Previously on House of Cards...
Did you kill Rachel?
I did. But you won't find her. No one will.
I am deeply honored to be considered for the late Justice's seat.
How did they buy you? The Shepherds?
Brett Cole will be the speaker.
Next in line, if you don't count Mark.
We've gotta get this woman outta there.
Did you use the Arcas accident
to get the citizens of Bellport to sign up for this app?
An app that you helped develop for the Shepherd Freedom Foundation?
Francis was a desperate man.
But whatever he did, he did alone.
I was not complicit.
I think it's best if we meet under more formal circumstances.
And on the record.
Why didn't you legally adopt me?
- He's not one of us. - You're a coward.
I hope you die.
The last thing he gave you...
I was kinda hoping you could tell me, Claire.
Tom Hammerschmidt is dead. Cathy, Jane...
Bill Shepherd is going to prison.
Mark has no one to turn to. It's just you and me.
Francis and I have been blessed.
"There are two kinds of pain.
"The sort of pain that makes you strong,
"or useless pain, the sort of pain that's only suffering.
"I have no patience for useless things."
"Turn around and see her,
"my darling wife, poised on the front stoop.
"Surely, she saw everything.
"Killing, lying about it, but doesn't say a word.
"She just enters the house in quiet compliance.
"This is love.
"Everyone should be so..."
My beloved Americans,
my heart is very full today.
I am here to talk about the future.
And the future has become very personal.
We are gathered here at the very center of our great nation,
to celebrate this historic women's conference.
This is a profound moment for all Americans.
You're amazing!
But it's also a perilous time in our history, my friends.
Because the American oligarchs out there,
they are coming for us.
They are trying to strip me of my constitutional power
as your Commander-in-Chief.
Now, the lower court ruled in my favor,
but now, they've taken this case all the way to the Supreme Court.
And they want my finger off the nuclear button.
And I have to ask, why do you think that is?
These oligarchs, through an innocent seeming app,
have been trying to steal the midterms by crawling your phones,
invading your privacy,
and telling you how to vote.
Now, are you gonna let them get away with it?
No!
We need to tell them to wake up! Say it with me, Lebanon, Kansas.
It is time for Congress to...
Wake up!
And it's time for the Supreme Court to...
Wake up!
Now, my purpose is to elevate America,
fight for America,
and if it ever came to it, die for America.
I will be father, mother, leader, and friend.
Thank you so much.
Father, mother, leader...
liar, killer.
Rest in peace, Rachel.
When's the footage from?
It's from several days ago. He's been staying at a cabin.
Childhood cabin for three or four weeks.
We suspect he's in the mountains outside Los Cerrillos, now.
- And did he find where he buried her? - We're still not sure.
But, ma'am, I got a tip from a former agent.
One of the ones poking around Gaffney on behalf of the Shepherds.
Doug recently reached out to Seth Grayson.
Do we know what was discussed?
No, but it's the first time he's contacted anyone
connected with the Shepherds since you last spoke to him.
If he's trying to get caught, let's catch him.
So, is Duncan Shepherd testifying, or not?
His lawyers are negotiating the terms.
They're hoping that he can meet behind closed doors.
Well, then he needs to be subpoenaed.
Every congressperson we've spoken to agrees he should be, and yet...
They're delaying. There's no real desire to move this app investigation along.
They're protecting their own.
The House asked for these hearings.
The theater is good for them.
But we are in constant contact
with the Democratic members of the Committee, ma'am.
- They're feeling the pressure. - Clearly, not enough.
We can start arresting congresspeople.
Pulling them out of the chambers if we have to.
- The whole point of the hearings... - Is what?
Obfuscation? What?
We're talking about invasion of privacy here.
The U.S. Attorney is resistant
to pressing any kind of charges without hard evidence.
The app is the evidence. This is grounds for prosecution, Nora.
Yes, maybe. But the U.S. Attorney would argue...
Replace the U.S. Attorney.
She's been dragging her feet on this for months.
Ma'am, we still live in a world of due process.
That would send a chilling message...
The message is we need to protect our democracy.
On a practical note, we're canceling the fourth stop today.
Upon reflection, we decided Toledo would be redundant with Cleveland.
Pam, it's fine. You can be honest.
