I don't see Frank calling in an airstrike against a newspaper. But I can imagine next season beginning with Frank's reelection and an imposition of something like the Alien and Sedition Acts made even more frightening by Frank's control of the internet. Perhaps we'll see something like Jackie or Remy or the…

I thought that this was a powerful end to the season, specifically because of that question, What is the appeal of Frank Underwood? Yes, of course, a big part of it is "power"—Frank's capacity to get opportunistic people what they want. But, as we'll see, that's not all of his appeal.

This is the real problem with the show. A truly masterful evil politician would need, even in a cinematic exaggeration of political reality, to create a political machine. He would need to require or compel the loyalty of otherwise intelligent and capable people. Instead, Frank is surrounded by a few lackeys who…