The Ringer - Everything You Need to Know About ‘Succession’2019-10-16T05:30:00-04:00http://www.theringer.com/rss/stream/205231192019-10-16T05:30:00-04:002019-10-16T05:30:00-04:00A Conversation With the People Who Outfit ‘Succession’
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<figcaption>HBO/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>We talked to the show’s costume designers about Tom’s boxy, corporate look, Shiv’s second-season transformation, and, yeah, Kendall’s custom baseball jersey</p> <p id="IyBIJR">In the first season of <em>Succession</em>, Tom Wambsgans had some questions for Cousin Greg upon his first day at Waystar Royco. “Forgive me, but are we talking to each other on the poop deck of a majestic schooner? Is the salty brine stinging my weather-beaten face?” Tom asked. “No? Then why the <em>fuck</em> are you wearing a pair of deck shoes, man?”</p>
<p id="K821el">Clothes are highly important in the universe of <em>Succession</em>; in the show’s cutthroat, materialistic world, they are signifiers of wealth, status, and experience. In turn, commentary on clothes has been one of these characters’ sharpest weapons through <em>Succession</em>’s two seasons. Tom, once an arbiter of fashion criticism against Greg, often found his own style choices under a microscope in Season 2, a harsh and consistent reminder of where he stands in the Roy food chain. “Where do you buy your suits?” Roman asked him in the second episode of the season. “Maybe that’s why I’m not moving as fast as you, I just don’t have that corporate, boxy look. Right? I mean, I’m sorry but like, <em>what the fuck</em>? You look like a Transformer.” And later, in “Argestes,” Roman said: “Nice vest, Wambsgans. It’s <em>so </em>puffy. What’s it stuffed with, your hopes and dreams?”</p>
<p id="vq34mv">But beyond the literal signifiers, the costumes on <em>Succession </em>are an important ingredient in fully fleshing out each character. There is deeper meaning in the way Shiv Roy dresses, in the tailoring of Cousin Greg’s suits, and in the colors Kendall wears. Before Season 2 of <em>Succession </em>came to an end, the show’s costume designer and assistant costume designer, Michelle Matland and Jonathan Schwartz, hopped on the phone with me to delve into those deeper meanings, talk vests, and reveal whether Jeremy Strong dressed up as Kendall Roy at the 2019 Emmys. </p>
<p id="1gxJXn"><strong>First of all, we need to address </strong><a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/jeremy-strong-succession-brown-suit-emmys.html"><strong>a major mystery</strong></a><strong>: The suit Jeremy strong wore to the Emmys looked </strong><em><strong>very </strong></em><strong>similar to the suit Kendall would wear a week later at his father’s 50-year celebration in “Dundee”—is it the same suit?</strong></p>
<p id="t4tlTl"><strong>Matland: </strong>No, it is not ... it’s a different version of that. It has a vest that we did not use. I didn’t even know there was one. We had to order that from Italy to the United States, then it wasn’t going to be here in time. It was a big drama, because we had talked about getting the suit for that particular scene, and because Jeremy Strong is very, very involved in everything to do with his character—down to his underpants and socks. Every detail has to be fully Kendall. And getting that suit was the biggest drama, and it showed up finally, in Scotland—<em>sans </em>bow tie. Overnight we made the bow tie out of something we found in a fabric store in Scotland, and found this wonderful tailor who could cut it out and make it happen to surprise Jeremy in the morning, within moments of the scene. So, that was the long answer. The short answer is no—it’s not the same exact suit.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">gotta assume he got blackmailed into this <a href="https://t.co/xG3TkdHnG5">pic.twitter.com/xG3TkdHnG5</a></p>— Andrew Gruttadaro (@andrewgrutt) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewgrutt/status/1175912240706441216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2019</a>
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<p id="r0OmlU"><strong>It’s a really interesting suit. What made you choose it?</strong></p>
<p id="lo26zf"><strong>Matland: </strong>We started with very definitive choices for him in Season 1, and then by Season 2, he starts to transcend into another Kendall. If you look at the palette in Season 1, it’s very austere, it’s much darker. It’s much more clear what he’s trying to say about himself. And then after he breaks at the end of Season 1, it becomes apparent, the toll that’s been taken. His tonality becomes much more muddled. There’s a lot of muted, muddy greens, a lot of browns. So we ended up going with a suit that was very obscure. I mean, obviously that was a very strange choice for him to make.</p>
<p id="5nmof8"><strong>You mention Jeremy being involved in everything “down to the underpants.” I’m curious what goes into picking out Kendall’s underwear.</strong></p>
<p id="cRTOlc"><strong>Matland: </strong>We know that it’s going to be some incredibly hard-to-come-by European brand that could only be purchased—</p>
<p id="mJgvvZ"><strong>Schwartz: </strong>If it’s not Swedish, it will not be worn.</p>
<p id="bqJXIz"><strong>Matland: </strong>It’s definitely going to be European, that’s for sure. For each character, the detailing has to be discussed and prepared for, so that we know what the reason behind it is, so it’s not just by accident. We try to make sure there are no accidents.</p>
<p id="lIHyjM"><strong>What was discussed for Shiv in Season 2, a season in which she had a lot of ups and downs?</strong></p>
<p id="D9lQTz"><strong>Matland: </strong>Well, we started with her as an associate to a political being—she was representing that person. We didn’t get to know her as much in Season 1; we knew her as an operative for someone else. By Season 2, as she leaves the Gil [Eavis] world and moves more into the Roy world, <em>before </em>she transitions into the Shiv who wants to fit into the boardroom, we see Shiv as she inherently is, I think. We see a little bit of her tomboy side, having been brought up in a household of men. We see a little bit of her feminine side, as she is playing with people outside of herself, her flirtations with the world. And then we see her as she transitions into the Roy world, which is into the boardroom. We start to see that one more tangent of Shiv who is fitting into the men’s world, without giving up her own identity. She now knows who she is. She wants to be an equal in the boardroom with her brothers, she wants to be someone who her father can associate with, to have that understanding with and get his respect, so she’s willing to take on some of the masculinity that’s part of that space.</p>
<p id="TRHcDH"><strong>Is that sort of hybrid version of her something we saw in “DC” and then beyond?</strong></p>
<p id="nBSjMQ"><strong>Matland: </strong>Absolutely. That’s where you can see that she does not lose her femininity to become part of the gang. But she is willing to put on a veneer, that feminine-touch suit that has power to it. She does not want to lose her economy to her father. At the same time, she is willing to represent herself in a way that she can compete like the men in the room.</p>
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<p id="qPqKyB"><strong>As for her husband, Tom—Roman has literally made fun of the way he dresses and wears his suits. Have you been deliberately dressing him that way all along?</strong></p>
<p id="VwkbIh"><strong>Matland: </strong>Well, there is a peacock-esque sense to him. In Season 1, he’s a bit of a robot. He’s not prancing yet. He’s just trying to muddle his way through to glean as much information as he can. By Season 2, he’s absorbed quite a bit. He now has decided what he thinks will make other people think something specific about him. And so, he is full of pretense. No one else in the family will look at the price tag. They will buy something because they can afford it, and they love it, they like it, whatever. Tom doesn’t know what quality is, it’s not part of his history. Money equals quality to him. Whereas, for the rest of the family, they know the difference, they were trained to know the difference. </p>
