows along with this bloody, dramatic political series, his death is no shocker. But alas, the real reason Underwood is gone is because Netflix made the correct decision to nix Kevin Spacey, accused of sexual abuse and misconduct by more than a dozen men in incidents on the House of Cards set and further back. He is under investigation for several of these and was chopped from Ridley Scott’s 2017 film All the Money in the World at the last moment, his role entirely re-filmed.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix decided to create an IRL (but temporary) grave site for Underwood at a cemetery in Gaffney, South Carolina, where the fictional character is from. The streaming service turned the whole horrific ordeal into a spectacle for fans to take photos of (and spit on if they feel so inclined). The site opened on Nov. 2 and will be available to visitors until Nov. 10.
According to The Gaffney Ledger, an obituary for Underwood appeared in the local paper and a florist has also been commissioned to put flowers on the tombstone. In the context of the show, the resting place is an insult. Underwood is buried next to his father, whom he hated. “Season 3 started with Frank at his father’s grave and peeing on it,” showrunner James Gibson told THR. “But the Gaffney burial is also a huge clue to Doug Stamper, because he knows that Claire is not honoring Francis’ wishes in the least. Francis is rolling over in his grave at the thought of being next to his father, for whom he felt no respect.”
Audiences won’t find out how Frank died until the end of the season, but Claire Underwood hardly seems like the typical grieving wife. “When they bury me, it won’t be in my backyard,” Claire, played by the incredible Robin Wright, says in a trailer for the new series. “And when they pay their respects, they’ll have to wait in line.”