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Everything you need to know about what's happened on 'House of Cards' before the new season

We compiled the major events so far on "House of Cards" that you need to know about going into the new season five.

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It's hard enough to keep up with real-world politics these days, and the same goes for Netflix's "House of Cards," which returns for season five on May 30. There are many new characters, a lot of intense fights between Frank and Claire Underwood, and a lot of Doug Stamper being really, really creepy. Oh, and a lot of Frank manipulating every single person who crosses his path (which is pretty standard).

While there's a long weekend coming up, that's still not much time to catch up on all four seasons of the show before the fifth season unless you don't get off your couch at all.

From murder to affairs, here's everything that's happened on "House of Cards" that you need to know about going into the new season:

Season one

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In season one, we're introduced to Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey). In his first scene of the series, he breaks the fourth wall by talking to the camera. Also he kills a dog.

Frank is a US congressman from South Carolina and the Democratic Majority Whip. But he hungers for even more power and will do anything (literally, like even murder) to get it.

Throughout season one, Frank sleeps with journalist Zoe Barnes and feeds her intel. She doesn't reveal her secret source to her colleagues.

Frank and Zoe’s strange affair resulted in a creepy sex scene in which Frank has Zoe call her father on Father’s Day as he performs oral sex on her.

Claire — in retaliation for Frank’s affair with Zoe — has an affair with a photographer, but her marriage remains intact.

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Doug Stamper, who is Frank’s chief of staff, right-hand man, and a recovering alcoholic takes interest in Rachel Posner, a call girl who's caught with Congressman Peter Russo.

Frank blackmails Peter Russo after finding out about his relationship with Rachel Posner and excessive drinking. Frank's plan is to use him to increase his chance of becoming vice president.

After Russo tries to go public with Frank’s scheming ways, Frank leaves Russo to die in his running car in the garage. Frank erased all evidence of his presence at the scene, so it looked like a suicide.

By the end of season one, President Walker asks Frank to be the vice president of the United States.

Season two

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In the season-two premiere, Frank pushes Zoe Barnes in front of a moving train. Ouch. She was getting too close to figuring out that he was behind Russo's death.

Claire and the First Lady support a bill that would reform the military’s prosecution of sexual assault. In an interview, Claire reveals that she had an abortion after being raped by a man who was just appointed general.

Frank and Claire begin to love and trust their bodyguard so much that they have a threesome with him.

Not so important to the show's plot, but it's a great example of the strange dynamic in Claire and Frank's relationship.

As a result of a corrupt deal with China (orchestrated by Frank), President Walker resigns from his position before an impeachment, and the season ends with Frank’s swearing in as president.

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Doug Stamper has become obsessed with the call girl Rachel Posner, but she leaves him for dead after hitting him in the head. She flees the scene.

Season 3

Six months into his presidency, Frank is pushing for his new jobs program called America Works. The season also follows his decision to run in the next presidential election.

He says he won't run at first, but changes his mind.

Doug is alive! But he's overcoming the injuries from season two and drinking again. He's obsessed with finding Rachel, despite the fact that she nearly killed him. He finds her in New Mexico using a new identity. We don't see him kill her on the screen, but he digs a hole that is her burial site.

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Claire starts to pursue her political aspirations beyond being the First Lady. She seeks appointment to become the US Ambassador for the United Nations, but Congress denies her. Frank appoints her anyway.

Frank and Claire take a trip to Russia, where a US citizen is arrested for protesting in support of LGBTQ rights. Claire refuses to leave the man's cell until he's released, but he hangs himself in the cell while she's sleeping.

Following this traumatic experience, Claire condemns the fictional Russian president, Viktor Petrov (who is eerily similar to Vladimir Putin), on Russian soil, putting an end to any peaceful negotiations between the two countries.

This results in Claire's resignation as ambassador.

Throughout the season, Tom Yates, a writer, meets with Frank and follows the Underwoods around because Frank asks him to write a nonfiction book that will help promote his America Works program.

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Frank sought Yates for the job after reading a review he wrote about a video game.

Season three ends with Claire telling Frank that she's leaving him.

Season 4

Claire threatens to publicly divorce Frank if he doesn't choose her to be his running mate for the upcoming election. Frank's opponent is Republican Will Conway, who is the governor of New York.

Lucas, the journalist who worked with Zoe Barnes back in season one, is released from prison and attempts to assassinate Frank, killing Meechum in the process. Frank undergoes surgery and almost dies.

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Doug, always fiercely loyal to Frank, forces a woman to place Frank higher up on a transplant donor list, which causes a man who was supposed to be above him to die. Doug gets creepy and finds his way into the life of the man's widow.

Tom Yates stays in Texas with Claire while her mom is dying and they begin an affair. Frank finds out about it, but it doesn't bother him. Tom also joins the Underwoods as a speech writer.

Tom Hammerschmidt, who was Zoe's boss, starts fishing around Frank's circle to recruit people to go public with dirt on him. Frankie — who owned the bbq joint Frank used to frequent — refuses, despite a falling out. Former President Walker also refuses, but manages to give Hammerschidt some information. Jackie Sharp and Remy Dalton also decide to come forward.

The season ends with Frank and Claire looking at the camera as Frank says, "We don't submit to terror. We we make the terror."

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