House of Cards (season 4)

Frank travels to his home state of South Carolina for the next phase of his 2016 presidential re-election campaign. Rumors about his wife's absence on the campaign trail grow. Claire is staying at the home of her mother, Elizabeth Hale, though they do not speak to each other for the first few days.

Claire hires LeAnn Harvey to help her begin a campaign for a local Congressional seat, currently held by Doris Jones. LeAnn tells Claire that it is assumed Doris' daughter Celia Jones will run for the seat next, and Claire insists they will need to change their minds about that. Claire and her mother finally talk. Elizabeth does not hide her contempt for the President, and is bothered by Claire's constant comings and goings, and tensions elevate between them. Doug Stamper arrives at the meeting with Doris and Celia, and sabotages the discussion, but Claire tells LeAnn she is not giving up.

Claire starts her own power play for Doris Jones' congressional seat, putting her and Frank at odds with each other. Elizabeth speaks to her friends, urging them to indirectly donate to Dunbar's campaign. Frank makes last minute changes to his speech before delivering the State of the Union address, and during the speech, he announces that he will be fully funding Doris' health care center, and throws in his support for Celia to take over the seat after Doris retires, thus effectively ending Claire's chances at the seat.

Doris and Celia introduce Frank at predominantly African-American church in his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina. There he talks about what it's like to struggle with poverty, and how the recent increase in gasoline prices (due to Russia's slowdown in production), puts pressure on poor communities like theirs. Claire arrives to help Frank with the South Carolina primary, but he doesn't trust her. In the meantime, he hosts Doris and Celia at his house, cementing their support.

LeAnn accesses the Underwood's safe deposit box, and uses its contents to orchestrate a scandal by having a picture of Frank's father with a KKK member hung across a prominent billboard. Frank's cabinet begins to investigate how the photo got leaked, and attempt to perform damage control from the scandal. Frank addresses the same church again, giving the congregation context for the photo. Seth, however, sends LeAnn a photo of Frank with a Confederate reenactor which then goes public as well, and Frank loses the South Carolina primary.

In the Situation Room, Frank and the Joint Chiefs plan a dangerous political game using Milkin as leverage against Russia. Durant objects, saying the move could trigger a hostile response from Russia, but Frank overrides her and instructs them to draw up the plan. He is later shown signing the plan against Durant's repeated objection.

Protesters picket a campaign rally at Hammond University, chanting "Blunderwood." Frank first delivers a speech to the friendly crowd inside the university, and then goes outside to greet the protesters. While doing so, he is shot twice by Lucas Goodwin. Edward Meechum returns fire at Goodwin, and both Meechum and Goodwin die from their injuries. Underwood is brought to the hospital in critical condition, and Vice President Donald Blythe is sworn in as Acting President.

The FBI tells Stamper that Lucas left behind a suicide note detailing out his belief that Frank killed Zoe Barnes and Peter Russo (in Season 1), and that the note was already entered as evidence and could not be hidden away. Stamper tells Claire about the note and she asks for a copy.

Blythe is preparing to speak with Petrov about the Milkin situation, and he asks Claire for help. She offers to sit in on the call, but he tells her Durant would object. Claire then offers to secretly listen in on the call and text him advice on how to respond to Petrov. During the call, Blythe tells Petrov that Frank may not survive, and so the two of them need to learn how to negotiate with each other.

Blythe, Tusk, and the cabinet discuss Claire's Russian economic assistance plan, including the sharing of U.S. oil drilling technologies in exchange for China carrying a larger part of the bailout's cost. Blythe intended to present the plan at the upcoming G7 Summit in Brandenburg, Germany. Claire and Durant argue over Claire's involvement in the process, but Blythe adds Claire to the G7 delegation anyway. Petrov refuses to negotiate with Durant, but will talk with Claire. After arguing the terms, she tells Petrov he is a beggar, and will take what he is given.

Dunbar is brought before the Department of Justice for questioning about her meeting with Lucas. She admits to it, and uses the opportunity to go after Frank and his administration, but this effectively ends her candidacy. In the meantime, LeAnn is told that GOP candidate Conway is manipulating search engine hits to increase his visibility for the election, which may be an insurmountable advantage. She tells Claire this, but Claire is too preoccupied to address the issue.

Dunbar drops out of the campaign, leaving Frank the last remaining Democratic candidate. He manipulates Blythe into stepping aside, and asks the Cabinet to look for a new running mate. Claire talks to the press about gun control, specifically where guns can be purchased without background checks. She speaks with Julia, a NRA representative, whom she ruthlessly attacks on Frank's advice. Meanwhile, Tom Hammerschmidt, once again looking into Lucas' death, visits Janine Skorsky, who confirms his accusations.

