Succession – Tailgate

By starrymag | May 13, 2023

By: Kelly Kearney

 

 

It’s election eve and everyone is on edge, so why not throw an epic party and usher in the fall of democracy-New Gen Roy style? Now that Tom and Shiv have agreed to put their divorce on hold to concentrate on their shared love of money, the two decide to hold the family’s traditional election tailgate party, and everyone who’s anyone is invited. The guest list keeps growing, with her brothers inviting the politically connected Nate Sofrelli and Shiv secretly asking Matsson to show up to foil Roman and Kendall’s plot to kill the deal. It’s a night of breakups, breakdowns, and white-collar crimes, on this week’s Succession.

The Scorpion and the Frog

We open on Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) serving Shiv (Sarah Snook) breakfast on the morning of election eve. The two warring Roses are back from their breakup, but for how long? After Tom gifts Shiv a taxidermied scorpion as a reminder she kills him, the joke doesn’t land but she plays along anyway. The two have yet to discuss Tom’s betrayal in Italy or the many issues he had with Shiv’s issues with monogamy minutes after she said, “I do.” Instead, the two communicate in half-speak and passive aggression; the glass-enclosed bug is just the most recent example of this.

Speaking of poisonous relationships, Rava (Natalie Gold) meets with Kendall (Jeremy Strong) to let him know their daughter, Sophie, doesn’t want to go to school. Besides the fact a Ravenhead fan harassed her in the street with some racist comment, the school she attends started an anti-ATN club, and considering the fact her father is the CEO of that company, things are hard for the girl. Generational trauma seems to be the Roy’s family’s legacy because now Ken’s kids are paying a steep price for the division ATN sews into their society. Instead of shouldering the blame and trying to help ease his daughter’s fears, Ken lashes out at Rava, questioning her parenting skills and wondering why Sophie was in a situation where she could be harassed. Typical Roy kid; never taking his medicine but spreading their sickness to the person who they’re closest to. “Call your daughter” is Rava’s parting advice for the man who has left her in charge of raising their kids while he is off running a fascist news network. She also doesn’t buy his excuse that he is less present in the kids’ lives because he is trying to secure their futures with Waystar. She knows the only future he is thinking about is his own.

 

A Meeting of the Funeral Management Committee

Next up: Shiv, Connor (Alan Ruck), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and the newly crowned “Waystar Jesus,” Kendall, meet for lunch to determine which one of them is going to give Logan’s eulogy. Connor has been spending time–too much, according to Roman, with their dad, and the good news is there has been no change in his condition; The old man is still dead and that means his kids need to give him a proper send-off. Marcia (Hiam Abbass) has ideas, but none of them appeal to Connor or his siblings, so they all agree to ignore the widow at their own risk. Connor offers to do the speech, and not just because he is the best at funeral stand-up, but because when it comes to the most powerful political and cultural movers and shakers on earth, the presidential candidate polling at 5% in Alaska is the guy they want to hear from…or so he thinks. The four kids agree to think about it and regroup at the election tailgate party later that night. Connor leaves just as the CE-Bros mention another idea that brings up a flash from Shiv’s past: Nate Sofrelli (Ashley Zuckerman). Nate still works for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Jimenez, and Senator Gil Eavis, so the boys want to invite him to the party to tie up some left-leaning political influence. Shiv is a bit taken aback by this since things are working out with Tom and just mentioning that man could unravel their tattered union. Kendall and Roman insist Nate could be the key to ending the deal in a regulatory manner which might be easier than scaring Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) off by driving the price up. They are covering all their bases and finding every angle that could kill the deal and send the Swede packing back to Antwerp. Shiv, who is working with Matsson behind her brother’s backs, agrees on the Nate invite, but the second they leave the table she calls Lukas to fill him in. He needs to show up at the party and do damage control because her brothers will be working overtime to make him and the deal look bad. If anyone asks, say Logan invited him before he died.

