House of Cards (2013) s02e06 Episode Script
Chapter 19
We've got an energy crisis, Frank.
Now, what the White House needs to The President chose to remain tough on China.
No.
You forced him to.
You chose Feng.
You're the one who put me in a room with him.
The cook cam blame his ingredients if he doesn't like how they taste together.
If samarium prices don't reduce, the market will have no choice but to compensate.
That's bad for everyone who owns an air conditioner.
You should speak to the President himself.
Well, the President hasn't placed much value on my advice lately.
I'm in the same boat as you, Raymond.
Yeah, difference being you've got an office three doors down from the Oval.
Let's work together for Christ's sakes.
I'm willing to put Spotsylvania behind us if you are.
I want nothing more- Then you'll talk to him? Look, I'm late for a meeting, Raymond.
Yes or no, Frank? I can't guarantee he'll listen.
That's not a yes.
But it's better than a no.
Any pugilist worth his salt knows when someone's on the ropes, that's when you throw a combination to the gut and a left hook to the jaw.
Samarium is the last thing they'll let go of.
As long as our energy prices rise, they have the leverage.
Why don't we offer nothing? Move toward attrition.
If China doesn't show at the refunding auction, long-term interest rates will spike.
In a week, yields on our 10-year notes will pierce the 7% threshold.
Thai could happen.
But if we go soft now, that will happen.
You mean go on the offensive.
We should at least consider it.
The Chinese don't like carrots.
Let's see how they like the stick.
Well, what might that look like? We could raise inspection rates on foodstuffs.
Hold them in our ports till they rot.
How much of a raise? Bury the move with increased spot checks all the way around.
These sort of tactics don't solve the immediate problem.
People are paying triple the standard rate for electric.
We'll hit a five-fold increase by August.
What if you, Mr.
President, by executive order, purchase samarium through a third party? Cut the Chinese out.
Force them to either raise their prices worldwide or lower them to keep direct flow with us.
We stockpile samarium for defense purposes, of course, and quietly sell what we don't need to our friends in nuclear energy.
At a discount.
A subsidy for nuclear power? The richest of the rich? How's that gonna play? We're dealing with a national crisis.
We can't get sidetracked with public opinion.
It would show China we're willing to wait this out.
Do we have the resources? I'd have to run the numbers, anticipate fluctuations, consider different models Your best guess.
We do.
For a moderate stockpile.
All right, draw up a request from the Defense Department.
Yes, sir.
Linda, draft the executive order.
And Cathy, make sure we have a third-party conduit - to purchase the samarium.
- We'll go through India.
That won't fly well with Pakistan.
I'll alert them in advance.
As long as they're in the loop, we'll be all right.
Not that we owe them any favors.
All right.
Let's get to work.
Come on, Betsy.
Three additional counts under Section E? Three is low.
It reflects a narrow interpretation of criminal intent.
Your client broke into a data center.
What's the offer? I'm not doing a plea.
Let me handle this.
They don't want a trial.
The questions I'll be raising loud and clear in open court Lucas, please.
We have our own questions, Mr.
Goodwin.
For example, what were you doing with these? They were in your apartment.
Underwood took them.
Do you really expect a jury to believe that? He did.
They were having an affair Or are they gonna see them for what they are? Proof of your obsession with Ms.
Barnes and a ludicrous conspiracy you have concocted to explain her death.
Tell us what you're offering.
Your client pleads to one count under Section E for breaking into a data center, one count for fraud, for stealing the password from The Herald.
Ten years under Section E.
Ten years for fraud.
Served concurrently.
Eligible for parole in seven.
I'd like to speak to my client alone.
Cameras and recording equipment off, please.
I'll introduce the President.
Then he'll introduce you.
If he's there, we can't mention the military.
Just the endemic problem nationwide.
Of course.
I understand.
Good.
So we should go through these speeches and make sure that there's nothing Oh.
Hi, Mrs.
Underwood.
Hello, Christina.
Mrs.
Walker, you asked for me? We need to confirm whether the President's going to make it to New Orleans.
This Friday, correct? Yes.
But I know he had a cabinet meeting this morning, so I imagine I'll talk to Linda right away.
Thanks.
I know you want Garrett there, but with this energy crisis No.
It's not that.
What? I shouldn't say anything.
Well, now you have to tell me.
I've just never been very fond of her, Christina.
Why not? Peter Russo.
I just have a thing about women who sleep with their bosses.
Anyway, I'm sure whatever they had was genuine.
It's none of my business, 'cause if she's doing a good job, that's all that matters, right? Garrett seems to think she is.
Then I should just keep my feelings to myself.
So if the President is not able to be there, that could be a silver lining for us.
We won't have to hold back with the military.
Phone taps, video surveillance, premeditation, sustained intent.
They've got you cold.
If I plead out, that's it.
No one hears the truth.
If you don't plead, no one will hear you, period.
Not until you're in your 70s.
Have you talked to Hammerschmidt yet? You're in no position to make demands.
It's not up to you.
All you'll do is piss them off.
Look, we've got a good deal here.
A great deal, considering what you did.
You should take it before they change their mind.
Tom Hammerschmidt.
I talk to him, or we're going to trial.
Raise your arms, please.
You have something here? My neck chain.
May I see it? Really? I gotta take off my tie.
I need to see it, sir.
You're a good Christian' Remy.
My mother's.
She was the good Christian.
Well, then you're just the good son.
Thank you, sir.
Hot out there, huh? Ninety six, according to my car.
We had heat like that back in Gaffney, but we didn't know what air conditioning was, so we just accepted as fact that summer was meant to be miserable.
Neat or with water? Just the water.
You can hold the bourbon.
We need to find a solution so that this one isn't miserable for 300 million people.
I already have found a solution.
Please, Frank.
A samarium subsidy? Is that your skepticism or Raymond's? Mine, anticipating his.
So you haven't spoken to him yet.
I want to offer him something he can agree to.
Well, he doesn't have much of a choice.
Why are you cornering him? I'm cutting the rate by half.
I'd call that liberating him.
You know that's not how he'll see it.
This trade war is preventing the refinery from being approved in Beijing.
His co-venture with Feng is not our highest priority right now.
A rare earth refinery solves this crisis permanently.
Three years from now.
Not this summer.
It's not just that.
With the subsidy, he'll break even at best.
There's no point in doing business to hover between red and black.
Raymond's profits are an even lower priority to me than his co-venture.
Tell me what you're up to, Frank.
There's nothing to gain by locking horns with Tusk.
Ask your client.
it's Tusk who's locking the horns.
He's not a man who likes conflict.
Neither am I.
Then make the ask.
'Cause I know you don't care about the subsidy.
This is about something bigger.
I'm a good Christian, Remy, like your mother.
I would tell you the truth if I wanted more.
You trying to send a message? Perhaps.
Which is? That stubbornness is far more costly than obedience.
Thanks for the water.
You're on the wrong side, Remy.
Yeah, well, one of us sure is.
"And when the bumblebee flew home, "all his friends were waiting with buckets of honey.
" Right? And he's got his worm friend, and his mouse friend, and his spider friend, and his snail friend.
And they all had tons of honey.
And he looks happier now, right? Yeah! Yeah? "And so, they all buzzed with happiness.
"Because life is sweet when you spend it with your friends.
Right? Can you all buzz your wings? Buzz your little wings.
I think it would make a fluttering noise, like Like I don't know.
Your flutters? It's too hot out here for you to be doing this, Francis.
I'm keeping hydrated.
