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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 1 November 2018
President Claire Underwood takes charge in ‘House of Cards’

By LYNN ELBER tion of who owns the White
AP Television Writer House,” said Pugliese.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Added James Gibson:
spirit of Francis Underwood “Who owns the White
and misdeeds past haunt House, who owns the narra-
the sixth season of “House tive. And those things con-
of Cards” and its new U.S. tinue to be true. She’s just
president, the widowed grappling with them in a
Claire Underwood. different way, and not just
Francis is very much dead with the legacy of Francis
when the Netflix series but also the characters to
opens its final, eight-epi- whom he made promises.”
sode run Friday, as an im- The final season begins with
age of Claire bending ten- Claire ready for battle, as
derly over his coffin makes demonstrated by her mili-
clear. tary-inspired fashion choic-
But there’s no suggestion es and steely demeanor.
from the producers or cast When told insults and claims
that killing off Francis — af- of intended violence are
ter the Me Too-triggered flooding in against the first
firing of star Kevin Spacey female president, she insists
— took a storytelling toll on hearing the ugly details.
on Netflix’s political sat- “Lots of threats involving
ire. It’s following the path This image released by Netflix shows Robin Wright in a scene from the final season of “House Of the c-word, ma’am. Lots
of Claire’s rise signaled at Cards.” and lots of the c-word, un-
the end of season five, this Associated Press fortunately,” she’s told.
despite the upheaval that sault. In response to the first (Wright has also received part of the story for so many Her reply, coolly delivered:
halted production a year claim, from an actor who five Emmy nominations for seasons, and at the core of “You mean ‘Claire’?”
ago when Spacey was alleged that Spacey made her work on the show). whatever Claire is going But there’s more afoot than
accused of sexual miscon- inappropriate advances When Netflix and the studio through and whatever the misogyny, starting with
duct. toward him when he was OK’d the show’s resump- series is about.” an eerie tapping coming
“Ultimately, the only re- 14, Spacey said he didn’t tion without him, it avoided Last season ended with from the walls of the White
sponse that we could have recall the alleged encoun- an unresolved end for the Francis out of the Oval Of- House. There’s also some-
was the one that we had,” ter but said it would have drama that put Netflix on fice and Vice President thing found on Francis’
said executive producer been “deeply inappropri- the map as a destination Claire Underwood in, former bed that, although
Frank Pugliese. “Which is ate drunken behavior.” for original fare. “House of wielding both power and it falls short of the bloody
the cast and crew and ev- Robin Wright, now flying Cards” also heralded the Francis’ direct pipeline to horse’s head of “The God-
eryone involved decided solo as Claire, says it re- rise of streaming platforms viewers through the cam- father,” has its own menac-
to put their heads down quired a group effort to re- and more such acclaimed era. “My turn,” she told the ing shock value.
and respond by telling the bound after losing Spacey shows, including Netflix’s audience. What preceded Claire’s frenemies include
best story that we possibly and his character. “Orange Is the New Black” it was her husband “basi- the billionaire brother-and-
could. It was the only way “We all really collaborated and Hulu’s “The Hand- cally telling her that he was sister power team Annette
that we could answer any- well and wanted the best maid’s Tale.” going to be controlling her and Bill Shepherd (Diane
thing, any circumstance.” for the show. So I think it That Francis would be gone presidency from behind Lane, Greg Kinner). They
At least 24 men have ac- was a reunion of, ‘Come but not forgotten was in- the scenes,” said executive expect her to toe the pol-
cused Spacey, a two-time on, let’s pull up our boot- evitable, said Pugliese: “To producer Melissa James icy line they dictate and
Oscar winner and a five- straps and forge ahead,’” deny the weight or the Gibson. “It was clear at the abandon any post-Francis
time Emmy nominee for said Wright, who declined importance of Francis Un- end of season five that no illusions of independence.
his portrayal of Francis, of to comment on whether derwood, you can’t do it matter what, season six was The new president has oth-
sexual misconduct or as- Spacey was missed on set so easily. It was such a big going to be an explora- er ideas.q

‘Lady Chatterley’ copy from

famous trial sells for $72,000

LONDON (AP) — A paper- sold to an anonymous bid- three hours of deliberation
back copy of “Lady Chat- der at Sotheby’s in London to find Penguin not guilty,
terley’s Lover” used by the on Tuesday. Penguin Books and the case is regarded
judge in the landmark U.K. was prosecuted in 1960 for as a landmark victory for
obscenity trial of the nov- publishing D.H. Lawrence’s freedom of speech and
el’s publisher has sold at novel about an affair be- a sign of changing social
auction for 56,250 pounds tween a wealthy woman mores. Dorothy Byrne, the
($72,000), more than three and her husband’s game- wife of judge Lawrence
times its pre-sale. keeper. Byrne, stitched the bag
The tattered Penguin pa- A prosecution lawyer in- that held the book. She
perback — along with a famously asked in court also made notes for her
damask bag designed to whether it was “a book husband the explicit pas- In this Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 file photo, a copy of D.H Lawrence’s
stop photographers snap- that you would ... wish sages, with descriptions — book “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” that was the judge’s personal
ping the judge carrying your wife or your servants “love making,” ‘’coarse” version used in the infamous 1960 Chatterley trial, on view in
Sotheby’s auction house in London.
the scandalous tome — to read?” It took jurors just — and page numbers.q Associated Press