House of Cards (2013–2018): Season 5, Episode 11 - Chapter 63 - full transcript

As the team tries to control the fallout from damaging testimony and leaks, everyone is under suspicion and tensions flare between Frank and Claire.

Garrett Walker's testimony
couldn't be more damning.

Francis Underwood is front and center
in a scheme that had

Chinese money influencing
an American election.

Testimony from a disgraced
and disgruntled former president.

Why is he just speaking up now?

Well, are you suggesting
that they shouldn't...

take what Walker said seriously?
I mean...

If it's true, why stay silent so long?

Which is a question
I'm sure the Judiciary Committee

-will ask once it's up and going.
-[Seth grunts]

My sources say articles of impeachment
could be voted on



as early as the end of the week.

Now as if the House is that efficient.

Look, President Walker is the one
who should be scrutinized here.

He's talking out of
both sides of his mouth.

And let's not forget, he has had some
emotional problems in the past.

Underwood has disrespected the presidency
since before he was thought of

-for Secretary of State...
-You seem blinded by this crusade.

...when he was House Whip.

[stammering] You guys, wait.
If Underwood is impeached, then--

That's a hypothetical. It's dangerous.

[Rachel Maddow] Fair. Well...

Tom, where would impeachment leave
Vice President Claire Underwood?

In the Oval, as president.

What their arrangement would be,
in that case, is anybody's guess.



Seth, what is this like right now
for the first couple?

They're avoiding all of this distraction.

They're continuing to do the work
of the American people.

[theme music playing]

-[Claire] Censure.
-No.

I see Mark's point.

There is no way to stop the Republicans
in the House.

Walker's not a reliable witness.

Is what he said verifiable?

So, impeachment is inevitable.

[scoffs] Well, that's...
that's a presumption.

[Claire] The Democratic Senate

will not be inclined to remove
a Democratic president.

But they need political cover.

Censure will help them with that.

[sighs] I mean,
they might propose other penalties,

a fine, a statement of condemnation

but they'll stop short
of finding criminal wrongdoing.

And if it happens quickly,
everyone can move on.

Did you two get together
on this privately?

No.

Francis, this is one way
to salvage your first term.

Walker was supposed to plead the Fifth.

Well, things took an unexpected turn.

Yes. He went back on his deal,
because he's as pliable as his testimony.

Mark, I will not be impeached in the House
and it will never get to the Senate.

We will destroy
Garrett Walker's credibility

and the case will fall apart.

Okay.

[door opens]

[door closes]

[Catherine] Can I get immunity?

[Maureen] Depends on what you give them.

I'll reach out to a ranking member,
but you're not gonna get anonymity...

-Cathy.
-[cell phone vibrating]

-Jane.
-Hello?

You've been on my mind.
Can you believe what's going on?

Excuse me for a moment.

As my mother used to say,
"It's a red hot mess."

Frank Underwood's demise
doesn't have to be yours.

There are non-profits, NGOs
that would be dying to work with you.

Well, as far as I know,
I still have a job. [chuckles]

No, of course.

But who knows who they'll come after next?

I was never part of their inner circle.

You were smart to go with Maureen.
She's a good lawyer.

If someone can find you an exit, it's her.

Well, I'm not gonna go away easily,
so thank you for your concern, Jane.

It is concern.

Uh... [inhales deeply]

do you think the vice president had
any knowledge of this stuff?

Well, as I said, I have no idea.

If... if Claire survives this
and becomes president,

where does that leave you?

Well, I've been at this
for 30 years, Jane,

so I think I can survive.

Oh, honey, I didn't mean to alarm you.

I'm not alarmed.

All I'm trying to say,

I'm on your side.

If it's the difference in being
in office or being out,

we can work around that.

Working in handcuffs.

Censure is a setback. It's not a loss.

You're very confident and very insistent.

-We can come out of this, Francis.
-No, you mean you can.

Can you, for once,

just take something at face value
instead of fighting it?

As if I can be washed clean of past sins.

-How long have you known me?
-Forever.

How well do you know me?

How, in your wildest imagination,
could you, Claire Underwood,

think I would be okay with this?

Think about it, please.

This is the fate of my presidency!

The people want to forgive you.

Let them.

