This season may not have quite as great writing as the first season, and overall, it's probably not as good (as most people agree) but what it is, is different. The first two seasons of this show are so similar to one another, but this third season just follows a completely different forumula, and that makes sense, considering Frank is president now, whereas in the first two seasons, he had been on the attack.
This episode, for me, is a perfect example of just how different this season is. For once, the main focus of an episode isn't Frank. It's Doug. Some people may say that this episode is boring, but I couldn't disagree more. I think this episode does a fantastic job of showing you the deeper side of Doug. We get to see him struggling with his addiction/sobriety, and we get to see just how dedicated he is to Frank, and also just how messed up that dynamic is. Aside from the Doug stuff, we also get to the first hints of how Frank and Claire's partnership is beginning to crumble. This episode has a lot that is very in-your-face, but it has even more subtelty to it. It's brilliant.
Review by ragreynoldsVIP 7BlockedParent2018-09-20T14:56:44Z
This season may not have quite as great writing as the first season, and overall, it's probably not as good (as most people agree) but what it is, is different. The first two seasons of this show are so similar to one another, but this third season just follows a completely different forumula, and that makes sense, considering Frank is president now, whereas in the first two seasons, he had been on the attack.
This episode, for me, is a perfect example of just how different this season is. For once, the main focus of an episode isn't Frank. It's Doug. Some people may say that this episode is boring, but I couldn't disagree more. I think this episode does a fantastic job of showing you the deeper side of Doug. We get to see him struggling with his addiction/sobriety, and we get to see just how dedicated he is to Frank, and also just how messed up that dynamic is. Aside from the Doug stuff, we also get to the first hints of how Frank and Claire's partnership is beginning to crumble. This episode has a lot that is very in-your-face, but it has even more subtelty to it. It's brilliant.