'House of Cards' season 5 news: Fan theory claims upcoming installment will be show's last

Promotional image for "House of Cards" season 5.Facebook/houseofcards

An end may already be in sight for the Underwoods when "House of Cards" returns for its fifth season.

The return of Netflix's gripping political drama is just a matter of weeks away, but details about the show are still being kept under wraps. Since very little is known about what is next for the manipulative President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his first lady, Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), fans have come up with several theories on where the story might go.

As Independent points out, one fan theory claims that season 5 might serve as the swansong for the show's lead character. Reddit user Changyang1230 has revealed that the clue lies in the show's total number of episodes. Four seasons have aired since the series debuted in 2013. One season airs every year and each has 13 episodes. This brings the complete tally to 52, which is the total number of cards in a deck.

The theory notes that the first four seasons focused on building up the "house of cards," and the fifth season will see everything come crashing down as President Underwood gets punished for all the mistakes he made. Although Netflix still has yet to decide on the future of the series, there is a chance that season 5 could be the last for Spacey's Frank.

Season 4 left off with President Underwood declaring war against the terrorist group ICO. He made a move that increased his chances of getting reelected by distracting the Americans from his latest scandal, so fans can expect the series to pick up on that premise. The previous installment saw Claire become Frank's vice presidential running mate, which means she will have a much bigger role next season. It is also likely that she would take Frank's spot as the country's president in any way she could.

The fifth season of "House of Cards" premieres Tuesday, May 30, on Netflix.