S03.E01: Chapter 27

[Guest]

A rocky start for the Underwood Presidency. Frank wants to introduce an ambitious jobs program, while Claire sets her sights on the United Nations.

 

 

[rozen]

I know they like the dramatic open, but c'mon, pissing on his grave? If nothing else it's dumb to do because paps are always hiding, masquerading as shrubbery or whatnots to get a shot. Didn't some photographer take a photo of Kate Middleton topless from like a mile away? 

 

Geez, how depressing to see Doug reject true affection from his brother in favor of "get well" cards probably written by an Underwood lackey. They haven't spoken in 10 years, yet he dropped everything to come support Doug through rehab? Dude's a saint, and he looked so hurt by that handshake. Frank and Claire looked like reptilian people-eaters from outer space when they were each evaluating Doug. You're broken, hang it up. Be grateful they haven't killed you (yet).

 

Claire already knows all about murdering kids (well, fetuses), Frank. She's got this. 

Edited February 28, 2015 by rozen

[Boundary]

I liked the Doug detour in the first half of the episode but it dragged by the second half. I generally don't like addiction stories, even though this one is more threat than deed. There's a lot of action that happened in the background and it was good to see Frank's ratings in the toilet, it gives him a motive for the season. Now, on to the next episode, let the binge commence!

 

Frank and Claire looked like reptilian people-eaters form outer space when they were each evaluating Doug. You're broken, hang it up. Be grateful they haven't killed you (yet).

 

I think Doug is one guy that they won't throw under the bus. That doesn't mean they'll let him back in immediately though, the Underwoods are the very definition of self interested behaviour.

[LADreamr]

Hmmm, the real reason Colbert went away?

[Pike Ludwell]

I'm disappointed Stamper is back. I thought he was gone at the end of last season, and I was elated about that. I was hoping he was eliminating himself near the end of this episode when he was doing all that odd stuff at the sink, but, unfortunately, no. Maybe in episode 2? One can only hope.

Edited February 27, 2015 by riverclown

[TVHappy9463]

Glad Doug lived.  Nice first episode, slow burn. There is no better Frank Underwood then one that is slipping in the polls!

[Chaos Theory]

The Doug Stamper episode you never knew you always wanted.  Hi Doug!   

 

The Stephen Colbert bit was fun.  Nice to see the Colbert Report again,

 

So Frank's approval rating is very low and he is trying to raise it with a work bill allied America Works but it is....not working because Congress is being bitchy.

 

And Clair wants to be an Ambassador

[Eegah]

For a while I was thinking we were seeing a dying dream from Stamper, but then it just kept going so I had to accept it. And I'm interested in where this is going, seeing as the original Stamper was indeed killed off at the end of the second season.

 

Anyone else need to look Donald up to remember why Frank was making a big deal to us about it?

[AimingforYoko]

President Frank Underwood pissing on his father's grave, because of course he is.

Didn't expect so much of the first ep to be The Trials of Douglas Stamper, but Michael Kelly rocked it.

 

[rozen]

I think Doug is one guy that they won't throw under the bus. That doesn't mean they'll let him back in immediately though, the Underwoods are the very definition of self interested behaviour.

 

I feel like half of it is that they know Doug would be an absolute pita to try to eliminate. He's the only person as good as them, and he knows all their tricks. Dude's the terminator.

 

The Underwoods hate weakness. Seeing Doug like this probably disgusts them to the core. 

Edited February 28, 2015 by rozen

[alexvillage]

I was happy to see Doug back, but I think it was a long stretch to have him survived the attack. And, if I remember well, he was in the woods for days.

 

I liked that Frank is now up against a lot more, even though he believes he's got the ultimate prize. I think we will see lots of twists this season

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

I was happy to see Doug back, but I think it was a long stretch to have him survived the attack. And, if I remember well, he was in the woods for days.

Remember that Ep. 26 was supposed to be the end of the series (as HOC was originally a 26-episode order), so it would make sense to close out Doug's arc with his death and Frank's with his ascending to POTUS. Then when they decided to come back for season 3, they obviously didn't want to be without Doug. Hence, the slight retconning.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Sir RaiderDuck OMS

[Pike Ludwell]

I'm happy to have Stamper back too - as long as he fails at every sadistic thing he attempts and is constantly suffering. I hope Rachel had the sense to get a gun and learn how to use it. I hate seeing someone like her constantly victimized, not fighting back effectively, over and over. Just not something I want to spend my time watching. Really, the only way to have Stamper's return worthwhile, is so that he tries to intimidate her again, and she kills him.

