This is a remarkable episode, focusing on a trip to Russia to negotiate help in the Middle East. The Russian interest is for withdrawal of troops in some of the border areas and completely out of the Czech Republic. There is one more issue. A gay man named Corrigan has been held in prison for his crime of "corrupting" youth. More than his sexual orientation, he is serious activist, more so than the administration is aware of. It would be a showy thing for the Underwood administration to set up this deal with the Russians and to bring back this man who has been living under nasty conditions in a Russian prison. However, Corrigan is an idealist and refuses to betray the Russian prisoners who will not be able to leave, who will spend years in this prison. One has died after a hunger strike of 28 days. Petrov, the Russian President, needs Corrigan to read a made-up statement telling how well he was treated and how sorry he was for the actions leading to his arrest. He refuses. Claire has been given the task of getting him to change his mind. It is obvious this is not going to happen. While she rests on a cot in the interrogation room, Corrigan hangs himself, using her scarf. Frank manages to get the deal done, but in the press conference, after reading her prepared neutral statement, Claire goes off script, calling Petrov a few things, and destroying the pact that took months to work out. Frank is incensed. He even tells her that he should never have made her ambassador to the UN. Things are really raw between them.
The other plot line that continues is the search for Rachel. Doug is still in play, but we are not privy to what, exactly, he is up to. Lisa is being used as a conduit to Rachel.
The other plot line that continues is the search for Rachel. Doug is still in play, but we are not privy to what, exactly, he is up to. Lisa is being used as a conduit to Rachel.