<p id="HN6HkF"><strong>Tom’s just trying to exist in this family.</strong></p>
<p id="3EK3Av"><strong>Matland: </strong>He’s a monkey. He’s learning the detailing as he goes along. What we tried to do was give him subtle detailing that would enhance that desire to show himself as something important in the room—like the pocket squares, the suspenders. His shoes are highly polished, whereas Roman would never look down. For Tom, there’s a lot of posturing going on.</p>
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<p id="ya5o8i"><strong>And what about his protégé/best friend, Greg? I have noticed that his suits seem to be fitting a little better these days.</strong></p>
<p id="UXaxp4"><strong>Matland: </strong>Oh, absolutely! He’s come into money. The first time we see him, he’d never owned a suit in his life. When he goes to the thrift store and he buys the suit and the shoes, that’s one of the greatest moments in a character study, for me personally; watching him walk through the park, trying to get his shoes to stay on. It was something Nicholas Braun brought to the moment that just happened organically. But it was a stroke of genius that made you understand that this guy’s never owned a pair of laced-up leather shoes.</p>
<p id="NmUGke"><strong>Schwartz: </strong>In real life, in the fitting room, Nicholas will say, “I love Kendall’s suits. He looks so great. Shouldn’t Greg be in a Kendall suit?” And we’re like, “Greg, you’re not there yet.”</p>
<p id="ZC6pfv"><strong>Matland: </strong>By Season 2, when he’s come into enough money, he is now taking on what he sees when he walks through the hallway. He’s now wearing Hickey Freeman, instead of a thrift-shop version from Men’s Warehouse. He’s starting to pick up on where you buy it, how you buy it, how you get it tailored if it doesn’t fit, because obviously he’s a very different fit. He couldn’t walk into any store and just buy a suit. He’s 6-foot-7, you know?</p>
<p id="4UGBR2"><strong>How much of your job is spent picking out vests?</strong></p>
<p id="QSylmF"><strong>Matland: </strong>[<em>Laughs.</em>] Are you talking about “Argestes?” I would love to take credit for all those vests and say I created the image of what these tech geeks wear; these multimillion-dollar boys. But, the reality is, this is what these gentlemen wear when they go to these conferences. For example, Tom is wearing a Moncler puffy vest that’s very iconic.</p>
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<p id="YOt3xM"><strong>Schwartz: </strong>There are a couple of iconic photos of <a href="https://image.businessinsider.com/59690c08c50c2956008b4b45?width=1100&format=jpeg&auto=webp">Jeff Bezos all puffed up for the Sun Valley Conference</a>.</p>
<p id="iiHqbV"><strong>Matland: </strong>But for Kendall, his is a Cucinelli. The subtle differences—they’re all wearing puffy vests but they’re all unique to the character’s story lines … I think they wear them because they make them look tougher than they actually are. These are guys who never played football. The vests are something that make them feel bigger than they physically are.</p>
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<p id="1DpI1f"><strong>To go back to “Dundee,” can you tell me about picking out the jersey Kendall wears for his performance of “L to the OG?” You had a pretty major role in one of the best, most cringeworthy moments of TV this year.</strong></p>
<p id="qZq6qZ"><strong>Matland: </strong>The “L to the OG” … Well, there were obviously numerous ways that we could go, so we did a little bit of homework. What the look of it would be, where the logo options were, what the number would be? We did create the options and then choose. We could have done a basketball jersey, but we decided to do the button-up because, on a practical level, how would he have put it on if he were going through the process he does in the scene. But it started by looking at the real thing and trying to steal from that as accurately as we could, without making fun of it. The humor is in the acting. </p>
<p id="w178fE"><strong>Schwartz: </strong>[<em>Succession</em> creator] Jesse Armstrong doesn’t want any costume comedy. He wants all of the comedy to be organic, through the characters.</p>
<p id="a2JSBu"><strong>Was there a specific reason you went with a pinstripe jersey? I wondered if it was a suggestion that Kendall’s a Yankees fan.</strong></p>
<p id="KTlmlr"><strong>Schwartz: </strong>Most rich white guys are.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="zgFv5Z"><strong>Matland: </strong>Oh, God, don’t say that! That’s heartbreaking. We’re in the playoffs. We just have to let it ride.</p>
<p id="iIXT4I"><em>This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. </em></p>
<p id="r5Id1d"><em>Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in </em>The Ringer.</p>
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https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/16/20916167/succession-costume-designer-interviewAndrew Gruttadaro2019-10-15T06:10:00-04:002019-10-15T06:10:00-04:00Eight Questions About the Next Season of ‘Succession’
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<figcaption>HBO/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>Who will be the next CEO? Are the Con-heads going to lose their leader? And what’s going on with Hearts?</p> <p id="Jg8mXs">The second season of <em>Succession</em> was, in Tom Wambsgans parlance, a closed-loop system. As it began with Kendall Roy addressing the media on Logan’s behalf, so it ended—except this time, the number one boy used the platform to <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913052/succession-season-2-finale-kendall-roy">stab his father in the back</a>. And in between the two press conferences, a lot of memorable stuff happened this season—the death of <em>Vaulter</em>, Boar on the Floor, and “L to the OG,” to name a few—but what transpired right before the closing credits trumps everything. The king is (theoretically, metaphorically) dead. And now everyone will be jockeying for power to sit atop an empire as structurally sound as <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/1/20892261/succession-willa-broadway-play-sands-connor-roy">Willa’s Broadway production</a>. (<em>Sands</em> is a masterpiece misunderstood in its time!) </p>
<p id="IBJXNK">This is the closest <em>Succession</em> can get to <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-roy">blowing itself up</a> without throwing Logan into an actual coffin. I don’t have the faintest idea of what, exactly, will happen in Season 3—only that shit is gonna go down, and this dank content needs to arrive ASAP. In the meantime, let’s kick off our boat shoes and marinate over the eight most pressing questions we need <em>Succession</em> to address in 2020. </p>
<h4 id="VOOXaC">Who’s the new CEO? </h4>