The Commander-in-Chief is feeling a little woozy today. That's all.
And, yes, maybe a little cranky, but nothing serious, I promise.
When we touch down in Des Moines,
Nora, you can head straight back to D.C.
Is it Slavic? "Skorsky"?
Polish, in my case.
You must be lonely.
I asked the press corps to take the second plane,
so that you and I could meet privately.
Four months ago, you met with two people.
One of them is missing, and one of them is dead.
My life has certainly been punctuated with loss lately.
And just a bit of great luck.
Tom Hammerschmidt was not lucky.
No, he wasn't. That was tragic.
That's why I think you should pick up his mantle,
and tell the full story of Francis' political career.
- Are you messing with me? - No. Far from it.
You did a great job investigating and exposing
the Shepherd Freedom Foundation app.
Its nefarious uses...
We can't let congresspeople get away with things like that.
I wonder if you'll get them in line
before the Supreme Court takes your power away.
Tom Hammerschmidt and I, the last time we spoke,
we talked about my husband.
And my hope is I could pick it up with you.
I have a lot that needs to be said about Francis,
his crimes and misdemeanors.
You want my story, or don't you?
It's these mini contractions, they're called Braxton Hicks.
Do you have kids?
No, I don't.
The baby's really moving now. It's kicking. Do you wanna feel?
No, thank you.
Such a strange feeling.
To be wholly responsible for the life of another.
Also, I hear when you have kids, you never
sleep quite the same again.
"There are two kinds of pain."
Doug Stamper sent me that text.
He said it comes from your husband's diary.
Now, I ask you, who should I interview,
you, or him?
I know that some of you are here because you're not sure
I'm gonna be around at next year's gathering.
No, no, I can see it on your faces.
And it's true, these last few months, I've had to look back.
But I'm excited. I am.
As my sister told you,
there are changes coming to this country in the next few months.
The kind that I haven't been able to accomplish
in the 20-plus years that I've been at it.
It'll cut regulation for the people, give every man a chance.
You lead a man to fish, and...
If you wanna lock me up in prison for that, then so be it,
but seize my assets...
Did you read
finches dream?
Yeah. Yeah. They can... They have the...
They can sing to themselves when they sleep.
Sorry, where was I?
I have congressmen who wanna break away. Separate themselves from this.
Well, deflect and compliment. That's how I survived the Hill.
These hearings will blow up on us, Mark.
Now, one way or another, we all used that motherfucking app.
And, yes, they've been good to us,
but why do we all have to pay for what the son set in motion?
Anything you wanna say about Duncan, you say it to Annette.
I'm asking you to say it.
I can't believe I'm looking to you for help again all these years later.
You were Vice President.
I've rebuilt my career at least three times, Brett.
And I will continue to do so as long as I have to.
Too bad Jane Davis won't have that chance.
"What I am to Claire is not what I am to Zoe."
Do you know what it means?
Does he believe you should know what it means?
Yes.
He added, "And that's what he left me."
It belongs to some diary that Francis kept.
But not part of his presidential papers?
Whatever it is,
it's information that President Underwood,
or President Hale wants kept out of the light.
Doug implied that she got pregnant
so as to keep him from what was rightfully his.
When will you speak with him next?
My guess is the next time he finds a payphone or a burner.
I'd like to meet with him.
- Annette. - You're going to be famous, Brett.
Well, there's fame,
and then there's notoriety.
The bill you had your name on all those months ago,
will be upheld in the Supreme Court.
This is Judge Abruzzo's majority ruling.
- How did you... - We helped him write it.
It's worded in such a way that her powers will be diminished
over time and across the board.
Mark gave you a sense of what we're thinking?
A bit.
You just need to run out the clock on these hearings.
After the midterms, you can send a powerful message.
Over the years, we've been lucky enough to support an array
of talented and like-minded politicians.
We've essentially operated like a third party.
And one day, in the not too distant future, we'll make it official.
Brett, you will be the leader of that party.
You'll be our man in the White House.
I told Brett how thankful we are for keeping Duncan out of the spotlight.
I won't forget all you've done for him.
That's actually a very good question, Bob.
Where do we rank, as a country, in the world?
You have to ask that. We're 17. That's where we are.
Seventeenth.