Is that even regulation? It's only half.
But I don't want the press to see me practicing on the street.
You remember when you threw out that first pitch in Greenville? I was wondering how long it was gonna take you to bring that up.
That wasn't even on national television.
Good luck.
Thank you.
What happened in Greenville? The Greenville Drive, Single-A team for the Red Sax.
It was a home game.
I get on the mound You threw from the mound? Well, I wanted to throw a real pitch.
Didn't make it? Not even close.
Halfway? Ball slipped out of my hand just before I released it.
Went straight up in the air.
Hit me on top of the head.
The whole stadium burst a gut laughing.
Comic relief pitcher.
That's very clever, Meechum.
Don't tell Claire.
I heard that.
You're really good with them.
Did you see Robbie when they were finger-painting? He pulled down his pants and started painting himself blue.
No.
Yeah.
Hope I got it all off.
I'm sure Alex and Daria don't care.
They let him run around naked all the time.
Yeah, but probably not with a Smurf ass.
What do we want to do for dinner tonight? I've got some leftover chicken, or we could order pizza.
Pizza.
No dishes.
Yeah.
I'm really sorry.
I totally forgot I've got a friend picking me up tonight.
I completely blanked.
That's fine.
I'm really sorry.
Don't sweat it.
Is it your boyfriend? No, no.
Just an old friend.
Can I meet him? Um, he's kind of shy.
I don't know if he'd be up for Totally cool.
Don't worry about it.
We'll just do dinner another night.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
You know where I'll be.
How long? Couple of months.
Why didn't you tell me? I can't go to church? Anywhere you interact with other people opens us up to risk.
I'm just supposed to slave away at the fucking call center and then lock myself in the apartment.
Don't get dramatic.
I like the fellowship.
Okay? There there's nothing to worry about there.
All it takes is one person's cousin to visit from Lynchburg.
Someone you went to school with or some client that you spent the night with.
Those guys would never end up here.
You don't know that.
Yeah.
I do.
You ended up here, didn't you? I can't live like this.
What? I can't live like this.
Yes, you can.
You're a strong girl.
That's it? That's everything? I know.
You've heard it before.
As a friend, Lucas.
Not as a reporter.
Now I dig.
I make the phone calls.
I do the legwork.
They treating you okay? It's fine.
That's not what I asked.
They're pushing the plea deal pretty hard.
How seriously are you considering it? I want to see how this article impacts things.
What does your lawyer say? He thinks that's a bad idea.
That I should take the plea.
Maybe you should listen to him.
No.
I want the article.
That I'm certain of.
All right.
I better get to it then.
Thank you.
You need to know, I'm gonna treat this the way I would any other story.
Whatever the facts bear.
You might not like what I write.
I get that.
I'll let you read it first.
Then you can decide.
That's all I'm asking.
Hang in there.
Can you wipe this off? Please? And the other nuclear providers are on board? Most.
Except Raymond Tusk's company.
Couple of others.
Lakeport Nuclear, Wolf Springs.
Now, I can't prove it, but I am absolutely sure they're colluding.
Raymond wants to embarrass me.
I offer a solution.
Nuclear lobby turns its back.
He has the right to refuse, Mr.
President.
What he cannot do is manipulate the energy market.
You want to put pressure on the distribution side.
More than pressure.
Ban vertical integration entirely.
We don't have that regulatory power.
We add an antitrust agreement to the Emergency Energy Bill.
We break up the regional supply and distribution monopolies, like the Bell System.
It'll be challenged immediately in the courts.
We don't need it to pass.
We just need to threaten him.
See if he falls into line.
Is there a way to do that without it making its way into the news? I don't want the world's wealthiest one percent on my phone sheet.
There is absolutely a way to do that, sir.
Here you go.
Crowded for a Tuesday night.
We keep it at 65 degrees, and it's free.
If you call 18 bucks for a vodka soda free.
Still cheaper than a Pepco bill.
Depends on how many you have? You trying to get us drunk? Drunker you are, bigger your tip.
I don't have to be drunk to appreciate good service.
I'll get your change.
No, you won't.
Thank you.
You're shameless.
Makes me a good lobbyist.
Cheers.
So, Jackie, bold move, but it won't work.
You know we can pass this amendment in a heartbeat.
Maybe, but no one'll comply.
It'll get overturned.
Big fuss for nothing.
It might get overturned, but it gets ink along the way.
One thing I learned about Raymond Tusk is he doesn't give two bird shits about public opinion.
His stockholders do.
They'd jump in a pit of snakes and light themselves on fire if he gave the word.
All I'm asking is that you convey our intentions.
Why me? Frank could easily pick up the phone.
You still call him Frank? Not to his face, which I try to keep to a minimum.
Don't you appreciate having an ear in the White House? I would if I had an ear.
But lately, all I've got is a mouth.
Yeah.
He's not the best listener, is he? Try working for him.
You were on his staff? Eight years, press secretary.
Before you joined Congress.
That explains a lot.
Like what? Like a lot.
I'll take that as an insult.
You should.
That's it? You're abandoning me? No, I'm buying the next round.
I can't accept gifts from lobbyists without reciprocating.
Plus, I'm a good wingman.
This gets you more face time with the barmaid.
You already got 'em ready? Your guys gave me the heads-up you were coming.
Well, I hope that they didn't wake you earlier than usual.
Fuck, man.
With this heat, I ain't sleeping much anyway.
What? No AC at home? Oh, I got a unit.
I just don't wanna pay the damn bill.
It's not too bad in here, all things considered.
That's 'cause we in the shade.
When you get outside a couple hours from now on that pavement, fry your damn dick off from three feet below.
Must be bad over that grill.
I can't tell the difference no more.
I tell you what, though, stuff goes down around here when the mercury pop 100.
Man who beat his wife at home will beat her right out on the street.
Brings out the animal in us.
It ain't no joke.
What used to wake me up? Gunshots.
Now you know what does? People fucking.
Meaning and screaming like goddamn cats in the alley.
You know what they say, "When you get hot and sweaty, it make you ripe and ready.
Hey-H I drank too much.
We both did.
Last night didn't happen.
I know.
When I walk out that door, it's business as usual.
No special treatment.
Don't worry.
You won't need a restraining order.
I'm surprised you didn't go for the waitress.
You're much sexier.
Yeah, okay.
She works for tips.
You run Congress.
Only half of it.
That's half more than she does.
So it's not my body.
Those legs don't hurt.
You're so full of shit.
Okay.
It's your voice.
My voice? Hmm.
It does something to me.
Let me know what Tusk has to say.
Business hasn't started.
You haven't walked out that door yet.
Watch me.
Thank you, Jackie.
We're going to the White House.
Littlejohn on the move.
We raise the bet.
We get FERC involved.
An investigation? We don't need Congress to activate the Regulatory Commission.
But a price-fixing review? That would take months.
Again, it's the threat, not the actuality.
He'll employ the same logic.
Draw it out.
Fight back with appeals.
But he'll have to divulge his accounting if FERC takes action.
Now, no businessman wants to open up his books, especially one with $43 billion.
This is getting out of hand, Frank.
We shouldn't be duking it out with Raymond.
Maybe we should talk to him.
That's exactly what he wants, to force himself back into the mix.
What's to be gained by shutting him out? The simple lesson that you cannot strong-arm the President of the United States.
We can't devolve to a pissing contest I'm gonna call Raymond.
Invite him to Washington.
He won't accept anything but total surrender.
I'm making the call.
Don't put yourself in that position.