<p id="x12uLl">Rhea Jarrell has already stepped down after the revelation of the tumultuous cruise line scandal, and Logan’s biggest obstacle heading into next season is avoiding prison time after Kendall’s mic drop. The Waystar throne, in other words, looks entirely up for grabs—and it seems every Roy sibling and company subordinate is invested in the outcome. Roman was tapped as sole chief operating officer by Logan before Kendall went rogue; combine that clout with his psychosexual alliance with Gerri and the Rock Star and the Mole Woman start to look like a formidable contender for the throne. </p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="DjYJLz"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"“The Sad I Get From Being With You”: How Tom and Shiv Encapsulate ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913717/succession-season-2-finale-tom-wambsgans-shiv-roy"},{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Season 2 Exit Survey","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913512/succession-season-2-exit-survey"},{"title":"Number One Man: Kendall Roy Takes Center Stage on ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913052/succession-season-2-finale-kendall-roy"},{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Finale Has Scrambled the Dynamics of the Roy Family","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-roy"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="NelFYz">And if the first two seasons of <em>Succession</em> focused on Kendall and Shiv, respectively, it stands to reason that next year becomes the Season of Roman. (For what it’s worth, this theory’s got the <a href="https://ew.com/tv/2019/10/12/succession-season-2-finale-kieran-culkin/">Kieran Culkin stamp of approval</a>.) The thing is, should anyone even <em>want</em> the CEO gig right now? The shareholder meeting is imminent, and the board may prefer Stewy and Sandy over the Roys and their perpetual back-stabbing. Along with the cruise line fiasco still hanging over the company’s head, taking over Waystar is—sorry for the maritime pun—not unlike a captain going down with his ship.</p>
<h4 id="8oV3wP">Can Logan retaliate against Kendall? </h4>
<p id="lgteKO">In the final shot of the season, Logan sports a beguiling smirk as he watches his son toss all the corporate malfeasance in his lap. One read of the scene I’ve seen on Twitter is that Logan is smiling because he and Kendall were in cahoots the whole time—what seems more likely, however, is that Logan is proud of his son for actually having a “killer” instinct. Logan can love Kendall only when he’s broken, and can be impressed only when his son is trying to destroy him, lest we needed any more reminding than the Roys are a super-messed-up family. </p>
<p id="3OOcOE">But just because Logan’s awed by Kendall’s rebellion doesn’t mean he’ll stand idly by and eat shit. This is Logan Roy, after all—a guy who made his son-in-law grovel and oink on the ground for a sausage link. Were Logan to exact revenge on Kendall, there’s an obvious place he can start: exposing his role in the young waiter’s death from the Season 1 finale. Kendall is still wracked with guilt over the incident, and if Logan made his son’s manslaughter public knowledge, Kendall could face his own legal repercussions. At the very least, that would ensure that Kendall would be too toxic to take over the company—though after all the psychological abuse, existential dread, and stolen vape fluid from bodegas, he should really just use that as an excuse to fuck off forever in the Mediterranean. </p>
<h4 id="aY4fn9">Who else could face legal ramifications? </h4>
<p id="iH0b5o">Kendall’s press conference attacking Logan wasn’t just an empty threat. The dude’s got the receipts, thanks to some Greg sprinkles. It’s not clear when Cousin Greg confessed to Kendall that he kept a handful of cruise line documents, but this budding bromance, molded by shitty park cocaine, ought to leave Tom shook. The man whom <em>The Atlantic</em> described during the congressional hearing as a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/6/20902030/succession-season-2-episode-9-recap">“smirking block of domestic feta,”</a> could still face some consequences. </p>
<p id="rj1iH6">Whatever is on the documents would likely also implicate Tom, seeing that he was in charge of the cruise line and ordered Greg to shred the rest of the evidence. Since Kendall said in his press conference (truthfully) that his father knew everything about the cruise line cover-up, it will be that much harder for Waystar subordinates to claim they didn’t know a thing—especially the guy overseeing the whole damn division. But if a prison cell is really in Tom’s future, at least he got to <a href="https://twitter.com/dancow/status/1183576046609805314">eat his father-in-law’s chicken</a> like a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hFTR6qyEo">modern-day Daniel Plainview</a> first. </p>
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<h4 id="rSQEnZ">Does Roman finally have his shit together? </h4>
<p id="A6wy4l">Roman returned from Turkey with a renewed sense of maturity. He gave a level-headed analysis to his dad about going private with an injection of Azerbaijani money—simply put, it’s too risky an investment to gamble the company’s future on—and even asked Shiv and Kendall whether they could talk “normally” about things going forward. (Naturally, their impulse is to make fun of Roman because everybody in this family is irreparably damaged and incapable of real intimacy.) </p>
<p id="8mnaXC">We’ve come a long way from the days of Roman’s overseeing a rocket explosion and jerking off in his corner office. (Well, he <em>still</em> jerks off, but only at Gerri’s behest.) He seems to have really matured! And all it took was … being trapped in a life-threatening military coup that gave Karl a panic attack. Logan and Rhea both surmised that Roman would make a good CEO once he got his shit together. I never really understood their perspective. The Roman of the Season 2 finale, however, is a different and much more promising candidate, if this sort of behavior is what we can expect from the character next season. </p>
<h4 id="e70Rei">Did Hearts win the Scottish Premiership? </h4>
<p id="Y0YQTv">Eduard assured us he was going to get some dope players on loan to help his <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/9/29/20886840/succession-season-2-episode-8-recap">newly purchased soccer club</a> qualify for the Champions League. Since I’ve been alive, the Scottish powerhouses have traditionally been Celtic and Rangers—Hearts would need a lot of help to get over the hump, let alone contend with the giants from other European leagues they could face in the Champions League. </p>
<p id="FU6YPy">Oh, I’m sorry, do you not care about the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League? Fuck off, then! Personally, I need to know who was loaned to Hearts, the tactics implemented by the manager (Eduard definitely has a hard-on for inverted wingers), how much the club invested in modern analytics, and the final Scottish Prem standings. I expect the Hearts subplot to continue next season. I will not rest until Roman and Eduard are bribing officials and trying to create a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/04/premier-league-bundesliga-block-european-super-league-plans">European Super League</a>. Go Hearts! </p>
<h4 id="mHJCZt">Can Shiv and Tom’s marriage be salvaged? </h4>
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<p id="khB8si">(Even if they don’t formally file for divorce, um, no.) </p>
<h4 id="TZoVqr">Where the hell is Marcia? </h4>
<p id="1V9ljI">“When I am with someone, I am with them,” Marcia told Logan during the sixth episode of the season, “Argestes.” The inverse appears to be true, as a Rhea Jarrell–induced fissure in their marriage has led her to spend a lot of time mysteriously off screen. Marcia’s motives have never been very clear—whether she was helping Logan recover from his health scare last season because she loves her husband or has ulterior motives is among <em>Succession</em>’s enduring mysteries. (She also said she’d need ample time to explain her life’s story, but at this point we’d settle for a two-minute anecdote!) </p>
<p id="1MRCHy">Will Marcia go back to Logan’s side now that he’s suffered a devastating blow? Will she ally herself with one of his kids, instead? Will she try to leech some of the Roy fortune for herself? I couldn’t say what Marcia’s going to do—only that I’d like to see a lot more of her next season. If nothing else, it’s gotta mean something that she <em>also</em> knows about Kendall’s manslaughter, which she could dangle in front of Logan, Kendall, or both. </p>
<h4 id="bWYLji">Is Connor still running for president? </h4>
