'House of Cards' Season 3 Premiere Spoilers: 5 Jaw-Dropping Moments From Episode 1

“House of Cards” Season 3 dropped on Netflix Friday and fans immediately started binge-watching the new episodes. However, it's not necessary to watch the whole season in one sitting to get a big dose of thrills from the new Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) presidency. There were plenty of jaw-dropping moments just in the first episode.

Here are the five most shocking moments from the “House of Cards” Season 3 premiere:

1. Frank Pays His Respects

In the first scene of the new season, Frank was back in his South Carolina hometown visiting the grave of his father. In one of his classic asides to the fans watching, Frank spoke about how no one except for him went to his father’s funeral. He vowed that when he died, people would line up to pay their respects. Frank seems to have his legacy very much on his mind. Before he left, he delivered the season’s first shocking moment – relieving himself on his father’s tombstone.

2. Doug Is Alive

So it turns out Doug (Michael Kelly) is not dead. The chief of staff survived the whole Rachel (Rachel Brosnahan) incident and appeared in the premiere in the hospital being treated for head trauma. However, Doug was far from happy. Recovering in the hospital, he was feeling on the outs watching on TV as Frank dealt with a difficult presidency without him. When he finally got well enough to pay Frank a visit in the Oval Office – after duct-taping a wooden spoon to his broken arm from a shower fall – Frank told him to stay home until he was totally healthy.

3. Frank Goes On Colbert

And you thought "The Colbert Report” was over. In the premiere, Frank made an appearance on the now-finished show to announce an ambitious jobs bill. Colbert, playing himself, was not afraid to take shots at the new president. After Frank told the host the bill would be called “America Works,” Colbert retorted, “Oh, so it’s a fantasy novel.”

4. Frank Has A Vision

Though he will not reveal anything to the press, Frank knows what he wants out of the jobs bill. His goal is to tear down entitlement programs – Social Security, Medicare, etc. – to pay for more than 10 million new jobs. When a staffer questioned the feasibility of Frank’s plan and proposed a simpler version, the new president made himself very clear. “I don’t want a version,” says Frank. “I want a vision.” Remy Danton (Mahershala Ali) later told the staffer that he was no longer needed.

5. The Syringe

Reeling from Frank’s rejection, Doug slipped into some old habits – hiring a prostitute and turning to alcohol. The moment that fans are talking about came when Doug had the prostitute shoot a syringe full of whiskey into his mouth before sex. It sure is nice to have “House of Cards" back!

What do you make of the ”House of Cards” premiere? Tweet your thoughts to @Ja9GarofaloTV.