That is a disgrace, and it's something...
Speaking of disgrace, I have a question for you, sir.
Did your family make you sick,
with their chemical plants and their toxic sites?
Get her out of here.
You made yourself sick. And you're killing all of us.
Somebody take care of this young lady.
Of course. He's gonna take me out now.
He is. You're killing all of us.
"I'm not gonna lie, I despise children.
- "There, I've said it." - What the hell is wrong with you?
"Thirty minutes ago, I received a text from Zoe.
"She intends to apologize, no doubt..."
Wait, wait, what's that from?
That's what I'm saying.
- Doug, come here. Let's meet. - "Rebellion on all fronts..."
"Claire, Zoe, Russo. I must not lose my resolve."
Hey, stop. Where are you?
No, no, no. That's not how this is gonna work.
Doug, we can find you.
It won't take very long.
I'll tell you where I am right now. Right in the middle of nowhere.
I'm five minutes from out of here, and out of my fucking mind.
She just wants to sit with you.
I'm going to tell you what I want said, and how.
They have the lawyers, the money, I don't.
They do what I tell them, then I know we can meet.
You will get everything that you are due. I'll make sure of it.
When will I hear from you again?
I'm so sorry that they called you onto the plane, Dr. Larson. I feel fine, now.
All the same, you're getting close to a time
where jumping on and off a plane may not be the best idea.
- You said you'd been feeling run down. - Yes, a little bit, but...
I think we should get you back to D.C. to do some blood work as a precaution.
Okay, that's fine. But unless I'm putting the baby in danger,
- I've got two more appearances today. - I'd advise against that.
I cannot be the indisposed president, Dr. Larson.
I'm sure you're fine, but your sample tells me you're a bit dehydrated.
At least let me get you on an IV, it won't take long.
We'll get your fluids back to normal.
Is this really necessary? He's a grown man.
If you'd rather have Seth
bring me the signed documents, that's fine, too.
Annie, you have to admit this is the most cockamamie thing that...
That's Dad's word.
And please don't confuse me with someone who's willing
to listen to one more of your goddamn opinions.
Each of us will legally adopt him.
And when we're dead and gone, it will be Duncan
who is the face, voice, and embodiment of Shepherd Unlimited.
I'm doing this for you.
- I'm late. - I'm signing.
- Is it your plan to keep avoiding me? - Bill...
Lordy, what exactly is it that I did to you?
You think you know what's best for me.
I am not our father.
Would've been swell if you'd realized that sooner.
So glad you got to spend some time with your friends like this, Bill.
I can't get that woman out of my head.
Do you think she was right? Did we poison ourselves?
Is Abruzzo impeachable? Yes.
Would the Senate convict him? Who knows.
But what does it matter?
You need him scared, and this might do it.
He received an interest-free loan
from a Shepherd-owned entity for a lake house
at the same time that he was ruling on a case
that involved another part of that company.
Is everything all right?
Yes. Sorry, I'm just a little bit dehydrated.
Why hasn't this ever come up before, Walter?
Abruzzo was never fully vetted. By you, by anybody.
In a way, the fact that he was railroaded through
has proved to be your opportunity.
And the rest of the court?
Locked in. Abruzzo's the swing vote.
We, at the Shepherd Freedom Foundation,
"freedom" being the operative word there, believe in the individual.
I could argue that our foundation is more inclusive,
more forward-looking than any so-called progressive agenda.
And... Listen.
Listen to you. You are so programmed, that you can't hear my argument.
- Nathan. - I wish I could help you.
Withholding information from an ongoing investigation is a crime.
If you know anything about his whereabouts, I suggest you tell me.
What're you gonna do when all this is over? Think about it.
How long before you become the one with too many secrets?
Our president scares me.
If anyone knows what she's been up to, it's you.
You have children, right? How many wives?
Leave them out of it.
Can you?
My father was a cop. My mom's a widow.
It's a hard life, Nathan.
All those years at the Bureau,
the time you put in, all that experience, it's valuable.
Where's Doug?
The thing about these events, there's cameras everywhere.
Seth.
No, because this is where I turn to the camera.
And I say, "I don't know."
I'm sad to say, but there's a Russian troll factory
that's begun to manipulate your husband's accomplishments.
