What I’m Watching: House of Cards (Series Finale)

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 8 “Chapter 73”

This episode did not me make happy at all, and my opinion of the series as a whole is now permanently soured. Teasing voice recordings from Frank was disappointing since, as we know, there was no way that we were going to hear Kevin Spacey’s Southern drawl again. Everything in this final episode was as over-the-top as this show has ever been, with some lines proving particularly irritating. Claire saying “Oh, you guys” to the audience before she invoked her terrorist threat to distract from what she was doing felt entirely out of character for her, and the belly-grabbing scene between Claire and Annette about children was also hard to take seriously. Claire talking to her younger self about eating people felt like it came from out of nowhere, and there’s already been too much of a spotlight on Claire’s flashbacks introduced as a device this season. Invoking Freddy’s legacy when Seth got hungry and ate the ribs that he had brought for Seth felt like the only real throwback to this show’s enduring elements, aside from Petrov describing his lunch in detail to Claire over the phone. Doug’s direct address at the start of the episode got me very annoyed, and I’m oh so glad that we got helpful parting tips from him like “Never button the bottom.” Doug confessing that he killed Frank is hardly satisfying, and political assassination would have been more than enough than Claire actually stabbing Doug in the Oval Office. But, of course, she had to suffocate him slowly, putting this show out of its miserable existence after a true downturn it experienced in the latter half of this season. This show was truly interesting and exciting when it premiered as Netflix’s first original series just six years ago, and it’s a shame that it had to end this way. Based on the results, I’d say letting go after season five would probably have been the better option.

Series finale: D-
Series grade: B
Season MVP: No one
Season grade: C+
Series MVP: Kevin Spacey
Best Season: Season 2
Best Episode: Chapter 49

What I’m Watching: House of Cards (Penultimate Episode)

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 7 “Chapter 72” (C-)

It’s strange to watch this episode at this point, just a few days after Kevin Spacey released his very strange video that had him speaking as Frank Underwood and alluding to the fact that no one ever saw his body to confirm that his character was in fact dead. That felt more like the ravings of a madman who thinks this might be a sly way to revive his career, but I can’t imagine it has anything to do with the show that wrote him out of the final season. What’s going on here is just as unfortunate, creatively, at least. The notion that Annette Shepherd would convene a business meeting to unsubtly and directly approve an assassination of the president, with the vice-president sitting there nodding along, is the rare preposterous concept that still seems absurd even compared to what’s going on in the country today. Claire’s pregnancy has progressed considerably since its reveal at the end of the previous episode, and now she’s wielding it as a weapon while already hating the fact that the baby might be slowing her down. What sent this episode over the edge, making me incredibly unexcited about the series finale, is when Doug got out his scissors to dramatically cut his beard before declaring that he’s coming for Claire, to the audience, no less. Adding him as a direct-address figure now feels manipulative since it was such a standard device for Frank and therefore so impactful for Claire to start it when she was coming into power. I’m less than optimistic about this finale leaving me with any positive feelings towards this show.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 6 “Chapter 71” (C)

I don’t even know what to do about this show anymore. There are only two more episodes left, and to give up now might be symbolic but unproductive given that I’d at least like to see how it all ends. Claire was lecturing the audience about her four piles throughout this episode, and by the end of the hour, she had completely changed her hand. The suspension of disbelief required to watch this show is becoming untenable, mainly with all of the direct personal visits that Claire makes to people right before they get killed and which definitely involve breaking and entering. Doug was more than happy to essentially confirm anything Tom wanted to know right before he got himself shot in the head in the diner. Cathy might have escaped but she’s dead too, and Jane was also euthanized because she posed some apparent threat to Claire. Her press secretary can’t get a word out with the president around but now she has a permanent job, which makes no sense. Why we’re still following the Shepherd family, including the ailing Bill and the newly confused Duncan, is a mystery since they have not been central to anything on this show, while the spotlight on the spiraling Mark is more understandable given his role in Claire’s ascension to the presidency. She seems to be more than capable of controlling the situation herself, being so manipulative as to wait until Frank was dead to officially be pregnant with his offspring for the sole purpose of not allowing Doug to collect what he had left him. My head is spinning, but not for good reasons.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 5 “Chapter 70” (C)

