S05.E07: Chapter 59

[Athena]

Quote

When a crisis forces White House personnel to take shelter in a bunker, Commerce Department official Jane Davis negotiates through back channels.

 

[Primetimer]

Meet Jane Davis, the woman who can get you your terrorist, so long as you don't give her the wrong headache medicine.

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[Chaos Theory]

As someone who gets migraines I understand Jane Davis. The right medication is everything.

[teddysmom]

Holy shit, they're bringing in Tammy 1?? The Underwoods are SO fucked.

[hincandenza]

I don't know if it's the shadow of real life, but the show isn't gripping me.  This attempted coup/terrorism storyline in this episode was frankly ham-fisted, and the way everyone reacted- or in a sense, didn't- to Jane Davis was bizarre.  I mean, they think there's this ICO terrorist attack, this woman no one seems to know has snuck into the bunker, and now the POTUS has just seen her talking in hushed arabic whispers on a phone in a side room.  And the reaction is to.... do nothing?  Not even have one of those burly military or secret service guys maybe detain her?

I'll see if it's clearer in the following episodes, but I was also lost on the conversation she had with Claire about Ahmadi, and Claire and Frank's frustration that they somehow messed up... I wasn't really following what exactly Davis was offering, and why, and from whom- especially since it was set against the coup attempt.  Bluntly, I can't even say after this episode if she was trying to tell the Underwoods that she was a potential ally, or potential threat.

Edited June 3, 2017 by hincandenza

[Joimiaroxeu]

10 hours ago, hincandenza said:

I don't know if it's the shadow of real life, but the show isn't gripping me.  This attempted coup/terrorism storyline in this episode was frankly ham-fisted, and the way everyone reacted- or in a sense, didn't- to Jane Davis was bizarre.  I mean, they think there's this ICO terrorist attack, this woman no one seems to know has snuck into the bunker, and now the POTUS has just seen her talking in hushed arabic whispers on a phone in a side room.  And the reaction is to.... do nothing?  Not even have one of those burly military or secret service guys maybe detain her?

I'll see if it's clearer in the following episodes, but I was also lost on the conversation she had with Claire about Ahmadi, and Claire and Frank's frustration that they somehow messed up... I wasn't really following what exactly Davis was offering, and why, and from whom- especially since it was set against the coup attempt.  Bluntly, I can't even say after this episode if she was trying to tell the Underwoods that she was a potential ally, or potential threat.

 

That's my reaction too. Who is this woman and why does she have so much sway with Claire? She's like some weird deus ex machina except it's not clear why she was needed, or whether she wasn't a part of creating the problems she supposedly has some unparalleled ability to help resolve.

[Ellaria]

I watched closely and even replayed some scenes and still don't have a clear idea of what actually happened in this episode. These writers are masters of obfuscation.

Great...Jane, a new character with ill defined power. And why is Mrs Moretti cooking dinner for Doug?  Am I supposed to pay attention to that relationship?

I usually enjoy Jayne Atkinson but I find her performance as Cathy Durant lacking. Maybe it's the ridiculous dialogue; she seems to only recite speeches about world crises.

Thru all of this, I still enjoy watching Robin Wright.

[Armchair Critic]

On 6/4/2017 at 6:51 PM, Ellaria Sand said:

And why is Mrs Moretti cooking dinner for Doug?  Am I supposed to pay attention to that relationship?

I don't know if you are being sarcastic, but they have had scenes of them dating/sleeping together in the last few episodes.

[Ellaria]

2 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

I don't know if you are being sarcastic, but they have had scenes of them dating/sleeping together in the last few episodes.

Yes - sarcasm. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

As soon as they hustled everyone into the vault, including Jane who we had just met, I was like oh, great, this is some elaborate ruse to Claire (and possibly Frank) trapped inside so someone on the outside can fuck things up and make them look like they've disappeared/are vulnerable/are hiding. Heh, then I started scrutinizing who else was down there in the vault with them to see if Brody from Homeland snuck in to try to assassinate one or both of them. Quit recycling plots, show!

I don't trust Jane, mostly because I know they wouldn't cast someone like Patricia Clarkson to play a glorified extra.

[Hanahope]

I was confused by both Frank and Claire allowing Jane to come into the bunker, and then have access to a phone and speaking arabic, and yet they do nothing.  And then the cryptic conversation between Jane and Claire, and Frank figuring out quickly that there was a conspiracy with the general and Brockhart, based on the statement Brockhart said, or other?  It just seemed like I was missing some pieces.  Frank and Claire appear able to sniff out conspiracies everywhere, but somehow they suss out that Jane will work with them, though she doesn't clearly offer it either.  Its just confusing.