Frank Underwood is About to Meet Two Real Badasses

The road to power may be paved with hypocrisy, but now it's also going to include real-life political activists. The Baltimore CityPaper confirmed Friday that Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, two members of the Russian activism group Pussy Riot, were on the set of House of Cards Season 3, which is filming its next season in Baltimore. They reportedly confirmed with two production team members that the activists would appear in the upcoming season, but Netflix has declined to comment on the report. Nadya and Maria also met with House of Cards staffers in May to supposedly learn about American "political cinema," but clearly, they could have easily used that time to negotiate a role in Season 3. So, while the rumors are flying, let's discuss the likelihood that Russian politics will seep in Frank Underwood's world.

In Season 2, the big political players were President Walker, Raymond Tusk and various Chinese officials, since one of the main political thrusts of the season was based in Chinese-American foreign relations. Even though Frank did his fair share of "backchanneling," the series showed how unpredictable foreign diplomacy can be, especially when it has complicated power networks back in the States. We all know how hairy things can get.

If Frank tackles Russia as president, it's possible that his foreign relations could get worse: talks with a Pussy Riot-esque group could easily devolve into another youth-versus-Frank power struggle, possibly ending in more young bodies lining the tracks of the DC Metro. Or, if Frank takes on a Putin-esque Russian leader, it's possible that his pride and double dealings will lead to an icy relationship with the Kremlin. Either way, Russia will probably spell trouble for Frank.

There is another piece of evidence that lends some weight to the HoC-goes-to-Moscow theory: Putin has denied House of Cards creators access to the United Nations Security Council Chamber for filming. This suggests that the next series will deal heavily in foreign relations, and it also opens the possibility that a Russian leader will make an appearance, possibly as an obstacle for Frank.

It's also possible that Nadya and Maria will appear as characters completely unrelated to their real-life experiences. Maybe Rachel Posner will gain some new friends to protect her from the inevitable search for Doug Stamper's killer, or maybe Claire Underwood will need new staffers for her First Lady office. However they are incorporated, it's nice to see House of Cards take cues from semi-current political movements, and I hope Frank can refrain from killing them for at least the first two episodes of Season 3.

Images: Netflix