<p id="h00WxV">Willa’s play is a mere sand mite in a desert of aesthetically and culturally significant Broadway productions, Connor is broke, and Logan will loan him a casual $100 million only if his son finally cancels his batshit presidential bid. Connor would’ve had to accept Logan’s terms eventually—or, I suppose, turn a profit off the resale of Napoleon’s shriveled penis—but Kendall’s press conference would ostensibly put all of these developments on hold. Logan has much bigger fish to fry than handing out even more money to his biggest failson. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="kNRr2A">It’s a very confusing and—if you sit in the front of Willa’s play—itchy affair. We need a balm and, more importantly, some Connor clarity. The Con-heads need answers!</p>
<p id="rzCh1c"><em>Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in </em>The Ringer<em>.</em></p>
<aside id="wt6vNW"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"ringer_newsletter"}'></div></aside>
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/15/20914287/eight-questions-succession-season-threeMiles Surrey2019-10-14T21:06:51-04:002019-10-14T21:06:51-04:00The ‘Succession’ Finale and a Farewell to the ‘Breaking Bad’ Universe
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6Lq5JaRyq40onS_1clzKNVvGL-4=/150x0:1050x675/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65467037/MV5BMWM1YWY4ODktNjM4OS00YzZiLWFmNzQtNTAyMTJmNDJjMTE2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQ2MzMwNDQ_._V1_.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>HBO</figcaption>
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<p>Breaking down the ‘Succession’ Season 2 finale and ‘El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie’</p> <div id="x7E6hz"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/0zUJ1xdQqfUrX44gJty6GR" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="1k0AVb"><a href="https://art19.com/shows/the-watch/episodes/8d5ad5f2-659c-4a9c-943e-d78f7e23d560">Andy calls in to talk about the finale of <em>Succession</em></a> as well as the second season as a whole (0:40). Then they dive into <em>El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie</em> and the continuation of the Jesse Pinkman story line (21:30). Finally, your number one boys dissect the <em>Succession</em> finale (39:00).</p>
<p id="2mIciP">Host: Chris Ryan<br>Guests: Andy Greenwald & Jason Concepcion</p>
<p id="WViZIk"><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-watch%2Fid1111739567%3Fmt%3D2&xcust=xid:fr1571100568871jfj">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://art19.com/shows/the-watch">Art19</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/the-watch">Stitcher</a> / <a href="https://www.theringer.com/rss/the-watch/index.xml">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2019/10/14/20914845/the-succession-finale-and-a-farewell-to-the-breaking-bad-universeChris RyanAndy GreenwaldJason Concepcion2019-10-14T17:00:06-04:002019-10-14T17:00:06-04:00‘Number One Boys’: Watch the Finale of Our ‘Succession’ Aftershow
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gg6YYVeG_n7rQ33YvujT6-ZKSsE=/400x0:2800x1800/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65465669/EPISODE_10_SITE.0.jpg" />
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<p>Chris Ryan and Jason Concepcion are talking business by discussing the 10th and final episode, “This Is Not for Tears”</p> <p id="rXKszL"><em>The Ringer</em>’s very own number one boys, Chris Ryan and Jason Concepcion, are talking business by discussing the Season 2 finale of <em>Succession</em>. The Fly Guys get on board the yacht to break down that tense group meeting, theorize about whether or not Shiv and Kendall are working together, and give their predictions on what’s to come in Season 3.</p>
<aside id="RyIHby"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Season 2 Exit Survey","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913512/succession-season-2-exit-survey"},{"title":"“The Sad I Get From Being With You”: How Tom and Shiv Encapsulate ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913717/succession-season-2-finale-tom-wambsgans-shiv-roy"},{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Finale Has Scrambled the Dynamics of the Roy Family","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-roy"}]}'></div></aside>
https://www.theringer.com/video/2019/10/14/20914098/number-one-boys-watch-the-finale-of-our-succession-aftershowJason ConcepcionChris Ryan2019-10-14T14:08:28-04:002019-10-14T14:08:28-04:00“The Sad I Get From Being With You”: How Tom and Shiv Encapsulate ‘Succession’
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r-PSk4l5BI9S21O2ULdEefsW0R8=/255x0:2922x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65464348/BakesOnSuccessionFinale_HBO_Ringer.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>HBO/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>The couple find the “perfect” cove in which to unwind … only to have their relationship unravel instead. Their beachside conversation is an example of how ‘Succession’ shines when characters speak harsh, clear truths.</p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6xGhdy-4NF3BXddio4pG3MsCb2U=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19286456/spoiler_warning_v2.2.jpg">
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<p id="HtKUpy">“Next cove, please, Julius!” declares Tom Wambsgans in <em>Succession</em>’s Season 2 finale, as luxurious of a command as it gets. Bobbing around the Mediterranean in his white linen shirt with his enchanting wife, Tom is like a wannabe Dickie Greenleaf—which means, by definition, he’s more like the posturing Tom Ripley. He can’t ever just lean back and relax because he’s always too busy fronting. (Even when he does put his feet up, it’s on the back of another human.) There is no detail that Tom doesn’t notice, and no observation that he can’t overprocess into grotesque ruin. Like, say, that sea urchin on the ocean floor, which makes this cove completely unsuitable. “There are infinite coves,” Tom explains to the confused, annoyed Shiv as Julius navigates onward. “Let’s find the perfect one.” </p>
<p id="u4KZhQ">Unfortunately for Tom, he has married a woman in Shiv whose own “any port in a storm” nautical ethos is much naughtier, and whose mental state is increasingly adrift. And so, for all their searching, when the couple finally do anchor, the cove they choose isn’t even all that picturesque. Rather than unwind, Tom and Shiv unravel; instead of paradise, they’ve found themselves living out the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/books/review/Lethem-t.html">wedding-night-gone-bad novella</a> <em>On Chesil Beach</em>.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="Yap8YQ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Finale Has Scrambled the Dynamics of the Roy Family","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-roy"},{"title":"Number One Man: Kendall Roy Takes Center Stage on ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913052/succession-season-2-finale-kendall-roy"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="54YCCd">The <em>Succession</em> finale, like the series itself, crackles throughout with bad faith and backhandedness, with deceit and dissembling, but all of its best moments come in the form of characters saying <em>fuck it</em> and speaking harsh, clear truths. There is Roman calling out Eduard Asgarov’s flaky bullshit even though it means sinking a deal that had almost left him dead. There is Logan laying absolute ruin to the interest in politics that Connor Roy claims to have had since <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SuccessionTV/comments/cxqwdk/that_speech_though/">a very young age</a>. There is the episode’s startling, satisfying ending, in which Kendall lays his cards out on the table as Greg clutches the receipts. But none of these are as raw and resonant as the confrontation between Shiv and Tom.</p>
<p id="pltceZ">“You told me you wanted an open relationship on our fucking wedding night,” Tom reminds her. “You still stewin’ on that?” responds Shiv, in a cruel manner immediately recognizable to anyone who has ever defensively lashed out by going straight for the underbelly of a loved one. “Shanghaied into an open-borders free-fuck trade deal,” Tom continues, and it feels as though the scene will maintain its quintessentially ribald and above-it-all <em>Succession-y</em> tone. But what soon follows is a line that, a decade and a half earlier, would have instantly attained top-five emo AIM away message status, a line that Matthew Macfadyen delivers straight to the gut: “I wonder if the sad I’d be without you,” he says, “would be less than the sad I get from being with you.”</p>
