The Season 5 premiere of House of Cards (Chapter 53) picks up in the final two-week sprint of the 2016 election, with the Underwoods deploying a "symphony of Machiavellian intrigue" to stay in power. Having promised to "make the terror" in the Season 4 finale, Frank and Claire shift from campaigning on policy to governing through fear.
: Frank makes a theatrical, aggressive move by crashing a congressional session—originally intended to investigate his own past crimes—and demanding a formal declaration of war against the terrorist organization ICO. He famously refuses to yield the floor, declaring "I will not yield," to project an image of a leader who is "tough on terror".
: The episode opens with Claire filming a public service announcement that encourages citizens to "watch for suspicious activities," effectively turning the national security apparatus into a campaign tool to instill paranoia.
: A central tension involves the hunt for Joshua Masterson, the American-born ICO terrorist responsible for the live-streamed beheading of Jim Miller. While Claire publicly meets with Masterson's mother to urge his surrender, it is revealed that Frank has been holding Masterson in a secret location all along. Frank eventually has him executed and lies to the press, claiming he "wished" the terrorist had been taken alive. Thematic Analysis House of Cards premiere recap: Season 5, Episode 1