Edited February 28, 2015 by riverclown

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

I'm happy to have Stamper back too - as long as he fails at every sadistic thing he attempts and is constantly suffering. I hope Rachel had the sense to get a gun and learn how to use it. I hate seeing someone like her constantly victimized, not fighting back effectively, over and over. Just not something I want to spend my time watching. Really, the only way to have Stamper's return worthwhile, is so that he tries to intimidate her again, and she kills him.

I'd be perfectly happy to never see Rachel again. Season 2 devoted WAY too much time to Stamper's unhealthy obsession with her.

[LateJuliet]

For a dude who was in a coma, and then paralyzed, and then struggling thru physical rehab, Stamper's ripped.  There was moment when his thigh peeked out of his hospital gown and I was like, "Damn, that's not a limb that's an anatomy lesson."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Geez, how depressing to see Doug reject true affection from his brother in favor of "get well" cards probably written by an Underwood lackey. They haven't spoken in 10 years, yet he dropped everything to come support Doug through rehab? Dude's a saint, and he looked so hurt by that handshake.

I was surprised that his brother agreed to leave so easily. Even if my sibling wasn't a former addict, I would have insisted on staying for the first days after being released from the hospital to make sure that they were confortable, could reach everything, etc.

[Xantar]

I was distracted by how Stephen Colbert was not acting like he really does on his show. In this episode, he was asking more or less straight questions while making funny side comments. On the actual Colbert Report, he would be asking hyper-conservative or deliberately stupid leading questions as a satire of a media blowhard. I kind of wonder what would have happened if Stephen had been allowed to use his own writers for that segment.

 

Also, this Democratic president wants to gut entitlements in order to create a jobs spending bill? I know I shouldn't take the politics on this show seriously. After all, it's the show where a Democratic administration made cuts to Social Security because the government shutdown would have been blamed on the Democrats and the Republicans wanted to prevent the Democrats from enacting their plan because if the Democrats managed to make those cuts, it would have been considered a victory. For the Democrats.

 

All the same, I can't help wondering why they're doing this. It would all make much more sense if Frank was a Republican. Yeah, it would make the Republican party look bad, but the Underwoods are so cartoonishly evil that I don't think anybody would seriously think they reflect real people.

 

It also looks like Frank is in fact a pretty bad politician. He has no allies on the Hill and apparently very low public approval ratings. In a parliamentary system, he would still be able to get some things done, but in the American system, those conditions are political death. I guess that's just one of those things we have to live with for an adaptation of a British show.

 

I'm not binge-watching this series because I have a hard time caring about all the horrible people on the show. It's going to take some good scheming to get me interested, and as much as I try to ignore them, the bizarro politics are not helping.

[Duke2801]

For a dude who was in a coma, and then paralyzed, and then struggling thru physical rehab, Stamper's ripped.  There was moment when his thigh peeked out of his hospital gown and I was like, "Damn, that's not a limb that's an anatomy lesson."

 

 

Hmmm I wasn't noticing him being ripped as much as almost painfully thin. Now, granted, we never saw him in the buff in seasons 1 or 2, but I'd venture to say he lost a good amount of weight for this 3rd season?? Speaking of his anatomy, I did NOT need to see his bare ass and a portion of his peen.  Blarg.  

 

I'd be perfectly happy to never see Rachel again. Season 2 devoted WAY too much time to Stamper's unhealthy obsession with her.

 

 

Yeah I only want her to come back if she's going to turn the tables and make his life miserable.  Well, then again, I guess she's already done that.  So, upon further review, I agree with you! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Speaking of his anatomy, I did NOT need to see his bare ass and a portion of his peen. Blarg.

Considering how many times we have seen female ass and breasts on this show, I'm fine with Doug being shown naked as he gets into the shower.

[AimingforYoko]

Also, this Democratic president wants to gut entitlements in order to create a jobs spending bill?

To be fair, he's a Democrat from South Carolina.

[CleoCaesar]

Also, this Democratic president wants to gut entitlements in order to create a jobs spending bill? I know I shouldn't take the politics on this show seriously. After all, it's the show where a Democratic administration made cuts to Social Security because the government shutdown would have been blamed on the Democrats and the Republicans wanted to prevent the Democrats from enacting their plan because if the Democrats managed to make those cuts, it would have been considered a victory. For the Democrats.

 

All the same, I can't help wondering why they're doing this. It would all make much more sense if Frank was a Republican.

Thank you. This puts into words the exact reason why I couldn't take any of Frank's political machinations seriously this season. A Democrat president wants to gut Social Security and Medicare? REALLY?

And he spent hundreds of billions on a jobs bill that is laughably vague. Um, what kind of jobs? What fields? What kind of oversight will the program have? Frank got it up and running in D.C. in like a month which was also a hahahaha moment.

Edited March 2, 2015 by CleoCaesar

[Ottis]

A Democrat president wants to gut Social Security and Medicare? REALLY?

