House of Cards Season 6 Episode 4: The Memorial Service
Robin Wright
Claire Underwood
Michael Joseph Kelly
Doug Stamper
Plot Summary:Durant's funeral is held in a church, attended by the President, Vice President, and key government officials. Claire's emotions are unsettled. Mark, having mysteriously found Meyer's body, forces Claire to concede, handing over actual control to him. After the funeral, guests proceed to Durant's home for a memorial service. Beneath the seemingly calm surface, undercurrents of tension ripple. Among the guests, Russian President Petrov's presence is particularly surprising. Mark cannot fathom why he is there, given the breakdown of Syrian negotiations. Only Petrov and Claire know the truth, but they keep it private. Petrov, having received intelligence that Claire's hands are tied, merely exchanges pleasantries with her. During their conversation, Secretary of State Segerson receives news from the Defense Intelligence Agency: over 200,000 Russian troops are advancing towards the Syrian border. Doug, an advisor to Representative Cole, also attends the memorial. Seth is also present, constantly relaying information about guests' interactions and movements to Bill via phone. Seth's primary concern is Petrov, closely monitoring his conversations and potential demands. Claire, meanwhile, must deal with the Meyer situation, subtly leaking information to make press secretary Cathy appear to be Meyer's White House lover. The main event, however, is yet to come. Mark meets Petrov in Durant's study to discuss the Syrian issue. Petrov, cunning and experienced, is far beyond Mark's league. Mark's only leverage is frozen assets and renewed sanctions against Russia, but Petrov is undeterred. If no new agreement is reached today, an encounter between U.S. and Russian forces by dawn tomorrow is inevitable. Once American casualties occur, the situation will spiral out of control, a responsibility Mark cannot bear. Mark dares not make a decision alone, and cannot turn to Annette again, so he seeks help from Jane, who is familiar with Central Asian affairs. Jane discovers that Petrov's goal is to expand Russia's naval base in Syria to Tartus Port. Armed with this knowledge, Mark confidently negotiates with Petrov. In the study, Claire sits silently, watching Mark and Petrov. Seth pushes open the door, claiming to represent the Shepherd Group as an observer. This irritates Mark, but Seth remains unfazed. Petrov's greed far exceeds Mark's imagination. He not only wants the port but also exclusive rights to offshore oil and gas development. At an impasse, Petrov turns to Claire for her opinion. Claire hesitates briefly, then firmly supports Vice President Mark's proposal. Petrov walks out in a huff. Later, when given a chance to meet Petrov alone, Claire reveals her true hand. Petrov, by accepting Claire's invitation to Durant's memorial, was curious about what conditions Claire would propose. Claire agrees to grant Petrov both oil/gas and the port, on the condition that no private armed contractors associated with the Shepherd Group enter Syria during her tenure. Claire's move is risky, and such a decision is bound to make her a target. However, her current enemy is not Russia, but the Shepherd family. Claire is not foolish, though; she suspects Meyer's death is connected to Russia, orchestrated for the sake of these negotiations. Petrov neither confirms nor denies this, simply smiling it off. Having dealt with the Russian negotiations, Claire also needs to win over allies. She approaches Doug, promising that Representative Cole will be her running mate in two years, and will run for president in six years, at which point Doug can return to the White House. Of course, before that, Claire will clear the way for Doug, announcing his pardon tonight. Doug requests a simultaneous pardon for former President Frank. After Claire's assurance, he decides not to testify in federal court. With Durant gone, and Doug refusing to testify, Bill's plan to prosecute Frank and Claire completely falls apart.