[Angela urinating]

[chuckles softly]

Come out here already.
Give me the rest of it.

Hammerschmidt is a straight-up workaholic.

-But... he's getting close.
-[toilet flushing]

Putting the pieces together.

What's he still grinding so hard for?

Looks like Walker's gonna bring
Underwood down.

I don't wanna do this anymore.

-Zoe Barnes. Rachel Posner.
-Sean, please, I...

[stammers] I was the one trying
to get him back on that.

-That's what got me fired.
-Can we stop talking about this?

[sighs heavily]

-Where's my drink?
-Don't do that. Look at me. Look.

This is me... not talking.

Hmm. [exhales sharply]

-Come here. Come here.
-[chuckles]

But if I can be of any help,
you let me know.

[sighs]

-Mm-hmm.
-Uh-huh. [groans]

-[chuckles]
-You're gonna get it.

-Give me a taste of that.
-Mmm! Mm-hmm.

[Eric] Slow down.

-Pull over!
-[panting]

[pants] You're going pretty hard,
Mr. President. You okay?

Well enough for a man whose fate
is hanging in the balance.

No.

-Your fate is sealed.
-Oh, how's that?

You have a vision for me, Eric?

Even if you're impeached and convicted...
you still make history.

Augustus Underwood was
just another redneck

who died fighting for the wrong side,
forgotten by everyone but you and me.

But if Francis Underwood
is removed from office?

Your legacy won't die.
It'll be solidified.

You'll be infamous.

Legacy and infamy are not the same thing.

You'll be remembered.
Who cares why?

I have to get back.

Hey, hold up. Let me explain.

Francis.

-[engines rumbling]
-Hey!

Francis.

Francis?

Just to be clear, it's not that
I haven't always known you were there.

It's that I have mixed feelings about you.

I question your intentions...

and I'm ambivalent about attention.

But don't take it personally.
It's how I feel about most everybody.

[Doug] How can we trust anything he says?

Garrett Walker was medicated while
he was in office. We all know that.

No, it's not a talking point.
It's the truth.

We don't know exactly what he was taking.

Off the record...

can you tell me what
Tom Hammerschmidt's working on?

Come on, you two don't
cross paths over there?

He reached out to me on a story.
I never heard back.

Okay. Thank you.

[newscaster on TV] You can believe
what he's saying or not.

-["Happy Birthday" playing on card]
-Garrett Walker was taking medication...

Never... never put an unknown flash drive
into a networked computer. Never.

You don't have to keep telling me.
I called you, remember?

[softly] Yeah.

Okay. Do your worst.

-[typing]
-Okay. So far so good.

There is something.

Thank you.

[chuckles]

[Angela] I have to go.

[Sean on phone] Everything okay?

-Not now.
-See you tonight?

I'll call you when I'm done.

Hey. I think there's a leak.
In the Underwood Administration.

[mouthing]

Uh, no idea.

Well, no, that's a little premature.
This isn't Watergate... yet.

Yeah.

Okay.

[Mark] Alex.

So... judiciary won't be happening
for you.

[Romero scoffs]

Just the few slots for Democrats.

Leadership just filled those
with a couple of old blue dogs. Sorry.

Well, you were right about one thing.

Garrett's testimony did not
make me any friends.

Not in your party, no.

Well, as of this morning,
I'm officially an independent.

I think the GOP can find me
a place on judiciary.

-Okay, Alex.
-It's a good move.

Four years from now, I think an outsider's
what the voter will be looking for.

Yeah, third-party candidate is the future,
and always will be.

Why did Garrett Walker change his mind?

It wasn't me who made that happen.

I don't know.

Sometimes things happen
without us knowing why.

They arrested someone
they knew was innocent.

-[man] Governor Scanlon denies it.
-Of course he does.

-And the NSA has no comment.
-As a rule.

-[stammers] No, out. Get out.
-Five minutes, please.

Thank you.

[door closes]

The FBI confirms
that they arrested Kalabi

and that he's awaiting trial,
but that's all.

That's right, that's all.

But there are agents in the FBI who were
not happy with the way this went down.

And not one of them will let us
use their name on the record.

We can't confirm the story.

Tom, we can't run a story this big
without a source.

-No. I know. I know.
-This paper has never done that.

-I know.
-Who knows who sent you this?