This show is testing my patience considerably. I found out about Robin Wright’s latest SAG nomination in the middle of watching this episode, and while I applaud efforts to continue it beyond Kevin Spacey and his legacy, I’m not at all impressed with where this is going. I don’t buy for a second that Claire would ever let herself be photographed with her face covered in tears, gloating to the audience about how she was playing into Americans’ worst fears about a female president. In this season, this show has touched briefly upon how the country responds to a woman in charge, but then it’s delved into all this obnoxious manipulation and conspiracy theories taking up way too much time and energy. The invocation of the twenty-fifth amendment is a tired device that was played out all too theatrically with underground meetings and the cabinet members bowing their heads to pray for the country, and of course Claire showed up at a crucial moment to summarily dismiss all of them. Just how easily Mark could be undone as vice-president was reminiscent of Frank’s own takedown of his predecessor, and Russia collusion being the main reason felt especially silly given what’s actually going on with Russia, the White House, and the alleged “witch hunt.” Claire triumphantly convening a new all-female cabinet would be cause for celebration is there was anything left admiring about this show, which has truly devolved into something difficult to watch. Cathy potentially still being alive is one of the last straws for me, and it’s going to be a struggle to get through the last three episodes.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 4 “Chapter 69” (B-)

Halfway through this show’s final season, it’s becoming increasingly tiresome as more battle lines are drawn and it seems that none of the many shadowy characters know just who offed Cathy. That could have something to do with the fact that we saw her boil her own cell phone at the end of the episode, though she strikes me as someone far too concerned scared of losing her life to engineer her own suicide to ensure the proper political fallout. Even faking her own death seems above her. It was a positive thing to recall this show’s better days by bringing back two familiar characters that we haven’t seen in a while. Linda slyly noted to Claire that she might have caused all this because she didn’t give Frank what he originally wanted in the first episode, a real throwback to something that feels so insignificant at this point. Petrov’s return was the best part of this episode, as he and Claire are truly able to match each other and have an honest conversation. Claire and Doug comforting Cathy’s family felt especially inauthentic, possibly because it made for the calmest confrontations of the episode. I don’t know what’s going on with Tom and his stolen identity, but he’s far from front and center on this show anymore. I have a feeling that Mark is going to kill Seth soon given how much he’s inserting himself into places he doesn’t belong and ignoring everything Mark says as he works for the Shepherds. Somehow, I imagine another murder wouldn’t be so unexpected for this show.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 3 “Chapter 68” (B-)

It’s hard to describe what this show has become, since in an instant towards the end of this episode, the music changed and the entire tone shifted from a drama far too heavy with scenery-chewing to an outright thriller in which the president is freely asking people to kill. It’s hard to keep track of who her allies are at this point, since I thought that Jane was long gone and didn’t remember that Leann had died in a car crash that doesn’t appear to have been an accident. Claire also told Doug to kill Cathy but then hatched a side plan to have him killed if the need arose. Annette doesn’t hate Claire nearly as much as Bill does, unless it’s that she doesn’t want to sabotage her simply because she’s a woman and more because of the person that she is. The journalists are likeliest to be the ones who bring the bad guys down, if they’re able to survive long enough. Athena Karkanis, who plays Grace on “Manifest,” has a much better part here as Melody Cruz, who is baiting Claire on behalf of Duncan, who got Tom a plum job that’s going to help him cause trouble for Claire. Cathy dying makes me wonder what would happen if disgraced cabinet members and presidential aides ended up dead in Trump’s administration, a far closer and more unavoidable incident than a Saudi journalist in another country, which once again makes this show feel like too much to take since it’s just so over the top.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 2 “Chapter 67” (B-)

