Recap of House of Cards: Season 6, Episode 5

I have trouble explaining the backtracking of Claire's childhood this season. Chapter 70 begins with another. This time, she is smoking outside a school. It's dark and she's all alone. Then, someone comes running to the outside shouting for her. Apparently, she was supposed to be part of the school play, but she strayed from her role for the gentle release and rebellion of a cigarette. In spite of the friend's calls to return and play, Claire takes off her suit, hands it to the friend and runs into the night. What it means or what these flashbacks are supposed to tell us about Claire is beyond me. These are excerpts from Claire's "training", I suppose, but they are at best superficial information.

Fortunately, backtracking is minimal and "Chapter 70" takes us back into Claire's controversial presidency. Things have only gotten worse since Cathy's memorial service. Claire was stuck in the residence for three consecutive weeks, refusing to leave. The press speculates that she is depressed – a picture of a Claire painted and tears in her eyes, a mascara all over her face, accompanies the wired news diagnosis – and Bill Shepherd goes on television to give a rare interview, which allows him to demolish the president and the agreement with Russia, which he considers as "a simple additional tax" on US companies.

Claire, however, was not totally MIA. She had time to pardon Doug Stamper, a small piece of information that is easy to miss because the episode quickly surpasses it after spending so much time talking about it. Anyway, with Claire staging, crying in the White House and telling Mark that she does not want to leave, the Shepherds are in panic mode. They meet Mark to discuss their options. Between coughs that prove his illness worsens, Bill suggests using the 25th amendment, which would allow them to remove Claire from office. He says that the wording that the president is "unfit" is vague enough that Claire's breakdown will certainly allow them to dismiss her. Mark is not happy to make such a radical and historic decision, but, as usual, he will do whatever the Shepherds ask him to do.

Here is the thing though: Claire anticipated these movements. She knew they would use the 25 on her, which means she has more than a few steps in front of them. She just has to be patient because she knows Bill Shepherd is becoming impatient. Indeed, during a game of poker with Mark and a group of former white guys with too much power and ego, they all discuss the importance of overthrowing Claire. All they have to do is write a letter and convince the House and the Senate to commit, which Mark seems to be able to do.

Meanwhile, Doug is not only always curious about Cathy's death, asking all kinds of personal questions to her husband, but he wants to know more about Frank's will. So he tracks down his shrink and sits quietly in his dark distant cabin until his return. He freaks at her, then hits him in the face, asking her to know what was in the will. The psychiatrist in no time, saying that although he has no more will, Frank "left him everything". You know that Doug is so happy that Frank did it. Now he is absolutely against Claire. He tells her that he thinks that Cathy Durant is still alive, but that he does not want her to continue her last episodes. (The recap continues on the next page)