[softly] I know. I know.

[exhales deeply]

[phone rings]

[Tom sighs deeply]

I need you to float something out for me.
Give it to Slugline.

-What do you want me to say?
-[inhales deeply]

You picked it up here in the office.
It's not confirmed...

but it seems like a story.

Go ahead and print it.

And I had no idea you're doing this.

Fuck! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

-[phone ringing]
-[sighs deeply]

Well, it looks to me like

the Underwood campaign
had a Muslim visiting the US

wrongly arrested in order to
influence the vote on Election Day.

And if you believe that,

then you have to ask some questions
about the impact this had

on the results in Tennessee,

where President Underwood
was predicted to lose.

We all know that ICO is a real threat.
Nobody is denying that, and I--

-[TV cuts off]
-[phone continues ringing]

[sighs and sniffles]

No calls get through to me, not today.

And if you get pressed,

the White House has no comment.

Yes, sir.

Close the door behind you, please.

[sniffles]

-[stammers and sighs]
-[door closes]

What do you know about this?

First of all, what are you getting at?

And secondly, if I had any information,
I wouldn't be keeping it to myself.

Seth, I am asking you straight up.

If you know anything, you tell me now.

-Don't make me find out.
-Or what?

What are you gonna do, Doug?

You gonna suffocate me
with a White House mug?

The shit is hitting the fan

and we're all going to be covered in it
if we don't get to work.

Now... can I please get back to it?

Shit. [sighs]

[Green] We're essentially turning on
an apparatus that's already in place.

We'll enable audio capabilities.

All calls, e-mails, messages
in and out of the White House

will be monitored and archived.

Every phone call will be recorded
as we search for the leak.

Video surveillance?

-We can install additional devices, but--
-We use what's already there.

It enables us to look and listen in
on every computer

and every cell phone
of everyone working for us.

[Green] We'll set up a satellite office
limited to Mr. Stamper and myself.

Assistant Director Green and I will bring
whatever is valuable forward.

[Frank] I want direct access.

Live streaming.

I assure you, Mr. President,
we'll bring you anything of substance.

Do it.

And needless to say...

I report only to you, sir.

[door opens]

[door closes]

-I wanna know who did this to me.
-I'm on it, sir.

[door closes]

You're having doubts about Doug?

-Why? Are you?
-No, I'm just...

[sighs] I'm questioning everything,
I guess.

Until this is resolved, you and I should
be very careful about what we say or do.

And our personal needs
have to be put aside.

You know people.
You know them for years.

And then... suddenly they're like
strangers in your kitchen.

Familiar can turn foreign on a dime.

-Is there anything I can do?
-[Doug] You can be quiet.

Doug, I am not the leak here.
You know that.

-I'll be in touch.
-Don't hang up.

Do I need to make a list of the risks
I've taken for this administration?

Things I have never done before.

Let's just talk in person, okay?

[doorbell rings]

Yes?

[woman on intercom] LeAnn Harvey, please.

-Who is it?
-FBI.

If you think of anything,
that's my cell at the bottom of the card.

Was it a suicide?

Barrel of the gun was pressed
against his eye, so...

[inhales]

You were his contact.
Would he do something like that?

I don't think so.

Well, maybe he didn't.

-And the gun?
-That's the thing. It's not there.

Maybe someone staying at the hotel
or working there took it.

You'll let me know?

Yeah. Sure.

[Frank] Mark...

the vice president and I
have discussed it and...

we've come around to your position.

Very good.

Uh, considering the news that's breaking,
it's not going to be quite as easy.

Any idea where this story came from?

No, not yet. But I will soon.

I'll let it be known that
you're open to censure.

And you should be aware.

It's not surprising.

Romero is moving over
to the Judiciary Committee.

Well, why wouldn't he?

He wants to see this through.
He's still coming after me.

Hmm, well, I imagine leadership
from both parties has had enough of him.

Yeah, I don't want to diminish this.
We are in damage control.

Claire, I think...

it might be best for you
to stay out of this as much as possible.

No, I... I will defend the president.

Vice presidential business as usual
is the way to play it, I think.

You need to trust my instincts
on this one.

-Okay.
-[Frank] Thank you, Mark.

Thank you.

You may not always agree with him,
but you like him.