I’m getting tired of these theatrics. Casting Greg Kinnear and Diane Lane in major roles as obstacles to Claire trying to make her own mark without her husband around feels like an unnecessary addition, and they don’t really compare to the other rivals the Underwoods have faced, like Conway or Petrov. Annette in particular is a bit too direct with the arm raising, and it undermines the effectiveness of Claire as a character to have the two of them dominating so much screen time. Mark also seems to be unbelievably caught in their web, sleepily making out with Annette in a coat closet as she reminisces about her early days as a pickpocket. In an era where the president can do or say anything with few consequences but always with public scrutiny and leaks, this show with all its hushed conversations about presidential break-ins, both by the figure and into their residence, feel so much less plausible and compelling. Wondering if Frank was murdered is a waste of time since he’s dead and gone, and better to focus on Claire facing attacks on her gender and her ability to govern. I’d be perfectly happy if Doug’s troubles were resolved and he could just return to being an ally for the Underwoods rather than a perpetual thorn or liability. I was surprised to see Janine, who hasn’t been on this show since its second season, but it appears that she’s back following a four-year run on “UnREAL.” Having someone press for transparency other than Tom is probably a good thing, and maybe it will breathe some relatable life into this season.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards (Season Premiere)

House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 1 “Chapter 66” (B)

A lot has happened since the fifth season of this show was released. It’s hard to believe that it netted star Kevin Spacey another Emmy nomination since, only a few months later, he ended up being one of the biggest pariahs in Hollywood and one of the top two examples of why the #metoo movement exploded like it did. Now, a little over a year later, this show is back for its final round with Spacey and his lead character Frank Underwood decidedly out of sight. That creates an entirely new tone for this swan song, which had already reshaped itself to focus on Claire as the one in power, declaring “My turn” defiantly in the closing moments of the finale. She doesn’t have particularly kind words to say about the late Frank, assuring the audience through direct address that he has been lying to them for five years, and she’s determined to write her own narrative now that he’s gone. She definitely made an impression in the opening scene, and she’s not going to let being the first female president shape her presidency in any sort of negative way, brushing aside challenges from female soldiers and female reporters under the guise of equal treatment for all critics. This show can’t hope to hold a mirror to our president-day society since it’s still more about being a paranoid thriller, with the new Shepherd characters played by Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear actively working to sabotage Claire even if they didn’t actually hire the assassin who failed to kill her. I’m not sure why Doug needs to be involved any more either since his story is far too much a reminder of plotlines that should have been let go a while ago. I’m in no matter what for the remaining seven episodes since I’ve stuck around this long, and I’m hopeful that they’ll be interesting and make this entire rollercoaster journey feel like it’s been worth it.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards (Season Finale)

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 13 “Chapter 65” (B)

Well, we got here, but I’m not sure this whole season was a real justification for where things ended up. As I’ve written several times, what I liked best about this show this year was when it focused on the election and featured Conway, who I found to be a very believable flawed character. In the last couple of episodes, things have shifted to Frank’s impending resignation since, after everything, his big plan to stay in the White House for decades has suddenly evaporated. Worse than that, Frank has apparently been plotting this the whole time, serving as the leak and setting Doug up to willingly take the fall for Zoe’s murder so that his crimes can be limited to corruption and easily be pardoned by the new president. Frank vowing to kill her if she doesn’t pardon him shows his viciousness, and her ignoring his call suggests that she’s not willing to give him the credit he demands for getting her where she is. Those who came along, like Seth and Leanne, also lost out, with Leanne suffering a far worse fate after Frank apparently independently had her killed. Jane and Mark made it to the top, but it’s an isolating place, as evidenced by the ending shot of Claire all alone in the oval office, declaring angrily to the audience that it’s her turn. So much of this show is over-the-top that it’s hard to take seriously, and I think that there is some sense buried in here that shone at points throughout the season. Overall, this season was fine, but it was the weakest this show has delivered thus far. Maybe Claire can unify it in season six.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Joel Kinnaman as Conway

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 12 “Chapter 64” (B)

This was another episode that made things feel very insular, with the president and vice-president no longer watching their underlings via covert video surveillance but instead speaking directly to them about the lies they want them to tell for the sake of the country and their presidency. The way that both Frank and Claire said “Poor Doug” was a harbinger of terrible things to come, and just when it seemed like he was going to come clean with Leanne as the one person in his life he could speak to, he told her the same lie he was ready to tell everyone. It makes complete sense that this would be Michael Kelly’s Emmy submission, with my hopeful nominee Joel Kinnaman’s Conway a far and distant memory. It was rightly pointed out that, much like our current administration, the revelation of Doug having killed Zoe isn’t relevant to any of the legion of accusations publicly leveled against Frank. He did, at one point, stop to acknowledge what was being said in a press conference but then immediately claimed he wouldn’t be indicted. The ending of the episode was superbly exciting, with notable uproar both onscreen and on my face when Frank announced his intention to resign, even though he then added as an aside that he didn’t think it would come to that. It’s an important note that Frank being out of the presidency still means he’ll be very close to the White House given that Claire will take over. Speaking of the ambitious wife, what a way to kill someone, on top of him in the middle of passionate sex when he realizes that he’s been poisoned. What a terrible, murderous duo these people are. Who won’t they asphyxiate or push down a flight of stairs?

