What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 3, Episode 12 “Chapter 38” (B+)

This show has always managed to be very intimate and personal despite the grand scale of the role its main characters inhabit, and this show was especially poignant in a few of the interactions it displayed. Frank meeting with Dunbar in a side room and then vowing to himself to slit her throat in broad daylight if she harmed Claire was intense, and taking the phone from Doug to deliver his message after Doug burned the journal in front of him was equally theatrical. Though he didn’t go about it in the noblest way, it’s good to see Doug back on top, and great to see that, instead of alienating Seth and minimizing his role, he’s allowing him to continue to function at full capacity and even independently, recognizing that he’s a far better ally than enemy this time around. Claire visiting the home a woman who really does not support Frank was poor planning on the part of her scouting team, but the conversation it produced behind closed doors was truly fascinating. The woman was very blunt about her marriage in terms of both language and detail, and it seemed to open Claire’s mind to the fact that there are real people involved in the games she and Frank play. Frank dismissing Tom has egged the author on to share his story, and fortunately even dogged reporter Kate is smart enough to know that it’s not smart to go up against the president. Now that she’s out of the race, it’s good to see that Jackie is still keeping her friends close, and her very passionate moment with Remy was certainly welcome since those two are among the most endearing characters in this despicable universe.