<div id="J6GRNi">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">'A Marriage Story,' dir. Noah Baumbach (2019). Probably.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuccessionHBO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuccessionHBO</a> <a href="https://t.co/L8L12GQ9Lr">pic.twitter.com/L8L12GQ9Lr</a></p>— #TheWatch (@thewatchpod) <a href="https://twitter.com/thewatchpod/status/1183562307122544640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a>
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<p id="g4RqvD">This isn’t the first time this season Tom has said something to Shiv that had the impact of a slap. In Episode 2, during a dinner with Roman and Tabitha in which Tom is clowned for his “agricultural walk” and, as usual, for his bachelor party sexual encounter, Shiv begins to make fun of the time she tried sending him to Logan’s tailor when her husband has finally had enough. “Fuck off, Shiv,” he snaps, and she looks stricken. This time around, though, Tom’s wounded remarks actually lead to action: Shiv’s subsequent request to her father that he spare Tom from being scapegoated is the right thing to do, and it also almost certainly precludes her from getting the top job at Waystar Royco she was once briefly promised. Logan needs a killer, after all, and not a cock in his potato salad.</p>
<p id="TfXTkk">Tom’s bleak admission stands out because it isn’t just familiar to anyone who has known doomed love. It also describes the Roy family’s entanglement with the golden handcuffs of their own business. When Kendall first met Naomi at Tern Haven, during a drug-fueled moment of clarity, he counseled her: “Don’t block your own escape. Just imagine getting out from under all this. … You can take the money and you can just get the fuck out.” Then, he added, she would be free. Even Logan, early this season, mused once or twice about how much easier things would be if the family just allowed a damn takeover to occur. If only Shiv had called his bluff back in Episode 1 and let him send that stock-tanking tweet! </p>
<p id="vVYRFI">Would the sad that all the Roys would be without all <em>this</em>—the helicopters landing on yachts; the weird beach basket of impenetrable fruit; the global power and influence; Julius at the helm—be less than the sad that they’re all currently, conspicuously saddled with? As Naomi reminds Kendall, Logan loves him, sure: the broken version of him. When Roman tries to have a meaningful conversation with his siblings after a legitimately traumatic event, they mock him with squeaky voices. Shiv’s cold response to her husband’s cry for help is eerily reminiscent of the way her mother reacted in England when Kendall tried to confess to and connect with her. Even if she wants emotional intimacy (and her expression suggests she does!) she has <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/8/12/20799176/succession-season-2-women-shiv-gerri">no model for how to achieve it</a>. Tom has long enjoyed the spoils of his Roy family adjacency, but as Shiv notes, he’s still not <em>family</em>. With that in mind, it’s easier for him to accept that everything around him might actually just be spoiled, to notice all the sea urchins in his midst just waiting to be stepped on.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">tom: you make me sad<br><br>shiv: <a href="https://t.co/zShAHvq7sV">pic.twitter.com/zShAHvq7sV</a></p>— CZC ️ (@the_czc) <a href="https://twitter.com/the_czc/status/1183595421219852289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a>
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<p id="vQshaf">Throughout its first two seasons, <em>Succession</em> has depicted an expensive, expansive lifestyle, with characters gallivanting across the globe, from New Mexico to Scotland, from the Hamptons to Hungary. And yet there’s still a claustrophobic element to the Roy family vantage point. Everyone spends a lot of time inside: inside mansions and car services and helicopters and megayachts, sure, but cooped up and constrained nevertheless. When they do break out, it doesn’t last long or go well. In the opening scene of this season, at an Icelandic rehab, Kendall finally gets to take a healing breath in the vast emptiness of a hot spring, only to be immediately whisked back into a car and then into a dark TV studio. Shiv, on the beach, tries to read the adulterous Sally Rooney novel <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/31/a-new-kind-of-adultery-novel"><em>Conversations With Friends</em></a>, a reminder that in two seasons we’ve yet to see her actually have one. Her isolation isn’t geographic, it’s existential.</p>
<p id="4g331e">But some of the most intriguing scenes have been the ones that offer glimpses of people just outside the Roy family’s gleaming bubble, highlighting both the vast gulf between the haves and haves-not but also the narcissism of small differences between the variously privileged: Roman and his lowbrow buddies at employee training; Mr. and Mrs. Wambsgans tackily not shutting up about their wine at the wedding; the Pierce family flaunting their old-money roots; Shiv’s would-be threesome participant scraping fungus off Greg’s nails. The finale’s closing scene, with Kendall turning the tables on his <a href="https://twitter.com/HBO/status/1183779202522329089">perversely proud papa</a>, gives the show’s creative staff all kinds of room to go in any number of directions in Season 3. But the beach scene between Tom and Shiv also unlocks endless and even more interesting potential: for new rivalries; for will-they-or-won’t-they drama that deals with the dissolution of a relationship rather than the first sparks of one; and for some intriguing new characters to enter the scene. </p>
<p id="CEXaA6">With the obligatory disclaimer that Shiv Roy is not based only on Elisabeth Murdoch, it’s worth pointing out that after the real-life heiress divorced her first husband (a college sweetheart) she then married and divorced the great-grandson of Sigmund Freud, and is now <a href="https://www.studiointernational.com/index.php/keith-tyson-interview-life-still-hauser-wirth">wed to a conceptual artist</a>. Start your mental casting! And imagine the types that a wounded, proud, single-and-looking-to-mingle Tom Wambsgans might encounter were he to find himself back on the open market. Or imagine Tom with a baby and a nice life in Winnetka or Darien, letting his normcore flag fly while Shiv keeps jealous tabs! And then there’s the potential for a role reversal between Greg and Tom, as one of them does anything to stay in the inner circle and the other tries to escape. It’s unclear how much money Tom would be entitled to per that prenup, but it’s almost certainly very little, relatively speaking, whereas Greg, having helped take down Logan, might find himself back in his grandfather Ewan’s good graces and inherit that quarter-bil after all.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="JAOSmG">In the penultimate episode of Season 2, when Greg tells Connor that he’d probably still get $5 million from his grandfather even if he were otherwise disowned, his older cousin is dismissive. “Five?” Connor says, all but spitting on the ground. “You can’t do anything with five, Greg. Five’s a nightmare. Can’t retire, not worth it to work. Five will drive you <em>un poco loco</em>, my fine-feathered friend.” With billions of dollars, the Roys ought to be able to sleep well, is the implication. And yet their lives have long been one big fever dream, vivid but disturbing, outwardly blissful but inwardly tortured. And Tom, lying on the remote beach like some shipwrecked man, may finally be waking up, utterly spent, from it all.</p>
<p id="8SwZ98"><em>Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in </em>The Ringer<em>.</em></p>
