SPOILERS
“And the butchery begins”
The series continued with its devilishly deceiving theme as Frank took a road trip to a Civil War reenactment to support the Overland Campaign.
While there he unconventionally meets with shady and wealthy Chinese businessman Xander Fang and continues to try and drive a wedge between Raymond Tusk and the President…whilst also engaging in a little of his personal family history.
Meanwhile the Underwood’s welcome a new addition to their team in the form of Seth Grayson who discovers evidence that Claire’s supposed rape come abortion wasn’t all it seems. He suspiciously takes this information straight to Claire and extorts her into hiring him with the promise that recent employee Connor Ellis will disappear soon enough.
While all this is happening the naive and obsessed Lucas is lured into trap by the FBI and arrested for Cyber Terrorism with virtually no hope.
There are times when I watch house of cards when I have to be honest and say that I’m not quite following whats going on so I have to rewind, watch again, listen closely to what they’re saying etc.
But I don’t mind that, I maintain that you don’t have to have an avid interest in politics to like this show. I hate politics yet I love this show.
I don’t mind that I had to rewind a few times to get a grasp on what Frank and Xander Fang were discussing before I understood it. It just means that the show hasn’t watered down the realism or compromised its authenticity. You sense the writers have gotten the dialogue as close to real life as possible.
What I do mind however is the direction the show seems to be heading towards with it’s focus on foreign affairs like China. Of course with Frank now as Vice-President he would realistically have to deal with broader issues like this but that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to build the show around it.
What I love about “Cards” is the domestic aspect. How Frank shapes and shifts the media and plays the whole political game like a game of Chess. Dwelling on wider foreign aspects like a trade war with China in all truth just isn’t as interesting.
Prime example in this episode is how the domestic issue with Claire and new recruit Seth is more interesting as a stand alone plot.
With Lucas meanwhile there was an air of inevitably about his fate. Right from the get go of him going after Frank alone to the moment where Gavin genuinely warns him against going ahead with the frankly far fetched plan to hack the cell phone of recently deceased Zoe and Frank.
The whole plot with the former trio of journalists going after Underwood seems to have lost momentum as a serious threat to Frank and it’s being tied up all a little bit too cleanly for my liking. Hopefully there is still a few twists and turns to come here.
Claire also ventures into the politics aspect herself with a plan for a sexual offenses reform for the military supported by the First Lady herself.
I would also like to point out how much I’ve grown to like the House of Cards music. It’s really eerie, slow and creepy like one of Nolan’s Batman films and fits perfectly with the tone of the show.
Things to look out for:
.Nathan Green’s treatment of Gavin’s guinea pig makes him an instant hate figure for us the audience and it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets what’s coming to him.
.The growing relationship between Claire and Tricia (The First Lady)
.Is Seth Grayson to be trusted? No obviously not yet, no doubt Frank and Claire will keep a keen eye on them.
.The President hanging up on Raymond Tusk for the first time in 20 years. Has Frank finally distanced Tusk from The President?
.Frank burying his ring at the Bloody Angle, something which obviously meant a lot to him.
.The show seems to be trying to subtly slip a replacement for Zoe into the show in the form of Ayla Sayyad. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
Episode Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Cinema Cynic 
I’m enjoying your posts on HOC –
In episode 5, do we know that Seth Grayson is employed by Remy? Some how I think that is revealed later on – on a park bench.
I also believe that Lucas Goodwin is not so much into hacking the phone records of millions of people. I’d say it would just be Zoe’s phone and Frank’s – which would have proven fruitless because we all know that Frank used a burner to contact Zoe the last time.
I also believe that the Trade Talks with China are President Walker’s concern, and in particular Frank is not trying to get something out of Xander Feng as much as he he is trying to destabilize the relationship of Tusk with Walker.
I very much liked Frank’s asides in this episode. Bullets, cheek grazed, blood drawn, and as you quoted the butchery begins.
Keep up the fine work. Thanks.
Ahh that’s right I seem to have jumped ahead having watched the next episode straight after this one, thanks for pointing that error out, and thanks for the feedback again