 

 

Maybe he is a reasonable Democrat. :-) I don't mind it. I could see, in a better world, someone who believes what he believes regardless of his party. In some ways, i view this as the show saying, "Look, this is what good government *should* be like." At least when it comes to ideas. Not so much the killing and manipulation.

[Duke2801]

Considering how many times we have seen female ass and breasts on this show, I'm fine with Doug being shown naked as he gets into the shower.

 

Not sure what naked female breasts have to do with it...? My feelings have nothing to do with being a prude. Like, half the reason (ok, let's be real... more than half) I hung in there the last season of Sons of Anarchy was to catch a glimpse of Jax's beautiful posterior.

 

I just happen to find Doug such a distasteful character, that my dislike for him also translates into finding him physically repugnant.  Therefore, a naked Doug = a cringing Duke2801. 

Edited March 2, 2015 by Duke2801

[DoubleUTeeEff]

A Democrat president wants to gut Social Security and Medicare? REALLY?

 

Well, like AimingforYoko pointed out, he's from South Carolina.  So he's probably a Blue Dog Democrat.  Has that ever been explicitly stated in the show?  I'm not sure.  Both Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans are ostensibly "fiscally conservative."

[Pike Ludwell]

You've got to admit, it's a strange mix of policies. The whole "nobody's entitled to anything" and anti-social security thing is very libertarian concept. But then he says everyone should be guaranteed a job. And he will subsidize companies to hire people. That would be something totally inconsistent with his anti-entitlement idea, and it is further left than even the most liberal democrat would go. But of course it is just a TV show and they don't have to be too realistic on things like this. They're trying to make him equally idiotically far right and far left so as not to have him favoring one side over another and alienating viewers. With this way they are doing it people on both sides can just laugh at the absurdity of it, just not take it too seriously, and not get too caught up in liking or disliking because of political ideology.

Edited March 2, 2015 by riverclown

[CleoCaesar]

It just didn't ring true. Not to mention, despite constant smears, Social Security and Medicare are still popular programs that work. Maybe not perfectly, but they both allow millions of retired people to live past 65. And SS has strong public support. Frank should know this. His brilliant plan is to defund two major social institutions that over 50 million Americans depend on (for actual survival) and then expect the country to love him because he distributed some vague, probably nonessential jobs. There is no believable way that AmWorks would be a good substitute for the social safety net. To quote another poster on another forum:

 

America Works is a fundamentally terrible program. That it even exists makes no sense whatsoever. It's great that it "works" in DC, but Social Security and Medicaid take care of a lot of people who can't work. So instead of having a bunch of brand new employed people (paid on a government wage, essentially), you'll end up with a ton of people unable to pay for their medical coverage and continued living. This is possibly the absolute stupidest fake law I've ever seen in a political drama.

 

 

Liberals would absolutely destroy Frank. Republicans would too by the nature of the 2-party system. It's just not good, realistic writing for Frank to push an agenda this full of holes.

[LateJuliet]

I agree the politics of AmWorks is nonsense but I gave up on logic back when Frank ascended to the presidency.  His path could make sense in the parliamentary system the show is based on, in ours it comes across as convoluted and silly (anyone ambitious enough to be president isn't walking away from it over something so inside baseball and convoluted most of the American public won't even understand it - hell, I only half understood it and I watch the show). 

[Primetimer]

The third season of House of Cards finds President Underwood…not doing much. At least not as much as the perpetually troubled Doug.

Read the story

[Xantar]

Liberals would absolutely destroy Frank. Republicans would too by the nature of the 2-party system. It's just not good, realistic writing for Frank to push an agenda this full of holes.

 

It wasn't too long ago in the real world that a Republican president tried to privatize Social Security and he got sunk by members of his own party in Congress. And then a little later, one of the Republican talking points against Obamacare was that it cuts Medicare.

 

It's not merely because Frank is a Democrat that the Republicans would oppose his proposal. Support for Social Security and Medicare is actually pretty bipartisan.

 

Again, I know I'm not supposed to take the politics seriously, but this one was just a step too far. And I was able to swallow The West Wing's alternate universe politics just fine.

[Chaos Theory]

I liked the stuff with Stephen Colbert. I thought it was clever and while the show as still on Kevin Spacy stopped by for a cameo so I guess Colbert returned the favor.

[CouchLords]

Hey guys! We talk about the top moments of House of Cards Season 3 in our latest podcast. Check it out. https://soundcloud.com/couch-lords/episode-19-top-moments-from-house-of-cards-season-3

Follow us on twitter @couchlords

[Mattipoo]

This was a boring season premiere as Stamper is one of my least favorite characters, so to have almost an entire episode devoted to him was quite unnecessary IMHO. Also regarding his bare ass getting in the shower, to quote Aunt Sassy (Lisa Kudrow) in "The Comeback": Note to self, after a long day at work, I don't want to see that!".