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913717/succession-season-2-finale-tom-wambsgans-shiv-royKatie Baker2019-10-14T10:12:25-04:002019-10-14T10:12:25-04:00The ‘Succession’ Season 2 Exit Survey
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<figcaption>HBO/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>The staff gives its thoughts on<strong> </strong>daddy’s number one boy becoming a man</p> <p id="6nz4Ni"><em>With the second season of HBO’s </em>Succession <em>now finished, </em>The Ringer <em>staff gathered on the family yacht to deliver their thoughts on the finale, “This Is Not For Tears,” and the season at large.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="DgDGS5">
<h4 id="Lv3Y93">1. What is your tweet-length review of the <em>Succession </em>finale? </h4>
<p id="7oHeMk"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/alison-herman"><strong>Alison Herman</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Tired: <a href="https://twitter.com/electrolemon/status/1182047291084959744">Who will daddy kiss?</a></p>
<p id="0tSN7L">Wired: Who will Judas-kiss daddy once they realize they’re expendable and he’s incapable of human emotion? </p>
<p id="jGKfKR"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/katie-baker"><strong>Katie Baker</strong></a><strong>:</strong> A GIF of Stewy sniffing lavender. </p>
<p id="UIdxxy"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/ben-lindbergh"><strong>Ben Lindbergh</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Not this, but <a href="https://streamable.com/wb7rb">something like</a>, um, “Kill for a ticket” or “The theatrical event of the season.”</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="7WPQp1"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Finale Has Scrambled the Dynamics of the Roy Family","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-roy"},{"title":"Number One Man: Kendall Roy Takes Center Stage on ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913052/succession-season-2-finale-kendall-roy"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="fVQynh"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/dan-devine"><strong>Dan Devine</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Kendall saw Logan’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGt9Gfzu3c"> Big Pun</a>, raised him a<a href="https://media.makeameme.org/created/i-aint-a-5c1d12.jpg"> 2Pac</a>, and finally, <em>finally</em> earned his old man’s respect. Out come the wolves; on comes the chaos. Just another perfect family vacation. </p>
<p id="97O5qF"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/alyssa-bereznak"><strong>Alyssa Bereznak</strong></a><strong>:</strong> This episode was proof that, as long as the writing is there, TV doesn’t need to be anything more than people having conversations in rooms. Or in this case, people having conversations atop obscene yachts. </p>
<p id="hJ0xSU"><a href="https://twitter.com/richiehomiequan?lang=en"><strong>Richie Bozek</strong></a><strong>:</strong> *Mike Breen voice*</p>
<p id="jpfDBG">Clock winding down. Greg, out to Kendall. Kendall pulls up …</p>
<p id="Zw9FNs">BANG!!! </p>
<p id="og1FY0"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/kate-knibbs"><strong>Kate Knibbs</strong></a><strong>:</strong> If there is any justice in the world, HBO will put together a website that is just a collection of the reviews of Willa’s play. </p>
<p id="wx9aml"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/shaker-samman"><strong>Shaker Samman</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Kendall graduates from manslaughter to assasination. </p>
<p id="N41JSL"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/miles-surrey"><strong>Miles Surrey:</strong></a> </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uYiDxwo_e8EcvtbzBv1TUOs25WE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19285388/Screen_Shot_2019_10_14_at_9.21.07_AM.png">
<cite>HBO</cite>
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<h4 id="FbejyX">2. What was the best moment of the finale? </h4>
<p id="uLmQKG"><strong>Baker:</strong> If it is to be said: Greg’s congressional testimony. So I shall. </p>
<p id="UinOEb"><strong>Herman:</strong> [<em>Daniel Plainview voice</em>] I. ATE. YOUR. CHICKEN!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p id="CQw587"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> The contrast between Kendall’s devastated stare when Naomi says, “He loves the broken you,” and his smile of genuine pride when Logan names a not-so-broken Roman COO.</p>
<p id="d7sTRr"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> Tender moments between the Roy siblings (minus Connor) are extremely rare, so Roman’s uncharacteristically vulnerable appeal to “like, talk to each other about stuff” had me completely enraptured. All the more telling that Shiv and Kendall replied to the first earnest thing their little brother has ever said with cartoon voices and absolutely no intention to take his request seriously. It reminded me of when Kendall was ready to confess his deepest, darkest secret to his mother, and she made up some excuse about being too tired to hear it. <em>Succession</em> is brutal in its depiction of how this family lets one another down over and over again.</p>
<p id="w99nQa"><strong>Devine: </strong></p>
<p id="oLnE0s">1A: </p>
<div id="B6JXTO">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"...but."<br><br>give Jeremy Strong all the Emmys.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Succession?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Succession</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ci7iul3RcW">pic.twitter.com/Ci7iul3RcW</a></p>— Jenna Amatulli (@ohheyjenna) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohheyjenna/status/1183569477071495170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a>
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<p id="aBUqpV">1B: </p>
<div id="WTFjVr">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This shot is brilliant and should be shown in any film study class <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuccessionHBO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuccessionHBO</a> <a href="https://t.co/XssFMvrdL8">pic.twitter.com/XssFMvrdL8</a></p>— Dan Nguyen (@dancow) <a href="https://twitter.com/dancow/status/1183576046609805314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a>
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<p id="wlivKV"><strong>Knibbs:</strong> I really enjoyed the shot of Greg getting a pedicure. </p>
<p id="lCwDNg"><strong>Samman:</strong> Chances are, most of my colleagues will say something about Roman and Kendall’s moment at the table, or the kids laughing together before their father’s arrival, or Ken’s conversation with his dad, or his coup at the end. They are all wrong.</p>
<p id="RSzFwJ">GUYS, KENDALL LISTENS TO LCD SOUNDSYSTEM WHEN HE WORKS OUT. HE LIKES “NORTH AMERICAN SCUM.” HE’S A SAD BOY WHO LIVES IN NEW YORK IN HIS EARLY 30S. LET’S ALL GO TO JAMES MURPHY’S GOUT-INDUCING WINE BAR.</p>
<p id="YMaEB1"><strong>Surrey:</strong> A tie between Kendall’s finally proving to his father that he’s a “killer” and … </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ne2Yg2t5J8e4C0mz6HUmJTPzA2w=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19285392/Screen_Shot_2019_10_14_at_8.39.11_AM.png">
<cite>HBO</cite>
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<h4 id="L5QXYq">3. What was your least favorite part?</h4>
<p id="n0xpp9"><strong>Surrey:</strong> I don’t understand the question. </p>
<p id="yT0FHl"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> It was all genuinely great, but I was surprised that the subplot of Willa’s<a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/1/20892261/succession-willa-broadway-play-sands-connor-roy"> poorly reviewed</a> play, and Connor’s disintegrating finances, got so much screen time. </p>