I know how to maintain the integrity of my office.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Two minutes with the President, and Tusk may be back in his good graces.
I need to disrupt the nuptials and prevent a second marriage.
Christina? Good to see you.
Oh, please.
You look great.
Thank you.
How are things? Great.
Linda works me to the bone, but that's what I signed up for.
Well, from what I've heard, you're doing a great job.
That's really nice to hear.
Look, I wanted to talk to you about Tricia.
I'm sure you've noticed that she's still sort of adjusting to her role.
You mean her confidence? I think it would be great if you reached out to her.
Just let her know that you're there if there's anything she needs.
I don't really know her that well.
I mean, we've met, but I That's okay.
Maybe just tell her that you enjoy working for the President, and you're there to be of help to her in any way you can.
You don't think that's a little, I don't know, brash? How? For me to just approach her like that? No.
Not at all.
You've reached the Skorsky residence.
Leave a message after the beep.
Tom Hammerschmidt again.
Still trying to reach Janine.
Still important.
Thank you.
Hammerschmidt's been calling our press office all day.
I don't want a story to come out any more than you do.
We lose a major asset if it does.
Can you squash it for security reasons? Not once it's been shared with the press.
First Amendment crap.
Ward isn't making things any easier.
She wants a notch in her belt.
We're giving her one.
Not Goodwin.
She wants Orsay.
Most Wanted list for six years.
I'll handle Hammerschmidt.
You need to make sure Goodwin takes the plea.
If 35 with no parole doesn't scare the piss out of him, I don't know what will.
Then don't try to scare him.
Remove hope from the equation.
I tried to keep this contained.
I didn't anticipate Hammerschmidt.
Is Ms.
Skorsky cooperating with him? He's called her.
My guy at the Bureau said they haven't actually spoken.
At least not on the phone.
If this goes to court That won't happen, sir.
It will if he publishes.
I'm bringing this to you because I can't control Hammerschmidt.
I don't know what to do.
We need to invite a full-frontal attack.
Then hold the line.
You want to speak to him? Face to face.
Just the two of us.
I don't think that's a good idea, sir.
You have a better idea? No, sir.
We can't avoid the battle, but we can choose the battlefield.
Set up a meeting at the White House.
We'll intimidate him with formality.
Yes, sir.
Mr.
Vice President? I know you don't have patience for apologies, but I'm sorry if I've let you down in any way.
Let's concentrate on what's in front of us.
I'll let you know when I have a time set up.
Soon as possible.
Yes, sir.
So this is a sort of outline to the larger piece? With questions on the next page.
We're off the record.
Yes.
Off the record.
Now, Tom, I know that you care about this young man, and I respect you as a journalist.
But these questions? Why don't you just ask me when I stopped strangling people's pets? Sir, the death of Congressman Russo You mean, my friend, Peter Russo, whose suicide left two small children with no father.
No, I will not answer questions about that.
Yes? I'm aware of that.
No, tell her I'll call her right back.
Two minutes.
Secretary Durant.
I can wait outside No, let's finish.
Now, if you decide to print any of this, assuming you find an outlet that's willing to, then, yes, it might cause me a headache for a day.
But I will not engage.
And I think it will only prove to highlight how ridiculous Mr.
Goodwin's claims are.
I pity him.
I truly do.
I think he needs help.
I've interviewed many mentally ill people.
He's not one of them.
Well, I would suggest that you read your own article again.
He's distressed.
There's a difference.
Look, I understand.
It must be a terrible blow to see him in prison.
But, Tom Rachel Posner exists.
I haven't been able to find her, but I've proven she's not a fantasy.
The same goes for Roy Kapeniak.
These people were born.
They have Social Security numbers, past addresses And so does everyone from California to Maine.
Have I conspired with all of them? You have to admit there are some troubling details regarding the DUI.
You know, people say the same thing about Area 51.
You can conjure up little gray men if you really want to.
Did you kill Peter Russo? Tom, you 're embarrassing yourself.
Did you kill Zoe Barnes? I've given you more time than this nonsense deserves.
I have to ask these questions.
Well, the only question I would ask is does this sort of article hurt or help Mr.
Goodwin? You have to do what you think is right.
But I hope you can understand if I don't demean myself by taking any of it seriously.
I appreciate your time, Mr.
Vice President.
How did it go? I did my part.
Now put it to bed, Doug.
I won't submit myself to this sort of exposure again.
Yes, sir.
Has Tusk met with the President yet? Linda said they're meeting at 4:30.
Call Remy.
Make sure he doesn't get on his plane before I see him.
I'm on it.
Oh, Mrs.
Walker? I just wanted to say how rewarding it's been, working here in the West Wing.
And I'm so proud to be working for your husband.
Thank you.
I know he appreciates all your hard work.
Well, now that I'm working so closely with him, if there's anything I can do for you, anything that would make yours or his life easier Just keep doing what you're doing.
Truly, anything.
I want you to know you can rely on me, both of you.
I know that.
Thank you, Christina.
Thanks, Mrs.
Walker.
Here.
Let me.
It's just my hands.
Are they bothering you? Yeah.
Probably gonna get rain tonight.
I'll get it.
Um, no.
Just keep the broth moving.
Agent Green, FBI.
Do you have a moment, Ms.
Skorsky? Yeah.
I May we come in? I just need to turn the stove off.
Stay in here, Mom.
Who is it? Just stay in here.
Only that once? And I haven't seen him since or returned his calls.
How many times has he tried to call you? I don't know.
Eight or nine times, maybe.
And then he stopped after a while.
Did he mention anything about HEROnymous Bot or Gavin Orsay? You know, I think I should talk to a lawyer.
Right now, you're not suspected of being an accomplice.
If you call a lawyer, we might have to reconsider.
He mentioned some hacker.
HEROnymous.
I told him I thought it was a bad idea to contact him.
Are you aware of what he's claiming? No.
That you and he were working together.
That you believe in this conspiracy theory.
That it was you who received explicit photos of Ms.
Barnes.
Is any of that true? We need you to come back to D.
C.
with us and sign this statement in the presence of the US Attorney.
You want me to call him a liar.
Isn't he? I can't do that to him.
We also need you to speak with Tom Hammerschmidt.
You know what? Please, can you just keep me out of this? I had nothing to do with the hacker or the Ms.
Skorsky, we want to believe you, and we will if you put all of it in writing.
He's not a criminal.
You're going after the wrong person.
And if you think that you can intimidate me, harass me like this in my own home, I will file a formal complaint You're starting to sound an awful lot like him.
You can't arrest me.
I haven't done anything.
I'd like you 10 leave.
I have a right to legal counsel, and you haven't presented a warrant.
We can arrest you, Ms.
Skorsky, for abetting an act of cyber terrorism.
Who's going to take care of your mother while you're spending the next three years in courtrooms? Would you please raise your arms? No, Meechum.
Sir Meechum.
I know you don't want to shake my hand, so we'll just skip that part.
The President didn't mention anything about ii.
Why would he? Better to catch you off-guard.
Then why would you? So we can avoid unnecessary conflict.
Garrett's not a good liar.
The gift of a good liar is making people think you lack a talent for lying.
I know him far better than you, and so I know what talents he has and lacks.
But let's assume he did lie.
I'm not intimidated by a FERC investigation.
You'd have grid overload and brownouts before you could even get a hearing.
You are deliberately keeping electric prices at inflated rates, which is illegal.
No.
I'm responding to free market.
A regulated free market.