I like his clarity.

Let's just not forget, his candidate lost.

And now he works for you.

No, I think he's really working for you,
isn't he?

Don't get paranoid, Francis.

If not now, when?

You have to go.

I what?

You need to leave.

What's happened?

There's just no place for you
here anymore.

Have you been thinking about this?

Yes.

I don't agree.

I'm completely clear about it.

You can finish your coffee.

Wow.

How do you do that?

Just... turn off like that?

Please go, Tom.

Go.

Okay.

If that's what you choose.

[bangs table]

[sighs]

[breathes deeply]

Join us?

No, I'm trying not to wear out
the new model.

So, to what do I owe this pleasure?

Well, I'll get right to it, Frank. Um...

[sighs] Well, for once,
the House Republicans...

are getting something done.

And the bad news is,
is that thing is impeaching you.

Oh, I think the judiciary is a long way
from making any sort of decision.

[Bob] They're sending articles
of impeachment to the House

in the next few days, I'm told.

[Womack] And that news this morning is
just adding fuel to the fire.

Jesus Christ.

And I'm here to ask if you...

[Bob sighs]

Would you consider resigning instead
of dragging this through the Senate?

[chuckles]

Have the two of you lost your minds?

And you, Terry,
you're under investigation yourself

and you dare come here and ask me this?

I've often hated your guts,

but I have to admit, I'll miss you.

Oh, Bob, in case you've forgotten,
the Senate is Democratic.

-I won't be leaving anytime soon.
-[Bob] Oh, not you.

Me. I'm getting too old for this.

What?

A House without Bob Birch?
It will be unrecognizable.

I feel like it already is. God...

Was it always this dirty?

That's impossible.

Were the men before us any more moral?

Any more worthy of the power and position
that they had found themselves in?

Any more capable of doing
a single goddamn thing for the public?

Well, yes and no.

History has a way
of looking better than it was.

Or perhaps Shakespeare was right.
We're all just madmen leading the blind.

[Seth dialing]

[sniffles and clears throat]

Ms. Lee. This is Seth Grayson,
from the White House.

Yeah, thank you for taking my call.

[sighs] Uh... I just had a question.

There, uh... there was a reporter.

Give me a second.
Let me just check my notes.

Um... name's Sean Jeffries.

Yeah, he's working on a story
about the donor list,

around the time
of the president's transplant.

I was wondering if you could come in
and we can coordinate our response.

Ms. Lee,

we don't want people to think that
the president got preferential treatment.

[LeAnn typing]

[LeAnn over speakers] Jesus.

What the hell did you give me, Mac?

[LeAnn typing]

[LeAnn typing]

-[LeAnn] Jesus.
-[inhales deeply]

What the hell did you give me, Mac?

[sighs]

I had a tip on where
that Slugline story came from.

You should have called me.

That wouldn't have stopped it.

-Is that why you're here?
-No, I got something else.

Tell me.

I'd like to talk to the vice president
about it.

That's not possible.

Everything goes through me.

Well, I didn't have a chance
to explain myself.

-[grunts]
-That's too bad.

What's she like?

She doesn't suffer fools
and she doesn't give second chances.

[Sean on laptop] Well, if you can't
get me in to talk to her again,

I'll find some other way.

You're in over your head.

Tell me what you know or move along.

[Sean] No.

[Catherine on speakers] We don't,
Mr. Hammerschmidt.

Whatever information you have...

Don't call me again.

[Frank panting]

[coughs] I was concerned
I was out of line the other night.

You might have been.

I'm sorry. I don't even know
what I'm saying sometimes.

Forget it.

-Hey, hang on a second.
-Hey.

I need to tell you how I'm feeling.
The nation needs you, Mr. President.

-We all need you.
-We're done for today.

-No.
-No?

Why don't you want to hear
what I'm trying to tell you?

Listen. You-- enough.

I love you. You need to know that.

-[stammers] I'm only here to protect you.
-You need to calm down.

What's wrong with you?
Why don't you wanna hear

-what I'm telling you?
-There is nothing wrong with me.

But you need to go home.

You reached out to me.
You brought me in. I--

Enough.

[knock on door]

-I'm sorry.
-He's out.

I'll come back later.

Whatever it is, I can give it to him.

