Chapter 5 (House of Cards)

Last updated

"Chapter 5"
House of Cards episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Written by Sarah Treem
Produced by
  • Karyn McCarthy
  • Keith Huff
Featured music Jeff Beal
Cinematography by Eigil Bryld
Editing by Michelle Tesoro
Production codeHOC-105
Original release dateFebruary 1, 2013 (2013-02-01)
Running time52 minutes
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Chapter 4"
Next 
"Chapter 6"
House of Cards (season 1)
List of episodes

"Chapter 5" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama series House of Cards . Written by Sarah Treem and directed by Joel Schumacher, the episode premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix.

Contents

Plot

Zoe (Kate Mara) tells Frank (Kevin Spacey) about job offers she is getting from different media outlets, including an online publication called Slugline. She also talks about Hammerschmidt (Boris McGiver), who fired her from The Washington Herald, and all the press that both of them are getting as a result. Frank drops her phone into a glass of water to avoid any press leak of their conversation and buys her two phones: one for work and others for their conversations. When Frank returns to Claire (Robin Wright), she asks about Zoe. Frank says that she is a "mouthpiece and can be controlled."

At Russo's (Corey Stoll) office, Christina (Kristen Connolly) packs her stuff and leaves, to his distress. Meanwhile, Frank has a heated conversation with Marty Spinella (Al Sapienza), the head lobbyist for the teacher's union, who is infuriated because Frank lied to him. Meanwhile, Zoe decides to take the job at Slugline. At the Democratic National Committee, Frank attends a meeting led by DNC chair Patricia Whittaker (Suzanne Savoy).

A friend of Russo's, Paul Capra (Wass Stevens), comes to his office to ask him to stop the closure of the shipyard and save the 12,000 jobs it provides. Paul reminds him that his promise to keep the shipyard open was what got him elected in the first place. Peter cannot reveal that Frank forced him to refuse to give testimony against the closure at the hearing. Paul leaves, angrily declaring that Peter isn't the person he used to be.

Frank suspects that Spinella is organizing a massive teacher's strike, and he and Doug (Michael Kelly) think of a plan to stop him. He also reveals that he wants to Russo to run for governor of Pennsylvania, but he has a bigger agenda behind this. After turning down Remy (Mahershala Ali), Claire is having doubts because the gala is only raising half a million dollars. She calls Adam, who ignores the call. Moreover, Frank pledges to do all he can for Claire's gala and starts inviting every person he knows. Margaret Tilden (Kathleen Chalfant) fires Hammerschmidt in the wake of his profane outburst against Zoe and his going against her despite Tilden's warning.

At Zoe's apartment, Frank tells her that they cannot have a relationship without protection. To give him leverage over her, Zoe lets Frank take nude photos. Spinella gets enraged when the National Education Association (NEA) backs out from a partnership with his union in the middle of the strike plan. Spinella contacts unionized workers at the Cotesworth Hotel, which is hosting Claire's fundraising gala, and gets them to refuse to work for the event.

Claire calls Frank, who despite his efforts cannot get the hotel to side against the union. As the gala is just hours away, Claire decides to have it outside the hotel, and Frank gets his entire staff to help out. While the hotel staff and Spinella resist, fire regulations mean they can't lock the gates to prevent it. Spinella brings in union members to protest for the media in front of the gala, but at the end of the dinner, Frank makes himself look good by handing out food to the protesters on camera. The gala is enormously successful and raises enough money for Claire's project.

In the end, a drunk and disheveled Russo awaits on the steps of the Underwoods' home for their arrival. Without saying anything, Claire and Frank invite him inside and ask him to stay the night in their guest suite. There, privately, Russo lashes out at Frank for ruining his life. After listening to him quietly, Frank takes Russo to the bathroom and tells him that he is the only person who still believes in him and that he wants him to run for governor – but only if he can pull his life back together. Frank also leaves him a razor blade, if he thinks everything is over. In the morning, a chastened Russo – now well and truly Frank's man – leaves the house, thanking his hosts.

Cast

Following is the list of billed cast.

Main

Recurring

Reception

The episode received positive reviews from critics. [1] [2] Ryan McGee of The A.V. Club said, "House Of Cards doesn't have a woman problem because we understand Frank and Peter better than we do Claire and Zoe at this point. But it does have a narrative problem when only 50% of its central storylines engage the audience on an emotional level." [3] He further said, "We don't need to know everything now. But we need a toehold, at least, to understand why we need to care about these two for the next eight hours and beyond." [3]

Notes

  1. "House of Cards (2013): Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  2. "Netflix's 'House of Cards' Earns Rave Reviews, CEO Reed Hastings Promises Hollywood Takeover". International Business Times . February 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  3. 1 2 McGee, Ryan (September 5, 2016). "House Of Cards: "Chapter 5"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved January 25, 2014.

Related Research Articles

<i>House of Cards</i> (British TV series) 1990 British television serial

House of Cards is a 1990 British political thriller television serial in four episodes, set after the end of Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was televised by the BBC from 18 November to 9 December 1990. Released to critical and popular acclaim for its writing, direction, and performances, it is considered one of the greatest British television shows ever made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Spacey</span> American actor (born 1959)

Kevin Spacey Fowler is an American actor. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two Laurence Olivier Awards. Spacey was named an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2015.

