S03.E09: Chapter 35

[Guest]

The Jordan Valley erupts in chaos as Frank's campaign is picking up steam. Claire gets distrubing intel and counsels him.

 

 

[Jael]

So what exactly are we supposed to think happened to Rachel? She stole someone's identity and was living under the assumed name, but then ended up dead -- why? Unrelated? Or are we supposed to think someone related to the Underwood administration found her and did her in?

 

(I watch these in the middle of the night while feeding my newborn, which is not the best mental state for absorbing complicated information.)

 

In any case, I've been trained by TV to be extremely skeptical of any death that can't absolutely be proven, so I'm assuming Gavin faked all this for some reason, though it seems far-fetched that he'd take the risk, knowing Doug has the power to determine his fate. And I don't remember him having any particular connection with Rachel in the previous season. So what's the motivation -- just feeling bad for how low he had to sink with the other girl? 

[Ellaria]

So what exactly are we supposed to think happened to Rachel? She stole someone's identity and was living under the assumed name, but then ended up dead -- why? Unrelated? Or are we supposed to think someone related to the Underwood administration found her and did her in?

 

I'm a little confused about the Rachel story line, too. We are supposed to believe that she is dead but, as seasoned TV viewers, we are skeptical. I don't think that she is dead...not yet, anyway. Rachel is going to reappear at a really inopportune time. Right now, her "death" is causing Doug to unravel and that should give Mr. President some sleepless nights.

 

I silently cheered when Doug said "I'm not Peter Russo" because I don't want that character to be forgotten. Frank still has to answer for his murder.

 

Something is coming with Remy, too, and I can't quite figure it out. I don't see him staying with Frank for much longer.

 

So far, this season has been proven unpredictable and not in a good way. I enjoy watching the mess that the Underwoods have created for themselves. Their policies are disaster. They have few allies. Yet, we keep moving from one crisis to another without seeing any formidable block of opposition. Mendoza seemed like a worthy opponent but he disappeared from the story. Dunbar was more interesting as the Solicitor General than as a Presidential candidate. Jackie has gone wishy-washy. Reporters seem to spend much of their time in bed rather than investigating.

 

As much as I enjoy watching Frank and Claire - two overly ambitious, borderline sociopaths that destroy everything in their path - I need to see that someone is plotting their downfall.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

I'm assuming that Gavin found Rachel, but feels for her and just wants her to be left alone. So he came up with the "Jane Doe died in a car wreck" story, knowing Doug won't find out different as long as Rachel (who just wants anonymity at this point) doesn't resurface.

Petrov (the show's screamingly obvious Vladimir Putin stand-in) is way too pigheaded and stubborn. He should be the Russian equivalent of Underwood himself: a crafty operator bar none.

[DarkRaichu]

Petrov (the show's screamingly obvious Vladimir Putin stand-in) is way too pigheaded and stubborn. He should be the Russian equivalent of Underwood himself: a crafty operator bar none.

 

And here I thought Petrov was Underwood with more gunpower and better intel.  He was immune to Claire's charms and obviously understood US government rules and limitations and used those to his advantage

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

And here I thought Petrov was Underwood with more gunpower and better intel.

Petrov wouldn't budge on the Corrigan thing and then, against all evidence, directly blames Underwood for the Jordan Valley incident when it's obvious it wasn't the US's fault. Underwood wouldn't have made either mistake.

[DarkRaichu]

Petrov wouldn't budge on the Corrigan thing and then, against all evidence, directly blames Underwood for the Jordan Valley incident when it's obvious it wasn't the US's fault. Underwood wouldn't have made either mistake.

I thought it was nicely explained that the Corrigan thing (and Russia's anti-gay law by extension) was important to Petrov only because the other option would make him look weak in the eyes of his people.  The same with the Jordan Valley incident.  Petrov was much more obsessed with keeping the appearance of a strong leader than Underwood was.  

[Haleth]

Hmm.  I was taking Rachel's "death" at face value.  Guess it wouldn't surprise me if it turns out Gavin was lying.

 

Ha!  I knew Doug was working for Dunbar to sabotage her campaign!  Except now he's not.  I know I shouldn't feel sorry for Doug, but he is just so pitiful, such a sad sack with no friends, no hopes, no prospects.  

[Litnit]

Rachel's death is too convenient.  If it's real I'll be disappointed that we spent so much time looking for nothing.

 

Jael - I wish Netflix had been around when I was doing those night time feedings!  I agree with you, though, that it seems strange she suddenly ended up dead.  

 

Edited to answer my own question that, of course, Rachel was a prostitute so her life was very high risk when she met the Underwoods.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Litnit

[Sesquipedalia]

My 42 years of TV watching tells me that if Rachel were really dead, we would have at least gotten a scene of Gavin discovering her death. I hope she comes back. I want her reappearance to be the first nail in Underwood's coffin when he is (hopefully) taken down.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Sesquipedalia

[missy jo]

I knew Doug was working for Dunbar to sabotage her campaign!

 

 

I was bummed. His codependent relationship with Frank has done him no good (obvs), and he could've used his skills for good working for Dunbar.

[Fen]

While I would sincerely like Rachel to be dead and buried (the character bored me), her turning up dead in a ditch after Gavin commented to Doug at the outset of this venture, 'she could be dead in some ditch somewhere', strikes me as too convenient.  Plus, Gavin isn't entirely without morals - and I wonder if he balked at handing Rachel over to Doug.  I'm steeling myself for her reappearance.  It's a pity, though, I think it would be stronger to have her simply gone, and for Doug to have to deal with that.  It would also subvert viewer expectations - seeing as how we are all assuming that she's alive.  Given Rachel's situation: teenage runaway, history of drug abuse, history of prostitution, travelling alone, psychologically damaged after Doug's treatment, the Russo business, and being forced to break with her girlfriend - reverting to old habits and winding up dead in a ditch would probably be sadly realistic for her.

