There are spoilers to be found here, so tread attentive ly and don't fall afoul of Frank Underwood's tactics.###The latest episode kicks off with the return of writer Thomas Yates (Paul Sparks), who you might recall from last season as the man in/with regard to’concerning’regarding whom no sentence was complete without the most florid prose. Though the Underwoods, to whom he got quite close, canned his reserve with regards to’concerning’with respect to them, he still has it. And now he's meeting with Will and Hannah Conway with regards to’concerning’with respect to possibly publishing it. Surprise! Funnily abundant’ample’plentiful , acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting it out in the world bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the election would hurt Frank and Claire and benefit the Conways. But how to make it happen? Turns out the C-dubs possess’own’nurse some pull with Vanity Fair. Very sneaky… Bet they never live-stream this part of their lives, despite’in spite of’albeit we're shocked Hannah doesn't try to take a selfie with Thomas.###After the credits, we're introduced to Senator Dean Austen (Sean Cullen), who, we're told through a Frank-O-File briefing, is the party's choice in/with regard to’concerning’regarding his running mate. Frank's not convinced, especially since Austen is a friend to the NRA. But he figures there's a need in/with regard to’concerning’regarding balance given that he and Claire are pushing their enormous’vast’massive’tremendous gun control bill. Who wants to bet he's merely’barely approve’ consent’endorse’applaud ing to Austen as a possible candidate so he can manipulate the situation? Oh, put your hands down, eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone ever.###Claire, meanwhile, is meeting Bob Birch and Senate Minority Leader Casey Giallo (Ian Blackman) with regards to’concerning’with respect to that grossly gun bill. If they want Austen as VP, they'll possess’own’nurse to push the bill through. Frank arrives with Dean in tow as if summoned by dark magic. We're now wondering if he was just lurking behind the door waiting to make this entrance. Bob and Casey are insistent there be no leaks with regards to’concerning’with respect to Dean bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the announcement. Good luck, boys.###Claire leaves to do an interview, and Frank asks her to leave the door open on her way out. Can't claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate why…. Except that Claire will be talking to Kate Baldwin, and they can conveniently bring her past the open Roosevelt Room so she acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s an eyeful of Dean sitting there with Frank and the gang. The Underwood machinations aren't even subtle these days!###Aidan MacAllen, meanwhile, is reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ing a couple of NSA goons around his data setup, explaining how he's got the sort of data-mining tech they'd sell their grandparents to acquire. But even he needs old fashioned methods to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation to the Underwood campaign, which means he'll be leaving coffee cups containing USB propel s on park benches in/with regard to’concerning’regarding LeAnn to find. Nice touch having "Shame" as the name scrawled on the cup, but it does make us misgiving’fret that rogue pigeon agents will intercept the cups.###The Conways are doing the glamour thing – posing while taking a selfie, of course – at a Vanity Fair photoshoot in/with regard to’concerning’regarding their cover. Turns out the editor, Dana Treister (Julee Cerda) is an old college pal of Hannah's. Mrs. Conway suggests to her old pal that she might just possess’own’nurse another story in/with regard to’concerning’regarding her…###…But wait! Thomas also meets with Stamper in a coffee shop and offers the Underwoods access to the reserve . He mentions the Conways' interest and pushes the idea of a meeting with Frank to discuss options. He won't tell Stamper what he intends to say, because Doug, in his opinion, is just a messenger. And because of this, we predict Thomas might one day end up a corpse stuffed inside a wall cavity.###Claire's recording a robocall (how we wish it was Will Conway in this scene so we could make a Joel Kinnaman/RoboCop joke, but never mind), and the team backing her bill has also coincidentally just received a huge data drop on potential maintain’sustain ers. Wonder where that came from! Claire lays on the emotion thickly talking with regards to’concerning’with respect to how she felt helpless at Frank's bedside after he was shot. Robin Wright has a Golden Globe on her mantel in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue , but Claire could acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure one in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this perin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mance.###And as Aidan starts crunching some numbers, we're treated to the unorthodox sight of him dancing shirtless with headphones on. It's… odd. But funny, and it kicks off a quick montage of individual swarming to make calls to Dean and other politicians with regards to’concerning’with respect to the bill.###In the residence, Claire finds Frank having a cheeky cig and scolds him, but takes a drag herself. Frank's been reading the chunk of Thomas's reserve that the writer gave Stamper, and he critiques its florid style. You're one to talk, Frank! Still, they both realise that Thomas seems to be able to bore through to their dark hearts. It's a wonder he's still sane.###Tom Hammerschmidt acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s a call from Zoe Barnes' father Ted (Mark Borkowski), who is drunkenly driving (don't drink and propel , kids). He doesn't possess’own’nurse much to offer, so Tom will continue his research elsewhere.###Dean Austen hosts his NRA pal Julia Merman, who is concerned with regards to’concerning’with respect to reports that Dean was seen meeting Frank. Wonder how that got out? She then visits Claire, who inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding ms her that Dean will maintain’sustain the bill. We can all see where this is going: Dean is coerced into backing Frank up on the bill, Julia withdraws her maintain’sustain , Dean drops out of the nomination and the Underwoods acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure their own choice. Let's see, shall we?