Why are you doing this, Frank? Remy asked me the same thing.
You're making this about me.
This isn't personal, Raymond.
The integrity of our energy markets is my only concern.
Of course it's personal.
I asked you personally to convince Garrett to pull back from China.
You personally chose not to.
You personally sabotaged the summit.
And you advised the Cabinet I've never once in my career to push me up against the wall allowed personal feelings to Do not try and spin me, Frank.
Lam too old to tango.
Then I'll be blunt.
Accept the subsidies or deal with FERC.
There is no third way here.
Are you intentionally trying to destroy the President? I'm trying to protect the President from you.
This is about the Secretary of State nomination, isn't it? I'm the Vice President now, Raymond.
I don't cry over what happened in kindergarten.
You're Vice President because I vouched for you.
Because you had no other options.
Political necessity.
You have 24 hours to decide.
I'll show myself out.
Hello.
Raymond, this is Claire.
Mrs.
Underwood, it is an honor.
Jean, my wife, has been very taken with your recent efforts.
Well, I'd like to meet her one day.
She would very much like that, I'm sure.
And what about you? I'm sorry? What are your thoughts about our recent efforts? I am in favor of anything that prevents unnecessary violence.
It was nice to meet you, Mrs.
Underwood.
And good luck with that first pitch tonight, Mr.
Vice President.
Make it to the plate this time.
Ma'am.
This Kevlar is cooking me.
We have to use it, sir.
Well, I didn't practice with it, and now I can hardly rotate my arm.
I should have mentioned it.
I apologize.
If this ball doesn't make it over the plate, it's your ass.
And what are you doing here? Don't you have things to do? Never been to Camden Yards.
Ladies and gentlemen, hereto throw out the first pitch tonight, we are honored to introduce the Vice President of the United States, Frank Underwood.
Boss, boss.
Meechum's ball.
Thank you very much.
Where's the mascot? Beautifully done.
Good evening.
Now I know it's a hot night, and you all want to get to the baseball.
So as soon as I throw this sucker, grab a drink, enjoy the game, and best of luck to both teams.
Scratch that.
We're at Camden Yards.
Go, Orioles! Let's go! Move! Go, go! I'm told the distribution line that controls the pinch point caused the outages.
BAPCO, one of your companies.
Yes, sir.
There was a capacity issue.
We're working as quickly as we can to resolve it.
I've got three governors calling.
Hospitals on emergency power.
So quickly better mean quickly.
The latest estimate I got was two to three hours, maybe sooner.
Raymond, was this intentional? Sir, I know you don't hold me in the highest regard at the moment.
But I am alarmed that you could even entertain such a thought.
Yeah, well, the timing makes coincidence hard to swallow.
There is a heat wave.
That always pushes the grid to its limits.
All right, let's get the people out of the dark.
Updates every 30 minutes on your progress.
I should inform you, sir, that I may need to take two of my plants offline tomorrow for unscheduled maintenance.
Why? Which ones? Georgia and Tennessee.
This blackout has put a great deal of stress on them.
My engineers are concerned about the seals on the fuel rods.
So we're looking at outages on the southeast grid, too? Could be.
For a few days.
No, that's unacceptable.
Safety comes first.
We don't want an accident.
All right, let's get a full report to Linda, ASAP.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
He's toying with you.
No, this could be a legitimate safety issue.
He wants a seat back at the table.
Those plants are fine.
Why is he doing this? We've had our differences, but something drastic like this? Well, I did tell him about the possible FERC action.
You did what? Well, he called me.
I answered the call.
Why didn't you inform me immediately? He told me you had a productive talk.
That he was on board with the subsidy.
I assumed everything was fine.
He was proposing renewed trade talks.
We didn't talk about the subsidy at all.
He's playing both of us then.
If he told you he was on board, why'd you bring up FERC? I told him I was relieved.
That we could have taken action if he didn't comply.
You think he's fishing? To see what our next move might be? I think so, sir.
I mean, he is lying about those two plants in the south.
Well, we can't guess.
We have to be certain.
Well, do you want Raymond Tusk to assess that risk? Or the United States government? Are you suggesting we take over his facilities? There is precedent there.
Woodrow Wilson did it with the rail roads for three full years.
In a time of war.
In a time of emergency, which is what this is.
The country needs a leader, Mr.
President.
Give them one.
Do not bend to Raymond Tusk.
I'm done.
I said you might not like it.
It makes me seem crazy.
This is the most toned-down version.
I tried to be as kind as I could without being biased.
I don't think you want this going out into the world.
Can I talk to Janine? Tel! him to go.
He wants you to leave.
You ed.
Lucas You lied to Tom.
You lied to the US Attorney.
I didn't knew what else to do.
Tet! the truth.
They'll arrest me.
They'll discredit everything I say.
And nobody is going to believe me more than they believe you.
But we can get the story out there.
Get people asking questions.
No.
It'll just look like two crazy people instead of one.
So you're saving yourself.
I'm trying to save the both of us.
Please.
Take the plea.
I'm not guilty.
You are.
You committed a crime, multiple crimes.
Not murder.
Take the plea.
Be good.
Get out early.
Everybody's fucked me.
If I was trying to fuck you, I wouldn't be here.
He's gonna get away with it, isn't he? Yes.
He is.
Take an iced tea if you have any.
We don't.
I wish I didn't have to keep coming through back doors like this.
Well, we wouldn't want our friends in the fourth estate to know you were here, would we? Especially, since you've gone to such lengths to remain above the fray of politics.
You can't seize the plants, Frank.
We haven't seized anything yet.
We're ready to, but we won't if you cooperate.
It's illegal.
It's not.
You know that.
The President can issue an executive order in times of emergency.
I'll fight it in court.
Which will take even longer than a FERC investigation would.
And in the meantime, you make nothing from those plants.
We agreed.
Right here in this room, we agreed to work together.
We agreed as men of our word.
And I held up my end of that bargain until you abandoned me on the bill I sent Remy to help you.
After I got it passed through the Senate with no help from you.
I had to protect my relationship with the President.
And then you tried to use me during the summit in Spotsylvania.
I was not put on this earth to be your best friend or to share every piece of information I have with you.
We agreed to a mutually beneficial partnership.
That's all.
Yes, and what's become very clear to me is that I benefit in no way from this partnership.
Let's not pretend to be naive.
We both respect self-interest above all else.
Our versions of that no longer align.
You are on the verge of making an irreversible mistake, Mr.
Vice President.
I may well be making a mistake.
Who knows? What I do know is that you'll be calling Linda and telling her that you'll accept the subsidies.
You may have all the money, Raymond, but I have all the men with guns.
It's a burner, pre-dialed.
She's expecting.
And yes, from last night.
"The hall's in your court," as they say.
Jesus Christ.
You scared the shit out of me.
Are you supposed to take the Lord's name in vain like that? Leave it on.
It costs too much.
I'll take care of it.
Goodwin took the plea.
He's going away.
So does that mean this is all over? No.
We still have to be careful.
But why? If he's gone, then nobody's looking for me, right? Not that we know of.
Until we know, nothing changes.
So what, you just came over here to get my hopes up? I came here to make sure that you don't go to church tonight.
Do you want to fuck me? Is that what this is all about? No.
You've done it before.
That was different.
Stop it.
If there's one thing I know, it's when a man wants me.
I learned who Rachel was in church.
She was young and beautiful.
Jacob fell in love with her while she was watering a lamb.
And she became his wife after he worked seven years to earn her hand in marriage.
