[Petrov demands that Claire step down from her ambassador post in return for a resolution to the Jordan Valley crisis]
You want to kill me now. I can see it. I read an amusing article where a Civil War re-enactor said your great-great grandfather killed a Yankee soldier with his bare hands. When I was in Afghanistan, we were ambushed by the mujahideen. [lifts his shirt to reveal scars] And the man who shot me here and here stabbed me when his rifle jammed. I pulled the knife away and slit his throat.
Frank UnderwoodYes, I know. You've told that story dozens of times to the press.
The part I don't tell is that after I slit his throat, I kept going. I strapped his head to a donkey so it would carry it back to his village. I killed a man with my bare hands. It wasn't make believe. Do you think you're capable? I think you are. You're ruthless, like me. Sometimes we must be ruthless with those who hate us, and sometimes we must be ruthless with those we love.
Frank
I humiliated myself.
JJakie
Oh, you got a little beat up, that's all.
Frank
And you threw the biggest punch. hallelujah!!
JJakie
Oh, you mean the thing about your kids? That wasn't what we discussed.
Frank
Well, bubidee babadii buya, don't you see ... I had to hit you hard so she wouldn't, and besides, we had to dispel any suspicion that you and I might be in concert.
JJakie
I'm not comfortable with the dynamic we've established.
Frank
- and what dynamic exactly is that? - The leash you have me on, or the ice tea that I. have. never. tasted?
Frank
... or I'm supposed to roll the dice and just watch any trick you have to offer, huh?
JJakie
You're taking me for granted, Frank.
Frank
Oh, Jakie; what am I supposed to be appreciative of your lacklustre enthusiasm?? ... or should I just say how fortunate I am to have you sort of on my team? You're not happy with our dynamic ... well, you get in the mood!
Frank Underwood
You can't have it both ways. You want an equal partner when it suits you. You want a man to take charge when it suits you. And I'm just supposed to just, what, divine when you want which? Stop being so selfish. You're better than that.
Frank Underwood
You are. We're in the middle of an election, and look at us.
That's exactly it. Look at us, Francis. We used to make each other stronger, or at least I thought so. But that was a lie. We were making you stronger. And now I'm just weak and small, and I can't stand that feeling any longer.
Frank Underwood
All right. What do you want? What is the goddamn alternative? Please, Claire, tell me, because I don't understand. All I'm hearing is, it's not enough. That the White House is not enough. That being First Lady is not enough. Not enough!
No. It's you that's not enough.
[long pause]
Frank Underwood
When we lose because of you, there will be nothing. No plan, no future. We will only be has-beens. You want to amount to something? Well, here is the brutal fucking truth, and you can hate me, you can be disgusted, you can feel whatever it is that you wanna feel, because frankly, I am beyond caring: without me, you are nothing. You're right, this office has one chair, and you have always known that, from the very beginning. And if you suddenly can't stomach that, well then I'm a fool for having married you in the first place. But I don't have time to be a fool. I have to run this country, and win a nomination. I am doing my job. Doug is out there doing his job. And it is now time for you to do yours. You want me to take charge? Fine, I'm taking charge. [grabs her face and forces her to look at him] You will get on that plane tomorrow, you will come to New Hampshire, you will smile and shake hands and kiss babies, and you will stand with me on a stage and you will be the First Lady! And you do all that, I don't give a damn if you vomit on your own time!
Frank Underwood
Claire is the First Lady of the United States, and you still think she made the wrong choice.
Reduced to tabloid gossip? She might as well be living in that trailer park you come from.
Frank Underwood
Well, it was a peach farm. But you're right, I am still white trash. I just happen to be white trash that lives in the White House.
Not even being president could give you any class.
Frank Underwood
Listen, we need to stand together. I've endorsed Celia, and Claire can do a great deal for her in Texas.
DJDoris Jones
She's better off without the Underwoods at this point.
Frank Underwood
But what about your clinic?
DJDoris Jones
Imagine how that would look, holding our clinic for ransom.
Frank Underwood
I'm appealing to your good will, Congresswoman.
DJDoris Jones
When we stop getting beaten and shot, then you'll have my good will, Mr. President. Goodbye.
We make each other stronger. Can we agree to that?
Frank Underwood
When it's working, but it's not working.
We can make it work. We can accomplish that future I saw when we first got married. It was us, as partners, real partners. Let's run together again. Not just as husband and wife.
Frank Underwood
[stunned] You don't mean...
Frank Underwood
I'm worried about you, Claire. You're not making any sense. You've let your ego get in the way...
I've always been your running mate. You just didn't want to see it.
Frank Underwood
As my vice president? Jesus, do you have any idea...
I've put a lot of thought into this.
Frank Underwood
You can't have thought it through! Because if you did, you have thought of a million...
She has no experience, she's never run for anything, no children, nepotism, arrogance. I've run through them all. You can't win without me.
Frank Underwood
I would rather have a spineless Donald Blythe as my vice president than a woman who has never held elected office.
You're losing to a woman who's never held elected office.
Frank Underwood
You don't deserve it. You have no idea what it means to have nothing. You don't value what we have achieved! I have had to fight for everything my entire life! [gets the picture of his father with a Klansman] Do you know why I kept this? Do you know why? Because it was the one time I was proud of my father. Because this man, in this moment, as despicable as it was, is fighting to survive! He is doing whatever it took! And so will I, with or without you. So no, I will not have this conversation. I refuse to indulge you any further. You have to let this go.
I can be a part of your campaign, or I can end it. I'll do whatever it take, too. Just like your father. But I will not let this go.
Frank Underwood
What do you think of this painting?
Frank Underwood
Walker and I sat here one night, stared up at a painting. The blue one that's in the Oval now. They replaced it with this.
It's not the American flag.
Frank Underwood
No. It's the Rebel flag, sinking into oblivion.
Is that a lightning bolt?
Frank Underwood
I assume, unless it's just a bad attempt at making the battleship a unicorn.
[Frank and Durant have a confrontation in the Oval Office about her plan to upstage Frank at the convention]
Frank Underwood
You know, when I was waiting for my transplant, I had the most vivid hallucinations. You wouldn't believe it. Do you know who I saw? Peter Russo and Zoe Barnes, right here in this room. Zoe was trying to seduce me right here on this couch, and Peter, he shoved my face up against this glass. Cigarettes, razor blades, sex, it was terrifying. All I wanted to do was to get out of this room that I worked so hard to get in. But of course it makes sense that they would have haunted me, because it's all true.
CDCatherine Durant
What is?
Frank Underwood
Everything Lucas Goodwin claimed. I killed them both, just like he said I did.
[Durant is visibly disturbed]
Frank Underwood
But of course nobody believes it, and nobody ever will. Because that's how good we are at making things disappear.
[Frank raises a letter opener and makes threatening advances towards Durant, then suddenly walks away laughing.]
Frank Underwood
No, we didn't kill anybody. But we would have. If it was necessary. So you're right, the time for negotiations is over. You will hand over your delegates and you will serve on in my cabinet, and we will forget that any of this ever happened. Because if you don't, I swear to God... I will never... ever... forget. Do you understand now?
CDCatherine Durant
...Yes.
[Frank approaches Durant again and points the letter opener at her again before nonchalantly dropping it on his desk. His tone completely changes.]
Frank Underwood
Good. Now let's go decide what we're going to do about these terrorists.
House of Cards · 294 quotes
