EPISODE 305: “CHAPTER 31”
Chapter 31 begins with a glimmer of hope for Frank — he confides DC Mayor Barney Hull (played by Chuck Cooper who some might recall more as the chief of police all the way back in the Pilot) to get AmWorks off the ground, and with a little more help from FEMA (even if that’s not what it’s meant for), he manages to get it off the ground successfully, despite the opposition from Congress and the leadership. At the same time, he and Claire successfully executed an executive order for a peacekeeping militia in Israel.
As well, the ever-winding downward spiral that seemed to perpetuate Claire and Frank’s relationship was happily unmantled. In a tender scene during the 2nd act, the Underwoods put everything aside for a moment and just spend some time together. As Frank points out later, they apparently haven’t slept in the same bed for months, and some loving bonding, (even if just for a few minutes) was precisely what the needed. This was a great scene, and a pleasant thing to see, as this season had been tugging away out of heartstrings for so long concerning their marriage.
Of course, this is House of Cards so not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Jackie (Molly Parker) and Remy (Mahershala Ali), (who, at this point, have almost become a two-person Jeckyll and Hyde) are playing a game of political monkey in the middle. Frank is in the middle, and the two are tossing him around like a bean bag. With Frank not running in 2016 (or so he says), the idea came about for Jackie (current House Majority Whip) to run with Remy as her running mate. Likewise, Frank would be crushed if knew, so they keep in the shadows, and it’s easy to tell they have something devious up their sleeves.
Doug’s transitional journey continues in this episode as well as he attempts to assume control of Heather Dunbar’s now-confirmed presidential campaign. This should seem pretty straightforward, but something about his demeanor and his attitude towards Dunbar and her staffers indicates he’s planning something more. What is Doug really up to? Is he planning something against Frank as a sort of revenge? Or is just for himself? The ambiguity of this 3rd season continues in the best possible way, making it one of the overall highlights of this new era of House of Cards.
The oh-shit moment of Chapter 31, however, came at the very end. On the 4th of July, during a fireworks display. We see a familiar face in the line for the AmWorks jobs tent – that face is that of Freddy Hayes (Reg E. Cathey), former owner of Freddy’s BBQ, and one of the greatest assets of the former seasons. This surprise appearance is arguably the greatest twist of Season 3 thus far, and it made for a thrilling, hair-rising lead-in the the next episode.
On the whole, exquisite.
Overall rating: 8/10
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