Next, we head over to ATN where we find out what Greg’s (Nicholas Braun) new job is. Often seen as the goofy and non-threatening cousin, Gregory Hirsh is now Waystar’s bad news guy. His task: firing mass groups of employees over Zoom. The season one kid who barfed in the dog costume and expressed his moral objections to his uncle’s fascist news channel has now become the very thing he hates. We should have seen this devolution coming the minute he threatened to sue Greenpeace; greed rots the soul, and Greg’s is as rotten as the other half of the Disgusting Brothers, Tom. That man chipped away at Greg’s decency until there was nothing left.

Crypto-Fascists, Venture Capitalists, and the 1% Drop-Out

It’s election eve and the head of ATN is tired. Tom tells Shiv he is pre-tired just thinking about how tired he will be once the final tally is added up. He also blames his yawns on her, thanks to Shiv’s relentless needs in the bedroom. Tom is missing his beauty sleep and we can bet some of that insomnia is caused by the ever-shifting outcome of this deal and how it relates to his job security. She boosts his mood by filling him in on the sib’s plan to go regulatory and how she invited Matsson to rain on their parades. Is it smart to loop in the man who helped to rob you of your inheritance? Probably not but they are back together and Tom wants an in with Matsson in the “Post Roy-pocalypse,” future. His fire cools when she says they also invited Nate for his political ties to regulators focusing on tech and trade. Tom’s Matsson excitement bottoms out when he hears Nate’s name but does his best to keep his cool and play the understanding husband. The look on his face says this all feels very familiar and what led to their initial break-up.

The party is a hit and full of Logan’s diverse friends and associates. It’s not all “crypto-fascists, and right-wing nut jobs,” as Ken calls them, Logan attracted all sorts of minds to these parties. The CE-Bros make sure the crowd is ripe for some GoJo gossip about their risky CEO. Meanwhile, Tom fills Greg in on his plan to sweet-talk Matsson but since the tall Nordic tech bro hates the Roy’s taller New York cousin, Greg decides to abandon Tom and focus on Kendall and his job security. If he puckers up those butt-kissing lips like Tom taught him, maybe Waystar’s Jesus will add Greg to his list of disciples.

While everyone is scheming, Roman gets a call from Mencken’s team complaining about his brother’s 1% in the polls. That might not be a number to win by, but it is enough to throw a wrench into an election. Jaryd’s team would like President Double-Decant to drop out and wants Roman to convince him by appealing to Connor’s need to feel respected. If he releases a statement dropping out, the newly elected President will give Connor an Ambassadorship to Mogadishu. “A bit car bomby,” he calls that offer and counters with something more fitting of his skills: The UN. He has always felt like a UN guy and just the words coming out of his mouth make Roman cringe. Their conversation ends when Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) walks into the room dressed to break hearts and slime puppy dreams. She always grabs Roman’s attention no matter what bad blood is flowing between them and the rivers are flowing as red as her manicure. He grabs Frank (Peter Friedman) thinking her attendance must be a sign she’s forgotten their fight, but Frank assures him that woman “is still incredibly angry” over him doubly firing her.

“Nuke the Luke”

“We watch history, we make history, and one day we become it,” is how Ken toasts their father in his absence on election eve. This is the first tailgate party without him, so Kendall asks for a moment of silence in his honor. Cue the perfect timing on Matsson! The smiling Swede interrupts the thoughts and prayers portion of the night and blows up Kendall’s big moment. Once again, the man is dishonoring Logan’s memory. Shiv dials into her clueless and outraged act, and questions if they should toss Lukas out. Any public animosity between the two sides of this deal won’t play well with the partygoers who all assume the big acquisition is fail-proof. A plan starts to form where Shiv is tasked with keeping Matsson distracted with drink and a smile while Roman and Kendall work the crowd with their, “he’s a risky mess” narrative. “Operation Nuke the Luke,” as Shiv calls it, is a go and she starts right away when she interrupts Tom kissing up to Lukas–who is a lot of things, but clueless isn’t one of them. He ridicules Tom for kissing up and instead of defending her husband, Shiv silently stands on Matsson’s sidelines. Taking the lead as an advisor is where she shines anyway, so she points Matsson towards the all-powerful people she promised her brothers she would steer him clear of. She also gives him a stern warning about toning down his crazy antics because these people are,” prized cultural assets” and might not get his sense of humor. Enter Oskar (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) and Ebba (Eili Harboe), who do nothing but instigate Lukas’ antics and shine a light on all his less-than-desirable qualities. For Shiv, these sides of Matsson are becoming harder and harder to ignore. Maybe her brothers were right; he isn’t the right fit to lead their family’s company.

