House Of Cards Season 5 Overview: My Turn!

I FINALLY got through the latest season of "House of Cards". It's not because the show isnt good for the most part. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright continue to hit it out of the park as the ultimate power couple. Can't say I'm buying some of the plot twists this year though. The 13 episodes also lagged at times.

After resigning from the presidency during the penultimate episode, Frank tells Claire he planned the whole thing during his Elysian Fields visit. Incidentally, Elysian Fields is a very thinly disguised real place. Read more about it here: Bohemian Grove

The plan was to get away from all the scandals-- ie the murder of Zoe Barnes, the back channel dealings with Raymond Tusk and the Chinese, the Russians, election rigging, etc. This would put Claire in the presidency where she could pardon Frank. Sorry, not buying it. The only thing Frank TRULY cares about is power. He thinks he will have more in the private sector? He also says he was his own leak. He and Doug have been feeding info to Hammerschmidt at the Washington Herald for months. Either Frank is the most brilliant person to ever walk the planet or he's making it up as he goes along.

Frank is going to be very unhappy next season. After ignoring his calls, her last words of the season are "My Turn". He declares that he will "kill her" if he doesnt pardon him. This should be fun to watch.

Other happenings: The Underwoods chief competition, golden boy Republican Will Conway, is quickly dispatched in season 5. His PTSD makes his moods very unstable. Mark Usher works to clean his hands of the "actual" President. Remember Conway would have won the election if the Underwoods hadnt created a fake terrorist attack and then had the Tennessee Attorney General request a revote. Usher now works for Frank and Claire instead.

And how in the world did they get lapdog Doug Stamper to confess to killing Zoe (when we all know it was Frank)? They guy has some serious mental issues. Of course the plan is to pardon him as well as Frank. Doug is completely bonkers. Any chance he'll die in prison? In somewhat related news,.the Underwoods find out Doug bumped Frank ahead of Anthony Moretti on the liver donor list. Doug then proceeded to have an affair with the dead man's wife. When Doug confesses, Laura says she knew all along.

Doug also gets some action when he and LeAnn hook up. Yuck! My eyes, my eyes!! How does Doug get any action? He's definitely not a ladies man. We also learn that LeAnn was in a relationship with Aidan MacCallan when she was underage. This is why she is so protective of him. But no reason to think of Aidan anymore. He is dead-- shot by someone with LeAnn's gun. LeAnn's fate is unknown. She is killed (MAYBE) by henchmen hired by Usher at the President's request.

A committee led by Democratic climber Alex Romero is investigating Frank. Several people testify and tow the party line Cathy Durant (Secretary of State) is scheduled next and she's going to spill the beans. So what does Frank do? He of course shoves her down the stairs. Will she recover? I'm not sure. I really like the actress (Jayne Atkinson) and hope to see her again. Also, i thought the White was bugged floor to ceiling. How is it no one heard the conversation or saw what Frank did?

The relationship between Claire and Tom Yates goes south. She icely asks (well, demands) he leave the White House. Tom retaliates by writing a novel telling the Underwood's secrets. She meets him privately at Usher's house. She then poisons him with some tea and Tom dies while they are having sex. Uhhhh is the guy so stupid that he didnt give a copy to anyone else? Poor dumb Tom. May your character be more interesting in death than you were in life.

Frank is busy in the romance department as well. He has a fling with Civil War Reenactor/Trainer Eric. Frank shuts Eric down and sends the poor confused guy packing. And am I wrong or did he scale the fence outside the White House and was shot dead by the Secret Service? I think that was him.

Claire confesses to Frank that she killed Tom. Frank doesnt bat an eyelash. It also sounds like Usher has Tom's body on ice so they can blackmail Claire later.

If my calculations are correct, the Underwood death toll stands at 3 people and 1 dog. This includes: Zoe Barnes, Peter Russo, and Tom Yates. I didnt include Rachel Posner since she was actually killed by an obsessed Doug.

An interesting new arrival this season is Jane Davis. She's a power broker that seems to have her hand in everything. Patricia Clarkson does an excellent job. I'm very interested to see where she goes next. Jane and Mark Usher also have some sort of history. Side Note: Is there anything Jane doesnt have in her spacious handbag? You gotta need? She probably has it in her purse.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). The season had some great moments. Spacey and Wright continue to be completely entralling. Unfortunately, the series also lagged at times. I don't buy Frank's motivations and that he would just "give up" the presidency. This seems completely out of character. I also didnt buy the relationship between Claire and Tom. They had zero chemistry.

I'm not sure what the show's plans are but I think season 6 should be it's last. There isnt much more the Underwoods can do (except kiill more people). I hope in the end, all their adversaries band together and let them have it. Payback is a bitch!