What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 3, Episode 6 “Chapter 32” (B+)

I was speaking with a friend a few weeks ago and, when I told him that the episode I just watched of this show was the one with the Russian president, he laughed at me since I was obviously not aware that a great deal of this season has to do with the relationship between the U.S., Russia, and the leaders of those two great countries. This was an intimate hour that allowed four main characters to converse in pairs, giving Michael Corrigan an important spotlight. It took me a few minutes to recognize Christian Camargo, best known for his role in season one of “Dexter,” as the actor portraying Michael, who was the epitome of a martyr, not content with his own release and instead intent on making a statement. Committing suicide by hanging himself with Claire’s scarf while she was sleeping in the room was an intense way to go and a much more personal move that is sure to haunt Claire for some time to come, as evidenced by her unexpected revelation of those true events during the press conference. It was immensely awkward to watch Frank try to pull her back as things went south, and they were both equally angry on the plane when Frank told Claire that he should never have made her ambassador and she retorted that he should never had made him president. Back on U.S. soil, Gavin continues to intensify his con job while Doug has managed to make himself a crucial asset of the Dunbar campaign. The revelation to Frank’s new biographer that his first job had to do with pot was amusing, and let’s hope that very minor bombshell doesn’t ever drop.