- That's awful. - No, we caught them.
But for instance, records of his years at Harvard,
his years at the Sentinel,
are virtually impossible to track down, now.
Instead, you find fabrications about him.
They fill the air with noise, so to speak.
I know from last we spoke,
you were concerned something like this could happen.
Well, I was. Someone had mentioned the possibility to me,
but I had no idea it could be done.
We have unfortunately entered an era where our digital truths are vulnerable.
In that case,
couldn't these trolls amplify my husband's crimes, as well?
Yes,
and those would be very difficult stories to take back.
Viktor, that would be terrible if that were to happen.
History belongs to the highest bidder now.
Well, I hope his reputation can survive his crimes.
And I hope...
No, no, no, no, no. Not now.
Claire, something's wrong?
How's she doing?
She's tachycardic with elevated respirations. Q-Five contractions.
You're 26 weeks pregnant, Madam President?
We need to give her four grams of mag, and start the drip.
Francis Underwood?
Francis Underwood.
Francis Underwood?
Why do you say his name like that?
- Why would you get engaged? - I'm not engaged.
- Gretchen said... - Gretchen should mind her own business.
I haven't answered him yet.
The sex can't be great with him. It just can't.
The sex is great with you.
I thought we were gonna fuck our way across Europe,
and China, and Africa, or wherever.
Who says we won't?
- Francis fucking Underwood. - Reed. Would you stop?
I mean, come on. The guy's not your type.
Because you are?
I'm your parents' type. But I wouldn't be if they really knew me.
Which I guess is another way of saying yes.
I am your type.
Francis is the patron saint of animals.
He never stops talking. Every time I see that guy, his mouth is running.
Because he always has an audience.
And you never know what he's going to say.
Claire Hale.
What do you want?
What?
I want
every door to be wide open,
and stay that way.
Then call him,
and tell him it's over, because you're coming with me.
I am?
Hi, Francis, it's me.
I'm five minutes away.
Someone will have to get to the bottom of it, Madam President.
I mean, Pitocin induces labor.
She'll never practice again.
Is the baby gonna be okay?
The baby is fine.
Here we go.
Would you like to know the sex?
Hello.
You fucking cunt. It's a girl.
I'm coming for you, Claire.
I'm not gonna run, Nathan.
Thirty-five degrees, 28 minutes, 22 seconds north,
by 106 degrees, eight minutes, 58 seconds west.
What're you talking about?
It's where Rachel Posner's buried.
Let me ask you something, Nathan.
After all this time,
all these years together, everything that we did for Frank,
stuff with Lucas, Macallan,
that terrorist kid, everything we ever did.
Are you seriously telling me you're gonna choose her?
Literally, all I care about is getting out of this alive.
Get in.
How is it possible we still haven't found him?
Last time anybody saw him,
he was in New Mexico near a border check point.
You honestly believe he's out of the country? It just doesn't fit, Nathan.
It's not like him to leave.
When's the last time he had contact with the Shepherds?
I gather he did convey a few more curious quotes to Mr. Grayson.
But at this point, the feeling is,
they're like the ravings of a crazy person.
We'll speak later.
How did he get...
Oh, no, no, no, sweetheart.
I will not reap what your father has sown.
Is everything all right, Madam President?
Yes. I was just looking for something.
Ma'am? Congressman Cole is here.
- Shall I send him in? - Yes.
- Madam President. - Brett.
I wonder if you would do me a favor?
The George Washington painting.
Would you mind hanging that back up over the mantle?
No.
Thank you so much. And thank you for coming.
Please have a seat.
Now, the Shepherds started backing you when?
Was that during, or after your tragic affair with the poor young woman?
My wife knows about the affair.
There was no way I could have predicted...
Don't worry, I wasn't planning on using that nasty little piece of business.
I just wanted to gauge how long this was going to take.
So, putting the Senate aside,
how many members of the House were using that app?
Ballpark figure is fine.
That's what our Judiciary hearings are trying to determine.
I'll go straight to arrests if I have to.
This is treason, Brett.
Somebody will go down for it.
So, I guess the real question is, will you?
Because I know the chair in this room that you're gunning for
is not the one your ass is currently warming.
Forgive me.
I think pregnancy has brought out the sailor in me.