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 11 “Chapter 63” (B+)

There’s a point at which the characters on this show become almost comically omniscient, but that’s part of what makes it appealing. In fact, this episode included a direct address to the camera by Claire, pointing out that she’s always known about the existence of the audience but just doesn’t care about them. We’re learning more and more that Claire is conspiring against Frank to make sure that, when he goes down, she doesn’t go down with him, and Jane is there to help her on that path. You’d think that if Claire was aware that literally everyone is under surveillance within the White House and outside of it that she would realize that Frank would connect the dots and see that she was out of sight for a few key minutes. At least both Underwoods are on the same page about getting rid of their lovers at the same time. Cathy’s betrayal was subtle and swiftly uncovered, but ultimately that means that she’s going to come out clean while Frank ends up being censured or, much likelier, impeached. Doug is, more than ever, showing his fierce loyalty to the president, following Tom, chastising Leanne, and confessing to anyone who will listen that he moved Frank up the chain and skipped over a now dead man for him to get the transplant. Tom is perfectly happy to go head-to-head with Seth on Rachel Maddow, and it looks like he’s about to catch another big break thanks to the mysterious birthday card that just got mailed to the newspaper office.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 10 “Chapter 62” (B+)

Now that Conway is officially out of the race and out of the picture, we’re seeing quite a few faces from the past reemerge to present a serious challenge to the Underwood totalitarian regime. Hearing names like Jackie Sharp and Remy Danton is reminiscent of comparatively calm times for this show, back before Frank and Claire had isolated themselves from everything in their quest for world domination. Now they’re listening to two new people – Mark Usher and Jane Davis – neither of whom seems to be the straight shooter that they claim to be. Usher’s motives in particular don’t make all that much sense, and given the big shift he made from trying to get Conway elected to being the voice in Frank’s ear, it’s hard to know who he’s going to end up being loyal to. Seeing Walker again had an appropriate buildup and it’s definitely true that he probably would have pleaded the fifth if not for Frank showing up to remind him that he took him down just because he could. Walker is under no illusions, and now he’s ready to go to war with Frank for ruining what he believes could have been an impactful political term. Aidan showing up to see Leanne and then getting killed felt more like a hallucination than anything, but it’s evidently much more connected to reality. Tom is dangerously close to uncovering just how guilty Doug is, and I’m worried for his safety as a result, especially considering just how bold he’s being in confronting the well-connected chief of staff.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 9 “Chapter 61” (B+)

Sometimes when I turn on this show, I feel like I’ve missed something. But I do applaud this show for the effectiveness of its news clips, with a quick discussion of the fact that Frank managed to win Ohio and that, conspiracy theories aside, he’s now officially the president. Will did not take the news well, calling Frank to concede and then cursing at him when he got offered a transportation secretary position. I’m not sure if Hannah is more disappointed with the fact that Will lost or with the person he’s become in the process. It’s interesting to see Usher take on a new role as a very close adviser to Frank, at odds with Seth and even seemingly with Frank, particularly when it comes to Romero, who Frank decided to position for some great news only to shoot him down explicitly. Leann setting Kate up to go to Russia so that she could lure Aidan out into open wasn’t a terribly noble thing to do, and it seems that her fake firing is more real than she had initially thought. As one reporter is now going to be gunning for the administration, Tom seems to be way too close to finding out what really happened to Zoe. The other Tom’s request to stop writing speeches isn’t likely to go too far, and I love that Frank, who enjoyed an indiscretion of his own, was bold enough to tell him not to cheat on his wife. The two secret Underwood partners standing next to each other and chatting briefly was a particular twisted highlight of the hour.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 8 “Chapter 60” (B)