[Fen]

I was pleased to see Doug back because I think the show needs more complex characters to ground it a little.  We already lost Zoe and Peter, and I was pleased we kept Doug and his many weirdnesses.  The extra information we got was all pretty sad, though.  He's out of touch with his family, overly attached to Claire and Frank.  It was painful to watch him send his brother away and pin all his hopes on two people who are not exactly beacons of compassion.  Equally sad to watch him carefully pin their card to the fridge in his sterile apartment.  

 

Didn't have a problem with the nakedness.  I think it's good to see nudity that's not always sexualised, personally.  He was just out of the shower - he's going to be naked.  

[tennisgurl]

I love Stamper, but I really hope this Rachel thing is done. His obsession with her took up WAY too much screen time in season 2. I`m here for ridiculous political Machiavellian games, and not weird stalker stuff. 

[khyber]

The jobs program at the expense of SS and Medicare was ridiculous. Old people vote way out of proportion to their numbers, anyone who touched "their" money would be slaughtered at the ballot box. Of the old people (80s and 90s) I've talked to about this, 95% think its their money that they paid in all these years and are just getting it back. They have no idea how little was paid versus the cost of medical treatment today. So as a plot point I have a lot of problems with this since Frank is not an ideologue but a pragmatist.

[Milburn Stone]

I was distracted by how Stephen Colbert was not acting like he really does on his show. In this episode, he was asking more or less straight questions while making funny side comments. On the actual Colbert Report, he would be asking hyper-conservative or deliberately stupid leading questions as a satire of a media blowhard. I kind of wonder what would have happened if Stephen had been allowed to use his own writers for that segment.

 

You put your finger on what seems to be wrong with this entire episode. The poor writing of the Colbert section (whoever wrote it clearly doesn't get what Colbert was about, as you point out) was emblematic of the poor writing throughout. The writer credited at the top was Beau Willimon, who I guess is the show runner and the writer of many past episodes, so I don't get why the level has fallen off so much, but it has. People just saying dumb stuff to each other throughout, full of clumsy exposition and an assumption of low intelligence on the part of the audience. I hope it improves.

[Athena]

I was glad to find out Doug isn't dead because I think Michael Kelly is underrated on this show. I enjoy both Spacey and Wright's roles and acting, but somehow Kelly made Stamper oddly sympathetic for me the last couple of seasons. He is an excellent character actor and has done so well with the character. However, I'm going to find it boring watching Doug at home struggling and falling off the wagon. I don't want Rachel (or as I call her, HoC's Kristen Stewart) to come back, but she will.

[Wendy Peffercorn]

 

I was distracted by how Stephen Colbert was not acting like he really does on his show. In this episode, he was asking more or less straight questions while making funny side comments. On the actual Colbert Report, he would be asking hyper-conservative or deliberately stupid leading questions as a satire of a media blowhard. I kind of wonder what would have happened if Stephen had been allowed to use his own writers for that segment.

 

I'm glad someone else noticed this, and I wish Colbert's writers would have written the segment, too. They had Colbert making yukky jabs that simply aren't his style, and I thought Spacey played Underwood as way too much of a straight man. Frank is a charmer and I expected him to play along a bit more, instead of being so defensive and unwavering. At the very least, they could've bonded over the fact that they both grew up in South Carolina!

 

I didn't expect Stamper to be alive, but since he is, I'm glad he's back. Characters come and go so quickly on this show, and he is one of the few that we have known from the beginning. It's good to have some depth. That being said, I never cared for the Stamper/Rachel storyline, so I hope they wrap it up and move on. 

[Armchair Critic]

I am way late to the party, but i case somebody reads this. Why did Doug put the booze in a syringe?

[Kalliste]

On 7/6/2016 at 7:15 PM, Armchair Critic said:

I am way late to the party, but i case somebody reads this. Why did Doug put the booze in a syringe?

Only just watched the episode myself and I have no idea :D It took the entire time he was doing that for me to work out what the hell was going on. Was he going to inject it into himself? Into the prostitute? And then he just has her squirt it into his mouth... is it not real if he didn't do it himself?

[ComtesseCrumpet]

On 1/7/2017 at 8:59 AM, Kalliste said:

Only just watched the episode myself and I have no idea :D It took the entire time he was doing that for me to work out what the hell was going on. Was he going to inject it into himself? Into the prostitute? And then he just has her squirt it into his mouth... is it not real if he didn't do it himself?

I'm another one late to the party. My theory about the booze syringe is that he's making the booze out to be medicine in his mind. He can fool himself into thinking that he hasn't really fallen off the wagon if he's 'medicating' himself.