Speaking of not fit to lead, if Connor is going to clear the path for Mencken’s fascist take-over then the Alt-Right Presidential Candidate is going to have to do better than Mogadishu. A backdoor into Europe will do; maybe a quick crawl through the Balkans on his way to Germany for Christmas could convince Connor to waste the hundreds of millions he spent on this election cycle. Roman says the best Jaryd can do is Slovakia or Slovenia but Connor isn’t feeling it and says, “Mm, yeah, I think I’m a no on the Slos.” If not Central Europe then North Korea could be the challenge Conner was looking for. He admits he has always seen himself as the “2020’s Nixon” and wants his own peek behind a nuclear curtain and won’t be settling for anything less. At this point in the negotiations, Roman looks like he’s going to have an anxiety attack just thinking about his brother playing games with Kim Jong Un. Eventually, the brothers settled on Oman, and Connor goes to mull it over with his “W-Oman.” This guy really missed his calling as a stand-up comedian–his Moe’s funeral gig alone is iconic!

Inside the party Nate tells Matsson about candidate Jimenez’s apprehension over data mining and Lukas’ response does nothing to calm those fears. People are commodities to guys like him but since data mining is already happening, at least he is trying to limit the harm. Others would ramp that up, but not this Swede, or so he says. Shiv nods along and calls Nate “amendable” which seems like a big leap for a guy who only works for leaders but isn’t one. Matsson proves his point about a Waystar/GoJo cultural shake-up by nodding toward Tom as a hint he’s the first to go once the deal is done. Shiv looks like she can’t breathe for a second because she knows part of the deal between Jimenez and Matsson would include ditching the right-wing culture that ATN fuels. That means Tom will be out of a job and she, the scorpion, is once again killing him with a strike to the heart. Tom’s watching the whole interaction from the bar and he can tell that it’s not looking good for him. He tries ending the party early by hiding some of the liquor to push the people out. He doesn’t have a reason to celebrate; no matter who wins, he will be looking for a new job, and all the deals he made and the backstabbing he did were for nothing. Nate gets Tom’s GTFO hint but is stopped on his way out the door by Kendall. The two men are old friends and Nate hugs Kendall, calling him brother when he offers his condolences. They briefly catch up until Ken sees an opening and gets down to business. He offers Nate’s candidate positive spins from ATN if he helps to bury Matsson in government regulations. Even a whisper of an investigation would “nuke the Luke, and torch this deal for good. He blames this surprising walk back on Matsson’s behind-the-scenes behavior–like that Holocaust joke he made last week and his overall horrible politics. The man is erratic and that puts everyone’s stocks and even the country at risk. Kendall is playing lobbyist to kill a deal while keeping the board in the dark and robbing investors of their big payout, otherwise known as securities fraud, is very illegal and Nate knows it. He agrees to run it by his boss but knowing who Gil and Jimenez are, neither will likely take the bait.

Shiv Backs the Wrong Horse

While Ken works hard to destroy him, Shiv pats Matsson on the back with a job well done. She straps on her advisor hat and makes Lukas an offer she doesn’t give him a chance to refuse. It’s time to turn this advisory role into something more permanent. If she’s going to continue to assist him in the buyout then she needs a good show of faith because she’s risking a lot to stab her brothers in the back. Matsson likes her, or so he says and offers her whatever she wants. What she wants is an undisputed role in whatever Waystar/GoJo’s future is. This is her chance, and she wants a, “very, very, very, important (three verys Lukas points out) position in the company.” They take a five and when they walk past Kendall he grabs Greg for more Lukas distraction duty. Weed or women, whatever it takes to keep Matsson out of the way.

