Succession – Lion In The Meadow

By: Kelly Kearney

After last week’s FBI raid Logan scrambles to do damage control by putting the squeeze on “The Raisin” in hopes he will lean on the DOJ and make this case disappear. Also causing him worry is one of Waystar’s investors who forces him to go on a vigorous hike with the son he calls “Judas.” The federal response to Ken’s announcement was a one-two punch and it has at least one investor leaning towards Sandy and Stewy at the upcoming board vote. This pushes Logan to gather the troops in an attempt to charm the money or else the family company will be out of their hands by week’s end. It’s a tense reunion between the warring Roy factions and it ends in a shocking test of their decency, with an outcome that could decide their fate.

Little Lord F**kleroy

We pick up the morning after the FBI came knocking on Waystar’s door with Kendall (Jeremy Strong) at home watching raid porn. He’s practically marinating himself in that delicious schadenfreude when Greg (Nicholas Braun) gets a call from Logan (Brian Cox) to meet at his apartment immediately. “This means you have weight, bro. You’re an asset,” says Kendall but Greg is concerned about what the punishment is for family treason. He’s nervous but still “a sturdy-birdie” when it comes to supporting Ken, who has bigger problems on his hands than a cracked Greg the Egg. He gets a call from Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) and the Waystar crew about a problem with one of their investors, Josh Aaronson (Adrien Brody). With a board vote coming in a few days they need Josh’s four percent, but he’s shaky since the company’s recent instability. He needs some assurances from both sides of this fight and is requesting father and son meet him in person. If Ken refuses he might back Sandy (Larry Pine) and Stewy (Arian Moayed) or pull out all together. Before Ken answers he makes it clear to Shiv (Sarah Snook) the letter she released was a step too far for them to come back from. He was shocked by how vicious it was. Shiv is always most comfortable floating out on the peripherals of a no-guarantee and that letter was full-on commitment to take her brother down. It took guts and was the first time she jumped off an emotional cliff without checking her parachute first. If Ken were honest and removed his own hurt feelings, he would be impressed with his little sister- finally showing her teeth when it counts. Logan interrupts with demands Ken “Come. Behave appropriately.” to the Aaronson meeting. Ken hangs up with a resounding no, but the wheels in his head are turning and he knows, deep down, he won’t have a choice. A reunion is imminent.

Boundaries

Over at Waystar the new CEO is running a tight ship or, as Roman (Kieran Culkin) calls it “a police state.” No shoes, no Gerri Kellman’s conference call service because in her office footwear is a must. And to think the last time Roman checked this was a free country! A place where he had the right to scratch his toes and masturbate wherever he saw fit. What gives, Ger-bear? Why all the rules and HR regulations? Roman is confused because the word “boundaries” don’t exist in his vocabulary. So, when Gerri attaches it to their psychosexual bond, he does his best to avoid it by switching focus to Kendall’s checkered past. Roman must be inspired by Shiv’s letter and the attention it got from their father because he’s drummed up a memory from Kendall’s bachelor party and the story is a gold mine of bad PR. During his drunken last night of freedom Ken and Roman entertained themselves by paying a homeless man to tattoo Ken’s initials onto his forehead. Wasn’t this mentioned in Gerri’s opo-research for vetting Roman as a proper partner? The story is your typical “boys will be boys, if boys are spoiled sociopaths” sort of thing and now Roman found the guy and he’s coming in for a meeting. A photo of the forehead damage could tank Ken’s new “Woke-ahantas” image, but Gerri isn’t so sure. However, she doesn’t have time to discuss it today because she has a lunch date. A LUNCH WHAT? Cue Roman’s immediate visceral reaction to this painful news. The disgust simmering beneath his skin is palpable and, like always, when the Sime Puppy gets into his feels nothing but strings of insults come spurting out of his mouth. It’s mostly ageist digs at Laurie, his new competition, and they’re also a great way to push Gerri’s middle-aged buttons. Laurie is ex-DOJ and the perfect backchannel into whatever the Feds have on Waystar. Whether or not this is a real date I’m not even sure she knows, but she wants Roman to think it is because it keeps him in line. He plays fast and loose with those work place “F**ky eyes.” And while she is more than capable of ending him at any time, she hasn’t actually discouraged his behavior until now. I mean in a “chop- chop” she jumped into game and now the attention seems to have created a monster. If this partnership is going to work he has to turn down the porno track and meet her on the business side of things – anything else would be detrimental to their success as a team. Now that Logan assigned Shiv to keep her eyes on Gerri, the new CEO knows she is in his crosshairs and this relationship or whatever it is, has to stay on the downlow or their plans won’t pan out. It’s never clear if Gerri means their conference calls can continue outside of work because later, when Roman checks in to see if she gave old Laurie the old lunch and tug, she shows him a warmth we never see her give other characters. Roman tracked down the tattooed guy who then sold him damning photos of the forehead ink before he had it removed. Knowing he is tied to Kendall’s bad press pushes Gerri to convince him to drop it. A few head pats from Daddy aren’t worth ruining his future over; and what’s his is hers in this bizarre marriage of business kinks. Roman is bummed over it, but she brightens those sad puppy dog eyes by telling him this whole thing can be their little secret. I guess he can toss that onto their messy secrets pile because Gerri cares, no matter what she tells herself. She does and Roman’s smirk must mean he knows it.

