Over the first three seasons, "House of Cards" gave viewers a scary look into what a politician who believes himself above the law is capable of.
Never before, though, has it portrayed a major election while streaming during an actual one. In this context, the show's seemingly fantastical plots seem to have predicted or come into close proximity of actual events that have occurred during Election 2016.
On season four, we find Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) just after his wife Claire (Robin Wright) has declared her independence from him and their marriage. His term as president — which came by succession, and not from actually being elected — is coming to an end and the primary campaigning has begun. With formidable candidates nipping at his heels, old transgressions bubbling back to the surface, and plenty of enemies, Underwood will have to dig deep into his playbook to win this one.
Along the campaign trail, the Netflix drama portrays several story lines reminded us of actual events in the current presidential election.
Here are five ways the Netflix drama's plots seemed ripped from Election 2016:
Warning: Season four spoilers ahead!
SEE ALSO: The 10 most shocking 'House of Cards' moments, ranked
SEE ALSO: 'House of Cards' creator thinks Hillary Clinton is closest to a real life Claire Underwood
A First Lady who dreams of ascending to elected office.
"House of Cards": Claire Underwood has been in the shadow of her husband for three decades and countless election campaigns. Not only has she learned the game of politics along the way, she has helped Frank through both emotional support and strategy. The appointed position with the United Nations was a good way to get her feet wet, but she yearns for the real power of elected office.
Election 2016: Similarly, Hillary Clinton had stood by her husband, Bill Clinton, through both successful and embarrassing moments during his presidency. Since then, she lost to Barack Obama for president and then accepted his appointment of her as secretary of state. But she's still hungry for the presidential office, and some believe she'll say and do anything to get it.
A presidential candidate whose party is against them.
"House of Cards": Frank Underwood has crossed a lot of people in the Democratic party as he climbed his way to the presidential office. And now that he's trying to become their president, many are turning their back on him.
Election 2016: The novelty of Donald Trump has worn off for pretty much everyone. But specifically, the Republican party has been clear that it'd prefer someone else for the job of president.
A call for email transparency.
"House of Cards": In a bid to create trust among voters, Republican presidential candidate Will Conway gives the public all-access to his phone, emails, videos, and photos.
Election 2016: Conway's transparency could be a good lesson for Hillary Clinton. She is continuing to be investigated in what's being called "#emailgate," after it was discovered that she used a private phone and server for emails while she was Secretary of State, a breach of national security protocol. She was ordered to turn over the emails held on the private server. Many wondered if the controversy would end her presidential aspirations.
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