Warning: "House of Cards" spoilers for Seasons 1 through 3 below!
It's been two years since the conniving Underwoods extended secret service agent Edward Meechum an unexpected invitation to some kind of strange love triangle on "House of Cards."
In Season 2's "Chapter 24," Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) walks in on a drunk Claire (Robin Wright) and Meechum (Nathan Darrow) at home. Just a few anxious moments later, everybody is inexplicably kissing one another. Fans were left to come to their own conclusions about the scene in lieu of a direct explanation written into the show. But according to Meechum himself, it all made complete sense.
"It seems like [Meechum] desires a real closeness with these people. That scene was, for him, an expression of that," Nathan Darrow told The Huffington Post. "I think power has to do with it."
Power, but also simple companionship. Darrow believes that Meechum, as a former U.S. Marine, lacked the kinship he felt in the military and sought a replacement in Frank and Claire. (A poor choice, perhaps.) So when show creator Beau Willimon told him about the makeout session, the twist wasn't a surprise.
The actor has spent a lot of time pondering what his character might be thinking about -- suspicions, motivations, attractions -- when he's "just standing there" guarding Underwood's life, Darrow said.
Meechum, of course, has been a stalwart figure in the show since Season 1. He joined the Capitol Police after serving two tours in Afghanistan, eventually becoming Underwood's personal bodyguard and then -- unconventionally -- moving to the secret service at the duplicitous politician's request. His loyalty to the Underwoods is unwavering.
Much of the time, yes, Meechum just stands around. But Darrow hinted that the new season reveals his character's complexity -- a lot of which revolves around his "unprocessed" time in the military.
"I think something in there is churning around, having to do with what he saw and what he remembers," Darrow said.
Indeed, if the way he's been playing the faithful bodyguard is any indication, Meechum's past is much darker than fans might have assumed.
"There was a particular time in Greek sculpture where young men were never sculpted with smiles. They were always sculpted with this really somber serious face," Darrow explained. "And it's because the Peloponnesian War had just happened. So all these men came back and they all had this face of what they had seen. I was inspired by that."
"House of Cards" Season 4 debuts on Netflix March 4.
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