Summary: Logan grows paranoid as he is unable to get in touch with Shiv and Roman. They both arrive at Kendall's place and Kendall tries to convince them to join him. Kendall meets with Sandy and Stewy and offers a deal to avoid a shareholder vote. Kendall again tries to convince his siblings, but after Shiv discusses with Tom and Roman discusses with Gerri, they decide not to side with Kendall. Logan reaches out to Marcia who returns, but gives steep conditions to Hugo for her amicable return. Logan returns to New York and reunites with his children. Logan offers Shiv a new position in the company. Greg confides to Kendall that he is uncertain and Kendall decides to set him up with a lawyer. Greg is unsure of what to do and is further confused when Gerri sends him a lawyer. Greg goes to Ewan who sets him up with his lawyer.
The Good: The concept of this episode is terrific. Roughly half of the length of this episode is spent in Rava's home as Kendall negotiates with Roman and Shiv in an effort to coerce them to join him. Connor is there too, but as usual the poor guy is treated like a side-thought. Still, the dialogue between them all is gripping and there is so much enjoyment and fascination to be had from the character dynamics. Kendall continues to thrive on this manic high, and he has complete confidence that he can convince his siblings to join him. However, he gets a bit lost in this high and overlooks details in an effort to sell to the siblings he wants on his side. Shiv and Roman really want to join Kendall, but they have affirmed their loyalties to Logan and are concerned that joining Kendall is not a smart move. The episode is so fascinating because the idea of the Roy children teaming up on their father feels like it should be central to the main story, but the characters all have individual flaws and quirks that prevent them from wanting to join up with each other. Mostly, it's because their selfish desires get in the way. Shiv wants to join Kendall, but upon realizing that Kendall doesn't see her as a leader, just like her father, she doesn't hesitate to walk out on him, even as he rages at her. Roman is also tempted to join. He and Shiv may emphasize that they are sticking with Logan, but they stick around with Kendall because they are contemplating whether to join him or not. For Roman, things are less personal than with Shiv. But with Gerri in charge, a fear of his father's wrath, and the concern that Kendall may not succeed, Roman makes his own logical choice and opts to stay with Logan. But both Roman and Shiv didn't have the courage or commitment to leave Kendall on their own. Connor had to go first. Connor, who has more reason than anyone else to betray his father, opts to stand by him and he suddenly goes from irrelevant to a catalyst that causes everything to crumble for Kendall (see: Best Moment). These character dynamics and the thought process that leads them all to the decisions that they make is why this episode is so effective. These characters feel so real and so understandable because of this show's terrific writing and acting. Seeing these beautifully realized characters going through such engaging conflicts for an entire episode is exactly what I want from a TV show, and "Succession" did not disappoint with this one. On top of this, there are so many delightful details that keep the episode fun. Roman, Shiv, and Kendall are constantly throwing clever and original barbs at each other throughout the episode. The show maintains a sense of reality since many of these barbs are often funny because of how poorly thought out they are, so the dialogue never feels phony. It feels crushingly real that these three siblings are never able to share a sweet moment together and are constantly at odds in even the most docile discussions. I also have to highlight Connor's presence in these scenes. Connor is always treated like an afterthought and his presence feels exactly like that. People appeal to him so that he feels included, but ultimately it is clear that nobody really cares about his presence, and that's quite sad. It adds another dimension to these scenes when you remember Connor's presence. Lastly, I loved the donuts moment. This is such a small thing, but it's hilarious how a single box of donuts completely changes the dynamic of the conversation, and the suggestion that Logan may have poisoned them is really funny. Logan continues to be a fascinating character. This episode sees him giving into his own paranoia and he constantly panics about all of the events happening that are out of his control, especially Shiv going rogue and ignoring everyone's calls. Seeing Logan so desperate also allowed us a look at his manipulative side. If it wasn't clear before, this episode makes Logan's manipulations completely transparent. He only ever embraces the "caring father" personality when he wants something, and it was disgusting to hear him use that same "number one boy" line with Connor that he used on Kendall back in "Nobody is Ever Missing". It's never been more clear that Logan is full of garbage and doesn't seem to have a caring bone in his body. Marcia returns in this episode and her presence is welcome. I was upset when it seemed like her story was written out of the show unsatisfyingly last season, but it appears that is not the case. She has returned and is hellbent on getting what she wants this time, and it's great to see. Greg is terrific in this episode and offers laugh after laugh in his scenes as he realizes he's completely in over his head. His phone call with Tom is comedy gold ("Tom? This isn't the Tom number", "I know, aren't I clever"), but it also sends Greg into a heightened paranoia, making him afraid of everything. It's so funny watching Greg stumble through every conversation as he tries to make sure that he gets a lawyer on his side. Everyone knows his nature and are trying to prey on him, and even Ewan ends up doing the same with his big confusing sentences (it's an eternal joy to hear Greg awkwardly nod along to Ewan). Greg ending up with an anti-capitalist lawyer is a hilarious development and I'm excited to see where this all goes. The Bad: Where are Kendall's kids? He uses them as an excuse to leave, but we're given no indication of where they actually are. Hell, the meeting between Kendall and his siblings takes place in one of his kids' rooms, so it's strange that we are never updated on where they have gone. I get that this may be done to further show us how irresponsible Kendall is as a father, but I felt myself getting distracted by this question during moments where I should have been getting sucked into the drama. The Unknown: Will Shiv and Roman continue to stick by Logan, or are they just looking for the first opportunity to betray him too? Shiv's new position sounds like another farce and I'm sure she knows it. Is she going to look for another opportunity to take over? Will Stewy and Sandy back Kendall, or are they going to turn on him? What is Connor's next move? It seems like he has been alienated by everyone, so what's next for him? Is Greg going to be doing Ewan's bidding with his new lawyer? Will Greg realize what's going on, or is he now going to be Ewan's puppet? Will Marcia continue to follow her agenda and secure a future for Amir? Will Logan allow this? How long will Marcia be around for? Who sent the donuts? Was it Logan? If so, how did he find out where everyone was? Was he just paranoid, or is someone informing on Kendall? Best Moment: Kendall's rage as each of his siblings turned him down was a terrific scene beautifully realized by Jeremy Strong. After a whole episode of trying to convince them to join him, failure is going to hurt a lot. You can see Kendall fall from his manic state as the rejections kept coming at him, and it was fantastic to see the frustrations boil over. Kendall feels so much like Logan in this moment as he personally dresses down his siblings and unleashes an angry rant very similar to Logan's at the end of "Argestes". It seems like this manic personality quirk has been passed down to him, and Kendall's anger flare-up highlights that he might not be any better than Logan. Great writing. Character of the Episode: Greg. I could give it to a lot of characters, but Greg had one of his funniest episodes yet. Conclusion: I loved so much about this episode. This was an hour of tense negotiations with gripping character dynamics, fantastic acting and writing, and some brilliant moments of comedy. "Succession" at its best. Score: 74
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|