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'House of Cards' season six has been suspended indefinitely

It's currently not clear when -- or whether -- the Netflix show will have a finale at all.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Sean Hollister
2 min read

On Monday, we learned that Netflix's popular "House of Cards" would end in 2018, after its sixth season was complete.   

But now, production on "House of Cards" has been suspended indefinitely, streaming service Netflix and production studio Media Rights Capital said Tuesday. The sixth season of the show may be in jeopardy as well.

The announcement comes in the wake of allegations that its star Kevin Spacey, who plays devious politician Frank Underwood, made unwanted sexual advances towards a fellow actor who was just 14 at the time. (Spacey tweeted that he didn't remember the incident.)

"MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on House of Cards season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew," the companies said in a statement.

According to a series of tweets from Netflix, those concerns are being discussed on the actual set of the show this week, which suggests that production hasn't been thoroughly shut down quite yet. Perhaps we'll soon hear that they have been addressed and production has resumed. 

It may not be that simple, though, because of just how much of a star vehicle "House of Cards" is for Spacey, who is not only the literal face of the show, but also one of its executive producers. Spacey didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Spacey was accused by fellow Broadway actor and "Star Trek: Discovery" star Anthony Rapp, now 46 years old, of placing the then-14-year-old atop his bed and climbing on top of him during a private party at Spacey's apartment, according to an account published by BuzzFeed this weekend. Spacey would have been 26 at the time.

According to TVLine, the decision to cancel "House of Cards" after six seasons was made months ago, before the allegations against Spacey were brought to light. If true, postponing the sixth season would be the first action taken by Netflix, Media Rights Capital and the show's cast and crew based on the allegations themselves.