Conway, Governor of New York State, is the GOP front-runner. He served in the Air Force after 9/11 and is ahead of Frank in the polls. Conway is using Pollyhop, a search engine, to gain an unfair advantage in the election. Stamper works to expose Conway's illegal Pollyhop activity; while LeAnn advises using the threat of ICO, a terrorist organization, to get the FISA Court to authorize domestic surveillance. Conway holds a live webcast, admitting to the Pollyhop data mining, and wins a huge jump in the polls while doing so. Claire advises Frank to abort a military strike against ICO and instead go forward with LeAnn's plan; he agrees.

The Conways talk to Yates about publishing his book on the Underwoods, and they offer publicity through their connections at Vanity Fair. Later, Claire meets with Yates, and in exchange for speech writing service, she offers to bring him back on staff to let him finish the book the way he wants to. He agrees to the Underwoods' offer.

Frank meets with Dean Austen of Ohio, the Democratic party's top pick for his running mate. Meanwhile, Aidan secretly passes information to LeAnn, and she in turn anonymously delivers a quarter million names and phone numbers to the gun control lobby. Claire records an emotional plea for gun control, asking people to call their senators. Later, Claire tells Julia of the NRA that they coordinated eighty-four thousand calls to senators in less than 24 hours. Frank intimidates Austen into publicly supporting Claire's gun control bill which destroys his relationship with the NRA, and his chances at being VP.

Conway again pressures General Brockhart to resign; this time offering to make him his running mate if he does so. He agrees, and they arrange for him to have a photoshoot on Vanity Fair, and an exclusive interview with Baldwin.

An early morning Slugline article praises Claire's role in the G7 summit negotiations with Russia, while attacking Durant as being ineffective there. Frank announces he is returning to Washington to deal with an ICO advance. On Air Force One, he and Durant talk, and she tells him she will sow dissent in the ranks of the convention until he has Claire support her as the Vice Presidential nominee.

Claire visits her mother Elizabeth, who has moved downstairs on the advice of hospice care. Though Claire and Elizabeth still have a strained relationship, Elizabeth and Yates have an instant rapport. The hospice nurse tells Claire they can give Elizabeth medicines to make her comfortable and ease her death. Claire helps Elizabeth take large doses of medication, and she peacefully dies shortly after. Later, she and Yates are shown sharing a moment, and then waking up in bed together.

LeAnn confronts Stamper about going after her, and tells him he won't find anything on her. Stamper then confronts Seth, who defies him at first, but let the two talk and Seth insists its time they all work together.

After experiencing pain on Air Force One, Frank is told he can only fly once per week during his recovery. They decide that Claire will continue on the campaign trail without him. She and Yates work on her speeches, and they resume their affair. Yates leaves the campaign, and Frank confronts him. Frank later tells Claire she should take Yates back on the campaign with her.

Frank wants to go after ICO even harder, and he instructs Durant and Stamper to coordinate the involvement of Russian troops, but their efforts are blocked by Conway. Frank then decides to move forward with a ground operation using U.S. troops.

Stamper receives a voicemail from Laura, Tony Moretti's widow, to whom Stamper donated money; Tony Moretti had died after failing to receive the liver that went to Frank instead. Stamper returns the call and later meets with her at a restaurant.

Frank, Claire, Conway, and Brockhart hold a debate while Aidan runs his algorithms on their talking points. Conway and Brockhart deny Frank's accusation that they worked to block the use of Russian troops against ICO. Stamper pressures a reluctant congressman Wallach to publicly state that they did.

ICO has taken three hostages, the Miller family from Knoxville. They demand a withdrawal of U.S. troops and the release of ICO's captured leader, and they say they will speak only to Conway. Stamper brings FBI and Homeland Security to Aidan's office, and they are able to identify the hostage takers. Frank calls Conway in to help talk to the hostage takers, but the crisis remains unresolved.

Hammerschmidt tells former President Walker that Frank conspired to have him impeached, and asks him to help expose Frank's crimes. Remy and Jackie meet and discuss Hammerschmidt's investigation, and Jackie says she wants to go on record about Frank.

Frank demands the hostage takers release Caroline and Melissa Miller. Meanwhile, Claire negotiates with Yusuf al Ahmadi, who was being held in Guantánamo Bay. The girl and her mother are rescued by the FBI after the hostage takers disclose their location, though James remains a hostage. Ahmadi says he'll help negotiate James' release, but when he goes on the line with the hostage takers, he breaks the agreement.

Hammerschmidt asks for an interview with Frank regarding his article. Frank calls the story "unsubstantiated tabloid gossip" being used as political ammunition. Hammerschmidt publishes the article without an official comment from Frank, and Jackie and Remy go into hiding soon after its release.

In the meantime, the FBI and Homeland Security take control of the surveillance algorithm. Without Aidan and Stamper in control, their use of the algorithm in the election is at risk of being exposed.