I don’t love episodes like this as much since they don’t feature the bigger picture, once again submerging our two main protagonists in mostly isolated situations where they interact with a choice few instead of the general public. This season’s election plotline has been fascinating, and I’d love to see what’s going on out in the country rather than hijinks at a college club and mysterious submarine secrets in the middle of the ocean. The opening was deliberately over-the-top, in a way that still ranks as outrageous even for this show, with Frank wearing a hood talking about the cultish nature of high-powered politicians. It contrasted greatly with the very free dialogue he had with Brockhart and then with the casual passage of damning information on Conway – who I wish that we’d see again in person – from a good friend of his. Usher is becoming a crucial part of the Underwood campaign, fully aware of who they are and undisturbed by the ethics of what they do. Back at the White House, Claire was a tour de force, making incredible demands and negotiating aggressively to save the people aboard while slyly ensuring that Petrov wouldn’t feel betrayed, though he’s not becoming nearly forthcoming enough for her linking. Both Doug and Tom were open and honest with Claire when confronted about their loyalties, and I’m starting to think that she’s going to stay in this job longer than anyone expects. Conway’s chances are certainly looking very poor since there’s no way to spin the recording of him freaking out at the pilots – it actually happened just like that.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 7 “Chapter 59” (B)

This was an interesting episode, but didn’t manage to continue the very compelling narrative involving disputed election results that I think has made this season very strong so far. Opening with Frank chastising Claire for thinking that the position she currently holds actually means anything and reminding her that it’s all part of an effort to get him back where he rightfully belongs was disconcerting, and he’s just doing more and more to push Frank out since this is her moment to be in the spotlight. He didn’t waste any time starting an inquisition to figure out why he was left out of a meeting, and he swiftly discovered just what was going on and who was scheming to make sure that he and Claire were out of the picture enough to swing the election back to Conway. Usher experienced a serious fall from grace when Frank played the recording of Brockhart saying that the president would need to be put out of his misery, so that’s one player who’s out of the game, at least in the way he was up until now. I like the increasing closeness between Doug and Leann, two volatile, driven characters who are sure to destroy each other. I’m also very intrigued by the addition of the dependably great Patricia Clarkson as the mysterious Jane Davis, who got herself a front-row seat to time in the bunker with the current and former – and likely future – leader of the country, with unknown motivations but a very memorable personality.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 6 “Chapter 58” (B+)

Okay, so maybe that final scene in the previous episode shouldn’t have made me speculate that Claire might become president but instead confirm that she had been chosen to serve as acting president. It’s a crazy thing to see her sitting next to Frank and having people unsure of who to address as the president since, technically speaking, no one actually chose him to be president while she was temporarily placed in the role. Watching her debate whether to give him security clearance was a tense moment since he surely would have destroyed her for it, but it’s hard to blame her for thinking about going all in on her own since she had to fight him tooth and nail to get where she is now. Tom is engineering his own little mini-rebellion by having sex with a tour guide in the press room, and I’m sure Claire will be furious once she finds out that he’s actually daring to live his own life. The Russians holding an American responsible for hacking to affect election results feels a bit close to him, and I do wonder how much of this plotline was planned in advance and how much was a middle finger to the current political administration. Watching this episode, I’m puzzled that Emmy voters once again chose Michael Kelly, who is good but mostly stagnant, over Joel Kinnaman, who is doing a tremendous job showcasing Conway’s descent into anger and full-on aggression, demanding to pilot the plane he’s flying and lashing out at everyone around him. It appears that Usher is powerful if nothing else, and things aren’t looking up for Conway given the level of familiarity he showed with the Underwoods.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 5 “Chapter 57” (B+)

It’s truly eerie to see crowds gathered outside the White House chanting “Not my president!” with signs that read “Never Underwood” because such things are commonplace now in real life and happened in this most recent election. Yet Underwood, unlike Trump, was the president, and he’s just waiting to find out if he’s going to continue in that role. Also unlike Trump, he was never actually elected, and therefore I can understand why people are rallying against the idea of him staying in power. His opening history lesson on election laws was both informative and entertainingly-done, and the thought that it could come down to the toss of a coin is a seriously ridiculous revelation about democracy. Claire didn’t even want to hear that there was a possibility that she would be the vice-president with Conway as the president, and I actually think it might be just as likely that she’ll somehow end up being president. Frank questioning Doug’s loyalty was a mistake that he immediately realized and retracted, and none of it compared to the cruelty that Claire exhibited towards Donald when he dared to choose this moment to grow a spine. Aidan being missing is definitely a problem since he could ruin everything for the Underwoods at any moment, and Lisa showing up to talk to Tom about Doug and Rachel is also an instance of especially bad timing. That one can’t hurt Frank nearly as much, but it does put Doug at risk of being very distracted at a time when he can’t afford anything like that.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 4 “Chapter 56” (B+)