<i>House of Cards</i> (American TV series) American political drama TV series

House of Cards is an American political thriller television series created by Beau Willimon. It is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs and an adaptation of the 1990 British series of the same name by Andrew Davies, also from the novel. The first 13-episode season was released on February 1, 2013, on the streaming service Netflix. House of Cards is the first TV series to have been produced by a studio for Netflix.

"Chapter 1" is the pilot episode and the first episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama television series House of Cards. It premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix. This episode became the first streaming television webisode to earn Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations. "Chapter 1" was written by series developer Beau Willimon and directed by executive producer David Fincher. The episode also earned 3 other Emmy nominations as well as Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama and Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series nominations.

<i>House of Cards</i> season 1 Season of the American television drama series House of Cards

The first season of the American television drama series House of Cards premiered exclusively via Netflix's web streaming service on February 1, 2013. The season was produced by Media Rights Capital, and the executive producers are David Fincher, Kevin Spacey, Eric Roth, Joshua Donen, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, Michael Dobbs, John Melfi, and Beau Willimon.

<i>House of Cards</i> season 2 Season of the American television drama series House of Cards

The second season of the American television drama series House of Cards began filming a set of 13 episodes on April 29, 2013, and concluded on November 8. Filming occurred primarily in Baltimore. On December 4, 2013, Netflix announced that the season would be released in its entirety on February 14, 2014. Set in Washington, D.C., season two deals with topics such as entitlement reform, state-sponsored cyberespionage, money laundering in campaign finance, anthrax scares, sexual assault in the United States military, public opinion regarding abortion in the United States, parliamentary procedure of the United States Senate, and Federal government shutdowns. The plot picks back up where season one ends.

Frank Underwood (<i>House of Cards</i>) Fictional 46th president of the United States in House of Cards

Francis Joseph Underwood is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American adaptation of House of Cards, portrayed by Kevin Spacey. He is depicted as a ruthless politician who rises from United States House of Representatives majority whip to president of the United States through treachery, deception and murder. He is based on Francis Urquhart, the protagonist of the British novel and television series House of Cards, from which the American Netflix series is drawn. He is married to Claire Underwood, and also had a sexual relationship with Zoe Barnes in season 1. He made his first appearance in the series' pilot episode, "Chapter 1".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Underwood</span> Fictional character from House of Cards

Claire Underwood is a fictional character in House of Cards, played by Robin Wright. She is the wife of the show's protagonist Frank Underwood and the main protagonist in the final season. She is a lobbyist and runs an environmental nonprofit organization, but in later seasons ascends to the positions of Second Lady of the United States, First Lady of the United States, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Vice President of the United States, and finally the 47th President of the United States. Claire made her first appearance in the series' pilot episode, "Chapter 1". The character is based on Elizabeth Urquhart, a character from the eponymous British miniseries from which the current series is derived. Unlike the original character, however, Claire has her own storylines.

<i>House of Cards</i> season 4 Season of the American television drama series House of Cards

The fourth season of the American television drama series House of Cards was announced by Netflix via Twitter on April 2, 2015. Filming began on June 16, 2015. The season premiered on March 4, 2016.

<i>House of Cards</i> season 5 Season of the American television drama series House of Cards

The fifth season of House of Cards, an American political drama television series created by Beau Willimon for Netflix, was released on May 30, 2017. Frank Pugliese and Melissa James Gibson took over as showrunners in place of Willimon, who departed the series. The fifth season follows Frank and Claire Underwood and their attempt to win the 2016 presidential election against Republican Party nominee Will Conway. The Underwoods are also faced with mounting insubordination from staff and congressional colleagues as the threat of impeachment looms.

"Chapter 2" is the second episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama series House of Cards. Written by series creator Beau Willimon and directed by David Fincher, the episode premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix.

"Chapter 3" is the third episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama series House of Cards. Written by Keith Huff and series creator Beau Willimon, and directed by James Foley, the episode premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix.

"Chapter 4" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama series House of Cards. Written by Rick Cleveland and series creator Beau Willimon, and directed by James Foley, the episode premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix.

"Chapter 6" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama series House of Cards. Written by Sam Forman and directed by Joel Schumacher, the episode premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix.

"Chapter 7" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American political thriller drama series House of Cards. Written by Kate Barnow and series creator Beau Willimon, and directed by Charles McDougall, the episode premiered on February 1, 2013, when it was released along with the rest of the first season on the American streaming service Netflix.

<i>House of Cards</i> season 6 Season of the American television drama series House of Cards

The sixth and final season of House of Cards, an American political drama television series created by Beau Willimon for Netflix, was released on November 2, 2018. Frank Pugliese and Melissa James Gibson returned as showrunners for the final season. The sixth season continues the story of recently-inaugurated, Democratic president Claire Underwood, who faces new threats within and outside the White House following the death of her husband and former president Frank Underwood. Powerful elites, led by wealthy siblings Annette and Bill Shepherd, are attempting to manipulate and destroy her presidency, while Claire struggles to exert influence and escape her husband's shadow.

<i>The Washington Herald</i> (<i>House of Cards</i>) Fictional newspaper in the television series House of Cards

The Washington Herald is a fictional daily newspaper in the Netflix series House of Cards. The building and offices of The Baltimore Sun were used to film the newsroom. The Washington Herald is largely based on the actual The Washington Post. Another fictional newspaper in the series called The Wall Street Telegraph is largely based on the actual Wall Street Journal.