CineFlow

icon/history
Viewing History

House of Cards Season 5 Episode 7: The Missing Truck

James Foley
James Foley
Director
David Fincher
David Fincher
Director
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Francis Underwood
Robin Wright
Robin Wright
Claire Underwood
Michael Joseph Kelly
Michael Joseph Kelly
Doug Stamper
Plot Summary: Frank is upset about the deal Claire made with Mark, complaining that she shouldn't have given away the Supreme Court justice appointment. Claire believes she handled it flawlessly and that Frank is making a big deal out of nothing. They argue and neither can convince the other. This friction carries into the Situation Room. The military reports the presence of the current leader of the Caliphate, Ahmed Al-Ahmadi, Youssef's brother, in Damascus. During the hostage situation, Claire had spoken with Youssef for hours and felt the two brothers were not alike. As Claire raises her doubts, Frank contradicts her. When deciding whether to launch an airstrike, Frank deliberately preempts Claire by expressing support for it, then provocatively turns to her for her opinion. Strangely, there is a division within the military on this issue; Colonel Vanessa, head of intelligence, supports the airstrike, while General Craig, usually tough on terrorists, uncharacteristically hesitates to deploy drones. Ultimately, Claire decides to launch a drone strike against Ahmed. While the military prepares for the airstrike, Claire takes a moment to meet with Secretary of State Cathy and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Jane. This meeting was proposed by Jane, and Claire had not yet understood Jane's purpose when agents rushed into the office, escorting Claire and relevant personnel to the White House's underground Emergency Operations Center. The EOC, commonly known as the bunker, is only activated when there's a potential threat to the President's safety. Inside the bunker, heads of various important departments have already gathered, and Claire is relieved when Frank also arrives. According to security advisor Cafferty's report, a military truck carrying radioactive material has gone missing near the District of Columbia. It's suspected that Ahmed, after receiving news of the impending US airstrike, launched this attack to tie up US forces, but this situation has not been confirmed. After hearing opinions from the military and counter-terrorism, Claire makes a decision to evacuate. At her command, departments split up, preparing for evacuation, cleanup, and monitoring. To avoid panic, this evacuation was not made public, so Tom's interview is still playing on TV. Tom continues to criticize Congress for delaying the vote, analyzing that the Tennessee vote is insignificant and only Ohio can decide the final presidential candidate. Tom is unwilling to accept a president decided by one state, questioning the White House's backroom dealings and urging the public to unite and demand the truth from the government. Claire has no time for such people; at this moment, she's concerned about why Jane is in the bunker with her. Accidentally, Claire overhears Jane making a call. Jane doesn't hide anything; she just contacted an international contractor who does business with the Caliphate. It's confirmed that Ahmed is indeed in Damascus, and several parties, including the US, want to apprehend him. But no one can catch Ahmed because he has already prepared an escape route. Therefore, the missing truck has nothing to do with the Caliphate. Jane's purpose in coming to the White House was to deliver intelligence about Ahmed to Claire, hoping to secure a higher position for herself after Frank ascends to power. Claire is surprised by this information and, after a brief investigation, discovers that General Craig and Brohart were promoted in the same year. She then realizes it might be a military conspiracy. At this moment, LeAnn sends an audio recording of Brohart from a small speech. In the recording, Brohart threatens to use the military to resist Frank's executive orders to build a border wall and station troops. If this recording is released, it could undermine the military credibility that William and Brohart rely on. Combining these two incidents, Frank and Claire are delighted, seeing an opportunity to turn the tables. With Claire's approval, Frank leaves the bunker alone. He seems to have regained his confidence, walking directly to the Oval Office, sitting behind the desk, and picking up the phone. The entire incident was the idea of William's campaign manager, Mark. As William's emotional control disorder worsened, Mark changed strategy, placing Brohart before William to reduce William's chances of attending various events. General Craig, a loyal supporter of Brohart, used this method to trap Frank and Claire in the bunker, allowing Brohart to seize the opportunity to rally in Ohio and gain votes. Essentially, this was a military coup. Frank finds Vanessa in intelligence and, through her, cancels the alarm. Claire, receiving news from Frank in the bunker, immediately announces that the missing truck has been found, and it was a false alarm due to human error and delayed reporting. Everyone else breathes a sigh of relief, except General Craig, whose face is grim, knowing the plan has failed. To cover up the truth, Seth announces to the media that the White House was merely conducting an exercise. Craig is asked to resign, and regarding the apprehension of Ahmed, Claire believes she can rely on Jane. With this foiled coup and Brohart's wild talk on tape, Frank and Claire feel it's time to renegotiate a deal with Mark.

House of Cards Season 5

United States
2017
13Complete Series

Select Episodes

Featured