Rachel had one son, Joseph.
He became a king.
Are you hungry?
Now, what the White House needs to The President chose to remain tough on China.
No.
You forced him to.
You chose Feng.
You're the one who put me in a room with him.
The cook cam blame his ingredients if he doesn't like how they taste together.
If samarium prices don't reduce, the market will have no choice but to compensate.
That's bad for everyone who owns an air conditioner.
You should speak to the President himself.
Well, the President hasn't placed much value on my advice lately.
I'm in the same boat as you, Raymond.
Yeah, difference being you've got an office three doors down from the Oval.
Let's work together for Christ's sakes.
I'm willing to put Spotsylvania behind us if you are.
I want nothing more- Then you'll talk to him? Look, I'm late for a meeting, Raymond.
Yes or no, Frank? I can't guarantee he'll listen.
That's not a yes.
But it's better than a no.
Any pugilist worth his salt knows when someone's on the ropes, that's when you throw a combination to the gut and a left hook to the jaw.
Samarium is the last thing they'll let go of.
As long as our energy prices rise, they have the leverage.
Why don't we offer nothing? Move toward attrition.
If China doesn't show at the refunding auction, long-term interest rates will spike.
In a week, yields on our 10-year notes will pierce the 7% threshold.
Thai could happen.
But if we go soft now, that will happen.
You mean go on the offensive.
We should at least consider it.
The Chinese don't like carrots.
Let's see how they like the stick.
Well, what might that look like? We could raise inspection rates on foodstuffs.
Hold them in our ports till they rot.
How much of a raise? Bury the move with increased spot checks all the way around.
These sort of tactics don't solve the immediate problem.
People are paying triple the standard rate for electric.
We'll hit a five-fold increase by August.
What if you, Mr.
President, by executive order, purchase samarium through a third party? Cut the Chinese out.
Force them to either raise their prices worldwide or lower them to keep direct flow with us.
We stockpile samarium for defense purposes, of course, and quietly sell what we don't need to our friends in nuclear energy.
At a discount.
A subsidy for nuclear power? The richest of the rich? How's that gonna play? We're dealing with a national crisis.
We can't get sidetracked with public opinion.
It would show China we're willing to wait this out.
Do we have the resources? I'd have to run the numbers, anticipate fluctuations, consider different models Your best guess.
We do.
For a moderate stockpile.
All right, draw up a request from the Defense Department.
Yes, sir.
Linda, draft the executive order.
And Cathy, make sure we have a third-party conduit - to purchase the samarium.
- We'll go through India.
That won't fly well with Pakistan.
I'll alert them in advance.
As long as they're in the loop, we'll be all right.
Not that we owe them any favors.
All right.
Let's get to work.
Come on, Betsy.
Three additional counts under Section E? Three is low.
It reflects a narrow interpretation of criminal intent.
Your client broke into a data center.
What's the offer? I'm not doing a plea.
Let me handle this.
They don't want a trial.
The questions I'll be raising loud and clear in open court Lucas, please.
We have our own questions, Mr.
Goodwin.
For example, what were you doing with these? They were in your apartment.
Underwood took them.
Do you really expect a jury to believe that? He did.
They were having an affair Or are they gonna see them for what they are? Proof of your obsession with Ms.
Barnes and a ludicrous conspiracy you have concocted to explain her death.
Tell us what you're offering.
Your client pleads to one count under Section E for breaking into a data center, one count for fraud, for stealing the password from The Herald.
Ten years under Section E.
Ten years for fraud.
Served concurrently.
Eligible for parole in seven.
I'd like to speak to my client alone.
Cameras and recording equipment off, please.
I'll introduce the President.
Then he'll introduce you.
If he's there, we can't mention the military.
Just the endemic problem nationwide.
Of course.
I understand.
Good.
So we should go through these speeches and make sure that there's nothing Oh.
Hi, Mrs.
Underwood.
Hello, Christina.
Mrs.
Walker, you asked for me? We need to confirm whether the President's going to make it to New Orleans.
This Friday, correct? Yes.
But I know he had a cabinet meeting this morning, so I imagine I'll talk to Linda right away.
Thanks.
I know you want Garrett there, but with this energy crisis No.
It's not that.
What? I shouldn't say anything.
Well, now you have to tell me.
I've just never been very fond of her, Christina.
Why not? Peter Russo.
I just have a thing about women who sleep with their bosses.
Anyway, I'm sure whatever they had was genuine.
It's none of my business, 'cause if she's doing a good job, that's all that matters, right? Garrett seems to think she is.
Then I should just keep my feelings to myself.
So if the President is not able to be there, that could be a silver lining for us.
We won't have to hold back with the military.
Phone taps, video surveillance, premeditation, sustained intent.
They've got you cold.
If I plead out, that's it.
No one hears the truth.
If you don't plead, no one will hear you, period.
Not until you're in your 70s.
Have you talked to Hammerschmidt yet? You're in no position to make demands.
It's not up to you.
All you'll do is piss them off.
Look, we've got a good deal here.
A great deal, considering what you did.
You should take it before they change their mind.
Tom Hammerschmidt.
I talk to him, or we're going to trial.
Raise your arms, please.
You have something here? My neck chain.
May I see it? Really? I gotta take off my tie.
I need to see it, sir.
You're a good Christian' Remy.
My mother's.
She was the good Christian.
Well, then you're just the good son.
Thank you, sir.
Hot out there, huh? Ninety six, according to my car.
We had heat like that back in Gaffney, but we didn't know what air conditioning was, so we just accepted as fact that summer was meant to be miserable.
Neat or with water? Just the water.
You can hold the bourbon.
We need to find a solution so that this one isn't miserable for 300 million people.
I already have found a solution.
Please, Frank.
A samarium subsidy? Is that your skepticism or Raymond's? Mine, anticipating his.
So you haven't spoken to him yet.
I want to offer him something he can agree to.
Well, he doesn't have much of a choice.
Why are you cornering him? I'm cutting the rate by half.
I'd call that liberating him.
You know that's not how he'll see it.
This trade war is preventing the refinery from being approved in Beijing.
His co-venture with Feng is not our highest priority right now.
A rare earth refinery solves this crisis permanently.
Three years from now.
Not this summer.
It's not just that.
With the subsidy, he'll break even at best.
There's no point in doing business to hover between red and black.
Raymond's profits are an even lower priority to me than his co-venture.
Tell me what you're up to, Frank.
There's nothing to gain by locking horns with Tusk.
Ask your client.
it's Tusk who's locking the horns.
He's not a man who likes conflict.
Neither am I.
Then make the ask.
'Cause I know you don't care about the subsidy.
This is about something bigger.
I'm a good Christian, Remy, like your mother.
I would tell you the truth if I wanted more.
You trying to send a message? Perhaps.
Which is? That stubbornness is far more costly than obedience.
Thanks for the water.
You're on the wrong side, Remy.
Yeah, well, one of us sure is.
"And when the bumblebee flew home, "all his friends were waiting with buckets of honey.
" Right? And he's got his worm friend, and his mouse friend, and his spider friend, and his snail friend.
And they all had tons of honey.
And he looks happier now, right? Yeah! Yeah? "And so, they all buzzed with happiness.
"Because life is sweet when you spend it with your friends.
Right? Can you all buzz your wings? Buzz your little wings.
I think it would make a fluttering noise, like Like I don't know.
Your flutters? It's too hot out here for you to be doing this, Francis.
I'm keeping hydrated.
Is that even regulation? It's only half.