There’s no denying that this is good TV, but it was hard to watch this on a day where I read about impeachment protests going on around the country and saw that our real-life president had tweeted out a video of him punching a guy whose head had been replaced with the CNN logo. What the man who’s actually in the oval office lacks is the true cunning and evil brilliance of what Frank has, manipulative enough to call his opponent to concede simply because he will seem like the better man once the results are eventually in and he is actually the victor. Conway was careful enough not to celebrate prematurely, and only Campbell Scott’s Mr. Usher was just as cautious. Claire and Hannah went on television with similar narratives about staying true to the vote, all while Doug was tricking a man about to lose his office into doing the exact opposite of what he was telling him. A terrorist raid happening on the same day as the election with a voting center as the target did feel all too convenient, and in the end, it’s not going to matter what transpired since Frank is still probably going to collect the votes because of his handling of a tense situation that he in fact orchestrated. Ending the episode with him listing a handful of election years in the near future and proclaiming “One nation, Underwood” was quite ominous. This election is far from over but Frank is just getting started on his quest to be at the top forever.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 3 “Chapter 55” (B+)

In an age where everything electronic and social media-related is instantly perceived by the American public, it’s extremely interesting to see the bold gamble of a presidential candidate hosting a question-and-answer question over live video chat where both he and those posing the questions can be seen. That’s part of what has defined Conway in the time that we’ve known him – he wants to face his accusers head-on and combat their allegations rather than let Frank, who ominously enough decided to call in and “allow” Conway to ask him a question, hurl libelous insults at him. Ultimately, it was his non-American wife Hannah who helped to truly humanize him when he got clearly agitated by the captain’s brother’s call. If that’s one way to handle the night before an election, Frank and Claire acting out lines from an old movie was something completely unexpected and actually quite endearing. Frank’s sore throat and cough was ill-timed, ready to make him look weak at a time that he couldn’t afford it, and even though Claire is exactly the partner that he needs, he still thinks that she isn’t supportive if she even thinks to bring up the possibility of losing the election. I’m not sure who voter turnout being lower than expected is bad for, but it sounds like it’s not great for everything that Frank expected to happen. Doug standing behind the commander-in-chief’s desk and carving his initials into it was a strange symbol of power, one that represents how much this particular position has meant to him.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 5, Episode 2 “Chapter 54” (B+)

There are only a few people who can sit in a room with Frank and not blink, let alone eat an apple because they’re so far from intimidated. Frank took down a lot of people on his way up to the top, and I’ll be honest, I can’t really recall the details of what happened with Matthews. But it’s obvious that the former vice-president isn’t scared of him, and therefore he’s just another obstacle – or card, if you will – for Frank to knock over on his quest for continued world domination. He’s the definition of a fear-mongering leader, gathering politicians together for the explicit purpose of manipulating them into supportive actions, and he even masterminded a cyberattack that he blamed on terrorists to get those holdouts on board. It may have convinced one particular governor, but Aidan is not a stable ally, if his preemptive fix is any indication. The level of direct access he has to Frank should be cause for extreme concern, especially in light of the very public trial that’s about to be brought against him (with similar parallels in the real world seeming to begin). Dissent doesn’t seem possible, because even those like Karen who wanted to suggest to Donald that they resign out of protest found that he didn’t care enough since he was comfortable where he was. Seth trading info on Doug is a bad idea, and there’s no way he comes out of this in anything close to a positive way. Claire running into an old friend of Frank’s had a very personal feel to it, and one that demonstrated just how much she was willing to do to suppress the potentially troubling story. Her moment with Tom was more than a bit uncomfortable, and I get the feeling that he’s starting to wear out his welcome.