Content & Trigger Warnings for House of Cards (2013)

Frank's bisexuality is used against him as potential blackmail material; the threat of exposure reflects societal prejudice

Surveillance, tracking, and political stalking of opponents and journalists occur throughout.

The political casualties of Frank's schemes leave emotional wreckage; characters mourn lost careers and relationships

Characters process the deaths from season one; Lucas Goodwin's grief over Zoe drives his investigation into Frank

Characters continue to process losses; the emotional toll of Frank's political machine creates widespread suffering

The weight of Frank's crimes creates grief and despair among those who discover the truth; personal losses accumulate

Characters reckon with the damage Frank has caused; the emotional fallout of his schemes creates widespread grief

Doug's obsessive grief over Frank drives his actions; the legacy of Frank's destruction continues to cause suffering

Claire's pregnancy and the threats to it create tension; reproductive autonomy and pregnancy complications are significant themes

Characters under Frank's psychological pressure exhibit self-destructive tendencies and despair

Characters under extreme pressure exhibit signs of despair and self-destructive thinking

A character's suicidal crisis and its political exploitation is a significant storyline.

Frank Underwood is a master manipulator who deceives colleagues, journalists, and the public; his political schemes rely on systematic deception

Frank continues his masterful manipulation from the Vice Presidency; he orchestrates events to remove the President and install himself

Now President, Frank deploys the full power of the office to manipulate, deceive, and destroy anyone who threatens his position

Frank and Claire manipulate each other, their staff, and the entire nation during the election campaign; deception reaches its apex

Frank manipulates from behind the scenes while Claire assumes the presidency; the layers of political deception multiply

Claire as President manipulates everyone around her with the same ruthlessness as Frank; she gaslights the nation about Frank's death

Frank and Claire have an open marriage arrangement; both engage in sexual relationships outside their marriage

The Underwoods' open marriage continues; Frank's relationship with his security detail crosses professional boundaries

Both Underwoods continue relationships outside their marriage; the political marriages around them also involve betrayals

Multiple characters engage in affairs; political alliances are cemented through sexual relationships outside marriages

Extramarital relationships continue across multiple characters; loyalty and betrayal are indistinguishable in this world

Past and present betrayals continue to surface; the entire political landscape is built on infidelity of various kinds

Multiple extramarital affairs are central to the plot, including the Underwoods' open arrangement.

Political machinations involve holding people effectively captive through institutional power and threats

A hostage situation involving ICO terrorism creates tension; political hostage-taking through institutional power continues

Military and foreign policy storylines involve discussion of combat operations and their consequences

ICO terrorism plot involves depictions of terrorist violence and the political response to acts of war

Frank's sexual relationship with the much younger journalist Zoe Barnes involves a significant age and power gap

Frank's past sexual assault of a younger person reveals a pattern of predatory behavior involving power and age dynamics

The details of Frank's past assaults reveal a pattern of targeting younger, less powerful individuals

Sexual content including Frank and Claire's relationship and Frank's encounters with other characters; nudity present

Sexual content including a threesome between Frank, Claire, and their Secret Service agent; various sexual encounters

Continued sexual content; Frank and Claire's marriage involves complex sexual dynamics and outside partners

Sexual content including various relationships and encounters; Frank and Claire's complex arrangements continue

Sexual content continues across various character relationships; power dynamics infuse intimate scenes

Less sexual content than earlier seasons but still present in relationship dynamics

Frank's relationships involve power imbalances that constitute coercion; he exploits Zoe Barnes's ambition through a sexual relationship

Power dynamics in sexual relationships continue; Frank's position creates inherently coercive situations

Sexual manipulation and coercion are used as political tools by characters in power.

Peter Russo is a severe alcoholic whose addiction is systematically exploited by Frank; his drinking is shown extensively

Social and political drinking; some characters use alcohol to cope with the stress of Washington politics

Political drinking culture continues; some characters increase their drinking under the stress of Frank's presidency

Political drinking and some characters using alcohol as a coping mechanism under extreme stress

Continued political drinking culture with some characters using alcohol to cope with mounting pressures

Doug Stamper's relapse into alcohol abuse is a major character arc; his sobriety and addiction are intertwined with his loyalty to Frank

Peter Russo uses cocaine and other substances; his drug use is shown as part of his destructive spiral

Doug's addiction issues extend beyond alcohol; prescription drug abuse is part of his character's struggles

A drug overdose occurs as a significant plot event.

Power-based intimidation and threatening behavior occur within intimate relationships.

Zoe Barnes is pushed in front of a subway train; the killing is sudden, graphic, and shocking

Some firearms-related violence in political contexts; a congressman with a gun creates a tense situation

An assassination attempt on Frank involves a shooting; the gun violence is sudden and impactful

Gun violence occurs in political and personal contexts; the aftermath of the assassination attempt carries forward

Some gun-related violence and threats in political and personal confrontations

Doug Stamper's final confrontation involves lethal violence; gun-related threats and violence in the political thriller's conclusion

Peter Russo's death is staged to appear as a suicide; the manipulation leading to his death involves exploitation of his suicidal vulnerability

The cover-up of Russo's murder maintains the suicide narrative; another character considers self-harm under Frank's psychological pressure

A character dies in circumstances that may be suicide; the psychological pressure of Frank's world pushes people toward self-destruction

Frank's death occurs under ambiguous circumstances that suggest possible suicide or murder

Doug Stamper's self-destructive spiral culminates in violence; his loyalty to Frank becomes a form of self-annihilation

A major character dies by suicide on screen in a pivotal early episode.

It is revealed that Frank sexually assaulted a young man in his past; the revelation adds a layer of predatory behavior to his character

Frank's past sexual assaults are further revealed and become a political weapon; victims come forward

Frank's sexual assaults become public knowledge and a major political crisis; multiple victims' accounts are detailed

Frank's past sexual assaults continue to be a political weapon; the fallout from the revelations shapes Claire's presidency