Over the last few chapters it’s been Frank who has been unsure of his position; his presidential status. Yet here we are with what appears to be an entirely different First Lady, a very emotional and impulsive one. This is by far the most engaging episode of Season Three yet, as we see Claire and Frank travel to Russia in the hope of negotiating peace. As usual nothing is a walk in the park when it comes to politics and the treaty that they had taken months to set in stone is completely and utterly obliterated by Claire’s sudden apparent feelings.
Despite this episodes heavy focus on Claire, the exploration of gay rights is very prominent. Taking into consideration such a subject that is so current in today’s society such as this brings these overly pretentious characters right back down to earth and indeed the rest of society. Prisoner Michael Corrigan illustrates just how much he believes in his cause and is willing to go further than anyone thought he would. When realisation kicks in that he is much more an activist than he initially appeared to be, we almost visibly see something spark in Claire, which leads to her calling Petrov some very choice things. With such a dictator as Petrov, Frank can see nothing better than to make peace and compromise with the Russians in order to maintain some sort of equilibrium. After discovering that Frank and Claire never actually sleep in the same bed, never mind actually offer affection to one another, this episode presents their relationship as raw and as bitter than ever.
A fascinating, explorative episode that will easily stick in your mind after watching. Let’s see what the next chapter will bring shall we?