<p id="jmOdWj"><strong>Baker:</strong> The circular firing squad meal had a few good moments—Karl’s sports massages; Richelieu skulking—but I also thought it dragged a little bit? Also, I guess I understand why Tabitha wasn’t on the boat, with Roman coming straight from captivity and all, but I really missed her energy and feel like she would have really enjoyed that giant slide. </p>
<p id="rLxQnD"><strong>Devine:</strong> <em>Again</em> with the No Marcia?!?!? She was even in the “previously on” segment this week! Hiam Abbass is a phenomenal performer, and she’s made Marcia a fascinating character even in limited screen time. Please, Mr. Jesse Armstrong, give her the ball and a chance to run the offense for a few minutes.</p>
<p id="NM96yt"><strong>Bozek:</strong> Why did so many people turn on Gerri when they were discussing who should take the fall? I too felt betrayed. Shout-out to Roman. </p>
<p id="IujkUi"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> Connor and Willa. For the first time, Connor seemed like a frivolous distraction from the show I wanted to watch. Like Logan, we had bigger fish to fry. (Also, the Conheads have to up their meme game.)</p>
<p id="m6xxYk"><strong>Herman:</strong> I’m proud of her for ditching Logan, but no Marcia is a tough pill to swallow.</p>
<p id="MzDHUG"><strong>Samman:</strong> Try as I might to get the bit, I really hate Connor. Some things are too cringey to be enjoyable.</p>
<h4 id="j1UpiK">4. Who was the MVP of Season 2? </h4>
<p id="1dsIp0"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> Kendall. The season started and ended with him making public appearances at which he was supposed to grovel and repeat prepared statements, but in the finale, he followed his own script. He’s come a long way since robotically murmuring, “My dad’s plan was better.”</p>
<p id="cUuGnR"><strong>Baker:</strong> Naomi! She would have been my answer anyway based on the strength of her Tern Haven leather jacket alone, but her parting words to Kendall in the finale—that Logan loves the <em>broken</em> him—were just as essential to the show. Logan’s “killer” speech may have set Kendall off, but his number one boy was primed by Naomi to even have the conversation. For all the big swinging dealmakers on <em>Succession</em>, it’s Naomi who has no quit: This is now the second time, the first being at Tern Haven, that she might be saving someone else’s company.</p>
<p id="ErGbY9"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> My dude Greg began the series as an apartment-less lackey with no real sway and ended it as the subject of a congressional hearing. The American dream! </p>
<p id="qLIn2A"><strong>Herman:</strong> The finale wasn’t her best moment, but for carrying the narrative <em>and </em>thematic weight for 90 percent of the season, it’s<a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/7/20899070/succession-season-2-shiv-dc"> gotta be Shiv</a>.</p>
<p id="ggfn20"><strong>Devine:</strong> Jeremy Strong’s like Jordan in the early ’90s, LeBron a decade ago, or Mike Trout now: The award should be understood to be his until or unless someone comes up with something <em>drastic</em> to snatch it out of his hands. </p>
<p id="QnnAzX">I’d round out the ballot with: Sarah Snook, who handled Siobhan’s meteoric rise, fall from grace, and eventual landing in a kind of emotional limbo deftly; Kieran Culkin, who gave Roman tons more depth and shading without sacrificing his acid-tongue charisma; J. Smith-Cameron, who played a big role in Roman’s growth (<a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/9/3/20845525/succession-roman-roy-gerri-killman-relationship-panic-room-episode-4-season-2">so to speak</a>) with her shining portrayal as Gerri; and Holly Hunter, who threw 100 mph for six straight weeks before being pulled so that Strong could close it out in the ninth.</p>
<p id="G0BLAt"><strong>Knibbs:</strong> I mean, the obvious answer is Kendall, but Roman also availed himself admirably. He got held hostage and stood up for his secret lady love at the Yacht Betrayal Round Table within mere days of one another, and that should be respected. </p>
<p id="gCGG8i"><strong>Samman:</strong> It has to be Kendall, right? He spent nearly two full years whimpering through sentences and damn near became a meme as a result, and now he’s the moral arbiter destined to take over one of the biggest companies in the world. </p>
<p id="FH17Dg"><strong>Surrey:</strong> <em>Succession</em> has such a talented ensemble, you could make a compelling case for a different MVP each episode. On the whole, however, I’ll go with Kendall, whose tale of two press conferences was a master class of pathos. Give Jeremy Strong an Emmy or there will be hell to pay. </p>
<h4 id="yXTEVa">5. Will Tom and Shiv stay married?</h4>
<p id="sDGgYL"><strong>Knibbs:</strong> It’s the most twisted thing they can do at this point, so yes. </p>
<p id="Bl9p3o"><strong>Surrey:</strong> Tom has always been obsequious toward the Roys because it grants him proximity to power, and I don’t think that’s going to change next season. Eating Logan’s chicken was less of an existential awakening and more of a flailing reaction at the prospect of being the blood sacrifice. </p>
<p id="V4ZBrf"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> A spontaneous arrangement of a threesome is a pretty solid harbinger of a doomed marriage. And so is, you know, asking to be in an open relationship on one’s wedding night. So even before Shiv cooly suggested Tom would make a fine public punching bag, it seems pretty clear that he was willing to eat only so much shit. I’m not saying the divorce will happen by the next episode, but it’s definitely coming.</p>
<p id="igoQZi"><strong>Bozek:</strong> Yes, just because the way Shiv protected Tom after their conversation seemed telling. </p>
<p id="HqR8Yw"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> It’s possible that Tom actually airing his grievances and Shiv belatedly begging Logan to save him will strengthen their relationship, but the real reason Shiv liked having him around was that he was someone she could control. Now that he’s asserted himself, it may be better that they both say, “Thank you for the chicken,” and go their own way. </p>
<p id="Vcfctk"><strong>Baker:</strong> Legally, maybe! </p>
<p id="uhasB3"><strong>Devine:</strong> It set my teeth on edge to watch Tom have to try to, like, <em>negotiate his way out of a threesome</em> because he <em>didn’t actually want to have sex with someone who wasn’t his wife</em> and he <em>really wasn’t OK with his wife continuing to sleep with other people in the arrangement she sprung on him after they’d gotten married</em> … and then be made <em>to feel bad</em> about that! Tom finally found clarity in whichever one of the infinite coves Julius finally settled on. Here’s hoping he doesn’t lose it once the yacht docks. </p>
<p id="SfQsSA"><strong>Samman:</strong> God, I hope not. Watching Shiv bully Tom for the past 19 episodes has been exhausting, and gut-wrenching. I fist-pumped and yelled “let’s go!” so loudly when he told Shiv he didn’t think they should stay together that my dog ran into the other room.</p>
<p id="Tlxtwh"><strong>Herman:</strong> I don’t know, but that line about lonely sadness versus bad marriage sadness oughta stick with her for a long time either way. </p>
<h4 id="WUsORa">6. Are you proud of Kendall? </h4>
<p id="KaJ51v"><strong>Baker:</strong> *Half-smirks cryptically*</p>
<p id="ShVyY0"><strong>Herman:</strong> HE’S MY NUMBER ONE CORPORATE WHISTLEBLOWER!!</p>
<p id="YxhsLp"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> Sure? I mean, it’s not like he did anything <em>heroic.</em> If we’re just approaching this situation logically, it makes sense that he would be willing to risk his father revealing that he accidentally killed a guy while wasted (and covered it up) rather than publicly admit he oversaw a department that intentionally, systematically abused, even killed, a bunch of migrant women and sex workers (and systematically covered it up). If anything, I’m surprised Logan didn’t make that calculation!</p>
