What last week's episode really confirmed is that it is definitely war between the Underwoods. Even though Claire seemed to be acting cool about Frank's sly tactics to sabotage her plans to run for office after promising to keep out of her plans (but we would all be fools to take Frank for his word), we all knew that she would not take this lying down. While Claire and Frank have worked as a close knit team in previous seasons with Claire constantly following Frank's lead, it is very interesting to see them in loggerheads with Claire showing her true power, not because her man has required her to do so, but because it is what she needs to do in order to get ahead; even against Frank. I also highlighted last week how Frank's characteristics have clearly rubbed off on Claire as we see her using some of his dirty ways to get what she wants. Last week we watched her as she got leverage by hiring a photographer to document Jackie's affair with Remy in attempt to sway her to agree to come out in support of Doris Jones’s breast cancer clinic. While it was shocking enough to see her do this to Jackie, it was even more amusing to see her turn the tables on Frank this week.
See a review of episode 2 here.
Claire sends off Leann Harvey to retrieve an old photograph of Frank's father shaking hands with the Ku Klux Klan from a secret Underwood safe deposit box. She then arranged for the picture to be blown up into a billboard and erected on the outskirts of Gaffney, South Carolina, which is Frank's home town. This all happens right at the time when the Democratic Primary is due to take place in South Carolina the very next day. This causes huge threat on Frank's African-American vote and possibly more damage to his entire campaign. And as you may have suspected the obvious, the media is having a field day with the story.
Franks tries to dig himself out this hole that the first lady has dug him into by justifying his father's actions with a rather heartfelt speech in a black church (of course at this time he doesn't know that Claire did it, which is why Doug Stamper is out there turning over tables and chairs in attempt to find the culprit). He says that his father was seen dealing with a Klansman only because he needed money to save the family farm and the white supremacist was his only help to a loan. In his attempt to sway the people of South Carolina's hearts, Frank's borrows a page from his poor background while growing in the town and he reminds them of how they had always been "one community , one family". While we are used to Frank having his way with words whenever he needed to talk his way out of a situation or convince people of his plans, this is the first time we might have seen him actually speak from the heart. However, it is not enough to undo the damage done by the billboard as not only does he lose primary elections in his home town, he also loses Doris Jones' endorsement too.
When Claire finally confesses that she is the one who sabotaged Frank's campaign in South Carolina, she makes it known that "I'll do whatever it takes…but I will not let this go." Claire no longer just wants to run for office as Congress in Texas' 30th District, she wants to be vice president. She wants Frank to let her be his running mate for the general election or in her own words, she will end the entire campaign. We have always seen Claire as a rather intimidating woman even throughout the past three seasons, but this time she has certainly gone beyond intimidation. Now she is down right scary.
Lucas Goodwin pays a visit to Heather Dunbar, Frank's Democratic rival, to tip her off about the president's past murders. After several challenges to get through to her office, Lucas gets there only to be get a cold shoulder from Heather. She declares his story a total lie and says Lucas is troubled and a convicted felon. I am not sure if Heather is that trusting of Frank to not even research into the story or it is the pressure not to be seen gullible that blinds her from the truth and leads her to not believing Lucas' story.
After 4 seasons of displaying absolute emotional detach-ness, Frank seems to be finally turning human. Is it that all the suppressed emotions are finally becoming too much for him or is he really growing a conscious. He is having violent and traumatic dreams and hair raising hallucinations. One time when he goes down stairs for a glass of water in the middle of the night, he sees the water running out of the tap to be blood. Not having Claire's support was hard enough, and now having Claire working against him might be adding to the pressure. Could this finally be his downfall? Is Frank finally loosing himself? This reminds me of Shakespeare's Macbeth when Lady Macbeth finally succumbed to all the suppressed emotions and memories of her sins. She too started to have nightmares and hallucinations; and pretty much went crazy. Could this be where Frank's storyline is taking us?
What are your thoughts? Comment below or tweet me @NoncedoDlamini
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