Chapter 35
- Episode aired Feb 27, 2015
- TV-MA
- 52m
The Jordan Valley erupts in chaos just as Frank's campaign is picking up steam. Claire gets disturbing intel and counsels him.The Jordan Valley erupts in chaos just as Frank's campaign is picking up steam. Claire gets disturbing intel and counsels him.The Jordan Valley erupts in chaos just as Frank's campaign is picking up steam. Claire gets disturbing intel and counsels him.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen reviewing the mission to investigate the blast site, the US Navy Admiral mentions that they will "use a Fulton recovery of any material samples." The Fulton Surface to Air Recovery System (STARS) is nicknamed 'Skyhook' and is the same system featured in The Dark Knight (2008) and Thunderball (1965).
- GoofsWhen the Admiral says, "We'll use a Fulton recovery of any material samples," he refers to the Skyhook System, which the US Air Force (the only operator) officially retired in 1996, due to the availability of such long range aircraft such as the MH-53 and MV-22.
- Quotes
Francis Underwood: [over the phone] Heather.
Heather Dunbar: Mr. President?
Francis Underwood: Doug Stamper is my friend and you came very close to killing him.
Heather Dunbar: Excuse me?
Francis Underwood: You're aware he's an alcoholic?
Heather Dunbar: Yes.
Francis Underwood: And how serious his injuries were?
Heather Dunbar: Mr. President...
Francis Underwood: But you still put him to work. A man who's trying to recover. Who's trying to get back his life. Did you honestly think that he could handle that?
Heather Dunbar: Douglas came to us.
Francis Underwood: And you should have turned him away if you had one ounce of decency.
Heather Dunbar: What's happened? Is he okay?
Francis Underwood: You don't have the right to ask me that question, and if you do anything that endangers his health again I swear to God I will put you in your fucking grave!
- ConnectionsReferences Leave It to Beaver (1957)
Count me in as another person that loved "Chapter 35", it gets my vote as the best of Season 3 up to this point and also as one of the season's best. This site's ratings (always try and most succeed now in not take ratings to heart or get annoyed by them, am not the immature late-teens girl anymore) may disagree, with it being rated lower than one of the season's most divisive episodes which gets a fair share of hate. "Chapter 35" is another episode to just missing matching the best of the previous two seasons, which delivered just a little bit more on the tension and emotion (though this episode is hardly devoid of either).
If there was anything that could have been done better actually is that the character of Thomas doesn't feel quite as developed enough and is not advancing as much as everything else.
All the subplots though are hugely compelling on their own and are expertly handled together. Which was great for an episode that has quite a lot going on, yet it didn't feel over-stuffed and coherence was not a problem. Frank's is executed the best, there has genuine intrigue and tension and Frank has lost none of what makes him one of the fascinating lead characters of any show. He still has his increasing ruthlessness, without it dominating the show (which was an issue somewhat in the first half of Season 2) but there is a different side to him emerging, showing that again like "Chapter 33" he has a sensitive side that one didn't initially think was in him. Showing genuine concern for Doug, though the unscrupulousness is there in the exchange between him and Heather.
Doug's subplot does deliver on the emotion and intensity, if not quite as intriguing as Frank's. It also doesn't feel like it's come to a standstill, the character and plot progression is there. Doug is still an interesting and hardly un-rootable character, thanks to the fire brought out by Michael Kelly, and shares good chemistry with the promising one of Gavin.
Jackie has the fierce steel that was a major part of her appeal when she was introduced in Season 2, though she has become less likeable since admittedly. Did feel sorry for Remy, who was probably the most rootable character in the whole episode (yes even more so than Doug).
"Chapter 35" is slick and stylish visually, while Robin Wright directs her second, of ten, 'House of Cards' episode (the first being "Chapter 23", it is also the first of two Season 3 episodes with the second being "Chapter 38") and does as equally a good job for the same reasons. The music fits and doesn't intrude, while the sharp bite is still there in the writing. That Frank and Heather exchange stands out. Kevin Spacey and Michael Kelly give the standout performances of the excellent with no exceptions cast.
Overall, excellent and one of the best Season 3 episodes. 9/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Aug 4, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
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- Runtime52 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
- 2.00 : 1