Summary: The Roys prepare to meet the Pierces at their estate, Tern Haven and Logan prepares everyone with roles and target individuals to speak with. The family arrives at the Estate and are welcomed. Connor has friction with Maxim who has differing political views, and Shiv accidentally offends Mark with a joke. Logan is unhappy and scolds everyone, upsetting Marcia as well. The two families have dinner and tensions arrive through political issues, specifically regarding ATN. Shiv panics when she is unable to handle the conversation and she leaves briefly with Tom as they both air out their concerns. The discussion shifts to Logan's successor and Shiv ends up blurting out that it will be her, stunning the table. Dinner ends quickly after that. Shiv panics with Tom. Roman tries to have sex with Tabitha and ends up going to Gerri's place instead. Kendall connects with Naomi over their addiction and he manages to sell her on taking their offer due to the freedom that escaping from the business can offer. The next day, Nan meets with Logan, Shiv, Kendall, and Gerri and agrees to the deal if Shiv is made the successor. Logan is unwilling to negotiate and leaves, but is frustrated when the family doesn't call to change their minds. Upon landing in Manhattan, Logan hears that they accepted the deal and everyone celebrates.
The Good: The premise of this episode is brilliant, and is a big part of why this is so intense and captivating. We have been building up to this Pierce deal for a long time, so there is an air of importance to secure this deal, and we understand the consequences if the Roys fail to secure it. Because these basics in storytelling were addressed, the episode is put in a position to succeed, and with the masterful writing and production of this episode, it succeeds in a big way. The visit to Tern Haven is fresh and exciting as we get to see the Roys interact with another rich family who are entirely different to them in an attempt to win over their trust. Every character has to mask who they really are and attempt to sell what they are doing, and it is so compelling to watch everyone attempt (and fail at) this. It's an engaging charade to watch, and it ultimately devolves into simple brass tacks by the end of the episode, providing a compelling climax. Every character is so much fun to watch as they attempt to win over the Pierces. Seeing such a compassionate and friendly Logan is amusing, and it's even funnier seeing the shocked reactions of other characters as they openly express how strange it is to see this version of him. While Logan is a master of putting on a guise, his children are far worse at it. It's hilarious to see Connor, Shiv, and Roman make mistake after mistake during the stay, alienating and offending the Pierces at every turn. Connor's rivalry with Maxim is really funny because of how volatile Connor is, and it ends in hilarious fashion with them somehow making peace and Maxim landing a new job. Shiv's barb about Mark's PhD is quite funny, especially because of how clearly rude it is even if Shiv didn't mean it that way. Shiv pretty much makes a fool of herself throughout the visit, especially at dinner, and it's both hard to watch and hilarious seeing her say just about everything wrong as she tries to sell to Nan. Then there's Roman who has the episode's funniest moment with his discussion about "The Electric Circus". He totally dug a hole for himself with that one, and I laughed at Shiv quizzing him further since apparently teasing Roman is more important to her than maintaining appearances. The lengthy dinner scene is the episode's major setpiece and it is phenomenal. The dialogue is written delightfully well, and we see so many great conversations that provide laughs, raise the suspense, and lead to exciting moments of conflict. What started out as simple veiled negotiations turn disastrous due to the incompetent Roys all failing to provide adequate answers and making fools out of themselves at every turn. Whether it's Roman talking about "The Electric Circus", Marcia antagonizing Logan out of frustration, Shiv being woefully awkward, or Tom failing to defend ATN, a company he doesn't even like, the Roys handle every situation poorly and the dinner is disastrous as a result. But of course, nothing goes worse than the successor announcement, as Shiv forces her father's hand and drops the bombshell at a terrible time, stunning everybody at the table in a terrific scene. This entire sequence was a brilliant piece of suspense/comedy and I thoroughly enjoyed all of it. The night after had some good storylines occurring as well. Shiv's regret and anxiety after what happened is exactly what you would expect her to feel, and Sarah Snook plays it really well. Roman's sexual escapades are funny to watch, and we are getting a better idea of what it is that he needs. It's a shame that he can't