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Chapter 5

Season 1 Chapter 5

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SeasonEpisode

15

Production number

Running time52 minutes

Original airdateFebruary 1, 2013

Nielsen rating

Written bySarah Treem

Directed byJoel Schumacher

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"Chapter 4""Chapter 6"

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Francis' fight over the Education Bill threatens Claire's own ambitions. Zoe mixes work and play.

Plot Summary[]

The episode opens on Zoe's apartment. She's lying on her bed and telling Frank about the job offers that she's getting (CBS correspondent, MSNBC) as well as Slugline, which "in six months will be what Politico was a year and a half ago". She also talks about Hammerschmidt, who fired her from the Washington Herald, and all the press that both he and she are getting. Frank drops her phone into a glass of water and promises two more phones, one for work and one for play.

When Frank returns to Claire, she asks about the reporter and Frank says that Zoe is a mouthpiece and can be controlled.

At Peter's office, Christina is packing up her stuff and leaving him, both in romance and employment.

Frank has a confrontation with Marty Spinella, the head lobbyist for the teacher's union, who is infuriated because Frank lied to him. Good quote: "I may have pushed him too far, which is worrisome. Friends make the worst enemies."

Zoe checks out Slugline headquarters.

A DNC meeting is held. Frank praises Patricia Whittaker, chair of the DNC, as being one of the few competent people around.

A friend of Peter Russo's, Paul Capra, comes into his office to ask him to stop the closing of the shipyard, 12,000 jobs. The promise that got him elected was that he would fight to keep the shipyard open. Since Peter can't say that he was forced by Frank to avoid testimony in defiance to the closing, the friend gets angry, saying that Peter isn't the person he used to be.

Marty Spinella is discussed at the Underwood's home by Frank and Doug. Frank thinks he's organizing a massive teacher's strike.

Claire is organizing the CWI Charity Gala. Remy had offered her $1,500,000 of SanCorp's funds for the Clean Water Initiative in Chapter 4, which she turned down because Frank said that Remy would then always be able to use it against him. Now Claire is having doubts because the gala is only raising half a million dollars. She calls Adam, who ignores the phone when he sees who is calling.

Margaret makes Tom sign a letter of resignation from the Herald for firing Zoe.

Marty gets enraged because the NEA backs away from a partnership with the American Organization of Teachers and Education.

At Zoe's apartment, Frank tells her that he doesn't think they can keep up their relations without protection. Zoe says that if he can't trust her, they shouldn't be doing it at all. To give him some kind of proof that she won't expose him, Zoe lets Frank take nude pictures of her.

Frank wants to run Peter for governor of Pennsylvania. Frank has to leave after a call from Claire reveals that the Hotel Cortesworth, at which Claire wants to have her gala won't let her in because the employees are unioned, courtesy of Marty Spinella. Frank goes to the hotel, to no avail, but Claire has a plan to have the gala right outside the hotel, and Frank gets his whole staff and manpower available. While the hotel and Marty resist, they can't lock the gates, or the residents at the hotel won't be able to get out, and the police are on their side. Marty gets a teacher's union protest for the gala for the CWI. Frank makes himself look good on camera by handing out food to the protestors (teachers choose ribs over rhetoric). When the couple gets home, Peter is on their doorstep, and he blames Frank for the heat coming from allowing the shipyard to close. When he is finished crying, Franks asks him if he's done, takes him to the bathroom and tells him that he, Frank, is the only person that still believes in Peter. Frank also hands Peter a razor blade, in case Peter wants to take the coward's way out.

Credits[]

The following characters appeared in this chapter.

Main Characters[]

Recurring Characters[]

Trivia[]

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Season 1 Episodes

101. "Chapter 1"
102. "Chapter 2"
103. "Chapter 3"
104. "Chapter 4"
105. "Chapter 5"

106. "Chapter 6"
107. "Chapter 7"
108. "Chapter 8"
109. "Chapter 9"
110. "Chapter 10"

111. "Chapter 11"
112. "Chapter 12"
113. "Chapter 13"

See also: S1S2S3S4S5S6
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