But I don't want the press to see me practicing on the street.
You remember when you threw out that first pitch in Greenville? I was wondering how long it was gonna take you to bring that up.
That wasn't even on national television.
Good luck.
Thank you.
What happened in Greenville? The Greenville Drive, Single-A team for the Red Sax.
It was a home game.
I get on the mound You threw from the mound? Well, I wanted to throw a real pitch.
Didn't make it? Not even close.
Halfway? Ball slipped out of my hand just before I released it.
Went straight up in the air.
Hit me on top of the head.
The whole stadium burst a gut laughing.
Comic relief pitcher.
That's very clever, Meechum.
Don't tell Claire.
I heard that.
You're really good with them.
Did you see Robbie when they were finger-painting? He pulled down his pants and started painting himself blue.
No.
Yeah.
Hope I got it all off.
I'm sure Alex and Daria don't care.
They let him run around naked all the time.
Yeah, but probably not with a Smurf ass.
What do we want to do for dinner tonight? I've got some leftover chicken, or we could order pizza.
Pizza.
No dishes.
Yeah.
I'm really sorry.
I totally forgot I've got a friend picking me up tonight.
I completely blanked.
That's fine.
I'm really sorry.
Don't sweat it.
Is it your boyfriend? No, no.
Just an old friend.
Can I meet him? Um, he's kind of shy.
I don't know if he'd be up for Totally cool.
Don't worry about it.
We'll just do dinner another night.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
You know where I'll be.
How long? Couple of months.
Why didn't you tell me? I can't go to church? Anywhere you interact with other people opens us up to risk.
I'm just supposed to slave away at the fucking call center and then lock myself in the apartment.
Don't get dramatic.
I like the fellowship.
Okay? There there's nothing to worry about there.
All it takes is one person's cousin to visit from Lynchburg.
Someone you went to school with or some client that you spent the night with.
Those guys would never end up here.
You don't know that.
Yeah.
I do.
You ended up here, didn't you? I can't live like this.
What? I can't live like this.
Yes, you can.
You're a strong girl.
That's it? That's everything? I know.
You've heard it before.
As a friend, Lucas.
Not as a reporter.
Now I dig.
I make the phone calls.
I do the legwork.
They treating you okay? It's fine.
That's not what I asked.
They're pushing the plea deal pretty hard.
How seriously are you considering it? I want to see how this article impacts things.
What does your lawyer say? He thinks that's a bad idea.
That I should take the plea.
Maybe you should listen to him.
No.
I want the article.
That I'm certain of.
All right.
I better get to it then.
Thank you.
You need to know, I'm gonna treat this the way I would any other story.
Whatever the facts bear.
You might not like what I write.
I get that.
I'll let you read it first.
Then you can decide.
That's all I'm asking.
Hang in there.
Can you wipe this off? Please? And the other nuclear providers are on board? Most.
Except Raymond Tusk's company.
Couple of others.
Lakeport Nuclear, Wolf Springs.
Now, I can't prove it, but I am absolutely sure they're colluding.
Raymond wants to embarrass me.
I offer a solution.
Nuclear lobby turns its back.
He has the right to refuse, Mr.
President.
What he cannot do is manipulate the energy market.
You want to put pressure on the distribution side.
More than pressure.
Ban vertical integration entirely.
We don't have that regulatory power.
We add an antitrust agreement to the Emergency Energy Bill.
We break up the regional supply and distribution monopolies, like the Bell System.
It'll be challenged immediately in the courts.
We don't need it to pass.
We just need to threaten him.
See if he falls into line.
Is there a way to do that without it making its way into the news? I don't want the world's wealthiest one percent on my phone sheet.
There is absolutely a way to do that, sir.
Here you go.
Crowded for a Tuesday night.
We keep it at 65 degrees, and it's free.
If you call 18 bucks for a vodka soda free.
Still cheaper than a Pepco bill.
Depends on how many you have? You trying to get us drunk? Drunker you are, bigger your tip.
I don't have to be drunk to appreciate good service.
I'll get your change.
No, you won't.
Thank you.
You're shameless.
Makes me a good lobbyist.
Cheers.
So, Jackie, bold move, but it won't work.
You know we can pass this amendment in a heartbeat.
Maybe, but no one'll comply.
It'll get overturned.
Big fuss for nothing.
It might get overturned, but it gets ink along the way.
One thing I learned about Raymond Tusk is he doesn't give two bird shits about public opinion.
His stockholders do.
They'd jump in a pit of snakes and light themselves on fire if he gave the word.
All I'm asking is that you convey our intentions.
Why me? Frank could easily pick up the phone.
You still call him Frank? Not to his face, which I try to keep to a minimum.
Don't you appreciate having an ear in the White House? I would if I had an ear.
But lately, all I've got is a mouth.
Yeah.
He's not the best listener, is he? Try working for him.
You were on his staff? Eight years, press secretary.
Before you joined Congress.
That explains a lot.
Like what? Like a lot.
I'll take that as an insult.
You should.
That's it? You're abandoning me? No, I'm buying the next round.
I can't accept gifts from lobbyists without reciprocating.
Plus, I'm a good wingman.
This gets you more face time with the barmaid.
You already got 'em ready? Your guys gave me the heads-up you were coming.
Well, I hope that they didn't wake you earlier than usual.
Fuck, man.
With this heat, I ain't sleeping much anyway.
What? No AC at home? Oh, I got a unit.
I just don't wanna pay the damn bill.
It's not too bad in here, all things considered.
That's 'cause we in the shade.
When you get outside a couple hours from now on that pavement, fry your damn dick off from three feet below.
Must be bad over that grill.
I can't tell the difference no more.
I tell you what, though, stuff goes down around here when the mercury pop 100.
Man who beat his wife at home will beat her right out on the street.
Brings out the animal in us.
It ain't no joke.
What used to wake me up? Gunshots.
Now you know what does? People fucking.
Meaning and screaming like goddamn cats in the alley.
You know what they say, "When you get hot and sweaty, it make you ripe and ready.
Hey-H I drank too much.
We both did.
Last night didn't happen.
I know.
When I walk out that door, it's business as usual.
No special treatment.
Don't worry.
You won't need a restraining order.
I'm surprised you didn't go for the waitress.
You're much sexier.
Yeah, okay.
She works for tips.
You run Congress.
Only half of it.
That's half more than she does.
So it's not my body.
Those legs don't hurt.
You're so full of shit.
Okay.
It's your voice.
My voice? Hmm.
It does something to me.
Let me know what Tusk has to say.
Business hasn't started.
You haven't walked out that door yet.
Watch me.
Thank you, Jackie.
We're going to the White House.
Littlejohn on the move.
We raise the bet.
We get FERC involved.
An investigation? We don't need Congress to activate the Regulatory Commission.
But a price-fixing review? That would take months.
Again, it's the threat, not the actuality.
He'll employ the same logic.
Draw it out.
Fight back with appeals.
But he'll have to divulge his accounting if FERC takes action.
Now, no businessman wants to open up his books, especially one with $43 billion.
This is getting out of hand, Frank.
We shouldn't be duking it out with Raymond.
Maybe we should talk to him.
That's exactly what he wants, to force himself back into the mix.
What's to be gained by shutting him out? The simple lesson that you cannot strong-arm the President of the United States.
We can't devolve to a pissing contest I'm gonna call Raymond.
Invite him to Washington.
He won't accept anything but total surrender.
I'm making the call.
Don't put yourself in that position.
