The third season starts out with a motorcade going to the graveyard where Frank's father was buried. Frank goes alone to the grave and talks, telling his father his unhappiness. Finally, he pees on the grave. Pretty risky, considering there are reporters over the hill a few feet away. Now we cut to Doug, who despite being pummeled by Rachel with a rock, is still alive, barely. He is damaged. He must go through extensive therapy and, of course, deal with horrible pain (which will test his resistance to his chemical dependency). Frank still considers him a friend but knows that he isn't going o be much help now. Doug is determined to manage and pushes others away (including his estranged brother) and starts off his time alone by slipping in the bathtub and breaking his arm (a compound fracture). He is determined to find Rachel because she is a threat to the President. Meanwhile, Frank is getting nowhere, blocked everywhere by the Republicans who are sniffing blood. He is trying to get his entitlement bill to have legs. Claire is proving to be a problem because she want to become the ambassador to the UN. Frank doesn't say it, but he feels he has enough bad press without showing nepotism to his own wife. Doug is in crisis and meets with the FBI guy who is both a threat and a possibility for finding Rachel. The table is set.