 

Quite a lot of emotional impact in this episode - if felt really noticeable in comparison to the rest of the season.  The incident with Remy and his reaction to it and wider events in his life, Doug hitting rock bottom, Frank threatening Dunbar to stay away from Doug, Frank's reaction to the gunshot.

 

Frank is going to be monumentally pissed if author guy doesn't let him know soon that he's sleeping with Joanie.

 

What on earth was Seth up to - playing baseball in the middle of the day?  Should he be delegating press releases as important as that one to Niles?

 

And even this far into the season, I find I'm still rooting for Frank.  When he put the fear of God into Dunbar, I just about cheered.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In any case, I've been trained by TV to be extremely skeptical of any death that can't absolutely be proven, so I'm assuming Gavin faked all this for some reason, though it seems far-fetched that he'd take the risk, knowing Doug has the power to determine his fate. And I don't remember him having any particular connection with Rachel in the previous season. So what's the motivation -- just feeling bad for how low he had to sink with the other girl?

I think it could be one of the theories mentioned above, that Gavin doesn't want to turn Rachel over to Doug because he doesn't know what Doug has planned for her and this was his way of setting her free. But it may also be that the pressure is getting to Gavin. He is desperate to leave the situation he's in right now and he mentioned that he is no longer getting new projects at work which he said means that they are about to do something to him. When you combine that with how sickened he was about lying to Rachel's old girlfriend about being HIV positive, it may just be that Gavin has hit a dead end with his Rachel research but he knows that Doug is not going to get his passport released until he provides him with an answer so he concocted this story so that Doug will finally let him get the hell out of there.

 

When he put the fear of God into Dunbar, I just about cheered.

After that scene, I was trying to figure out how much of Frank's self-righteous indignation was truly about Doug's healh being endangered because of the stress and how much of it was possessiveness about Doug and Frank being angry that Dunbar took one of his favorite toys without him even knowing.

[Fen]

After that scene, I was trying to figure out how much of Frank's self-righteous indignation was truly about Doug's healh being endangered because of the stress and how much of it was possessiveness about Doug and Frank being angry that Dunbar took one of his favorite toys without him even knowing.

 

I think I'd be more tempted to call it genuine anger over endangering Doug's health.  Frank's a pragmatist who knows exactly how valuable Doug is.  He's worth more than Seth and Remy put together in terms of loyalty to Frank, trustworthiness, and competence.  He could easily have called Doug back after a fairly brief sabbatical.  However, he consciously chose not to do so.  It doesn't look like that's because he's is particularly impressed by Seth and Remy - on the contrary.  The only option left is that he consciously chose not to jeopardise Doug's recovery.

 

I think genuine concern and possessiveness probably have fairly blurry boundaries for Frank, anyway.  He looks after his own.

 

[Maysie]

Good grief I'm tired of Doug! There is nothing remotely interesting about his story to me. I didn't like him last year and his injury has done nothing to make me like him this year. I'm kind of liking the fact he's in pain and feeling shunned by Frank. I'm not sure that's the way it's supposed to be . . .

[Mattipoo]

Poor Remy. I think he may get back together with Jackie by the end of the season.

[alexvillage]

I too am skeptical about Rachel being dead.

I also think something will happen to get Remy against Frank.

On a side note, I love the old typewriter. I wonder if this is something suggested by Kevin Spacey, since he does use one and apparently carries it around with him

[peggy06]

I think Frank's call to Dunbar was part genuine anger that she poached Stamper, part making sure that it didn't continue, and part just wanting to rattle her. But then the scene moves into the next room, where she is with a very smiley Mr. Iowa Food Processing who was so disgruntled about not getting to talk to Frank. So, I don't think Dunbar is going to be much affected by Frank's threats. The loss of Doug won't help her, though.

 

Please let Rachel be dead. I dread seeing Jimmi Simpson's name in the credits, because it means more of this tedious plot.

 

I'm finding I don't liek the dark hair on Claire. Her wardrobe, though, almost makes the show worth watching all by itself.

 

Tom the writer and the big-name reporter (forget her name) is going to have to have repercussions. Else why have them get together?

 

The incident with Remy and the traffic stop was unsettling, as was his scene with Jackie afterwards. It's been clear he's unhappy about her new relationship, but he seems really miserable, and at sea in general. Maybe he's about to jump ship himself.

[millennium]

They should convene a Congressional sub-committee to investigate the stylist who did that to Claire's hair.   She's obviously working for Dunbar.

[Milburn Stone]

I have no idea whether Rachel is dead or not, but I do know I have trouble swallowing that a D.C. hooker on the lam is able to steal a dead woman's identity down to the social security number. Come on, show.

[millennium]

In this computerized day and age too.   The steal-the-dead-person's-identity scam, like the old "steal the identity of someone who died as a baby" scam, feels like it belongs to a former age and would not be possible with the amount of instantaneous cross-checking available through today's technology.

[peggy06]

In this computerized day and age too.   The steal-the-dead-person's-identity scam, like the old "steal the identity of someone who died as a baby" scam, feels like it belongs to a former age and would not be possible with the amount of instantaneous cross-checking available through today's technology.

You'd be surprised how many people manage to get SS numbers that aren't legitimately theirs. Even in this day and age. How long they can go before being found out, now that's another story.

[millennium]

Not that surprised, being one of the millions affected in the recent Anthem hack.   But starting from scratch to gather all the documentation necessary to live life under an assumed identity just seems like an impossible feat anymore, or a very short-lived one at the least.

[Primetimer]

The Russian president will do whatever he can to get Frank out of the Jordan Valley -- even...MURDER!!!

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