So, what you're going to say to the press as soon as this meeting is over...
You're going to say that you asked to meet with me
so that you could report some good old-fashioned
quid pro quo that came to your attention.
That my recent Supreme Court appointee
was found trading a favorable ruling for a lake house.
Shocking.
And that you and I both knew that the only choice you then had,
was to go to Congress and initiate...
No Supreme Court Justice has ever been impeached.
The good Justice Abruzzo wouldn't wanna be the first then, would he?
Justice Abruzzo is black.
Which makes this all the more...
There's that word again, "tragic".
Madam President.
Before you explain to me how we shouldn't be meeting,
or how Brett shouldn't be here, separation of branches and all that...
We are considering a case
that will directly affect the Office of the Presidency.
I know,
a case based on the monumental piece of legislation co-signed by Brett.
But the three of us standing here right now have nothing to do with that.
Isn't that right, Congressman?
Yes, Madam President.
I'll let the Speaker explain,
because you have a number of options to consider.
And I want you to know how truly embarrassing it is for me.
The sad fate of my choice for the court.
And by the way, I love Lake Champlain.
I've only been there twice, but I'll never forget
the thrilling shock of the cold water on my feet.
My grandson has MS. He needs to swim.
I don't judge, Justice Abruzzo.
I'll correct that. Except for mendacity.
That, I can't support.
And, Brett, when you report this back to the Shepherds,
give them my best.
As a Shepherd, it's your duty to give back
to the arts and the communities you're involved in.
Everything we've ever done at Gardner Analytics is to serve the user.
You've made that clear, yes.
And yet, you were aware of the amount of data the user
was essentially signing over to you.
No more than any other application.
But the White House is saying that the Shepherd Freedom Foundation app
went beyond any other application.
That it allowed congressional campaigns complete access to the user's phone.
Some are even saying that the app is essentially mining peoples' psyches.
Look, you design the thing, but at the end of the day,
you have no idea how it will be used.
Mr. Shepherd?
Could you excuse me for one moment, please?
I'm Agent Slater with the FBI.
- Well, what is this about? - Please come with us.
I'm not going anywhere until I call my lawyer.
Mr. Shepherd, please. It'd be best if you cooperated.
- Abruzzo is recusing himself. - On what grounds?
His conflict of interest.
This is about the future of the presidency.
He's using his military service.
Get him over here.
It's too late, he can't reverse himself.
I decide when it's too late. I will not have that ruling upheld.
Who else can we get to?
- Barry? - Annette, do not turn on the TV.
What're you talking about?
They took him. They came in with a warrant.
What do you mean, "they took him"?
They're using his work with the app as grounds to charge him with treason.
I promise you, we will do everything we can.
But anyone connected with the app is distancing themselves from it, and you.
It's finally here.
- Where'd these changes come from? - Directly from the Shepherd family.
His mother?
Look, just do your thing. Let's get it on tape.
"Nazi-like tactics"?
You bring up Nazis in any situation other than the Second World War,
you've already lost the argument.
I mean, come on, we all knew what Duncan was doing.
Is anybody really surprised?
- I mean, really? - Melody...
What...
- What are you... - No.
She's polling in the high 70s. We're looking at close to 80 by the midterms.
The anti-corporate rant is gaining traction.
She's weaponizing her feminism, and it's grown tiresome.
"I'm a mother, I'm a general." Spare me.
Anyone that popular is bad for democracy. Mark?
So, the pros.
After her death, with the Vice Presidency vacant,
our friend, Brett Cole, will be President.
We suspect we'll get a call for stability,
and unity.
"Heal the nation," we all know the drill.
The cons. We're gonna take a hit in the midterms.
I think we hold on to the House. The Senate is a long shot.
The markets will fluctuate for a while. I brought Lorraine in for that.
She's got some impressive computer models and projections,
but all in all, we're confident we can absorb whatever financial hit
an assassination would have on the economy.
We're talking about a quarter point loss in the GDP, at the most.
And what about all the conspiracy nonsense we'll be hearing?
The theories are a useful distraction.
And eventually, they consume themselves. History will back us up on that.
There's one hiccup. It's a big one.
She's with child.
That is a variable we don't know how to account for in our models,
- or predict. - We use it.