While his wife and brothers-in-law are cutting deals to secure their futures, a mingling Tom can’t escape the rumors of his firing. Roman also hears a rumor, but this one is about Ebba and her bloody work harassment and he tosses it on the pile of evidence against Matsson. Kendall also ends the night with a resounding no from Nate. “The Kingmaker” as Ken refers to Nate, is uncomfortable with the offer and his boss is certainly not comfortable with him mingling with Roys. Kendall tries the bromance angle but Nate stops him before he starts with a, “I’m not Gill and you’re not Logan. That’s probably a good thing.” That truth hits Ken hard because the more he tries not to act like his father, the faster he becomes him.

Back to Connor, who fills Willa (Justine Lupe) in on Omar, but she’s not really feeling the desert life. She’s even less enthused with the idea knowing that it helps the man her friends and family all hate. But Connor keeps saying, “diplomatic plates,” and that power appeals to him, even if it’s just a title. An Ambassadorship comes with respect and that’s something he wished Logan had in him before he died.

Back at the party Greg, or Gary, as Matson keeps calling him, tries kissing up but his brutal entourage– led by Oskar who bullies and spits on him. Matsson is trying to preserve his reputation so he calms his second command down but everything falls apart when he and the head of comms, Ebba, start arguing. Greg, feeling emboldened by his new job skills, offers to fire her for Matsson so the Swede gathers a crowd so they can watch. Not giving him a chance to further humiliate her, Ebba storms off wishing he would just get it over with already. Kendall catches the entire interaction from the balcony and now he knows he has an in. He grabs Roman and the two corner Ebba on the outside patio playing superheroes coming to save Ebba’s day. They sympathize with her and how awful her boss is and that’s when she starts spilling dribbles of Matsson’s tea. His reputation is built on a fake background and his big claim to fame is selling somebody else’s tech and slapping his name on it. He’s not even a coder! He’s awful but she doesn’t have to deal with him for much longer anyway; she’s done in February. That catches both Ken and Roman’s attention, especially when “India” comes up and she won’t explain any further.

Inside the party, Tom’s ATN-approved headline basically calls Jimenez’s good polling fake news and it’s causing a bit of a stir. The disinformation concerns Shiv because Mencken’s fans already firebombed a campaign office. This election is volatile and stirring up that fascist dumpster fire is risky. Roman and Kendall interrupt their argument to blow Shiv’s entire future out of the water. Matsson’s money is off and this deal is a gamble on a prayer. The CE-Bros have no idea their little sister anchored her career to that Titanic and was willing to steal the last life raft and toss them overboard.

Two Indias

After talking to her brothers Shiv confronts Matsson about his off numbers and he immediately wonders which of his closest pals ratted him out. He comes clean and admits that they discovered an error that inflated their customer sign-ups. When she asks by how much because that certainly affects the worth of the company and the money propping up this deal, Matsson laughs out a number that’s equivalent to a second India. The population of India is roughly one and one-half billion people so that certainly fluffs the profits of his company by a fortune. The money is fake and he is a fraud–just like Kendall said, “You have to hold new money up to the light,” and these bills do not check out. Matsson tells her he had hoped to buy Waystar to fill in those gaps before anyone caught on, but Shiv is now wondering if any of that is even legal. Mattson is trying to save himself by climbing onto the S.S. Waystar but the amount of baggage he’s bringing with him might sink their family boat. It looks like Shiv might go down with the captain on this one and she has no one else to blame but herself.

It’s not long before Kendall and Matsson have a public tiff in front of the partygoers, and even though the two wear smiles as they lob verbal bombs at each other, when Matsson drops a gay slur Kendall pounces. Everything is about image now and his behavior in front of their guests only validates what Ken was whispering in everyone’s ears: Lukas Matsson is too big of a risk. He walked right into Kendall’s trap and the back and forth makes Kendall look like the more stable choice of the two.