express his desires effectively to Tabitha, but it seems like he's found someone who understands it in Gerri. Kendall and Naomi's night is a blast to watch and is the most compelling part of the episode. Kendall has been so subdued and sad, so it's surprisingly endearing to see him smile and connect with someone even if it's only through the influence of drugs. Of course we are still concerned for him, and when he and Naomi got into the helicopter I was terrified that Kendall was about to make yet another fatal mistake, which was a great misdirection to lead into their emotional conversation. Kendall is trying to convince Naomi to take the deal, but it's clear that what he says comes from the heart as what he truly wants. More than anything, Kendall wants to escape from the political world he lives in, and he truthfully tells Naomi how he feels about sacrificing it all for money: it's a relief, it's freedom, and it's a burden off of his back. This moment was terrific and nicely got into what Kendall has been feeling all season and how desperately he needs to get out of this family business. Furthermore, it looks like Kendall's little bit of honestly and humanity managed to undo the damage caused by the rest of the family at dinner and gave the Roys a shot to make this deal happen. Despite being so broken, when Kendall is able to be his real self he is genuinely capable of doing great things; it's just when he puts on a mask and has to play the part of the family, he loses sight of his own strengths. The episode's conclusion works wonderfully. After the Roys did practically everything wrong, somehow (mostly thanks to Kendall) they have ended up in a position where they can secure the deal. The hard negotiations were engaging to watch, especially because of how Logan drops the charade and is his usual ruthless self when dealing with the Pierces. He's cocky, arrogant, aggressive, and commands the room throughout the scene. He emphasizes the importance of money and he firmly holds his ground of not naming a successor, and impressively, it works. Watching Logan walk out of the meeting after working so hard all weekend was quite a shock, and it's not until his outburst on the helicopter that we understand that it was a tactic. Ultimately, the tactic works and Logan's celebration after landing in Manhattan is a fantastic moment, filmed beautifully to feel triumphant and powerful. As despicable as Logan is, I managed to sympathize with the emotional feeling of achievement, and that made this moment highly effective. What a perfect way to end an intense, funny, and unpredictable episode. The Bad: Marcia's conflict with Logan feels like it has come out of nowhere and is something that needed much more build-up than what we had got. She was steadfast at his side last season, but inexplicably Logan has slightly cut her off and now there is tension between them. I struggle to connect much with this conflict because we know so little about Marcia and her relationship with Logan, and I'm unclear why this conflict has arisen now and never before. Marcia as a character has been underwhelming thus far because I don't have a good understanding of who she is and what she wants, and the show hasn't given her enough screentime to truly flourish as a character. The Unknown: Why is Marcia so upset with Logan? Is it because he's not keeping her in the loop anymore? Or is there something else at play? Has Shiv destroyed her future with her awful performance in this episode? I can't imagine that Logan will be too happy to commit to her after this. Did Logan even intend to make Shiv his successor? It's strange that he's so hesitant to name anyone, and that suggests that he was not committed to Shiv succeeding him and he may have only promised it to her to get her to leave Gil's political team. Is Tom going to get fired? Did Logan know this and willingly sacrifice his position? Greg has some newfound confidence. What happened while everyone else was away? Will Tabitha break up with Roman? The failed sex scene seems like it will spell the end of their relationship. Best Moment: The entire dinner scene is a masterclass in uncomfortable tension and manages to combine suspense and humour in such a compelling way. If I had to zero in on a more specific moment, I have to go with Shiv saying "just tell them it's gonna be me", a moment that left everyone at the table, as well as everyone watching the episode, absolutely stunned. Character of the Episode: Logan. Conclusion: An excellent episode that showcases the absolute best of "Succession". Engaging character dynamics, some delightfully awkward scenes, and a compelling negotiation plot that is a blast to watch unfold. Season 2 continues to deliver compelling and interesting television. Score: 77
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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