You can trust me to hand it over, Doug.

-You weren't directed to follow Tom Yates.
-Yes, I was.

According to the president,
everyone needs to be watched.

Tom's not even here anymore.

Francis asked you to follow him?

I'm concerned about someone.

Laura Moretti.

I know about her... and her husband.

Your behavior shows poor judgment, Doug,

and could be a liability
for the president.

Yes, ma'am.

Give these to Francis when he gets back.

I can get you immunity.

You just need to tell the truth.

[whispering indistinctly]

Confirm that all
of Walker's testimony is true.

[whispers] You don't have to do it.

No, Maureen, I want this on the record.

How dare you betray
the Underwoods like this?

We're done here, Congressman.

Well, thank you for your time.

So you're prepared,

a subpoena will be coming soon
from the Judiciary Committee.

Madam Secretary.

[Laura sighs]

[Laura] Do you wanna come in?

I'm the reason your husband's dead.

I forced the Secretary
of Health and Human Services...

to put Francis Underwood
in front of him on the donor list.

I understand if you think I'm a monster.

But I'd do it again.

To save the president, I'd do anything.

You really think that I didn't know, Doug?

The timing gave it away.

Come on. Come on in.

What did you think was going on here?

Huh?

I'm not fucking you because I like you.
I'm fucking you because I hate you.

Get out.

Get out of my car.

Get the fuck out of my car.

Get out! [panting]

[panting heavily]

[rapid knocking on door]

[door closes]

What did Macallan give you?

-I don't know what you're talking about.
-I heard you.

You got something from him.

What do you mean you heard me?

[chuckles] Oh.

Were you watching me, too?

Who was he to you?

Want a drink?

I don't drink.

Oh, right.

I was with him.

When I was young
and shouldn't have been with him.

[exhales sharply]

What gets you off, Doug?

Anything?

If Macallan gave you something,
we should hand it over.

Did you like it?

What?

Watching me.

Yes.

You liked what you saw?

That why you came here?

Well, then.

[Doug breathes shakily]

[both breathing heavily]

[LeAnn breathing heavily over speakers]

Going to the gym.
Run off some of this stress.

Where's your trainer?

Oh, he won't be coming around for a while.

He did have a facial expression
I won't miss.

Is that so?

Hmm. Sort of perma-smile.
It was creepy.

Maybe he's just happy.

Happiness isn't my concern.

Not now, not ever.

[Davis] It's a tragic situation, Claire.

-I know.
-I could show you what's happening.

I've seen the images.

It's important people know
what's going on in Homs.

-Are you having second thoughts?
-It's just the timing isn't right yet.

Because your husband
doesn't have the support.

We need to make a case.

Prepare the world
for when you make a statement.

I think Francis needs to be
front and center on this.

You never found out
what Macallan told Petrov?

My sources say
he never gave him anything concrete.

-Well, he gave LeAnn something.
-Well, that was our hope.

Maybe it's time to invite her back in.

Maybe.
I need to get back upstairs.

The next time we meet
will be in my office.

I... I don't think your husband should be
front and center.

I think it should be you.

-I didn't ask you what you think.
-You need to be armed, Claire.

It's important that you can walk away
from anything that happens to him.

[woman on speakers] They can kiss my ass.

I got an offer from Senator Westervelt.

[man] I'm looking, too. But it's getting
harder and harder to get off this ship.

[sighs]

Where is my wife?

Where has she gone?

If she was your wife, wouldn't you wonder?

[woman] Yes, Mrs. Underwood.

[cell phone chimes]

Hey.

-[cell phone vibrates]
-Don't worry. This never happened.

You don't have to tell me.

-Doug.
-Shit.

Should I come in?

No. Not until you give me what you've got.

Mr. President.

[Frank] "A source
deep within the White House...

confirms President Underwood used
questionable intelligence

to justify voting center closures,
which threw the election into chaos."

Who do you think it is?

Green, probably.

-We overestimated his loyalty.
-I see.

I mean...

who else could it be?

How can I help?

We need to save ourselves here.

-It's as much your head as mine, Cathy.
-I understand.

I need you to create additional documents
that justify going after Kalabi.

A paper trail that will

support our actions that we took
on Election Day in Tennessee.

I'm not sure...

what those documents would be.