 

Love is Dead

After circling her for most of the party, Roman eventually walks up to Geri at the bar, and in what might be the best imitation of J. Smith-Cameron we’ve ever heard, he orders her a martini in her breathy voice. He’s trying to make nice with her, assuming he can just pull a Logan Roy and walk back his bad behavior with a few jokes or ignore it altogether. He even offers to get in a closet and let her berate him into an orgasm to boost her mood but she cannot be boosted, not after he questioned her job performance and tossed her under his emotional bus. In fact, she’s not planning on being anywhere near him again. She tells Roman she’s out – she’s not coming back to the company and she has a few stipulations for her exit. He is going to fork over hundreds of millions of dollars and give her exactly what she wants or else she’s going to use all those dick pics and inappropriate photos she’s saved against him. Apparently Miss “avoids mess,” saved a library full of nudes and whether they were for her own entertainment, blackmail, or both, Roman knows she’s not kidding. Especially when her voice drops to a distinctly familiar level of regret and she admits that they could’ve gone all the way to the top, but not now. That trust and camaraderie they had were squandered on another kiss from Daddy that he was never going to get. He ruined them, and her chance to retire from a 30-plus-year career on her own terms. They are the breakup we always knew was coming but unlike Roman, the fans haven’t pre-grieved the end of maybe the only couple on the show who came together authentically and put the other ahead of their own needs. For never was a story of more woe than this of Slime Puppy and his mommy-crush stand-in CEO.

 With a broken heart, Roman turns his anger on to Connor who has decided to decline Mencken’s offer. Roman can’t win! He freaks out and starts insulting Willa and that prompts Connor to put the final nail in little bro’s coffin. Willa is the only person in the room who doesn’t think Connor is a joke so he’s going to take her advice on whether or not he should drop out of the race. That truth cuts deeply because the only person who believed in him just walked out of his life carrying a martini and a heavy load of a disappointment for the Roy son she thought was Logan’s best replacement.

Roman and Gerri are not the only couple breaking up in the episode, things were going well for Tom and Shiv but as the party continued things between the two started to fall apart. Tom knows he’s on the chopping block when the steel goes through and the constant reminder is starting to wear on his nerves. he tells him he’s going to bed well all of their guests are still partying The Night Away and the two wind up heading out on the patio to talk about what’s going on. and what is probably the most gripping six moments of television the two finally unleash all of their pain and anger in a  wave of pain that’s been building since their wedding night. Shiv might have picked the wrong horse in this acquisition but she accuses Tom of picking the wrong dead horse for his job security. She blames Tom for stealing the last few months of time with her father and he turns on her and says it’s not his fault Logan died before giving her his approval.  The argument gets even more heated when Tom admits they never should have been married and it feels like a slap to Shiv’s face. She hits back by mocking him for being “striving and parochial” and even goes as far as to say his mother likes her better than she does him. He is servile for volunteering to go to prison and every bit of her venom strikes at the heart of his self-esteem. He volleys back similar insults by calling her cold, broken, and incapable of love,  and not the type of woman who should have children. Tom has no idea that she’s pregnant and that truth Is so stunning that her only response is to say he never deserved her, and then dries her tears, straps on a smile, and goes back into the party like her life and career aren’t hanging on by a fraying thread. Tom looks out across the skyline of Manhattan almost like he’s taking the first breath of fresh air he’s had since the day he proposed to her. He walks back inside the party and kicks everyone out of the apartment and winds up going to bed alone.

As the guests leave, the sibs catch up on that eulogy discussion from earlier. Roman decides to step up to the plate and volunteers to do the big send-off, and they all agree because they are so preoccupied with their own dramas they really didn’t have time to think about the funeral. The triplex empties out, but Kendall stops Frank in the coat room before he can leave. He fills Frank in on Matsson’s shady numbers and proposes an idea that the CFO appears to be interested in. Instead of allowing Gojo to acquire Waystar, what if Waystar went hostile and took over Gojo? Maybe it’s time to eat Mattson’s lunch? He also doesn’t want the siblings involved and proposes this as a quiet “Kendie and Frankie” project, because he loves his siblings but he just doesn’t see them in his plans. Love is dead. The King is dead. Long live generational trauma and greed! The episode closes with a tight shot of Tom lying in bed looking like his whole world is crashing down around him, while Shiv is in her bedroom grieving her many losses from the night.