Right from the outset of the episode, Frank is in trouble. As he heads in to give his statement to the Department of Justice, Ayla Sayyad stands outside and tells us just what is at stake. If they prove that foreign money funded campaigns, that's bad, but it's a much bigger deal if the money influenced policy -- like say, the decision to build a bridge in Long Island?
In the hearing, the prosecutor -- Ms. Dunbar -- says that Frank met with Daniel Lannigan. He tries to brush it off as just chatting up Lannigan at fundraisers the way he would anyone else: "I'm Southern, Miss Dunbar." But Dunbar suggests that he discussed super PACs with Lannigan and that Frank is aware of Feng's involvement. Frank gives a blithe one-liner about Feng being a newsmaker much like Kim Kardashian, though I doubt he's talking about the guy's Instagram feed. Eventually, Dunbar makes it clear the she knows that Feng had something to do with the Port Jefferson Bridge, but so far, Frank's got all the right moves. He does, however, look like he's running out of steam.
Behind closed doors, Mrs. Walker pulls back on her support of Claire's bill and her participation in the New York Times piece. She says it's the piece itself, but Claire asks if it's the Galloway scandal and Mrs. Walker admits it doesn't help. She believes Claire, but America doesn't. She'll help, but only quietly, which means Claire's bill could be screwed.
Seth says that Mrs. Walker's concern is legitimate, which prompts Claire to ask him to keep the Times from asking about the scandal. He says that it's a legitimate question and that it would make more sense for them to pull the story than to restrict the line of questioning. Claire doesn't like that option, so she creates a new one. Though we have to wait through a few scenes to find out what that is.
In his hearing, Frank thinks he's winding down with the "what more could I possibly tell you" defense, but it appears that Tusk paid someone to talk. Dunbar knows about the meeting with Tusk, the President, Jackie Sharp and Bob Birch about finding the mysterious source of Republican midterm funding. She notes that, days later, the money stopped and that the suspension appears to be related to the bridge plan. She then says that she knows the bridge leads to Feng and that Doug visited not only Lannigan's casino (there's a photo), but flew to Beijing (where Feng lives) directly after. She's figured out that everything is connected -- she just hasn't proved it yet. But this all means that Frank is in major trouble.
Elsewhere, Doug is at an AA meeting talking about Rachel and how she makes his life "blurrier." We get it -- her love is your drug, Doug. He doesn't want to be with her, but he does and that it's like she's his daughter and his mother. At least he knows this is all "fucked up," and says that he should cut her off like he did booze. It prompts another AA member named Fitz to offer Doug his card as a potential sponsor, but Doug rudely declines, as his general way of doing things.
Frank's lawyer gets him an extension to give Dunbar answers to her more pressing questions by using the "national security risk" excuse. In the meantime, Frank is on the lookout for another zebra to throw into the lions' den so that he can make his escape.
Remy starts his loose ends tour this episode with Lannigan, who Remy is offering a deal on Tusk's behalf. Lannigan says the feds are giving him a deal, but Remy notes that Tusk will get off either way and that he should take Tusk's package deal. I suppose we're supposed to assume this is a done deal.
After a meeting about the Japan and China situation, the President asks to speak to Frank and ask how the hearing went. Frank says he just needs to sort out a few details. POTUS says it was supposed to be quick and they need this to be over and notes that Frank is clearly nervous and stressed for what seems like the first time ever. When Walker leaves, Frank puts his head in his hands. He's buckling under his mountain of lies.
Back at his office, Frank is furious that he can't find Doug, who is with his AA group. His assistant comes in and hands him a watch that just arrived: it was the one he gave Remy when he joined Glendon Hill. We won't learn why he sent it for at least a little while.
On his stop, Remy visits Jackie's old pal Ted in California and he is miserable. Remy says that he's asking about Jackie because he's looking to hire her as a lobbyist. Remy is looking for dirt to destroy Jackie and asks if she had anything to do with Ted's departure and he says she did, but that she did what she had to do. Remy asks for details and it seems that he gets them.
Frank meets with Doug and asks him if he's drinking again. Doug immediately says no, but he is drinking the Rachel Kool-Aid, so he should probably be more honest. He says that he hasn't been himself lately. (That's one way to explain it.) Frank notes that Doug said that 14 years ago when he was an alcoholic. Doug assures him that he's got it under control. He promises it will be different. (A likely story. No, it won't, Doug. You need help.) Frank gives Doug an unheard-of third chance, proving that he does have a heart after all -- or that Doug is just that good. Frank has Doug go after Remy and in the meantime, but Doug also offers to take the fall for Frank should the evidence Dunbar presents put them in a tough spot. Frank says they'll find another solution.
At home, Claire is using Frank's old rowing machine. She and Meechum fixed it and moved it upstairs so that Claire can get some form of exercise during her house arrest. Frank tells her he's screwed and says that he's going to tell the truth… selectively. She says that he's scared, she can tell. (Yeah, so can everyone.) His response is his own personal rowing record, but he refuses to admit that he might have sold himself down the river.
Megan -- the other woman raped by General McGinnis -- comes to Claire's house in a limo, straight through the lines of picketers and into the calm interior of the Underwood home. She is Claire's fresh meat to dangle before the crowd. When they sit down for tea, it's clear that Claire is dealing with a little girl who can't even keep her shoes on for a second. Claire gives her the skinny: Megan is going to be the new voice of the bill because hers isn't tainted by sex scandals and abortions. Megan asks why she was chosen and Claire points out the obvious: she's the one who called into a nationally televised interview.