Well, but you're smart, Cathy, aren't you?
I mean, you can figure it out.

Why don't you just show me
how smart you are.

-Of course, Mr. President.
-And the presentation at the UN.

-With Syria?
-It needs to happen.

-Very well.
-There's a possibility of talks,

but we need to get all
the interested parties back to the table.

Of course.

You're a good diplomat, Cathy.

Thank you, Mr. President.

And where is Claire?

She needed a little distance right now.

Till we find out what's happening with me.

That's why I need
to rely on you, Cathy. Now.

Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Francis.

Yes. I'm ready to meet.

I wanna meet now. Right now.

[sighs]

[newscaster on TV]
After a tumultuous election,

the likes of which have never been seen,

America faces more questions...

Shit is insane right now.
I don't have any more time for you.

If the recent leaks coming out
of the White House

prove to be true,
the president could face...

A White House ID?
Where did you get that?

-I thought this came from you.
-What the hell are you talking about?

-I'm deputy press secretary.
-The fuck you are.

I got a call from the vice president's
office, asking me to come in.

And when I got here,
this was waiting for me.

I just spent the last hour
doing my paperwork.

I don't have time for this.

[newscaster] President Garrett Walker's
bombshell testimony, which...

I have Secretary Durant's resignation.
I believe she was the leak,

and might have to take responsibility
for whatever happened on election night.

Sir, the judiciary could issue
a resolution for impeachment any day now.

We need to be realistic

about damage to the president
even if the Senate doesn't convict.

[Doug] You promised us censure.

Well, Durant's leak took care of that,
didn't it?

So, we have a plan for the Senate.

I suggest we work on protecting
the vice president.

Make sure she exits
this whole process unscathed.

And how do we do that?

Plead ignorance. The vice president wasn't
read into anything.

Didn't know anything.

-Didn't do anything.
-[Seth] That won't play.

She'll look uninformed,
and the people know she isn't.

[Mark] Oh, the distance will help her
look innocent.

Innocent, guilty,
capable, incompetent, whatever it is...

the public is going to think the opposite.

So, really there is no winning.

Whatever you think is best.

You're gonna have four years
to prove yourself

on the inside if I'm acquitted.
Hopefully, eight.

But what happens if I'm not acquitted?

We don't have to deal with that right now.

No, I want to hear a plan.
That's why you're here.

To give me the cold, hard facts.

Oh, your calculus is as good as mine,
Mr. President.

[sighs] There is no plan.

Except slow down judiciary,
secure the Senate.

[Frank sighs]

[Claire on speakers] I'm concerned
about someone.

Laura Moretti.

Why did you include this?

You and Claire talking
about a Laura Moretti?

I wanted you to know, sir, that she knows.

I jumped you on the list.

To receive a donor liver.

I forced the HHS Secretary to move you up.

-That's not possible.
-I threatened her, sir.

It was an unprecedented ethical violation.
But I don't regret it.

I kept it to myself, so that you would...

have plausible deniability
if anyone found out.

I didn't tell Mrs. Underwood either.

She learned another way.

She knew and didn't tell me.

Seems so.

And how did she react
to the Yates surveillance?

What did she say about that?

She didn't show her feelings to me, sir.

Hmm.

You saved my life.

I'm here for you, sir.

Always.

Do you have concerns about Mrs. Underwood?

-Do you?
-I would never say that.

I want to show you something.

There's 45 minutes where I can't
account for her whereabouts.

I don't know where she went
or who she saw.

But she lied to me.

I, uh... I think you should
get some rest, sir.

The president didn't read me in.

I wasn't in the room.

The president didn't read me in.

I wasn't in the room.

I didn't know anything about it.

The president didn't read me in.

I wasn't in the room.

I didn't know anything about it.

How's that, Francis?

[sighs]

[newscaster] This is just in.
Secretary of State Catherine Durant

to appear in front
of the House Judiciary Committee.

This comes as yet another surprise
in the already dramatic...

-When did it come in?
-A short while ago.

It's not Cathy Durant.

Are we sure?

She negotiated immunity.

And she's going on record with everything
she knows when she testifies.

Do we have any idea?

No.

[sighs]

Good.

Thanks.

[knife clatters]

[Tom sighs heavily]

["Happy Birthday" playing]