I know how to maintain the integrity of my office.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Two minutes with the President, and Tusk may be back in his good graces.
I need to disrupt the nuptials and prevent a second marriage.
Christina? Good to see you.
Oh, please.
You look great.
Thank you.
How are things? Great.
Linda works me to the bone, but that's what I signed up for.
Well, from what I've heard, you're doing a great job.
That's really nice to hear.
Look, I wanted to talk to you about Tricia.
I'm sure you've noticed that she's still sort of adjusting to her role.
You mean her confidence? I think it would be great if you reached out to her.
Just let her know that you're there if there's anything she needs.
I don't really know her that well.
I mean, we've met, but I That's okay.
Maybe just tell her that you enjoy working for the President, and you're there to be of help to her in any way you can.
You don't think that's a little, I don't know, brash? How? For me to just approach her like that? No.
Not at all.
You've reached the Skorsky residence.
Leave a message after the beep.
Tom Hammerschmidt again.
Still trying to reach Janine.
Still important.
Thank you.
Hammerschmidt's been calling our press office all day.
I don't want a story to come out any more than you do.
We lose a major asset if it does.
Can you squash it for security reasons? Not once it's been shared with the press.
First Amendment crap.
Ward isn't making things any easier.
She wants a notch in her belt.
We're giving her one.
Not Goodwin.
She wants Orsay.
Most Wanted list for six years.
I'll handle Hammerschmidt.
You need to make sure Goodwin takes the plea.
If 35 with no parole doesn't scare the piss out of him, I don't know what will.
Then don't try to scare him.
Remove hope from the equation.
I tried to keep this contained.
I didn't anticipate Hammerschmidt.
Is Ms.
Skorsky cooperating with him? He's called her.
My guy at the Bureau said they haven't actually spoken.
At least not on the phone.
If this goes to court That won't happen, sir.
It will if he publishes.
I'm bringing this to you because I can't control Hammerschmidt.
I don't know what to do.
We need to invite a full-frontal attack.
Then hold the line.
You want to speak to him? Face to face.
Just the two of us.
I don't think that's a good idea, sir.
You have a better idea? No, sir.
We can't avoid the battle, but we can choose the battlefield.
Set up a meeting at the White House.
We'll intimidate him with formality.
Yes, sir.
Mr.
Vice President? I know you don't have patience for apologies, but I'm sorry if I've let you down in any way.
Let's concentrate on what's in front of us.
I'll let you know when I have a time set up.
Soon as possible.
Yes, sir.
So this is a sort of outline to the larger piece? With questions on the next page.
We're off the record.
Yes.
Off the record.
Now, Tom, I know that you care about this young man, and I respect you as a journalist.
But these questions? Why don't you just ask me when I stopped strangling people's pets? Sir, the death of Congressman Russo You mean, my friend, Peter Russo, whose suicide left two small children with no father.
No, I will not answer questions about that.
Yes? I'm aware of that.
No, tell her I'll call her right back.
Two minutes.
Secretary Durant.
I can wait outside No, let's finish.
Now, if you decide to print any of this, assuming you find an outlet that's willing to, then, yes, it might cause me a headache for a day.
But I will not engage.
And I think it will only prove to highlight how ridiculous Mr.
Goodwin's claims are.
I pity him.
I truly do.
I think he needs help.
I've interviewed many mentally ill people.
He's not one of them.
Well, I would suggest that you read your own article again.
He's distressed.
There's a difference.
Look, I understand.
It must be a terrible blow to see him in prison.
But, Tom Rachel Posner exists.
I haven't been able to find her, but I've proven she's not a fantasy.
The same goes for Roy Kapeniak.
These people were born.
They have Social Security numbers, past addresses And so does everyone from California to Maine.
Have I conspired with all of them? You have to admit there are some troubling details regarding the DUI.
You know, people say the same thing about Area 51.
You can conjure up little gray men if you really want to.
Did you kill Peter Russo? Tom, you 're embarrassing yourself.
Did you kill Zoe Barnes? I've given you more time than this nonsense deserves.
I have to ask these questions.
Well, the only question I would ask is does this sort of article hurt or help Mr.
Goodwin? You have to do what you think is right.
But I hope you can understand if I don't demean myself by taking any of it seriously.
I appreciate your time, Mr.
Vice President.
How did it go? I did my part.
Now put it to bed, Doug.
I won't submit myself to this sort of exposure again.
Yes, sir.
Has Tusk met with the President yet? Linda said they're meeting at 4:30.
Call Remy.
Make sure he doesn't get on his plane before I see him.
I'm on it.
Oh, Mrs.
Walker? I just wanted to say how rewarding it's been, working here in the West Wing.
And I'm so proud to be working for your husband.
Thank you.
I know he appreciates all your hard work.
Well, now that I'm working so closely with him, if there's anything I can do for you, anything that would make yours or his life easier Just keep doing what you're doing.
Truly, anything.
I want you to know you can rely on me, both of you.
I know that.
Thank you, Christina.
Thanks, Mrs.
Walker.
Here.
Let me.
It's just my hands.
Are they bothering you? Yeah.
Probably gonna get rain tonight.
I'll get it.
Um, no.
Just keep the broth moving.
Agent Green, FBI.
Do you have a moment, Ms.
Skorsky? Yeah.
I May we come in? I just need to turn the stove off.
Stay in here, Mom.
Who is it? Just stay in here.
Only that once? And I haven't seen him since or returned his calls.
How many times has he tried to call you? I don't know.
Eight or nine times, maybe.
And then he stopped after a while.
Did he mention anything about HEROnymous Bot or Gavin Orsay? You know, I think I should talk to a lawyer.
Right now, you're not suspected of being an accomplice.
If you call a lawyer, we might have to reconsider.
He mentioned some hacker.
HEROnymous.
I told him I thought it was a bad idea to contact him.
Are you aware of what he's claiming? No.
That you and he were working together.
That you believe in this conspiracy theory.
That it was you who received explicit photos of Ms.
Barnes.
Is any of that true? We need you to come back to D.
C.
with us and sign this statement in the presence of the US Attorney.
You want me to call him a liar.
Isn't he? I can't do that to him.
We also need you to speak with Tom Hammerschmidt.
You know what? Please, can you just keep me out of this? I had nothing to do with the hacker or the Ms.
Skorsky, we want to believe you, and we will if you put all of it in writing.
He's not a criminal.
You're going after the wrong person.
And if you think that you can intimidate me, harass me like this in my own home, I will file a formal complaint You're starting to sound an awful lot like him.
You can't arrest me.
I haven't done anything.
I'd like you 10 leave.
I have a right to legal counsel, and you haven't presented a warrant.
We can arrest you, Ms.
Skorsky, for abetting an act of cyber terrorism.
Who's going to take care of your mother while you're spending the next three years in courtrooms? Would you please raise your arms? No, Meechum.
Sir Meechum.
I know you don't want to shake my hand, so we'll just skip that part.
The President didn't mention anything about ii.
Why would he? Better to catch you off-guard.
Then why would you? So we can avoid unnecessary conflict.
Garrett's not a good liar.
The gift of a good liar is making people think you lack a talent for lying.
I know him far better than you, and so I know what talents he has and lacks.
But let's assume he did lie.
I'm not intimidated by a FERC investigation.
You'd have grid overload and brownouts before you could even get a hearing.
You are deliberately keeping electric prices at inflated rates, which is illegal.
No.
I'm responding to free market.
A regulated free market.
Why are you doing this, Frank? Remy asked me the same thing.
You're making this about me.