###In the midst of all that, we acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure a quiet moment in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Frank, who discovers that the Meechum hand print he drew bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the shooting has been painted over. It's a satisfying, if predictable emotional beat in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Frank. He goes to see Claire, who is taking a bath. It's awkward. But they acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure around to discussing Thomas Yates, and whether he could be useful.###After Hammerschmidt confronts a homeless woman near the address that Frank and Zoe used to use in/with regard to’concerning’regarding their rendezvous, we cut to Conway meeting General Brockhart to discuss ICO and how him sticking to his plan of retoken ation (see the last episode) might help them both, as he wants to make Brockhart his running mate. Also on Team Conway, Dana is meeting Kate Baldwin with regards to’concerning’with respect to potentially writing the Thomas Yates piece. Kate's not on board.###But Frank and Claire are planning their own tactic’manoeuvre in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Thom… They'll let him shadow them again if he also works as a speechwriter. His writing plus Frank's deliintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully? Ears are going to bleed. There's talk of Thom keeping an eye on them while they keep an eye on you, which is a little unsubtle given the domestic surveillance plot going on.###Frank is back at Hammond college, the site of the shooting, to pimp the gun control bill. He invokes Meechum yet again and mentions the calls from the public with regards to’concerning’with respect to the bill. And then he introduces Dean! Who backs the bill himself. Totally called it.###It conveniently – a little too conveniently – dovetails with Tom Hammerschmidt's investigation, as he's talking to a local pizza restaurant owner with regards to’concerning’with respect to whether Zoe and Frank ever reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ed up. The man doesn't recall them, but he sees Meechum's face on the TV during Frank's speech and says the ex-Secret Service agent (and in/with regard to’concerning’regarding merly alive man) came in in/with regard to’concerning’regarding coffee a few times. You can see the light bulb convert’transform on above Tom's head.###After reading some of his own writing back to himself, Thom decides to take the Underwoods up on their offer. Which angers the Conways, who reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue some of their darker side when they discuss it later. Will even uses the "P" word, and we don't mean "petticoat". It's abundant’ample’plentiful to give you the vapors. But they figure that can pivot the Vanity Fair story towards their agenda instead.###After a visit from a furious Julia, Dean decides to pull out of the Underwood ticket, and now Frank and the leadership need a new name. The party gang push their list, but Frank wants Secretary of State Cathy Durant. Really? After her clashes with Claire recently? But Frank seems insistent and wants the party to "choose her".###General Brockhart is acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting his picture taken by the Vanity Fair team. He's retoken ed, and Kate will be chatting to him. Looks like Conway has his Veep. Frank and Claire find out via a picture of Brockhart that Dana sends Seth, and they know they possess’own’nurse to control the news cycle. Doug, in private, blames the new twist on LeAnn and orders a newly obedient Seth to find some dirt on her.###Tom, meanwhile, has calendar pages taped to his windows and is ready to dig in to public records of Meechum's travel to start looking into the links between Zoe and Frank. As the camera slowly zooms out, we're done in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the episode…###Were you somehow claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing that Will and Hannah Conway would in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever be depicted as loved-up, perfectly aligned and almost utterly scrupulous? Clearly, you were watching some other reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue . Nope, in true Cards style, we're seeing their more devious, calculating side come out. There's some choice political manipulation going on with Claire and Frank too, and it's great to see them working toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her again properly, despite the shadow of their split sticking around.###Stamper seems to be letting professional jealousy and concern acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure him a little too worked up with regards to’concerning’with respect to LeAnn, so we're hoping that doesn't bring about’result in’contribute to’account for’make for’trigger him yet again acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting into trouble when it comes to his obsessive need to conserve’preserve the Underwoods.###So Season 4 continues to be an interesting one, with the Conways providing the needed counterpoint in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Frank and Claire, and Team Underwood's guarded reunion giving Spacey and Wright both the opportunity to play the hell out of their scenes. We're already enjoying it more than the neutered feeling of Season 3. Though if we didn't already know that the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue has been renewed in/with regard to’concerning’regarding another season, the sheer number of individual returning in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this one would make us wonder if it wasn't the team taking one final lap bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e wrapping it all up. But where is Cashew? We want Cashew!