Presidential Coloring Books

Catching up with Shiv and her new role as President of Domestic Operations sees the whole job is turning out to be the same old coloring book corner she complained about before. She wants the respect that goes with the job, but more and more she gets brushed aside from everyone from Karl (David Rasche) to Connor (Alan Ruck), with neither of them interested in taking orders from her. Shiv thought this spy on Gerri job was going to take her to the top of the food chain, but in reality she is fighting for scraps that even Connor won’t share with her. Logan, who at this point is just using Shiv as a spy, pushes her in the direction of Tom to the tank The Raisin’s approval numbers with bad press from Ravenhead’s show. It will be a hard sell since that proud boy in news anchor clothing has a relationship with the president and nothing short of a firing will get him in line with this idea. If The Raisin’s re-election depends on positive ATN coverage then Logan will withhold it until his pal in the White House leans on the DOJ to squash his case. Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) needs to get their news editorials on board as well as get Greg back into the Waystar fold. “Everyone’s out of their boxes. Everything’s coming up f**k,” and Logan Roy cannot stand it when the control of his family, company and the world is out of his reach. Later, Shiv does lean on Tom by pulling rank and ignoring his concerns about prison. He is falling apart and wants some sort of reassurance from his wife, but the best she can offer is a cringy blow off and a snarky yank of his chain. Shiv feels most comfortable in control, especially when she’s standing on shaky ground.

Nero and Sporus: Part Two

After ordering him to get Ravenhead (Zack Robidas) on board with the new narrative, Tom is feeling the pressure of losing control of his work/marriage relationship on top of the horrible things he’s facing if this FBI case proceeds. The meeting with the far right and overly proud to be white anchor, didn’t go well and now he’s at Greg’s office looking for a playmate to distract him. Greg fills Tom in on his meeting with Logan where his uncle said his job at Waystar could get complicated if he sticks with Kendall. He tells Greg he wants his support but to think on what he would like in return and come back later with a proposal convincing enough for him to grant his nephew’s wishes. Greg already knows what he wants, a transfer over to Parks, and he and Tom bang out the pros and cons of the job. It isn’t until Tom realizes Greg will be living the theme park life like some Cinderella in the castle while he’ll be stuck in one of the many dungeon-like prisons, he’s been obsessively rating during his sleepless nights. Apparently, there is a Jewish prison in Upstate with a kosher snack machine that’s all the prison rage. This incessant talk of jail and soap dropping is starting to make Tom nuts and it doesn’t help that Shiv keeps emasculating him and ignoring his pain. He can’t control his wife, but he can control Greg, who he asks if he ever read the Greek story of Nero and Sporus. He explains how this is a very fitting story for the two. It’s about a God who killed his wife and replaced her with his favorite castrated slave boy. Barely holding back the tears he says to Greg, “I would castrate and marry you in a heartbeat,” and, for the first time in this whacky bromance, I believe him! Whether Tom has some deep sexual desire for Greg or he just needs someone he can control and force them to care for him remains to be seen, but when he starts trying to rough house with Greg it comes off as wanting to be touched or maybe held and the Egg isn’t into it. He is alone in his fears of the unknown and Greg has always been the one to listen to him. Sometimes begrudgingly so, but the inappropriately grabbing is just too much. He pushes Tom off of him, who in turn, flips on the gaslight script and says it was all a joke. As he strolls out the door he tosses Greg’s coat rack onto the floor  in some kind of petty tantrum from a jilted lover. There are so many confusing emotions wafting off of Tom in this scene but the one coming off of Greg smells strongly of regret and sympathy for a friend in pain.

Josh and the Evian Water Murder

After agreeing to a few terms that Logan inevitably ignores Ken gets an early start with Josh and beats his father to the tech investing punch. Ken, who at this point is riding high on his ego like he’s some mash-up of Jay Z and Elon Musk, plays the cool friend card with Josh right off the bat. The uncomfortable blow off follows until Logan walks in and the two have an incredibly awkward reunion. Josh, picking up on these bad vibes, wants these two men to do a dance for him- prove their infighting won’t tank his investment and they have his support at the board vote. He invites them to join him on a hike to the beach, but with Logan’s declining health, the strenuous climb in the hot sun isn’t what the doctor ordered. Stubborn and unwilling show his weaknesses, he agrees to the hike and that’s when things go from tense to toxic almost immediately. Logan digs at the fresh addiction wounds Shiv just opened in that letter from last week and Ken reminds his father he is an ailing dinosaur; out of touch and headed for extinction. The two whisper their insults out of Josh’s earshot, but when the walk becomes a laborious uphill hike Ken starts to notice his father struggling. Instead of offering him some water or asking Josh to call for help, he mocks Logan and offers him only a small amount of empathy. That is until Logan nearly passes out. Josh gets on the phone to call for assistance and, instead of helping his father, Ken tries to do damage control with Josh’s stock. His apathy must disgust Aaronson because when Roman calls Ken later accusing him of trying to assassinate their father with the sun he tells him Josh pulled out. The hike was a test to see if the men could put their differences aside and they both failed. Now the board vote is coming up and breezy and sockless Stewy just landed on Aaronson’s tarmac. He has the investor’s support to take over the company and Kendall can hardly believe it when he sees Josh hug his best chum and worst competitor for the Waystar crown.