Play into it. We'll make her a martyr.
A victim of the times. A feminist icon.
God, she might even end up on a coin.
As long as another Zapruder doesn't show up.
Jack, that's not funny.
Well, that's as much as I wanna know.
Yes, I think it's best if you all leave, now. I'll take it from here.
Bring him in.
"It's eleven o'clock", as they say.
You want what I have.
Actually, I want you to hold on to it.
I told Seth, and I'll tell you again.
I wanna bring her down, but not Francis.
Don't you know that's impossible?
Even if she killed her husband?
Doug, my goal and yours have become the same.
Does she call you "Doug"?
Or does she do that Francis thing of hers.
Douglas. You know what we need to do.
You keep mistaking me for someone I'm not.
I don't care about you, or what you want.
But you do care what Frank wanted. And it's time you admitted it.
Frank wanted her dead.
This seems too personal for you.
All politics is personal. You of all people know that.
And you want her dead, too.
And neither one of us can do it alone.
You'll come to your senses soon. You're no fool.
You want to protect what he left you? It's the only way.
Congratulations on the ruling coming out of the court.
- They still haven't decided. - But we all know how it's going to go.
Please, sit down.
Nora Cafferty has a secret.
Excuse me?
I assume you were worried about the scare with the baby.
I spoke to President Petrov. He's informed me that ICO
is trying to acquire a nuclear device.
- Yes, they are. - So, why didn't you tell me?
I have full confidence in you, Nora, and your abilities,
but this concerns me.
You cannot, under any circumstances,
withhold information that is essential to our national security.
I had such high hopes for you.
I'm sorry?
I didn't wanna have to say this.
I was hoping the Supreme Court would rule against you.
That they would take away the football.
And I'm not the only one who's starting to feel it.
This is my house, and I want you out.
She's ready to condemn her husband.
So, why aren't you?
It wasn't a thief who killed Tom.
No. I don't think it was.
Look, Tom and I were working on...
Okay, I know what he was working on.
It took me almost a month to find it, but it was on his dog's collar.
It was the same thing Lucas was working on, and Zoe before that.
Always with the same problem, no one will believe it.
- Look, I laid it out for him... - Without any evidence.
Or do you have any?
If all there is, is your word, what is that even worth these days?
I mean, what the hell are you protecting?
I can keep driving, I don't mind.
Or you can help me finish the story of Tom, Lucas, Zoe, you,
and, maybe me.
I tested you. And you passed.
That's basically how I see it, Madam President.
You're impertinent. That was clear from the start.
No, I'm ambitious.
Which is something that I've always admired from afar about you.
- Even when you were attacking me? - Forgive me.
I become aggressive when I'm nervous. It's always been that way.
Can we start over?
Because I think I finally understand you
and what you're trying to do for this country.
I can help you get your message out.
Sure.
- All right, let's settle, people. - Okay, let's begin.
Let's go in four, three, two...
First thing's first.
Despite what the odds-makers have decided,
I am going to be the mother of a baby girl.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
And have you picked out a name?
Not yet. I need to see her face first.
What do you most wish the American people knew about you?
Something surprising.
That I like nothing more than to laugh.
And what does the prospect of becoming a mother,
while being the leader of the free world, feel like?
Bittersweet.
I didn't expect to deliver Francis' child as a widow, of course.
But I have things to do.
For my unborn child, for this unformed nation.
I want to create a progressive, and productive,
Hale legacy for the ages.
Speaking of which, why did you return to your maiden name?
Well, I think your question answered itself. Maiden name.
The assumptions behind that expression
led me back to what I can only call "my name."
President Hale, why the delay
in nominating a replacement for the Vice Presidential vacancy?
Two reasons. One, constitutionally, Congress needs to confirm the choice,
and our current Congress is dirty.
We'll have to see what happens with the midterms.
And two, if I've learned anything from partnerships,
you have to choose someone who'd take a bullet for you.
And, Melody, I'd like to come clean on something.
Please.
The truth is, and it pains me to say this,
but the truth is, this country
never got to know the real Francis Underwood.
I'm not sure I ever really knew him myself.
I know you saw it, too.
He was impossible to know, like all con men.
He played us all.
Come and get me, Doug.
She leaves me no choice.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don't forget to scream