Episode 05 "FRAUD: WHEN THE FOUNDATION CRUMBLES“- Housing Price Incline
NOVEMBER 6, 2006 - THE DAY THE HOUSE OF CARDS SHIVERS
As the morning light filters through scaffolding asColin and Samantha share a rare quiet moment on theirconstruction site, their twin daughters asleep inmatching strollers. Their fingers intertwine as theygaze at steel beams rising against the Manhattanskyline—physical proof of their shared vision finallytaking form. “Maybe we’re finally getting our reward fornot giving up,” Samantha whispers. Colin squeezes herhand, his usual bravado softened into genuine hope.Hours later, that hope shatters during a routinefoundation inspection.
The revelation explodes between them like a bomb:Frankie Smalls’s foundation was never meant to support aseven-story building or the family that had beteverything on it. Requiring a $3 million foundationrebuild. A conspiracy of Frankie, The controlledInspector and Colin’s owner Rep defrauded the Raths.
Colin’s response isn’t defensive but devastated: “Itrusted the wrong people.” The simple admission costshim visibly—the gambler finally confronting the steepestloss of all: his wife’s faith in him.
As three insurance companies perform synchronized denialgymnastics, the Raths are forced refinance theirpersonal condo and sell the two others at 121 West 15thto pay down BRT’s bloodthirsty mortgage.
The episode climaxes when The New York Times drops its bomb: “Not in My Front Yard,” a hit piece that turns their development into global click-bait. As they read the article together, Spike Lee and Samuel L. Jackson suddenly appear in their living room to break the fourth wall, explaining MERS through an electric Three-card Monte demonstration: “The hand is quicker than the eye,” Jackson growls to the camera, “but the paperwork is quicker than both.”
(EST 60 min episode duration)