We’ve all heard of or seen the scheming “House of Cards” couple Frank and Claire Underwood. If you search them up, there will be hundreds of posts describing why they are the best couple on television—one even says how the writer desires such a marriage. Here's my take:
1. They establish the same goal (regardless of how impossible it may be) . . .
In the previous seasons, Frank successfully became a President who was never elected into office. Season four describes the scheming couple’s goal of Frank becoming the President and Claire becoming Vice President. Though Frank was not in agreement in the beginning, he eventually learned to accept how crucial Claire is to him. He tells Claire, “I said you were nothing, in the Oval, without me. It’s the other way around,” and confirms that she should not return to being the First Lady. Frank never said that he would make her the Vice President, but they both understand the underlying meaning of such words. The couple works towards the same thing, and would not care to sacrifice their own establishments to do so.
2. . . .and would do whatever possible to reach that goal.
One of the cruelest threats that Claire ever gave was when she showed the willingness to murder a child in order to clear her path. In the following seasons, she and Frank continue to use threats and manipulation to keep their places of power. Since Frank cannot directly make her his running mate, they decide on an open convention, where Catherine Durant, the Secretary of State, is told that she would be made the running mate. Obviously Claire and Frank would never allow that to happen. And they act as if it were completely out of their hands when Claire was nominated and eventually climbed straight up in votes against Durant.
3. They have their differences, but they always work them out
Harsh words are tossed and vengeful actions taken, to the point where Claire leaves for Texas, causing doubts among the public about their marriage. She even puts up a picture of Frank’s father posing with the KKK on Election Day. Regardless, Claire returns to his side in the end.
4. They are completely honest with each other, even tolerating affairs
Honesty and toleration are the most important things in a relationship, and Frank and Claire understand that. There is no jealousy, only toleration. When there is a problem, they express their thoughts and work the problem out. They do not hold grudges, since those are precisely the things that would strike in the most crucial spots to destroy a perfect plan. It’s difficult to see them turn against each other, yet extremely satisfying to see them join hands again to fight and scheme against the world.
5. They are a team.
Just like how you build a house of cards, each move has to be delicate. There is no room for doubt, suspicion, or selfishness. Their cooperation, their marriage, makes them stronger. They are a team and work as partners to achieve for the team. If one fails, both fail. They fight no lone battle.
We all have differences and no one should blame anyone else for those differences. In “House of Cards,” honesty and toleration prove to create a successful relationship.