After almost getting the boot, Doug gives whatever the Doug equivalent of an apology is to Seth. He says that he and Seth are a team and that he can't do this alone. Doug says that his task might be something that goes above and beyond his press secretary title and Seth is remarkably cool with all of it, so Doug sends Seth after Remy while he deletes Rachel from his phone and tries to go cold turkey. He even crushes his phone so that she can't contact him. Pro tip: this does not work, buddy.
Later, Frank meets with the President and the President is furious that he wants to tell the truth about his own private fact-finding mission. He plans on telling Dunbar he was simply investigating irregularities. Walker says that it will make Dunbar dig further and Frank says that he needs to hand over his travel logs and that Walker should too. Walker won't do it because of the marriage counseling and Frank knows he's right, but he tells Walker to turn over the records anyway. Frank says it's gossip and that it won't get him in trouble, because the POTUS was visiting a friend.
After his Ted talk, Remy visits Jackie and gets very amorous until he decides to bring up the information he learned from Ted. He says that she'll lose if people hear about how she got her seat as whip. He tells her to recant her statement to Dunbar and say that Frank told her to say that. She says that she isn't loyal to Frank or to him and agrees to let him do his worst. Of course, she's sure that's he's been giving her his worst and lying to her about his feelings for her. He says it's not true, but she's made up her mind.
Frank is thrilled that Walker handed over his logs -- a little too thrilled -- because they include visits to the marriage counselor. Frank's are clean, and this means Frank has "something to work with." And by something to work with, he apparently means the President's reputation.
Megan does the interview with the New York Times, just as Claire wanted. She's not really giving great answers and the reporter tells her that he needs more from her. He brings up the part of her trial where the court said that she was mentally unstable. She says that the problem is that courts always attack the victims over and over. She says that she kept her eyes on the General to make him understand that she wasn't weak. She says he betrayed his country. The reporter asks about Jackie withdrawing her support and Megan says she's betraying her country too.
For his trip, Remy flies back to Tusk and meets with him in his private barber shop. Remy assures Tusk that Lannigan is taken care of and that he's on top of Frank. When it comes to Jackie, Remy lies to Tusk and says that he couldn't find any dirt on her. Remy suggests that they target a different leader and Tusk insists that it needs to be Jackie. Sounds like ol' Remy is stuck.
At his hearing, Frank gives his "investigation" story and tells it well. Dunbar says that she knows that Feng laundered the money and she needs to know if Frank knew. Frank said he didn't know, but that Doug independently found out and followed the lead himself. Frank says he wasn't aware. Doug says he found no evidence and Frank says it was his mistake for letting Doug go rogue and for investigating the issue. Frank offers up the travel logs when Dunbar says that she feels as if she doesn't have the full picture. (And soon, she'll have the President's too).
Megan visits Claire after her Times interview and she's all pumped up. She wants to do television and magazines. She hugs Claire and thanks her for everything. Her car is on the way and Megan asks if she should stay and do more press. She's bouncing all around and Claire asks Meechum if she was strange in the car. He says she was. Claire finds her in the kitchen, where Megan has spilled all of her meds. She sends the girl off and simply says she'll be in touch, knowing that she just put an unstable girl in the public eye of the storm.
As a coping mechanism, Claire sits at her kitchen table and gets drunk on wine. As Meechum is leaving, she drops the glass and he comes in to help her clean it up. He cuts himself and she fixes him up. After bandaging Meechum, she insists that he have a glass of wine with her. He says he doesn't know about wine, so she offers him bourbon. And boy, does he have himself some bourbon.
At the same time, Frank meets with Seth and Doug and Doug agrees to go public with the statement that he acted on his own. It will take the heat off of Frank. When Frank leaves, Doug looks up Rachel's number on his computer and contemplates calling his potential sponsor. He's starting to crack.
Frank meets with Remy and he's certain that he's going to be fired from his firm. He's looking for new opportunities. He says that he can't offer himself "wholesale," but he'll go easier on Frank. If Frank wins, he goes with him. Remy says that he's just giving himself an insurance policy. Frank asks if this is about Jackie and Remy says that Jackie is over. Remy insists that is only about his future. Frank knows that Remy is lying, but he's protecting Jackie. But Remy doesn't know Frank's secret: he doesn't care about Jackie at all.
Elated about his progress, which seems to be falling into place, Frank comes home to find Meechum and Claire drunk and having a grand old time. Frank joins in and while Claire walks away to find a new bandage, Frank takes a look at Meechum's hand. He reapplies the bandage and as he does so, drunk Meechum starts caressing Frank's hand. Claire goes in for the kiss and thing we know, this trio is on its way to a ménage à trois. The morning, Frank and Claire act as if nothing is strange about the night. She simply says that he "needed that." He certainly did.
Before we get to the episode's real cliffhanger, we find Doug relapsing… and hard. He doesn't hit the bottle, but instead goes to Rachel's apartment where he listens to and watches her have sex with Lisa before scurrying away. This woman just might be his undoing.
Finally, Dunbar's assistant brings her the President's travel logs and notes a strange address that keeps popping up -- could it have something to do with the Xanax the POTUS clearly popped during a stressful, yet silent moment in a White House hallway? When Frank jaunts outside merrily, we know that whatever the outcome, it appears that his plan is back on track.