This isn't personal, Raymond.
The integrity of our energy markets is my only concern.
Of course it's personal.
I asked you personally to convince Garrett to pull back from China.
You personally chose not to.
You personally sabotaged the summit.
And you advised the Cabinet I've never once in my career to push me up against the wall allowed personal feelings to Do not try and spin me, Frank.
Lam too old to tango.
Then I'll be blunt.
Accept the subsidies or deal with FERC.
There is no third way here.
Are you intentionally trying to destroy the President? I'm trying to protect the President from you.
This is about the Secretary of State nomination, isn't it? I'm the Vice President now, Raymond.
I don't cry over what happened in kindergarten.
You're Vice President because I vouched for you.
Because you had no other options.
Political necessity.
You have 24 hours to decide.
I'll show myself out.
Hello.
Raymond, this is Claire.
Mrs.
Underwood, it is an honor.
Jean, my wife, has been very taken with your recent efforts.
Well, I'd like to meet her one day.
She would very much like that, I'm sure.
And what about you? I'm sorry? What are your thoughts about our recent efforts? I am in favor of anything that prevents unnecessary violence.
It was nice to meet you, Mrs.
Underwood.
And good luck with that first pitch tonight, Mr.
Vice President.
Make it to the plate this time.
Ma'am.
This Kevlar is cooking me.
We have to use it, sir.
Well, I didn't practice with it, and now I can hardly rotate my arm.
I should have mentioned it.
I apologize.
If this ball doesn't make it over the plate, it's your ass.
And what are you doing here? Don't you have things to do? Never been to Camden Yards.
Ladies and gentlemen, hereto throw out the first pitch tonight, we are honored to introduce the Vice President of the United States, Frank Underwood.
Boss, boss.
Meechum's ball.
Thank you very much.
Where's the mascot? Beautifully done.
Good evening.
Now I know it's a hot night, and you all want to get to the baseball.
So as soon as I throw this sucker, grab a drink, enjoy the game, and best of luck to both teams.
Scratch that.
We're at Camden Yards.
Go, Orioles! Let's go! Move! Go, go! I'm told the distribution line that controls the pinch point caused the outages.
BAPCO, one of your companies.
Yes, sir.
There was a capacity issue.
We're working as quickly as we can to resolve it.
I've got three governors calling.
Hospitals on emergency power.
So quickly better mean quickly.
The latest estimate I got was two to three hours, maybe sooner.
Raymond, was this intentional? Sir, I know you don't hold me in the highest regard at the moment.
But I am alarmed that you could even entertain such a thought.
Yeah, well, the timing makes coincidence hard to swallow.
There is a heat wave.
That always pushes the grid to its limits.
All right, let's get the people out of the dark.
Updates every 30 minutes on your progress.
I should inform you, sir, that I may need to take two of my plants offline tomorrow for unscheduled maintenance.
Why? Which ones? Georgia and Tennessee.
This blackout has put a great deal of stress on them.
My engineers are concerned about the seals on the fuel rods.
So we're looking at outages on the southeast grid, too? Could be.
For a few days.
No, that's unacceptable.
Safety comes first.
We don't want an accident.
All right, let's get a full report to Linda, ASAP.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
He's toying with you.
No, this could be a legitimate safety issue.
He wants a seat back at the table.
Those plants are fine.
Why is he doing this? We've had our differences, but something drastic like this? Well, I did tell him about the possible FERC action.
You did what? Well, he called me.
I answered the call.
Why didn't you inform me immediately? He told me you had a productive talk.
That he was on board with the subsidy.
I assumed everything was fine.
He was proposing renewed trade talks.
We didn't talk about the subsidy at all.
He's playing both of us then.
If he told you he was on board, why'd you bring up FERC? I told him I was relieved.
That we could have taken action if he didn't comply.
You think he's fishing? To see what our next move might be? I think so, sir.
I mean, he is lying about those two plants in the south.
Well, we can't guess.
We have to be certain.
Well, do you want Raymond Tusk to assess that risk? Or the United States government? Are you suggesting we take over his facilities? There is precedent there.
Woodrow Wilson did it with the rail roads for three full years.
In a time of war.
In a time of emergency, which is what this is.
The country needs a leader, Mr.
President.
Give them one.
Do not bend to Raymond Tusk.
I'm done.
I said you might not like it.
It makes me seem crazy.
This is the most toned-down version.
I tried to be as kind as I could without being biased.
I don't think you want this going out into the world.
Can I talk to Janine? Tel! him to go.
He wants you to leave.
You ed.
Lucas You lied to Tom.
You lied to the US Attorney.
I didn't knew what else to do.
Tet! the truth.
They'll arrest me.
They'll discredit everything I say.
And nobody is going to believe me more than they believe you.
But we can get the story out there.
Get people asking questions.
No.
It'll just look like two crazy people instead of one.
So you're saving yourself.
I'm trying to save the both of us.
Please.
Take the plea.
I'm not guilty.
You are.
You committed a crime, multiple crimes.
Not murder.
Take the plea.
Be good.
Get out early.
Everybody's fucked me.
If I was trying to fuck you, I wouldn't be here.
He's gonna get away with it, isn't he? Yes.
He is.
Take an iced tea if you have any.
We don't.
I wish I didn't have to keep coming through back doors like this.
Well, we wouldn't want our friends in the fourth estate to know you were here, would we? Especially, since you've gone to such lengths to remain above the fray of politics.
You can't seize the plants, Frank.
We haven't seized anything yet.
We're ready to, but we won't if you cooperate.
It's illegal.
It's not.
You know that.
The President can issue an executive order in times of emergency.
I'll fight it in court.
Which will take even longer than a FERC investigation would.
And in the meantime, you make nothing from those plants.
We agreed.
Right here in this room, we agreed to work together.
We agreed as men of our word.
And I held up my end of that bargain until you abandoned me on the bill I sent Remy to help you.
After I got it passed through the Senate with no help from you.
I had to protect my relationship with the President.
And then you tried to use me during the summit in Spotsylvania.
I was not put on this earth to be your best friend or to share every piece of information I have with you.
We agreed to a mutually beneficial partnership.
That's all.
Yes, and what's become very clear to me is that I benefit in no way from this partnership.
Let's not pretend to be naive.
We both respect self-interest above all else.
Our versions of that no longer align.
You are on the verge of making an irreversible mistake, Mr.
Vice President.
I may well be making a mistake.
Who knows? What I do know is that you'll be calling Linda and telling her that you'll accept the subsidies.
You may have all the money, Raymond, but I have all the men with guns.
It's a burner, pre-dialed.
She's expecting.
And yes, from last night.
"The hall's in your court," as they say.
Jesus Christ.
You scared the shit out of me.
Are you supposed to take the Lord's name in vain like that? Leave it on.
It costs too much.
I'll take care of it.
Goodwin took the plea.
He's going away.
So does that mean this is all over? No.
We still have to be careful.
But why? If he's gone, then nobody's looking for me, right? Not that we know of.
Until we know, nothing changes.
So what, you just came over here to get my hopes up? I came here to make sure that you don't go to church tonight.
Do you want to fuck me? Is that what this is all about? No.
You've done it before.
That was different.
Stop it.
If there's one thing I know, it's when a man wants me.
I learned who Rachel was in church.
She was young and beautiful.
Jacob fell in love with her while she was watering a lamb.
And she became his wife after he worked seven years to earn her hand in marriage.
Rachel had one son, Joseph.
He became a king.
Are you hungry?