The writers and producers of Netflix’s House Of Cards may have found a blessedly straightforward solution to their current Kevin Spacey problem: Why not just kill him off?
Once upon a time, the thought of House Of Cards sans Frank Underwood’s rib-slathered drawl might have seemed impossible, but the show has done a lot of work in recent years to elevate its other characters, most notably Robin Wright’s Claire, who finished the show’s fifth (and now penultimate) season by seizing the presidency for herself. Meanwhile, Spacey has become a serious liability for the series over the course of the last week, when multiple men, including actor Anthony Rapp, came forward with stories that the actor attempted to initiate sexual relationships with them—and in some cases outright assaulted them—when they were as young as 14. That’s to say nothing of the revelations that came out yesterday about Spacey’s behavior on the show’s set, with multiple crew members stating that the actor exhibited “a pattern of sexual harassment” that made the show “a toxic environment for young men.”
Netflix announced earlier this week that the series would end with its sixth season, which just started filming, and has now been placed on “indefinite suspension.” That still leaves the producers with a year’s worth of episodes (and 300 employees dependent on them), presumably set to star a man whose reputation has now become just as reviled as his sleazy, power-grubbing character’s. According to Variety, the show’s producers are currently looking over Spacey’s contract to see if they’re legally obligated to move forward with him in a starring role; they’re also examining possible spin-offs, which would allow them to continue working in the world they’ve spent five seasons creating, without Spacey being involved.