Maryland pulls an Underwood on ‘House of Cards’ -- with vote to seize property if cast leaves state

In a classic case of life imitating art, Maryland lawmakers made a cutthroat move against the "House of Cards" production team -- threatening to seize their property through eminent domain if they stop filming in the state.

The retaliatory step came after the Netflix original series said it might move to another state if Maryland didn't provide enough tax credits. Lawmakers, in threatening to seize their property, held no illusions about how the move could have come straight out of the playbook of Frank Underwood -- the lead character and merciless tactician who claws his way up the political ladder through whatever means necessary.

"I literally thought: What is an appropriate Frank Underwood response to a threat like this?" Delegate William Frick said, according to The Washington Post. "Eminent domain really struck me as the most dramatic response."

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