When we last saw Frank Underwood he had risen to power as the 46th President of the United States.

True to form, he achieved this by the methods he outlined from the very beginning: pushing, pulling, Machiavellian manoeuvring and even murder. As we look forward to February 27, the release date of season 3 of Netflix’s immensely popular series, the biggest question is: can President Underwood hold onto power?

The Underwoods, including Frank’s equally-as-conniving wife Claire, have more than a few skeletons in their collective closet. Frank murdered Zoe Barnes by pushing her into the path of an oncoming train, left Peter Russo to die in an incident made to look like a suicide and has the specters of Raymond Tusk, the potential death of associate Doug Stamper and legions of pissed-off enemies sat around his dinner table.

Claire, who has stuck by Frank through thick and thin, has made herself an accessory to all of these crimes. The walls are closing in on the Underwoods.

So what else can we look to expect from season 3? More of Spacey’s compelling acting, high drama, suspicion, steamy sex and scandal after scandal after scandal. Just like real-life politics then!

Dig deep enough though and some tantalizing nuggets of info make themselves apparent.

In the middle of 2014, producers put out a casting call for an actor suitable to play an NSA Director. Might we see art imitate life and tackle the debate surrounding blanket surveillance? It’s not hard to imagine President Underwood being totally in favor of it either.

In August, it was confirmed that two members of Pussy Riot, the group jailed in Russia for political protest, will make an appearance in season 3. Where both Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Marie Alyokhina will fit in with the narrative remains to be seen, but we have no doubt it will be a shocker.

With China presenting themselves as an adversary in season 2, we may well see the interference and rise of Russia. Will North Korea also play a role? We can’t wait to find out.

With the whole season being released at once as per Netflix’s model, all of your highbrow binge-watching needs will be met at the end of next month. So settle down and get ready for another weird journey through the corridors of power and deceit.

Side note: The song running through the trailer is Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums by A Perfect Circle. If that isn’t an omen then we don’t know what is…