<p id="8MjhOx"><strong>Devine:</strong> As proud as I can be of someone who is still a vehicular manslaughterer, I suppose. Taking action to reclaim your sense of self, to try to stand on your own feet and heal what about you has been broken, is commendable … or, at least, it would be, if Kendall’s animating principle here was “doing the right thing.” </p>
<p id="XeTK37">If I could feel confident that Kendall did what he did at his press conference because he’s decided that it’s his duty to rid the world of the man behind the ethos that produced “no real person involved,” then sure, yeah: all aboard the Redemption Express. But <em>Succession</em> is a show about money, power, the pursuit of both, and the toxicity that taints those in pursuit. I wouldn’t bet that Kendall—who, again, <em>killed a guy</em> this time last year and has still not (yet) faced any legal consequences as a result!—has decided to get his Uncle Ewan on and put all the rapaciousness behind him. You saw the smile playing across Logan’s face: His number one boy’s become a killer. I’m not sure there’s any turning back now. </p>
<p id="lbQhZW"><strong>Knibbs:</strong> As proud as anyone can be of someone who commits vehicular manslaughter and uses their father’s malevolent and vast influence to avoid facing legal repercussions, yes. </p>
<p id="F21xhz"><strong>Samman:</strong> The rules of the game are kill or be killed, it seems. I’m proud he finally stuck it to his dad and reasserted himself at the front of the pack. The wolves will all be after him now, but here’s hoping he gets a few minutes with Naomi to celebrate before the real fight starts.</p>
<p id="ZM305Q"><strong>Surrey:</strong> THE NUMBER ONE BOY HAS BECOME A NUMBER ONE MAN! ALL HAIL TECHNO GATSBY, THE FIRST OF HIS NAME, <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/b7v0WcjfvuWoQ8Ysnp8h7INWn9U=/1400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/11770581/Screen_Shot_2018_07_26_at_10.35.33_AM.png">FUCKER OF BUSINESS</a>, SNORTER OF COKE, BEAST OF HYPE. (Yes.) </p>
<p id="NrhZBH"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> </p>
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<h4 id="YbGipB">7. What do you think will happen to Logan?</h4>
<p id="dOZW1q"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> I can’t recall an entire moment in the series when Logan’s role as CEO wasn’t under intense scrutiny. That is to say, I’m not sure they can get away with much more of that in Season 3.</p>
<p id="PDF06k"><strong>Herman:</strong> Bad things, I hope. A comfortable life won off the suffering of others, I know.</p>
<p id="LOiF6Y"><strong>Samman:</strong> For the first time since we met him, Logan showed real pride in one of his children watching Kendall set him aflame. He clearly considered stepping down at some point in the course of the season finale. Kendall’s move not only followed through on Logan’s initial pitch, but did so in a manner that made his family’s grasp on their company stronger than ever. Logan said it himself: money wins. Sometimes cunning does too.</p>
<p id="C8nNRv"><strong>Baker:</strong> [<em>Extremely Ben Affleck “retaaaainer voice”</em>] <em>Statute of limitaaaaaaations! </em>It seems like it would be really hard for Logan to avoid jail time for this, but maybe he’ll either get an infuriatingly short sentence or he’ll weasel out on a technicality; I can’t imagine the show would keep him locked up for long. (I actually have a very strong mental image of a scene where all the siblings wearily await their father’s liberation from the slammer, and when he returns he immediately begins berating them as if nothing has changed.) </p>
<p id="VEIIds"><strong>Devine:</strong> I think that as soon as he’s done beaming at Kendall’s baring his fangs, Logan will bare his own once again and set about destroying his second-born son, possibly by revealing the truth of his fateful and fatal late-night drive. Whether he’ll be able to do it, I don’t know; it seems at least <em>possible</em> that one or more of his other children were in on the hit, and that Logan might have left himself without enough friends, lackeys, or firepower to win this latest war. Maybe he’ll roar all the way back to full Big Bad status. Maybe Father Time will at long last catch up with him, and the dinosaur cull will finally come.<a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/9/27/20886820/succession-season-two-episode-eight-precap"> Logan’s spent decades making this death bed.</a> Now let’s see if he’s ready to lie in it.</p>
<p id="WGqYet"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> Logan was never going to transfer power peacefully. Someone had to seize it from him, and Kendall did. With disgrace and divorce looming, the question becomes whether Logan will want Waystar to stay in his family’s hands, or whether he’ll try to kill Killer Kendall because he won’t want anyone else to run the behemoth he built. The Roys’ smaller-scale internecine squabbles could be about to blossom into true civil war. </p>
<p id="Qe5VD8"><strong>Surrey: </strong>Logan’s too powerful to actually go to jail—his lawyers will make sure of that—so he’ll probably remain a malignant presence in his children’s orbit. The only way <em>Succession</em> will get rid of Logan is when he kicks the bucket. </p>
<h4 id="cbp9yW">8. What are you anticipating most about <em>Succession</em>’s third season?</h4>
<p id="dknrTT"><strong>Herman:</strong> Roman’s turn as the heir apparent who finds new and creative ways to make us feel bad for liking him.</p>
<p id="p2oYck"><strong>Knibbs:</strong> As always, Shiv’s pants. </p>
<p id="VAfqsr"><strong>Bozek:</strong> Changes in family dynamic—do Shiv, Roman, and Connor side with Kendall? Do they try to protect their dad? Will they take sides? Also, which character will have a significant wardrobe change in the 48 hours between seasons and what it will be, similar to Shiv’s haircut this season. My bet is Roman suddenly starts wearing glasses.</p>
<p id="49kh2n"><strong>Samman:</strong> Give me Kendall’s workout playlist. I know I’m one of <em>maybe</em> six fans of the show who care, but I need to run to what Ken runs to. Maybe we’ll run into each other at Terminal 5.</p>
<p id="FSzB6L"><strong>Devine:</strong> Where the writers will send Kendall from here, and how Strong will get him there. Greg, that Machiavellian fuck, continuing to move up in the world. Whether Tom’s able to hang onto the self-respect he found on that cove, and in that big bite of chicken. More Marcia, goddammit.</p>
<p id="kHSmXA"><strong>Bereznak:</strong> Shiv’s sumptuous outfits first, more hard-nosed business talk second. </p>
<p id="syun8g"><strong>Surrey:</strong> The free-for-all among the Roy kids (sans Connor, of course). They’ve all formed some kind of alliance—Kendall and Cousin Greg, Roman and Gerri, and presumably Shiv and Tom—and have a legitimate claim to the Waystar empire. I expect things will get nasty; their father taught them well, after all. </p>
<p id="zqq3jM"><strong>Lindbergh:</strong> The Rock Star and the Mole Woman.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="lIEoCr"><strong>Baker:</strong> Watching Greg adapt to that quarter-bil lifestyle after his grandfather unexpectedly kicks the bucket. Guessing he’ll find some wine he likes!</p>
<p id="yPazmU"><em>Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in </em>The Ringer<em>.</em></p>
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913512/succession-season-2-exit-surveyThe Ringer Staff2019-10-14T01:35:14-04:002019-10-14T01:35:14-04:00Number One Man: Kendall Roy Takes Center Stage on ‘Succession’
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<p>The Roy family’s punching bag stepped up in the season finale, setting up a power vacuum that could plunge Waystar Royco into chaos</p> <figure class="e-image">
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<p id="GLFiyt">With seemingly every <a href="https://twitter.com/nocontextroyco">out-of-context screengrab</a> from <em>Succession</em> liable to become meme material, it was only natural that the show’s Emmy-winning theme song would get in on the action. On Wednesday, the comedian Demi Adejuyigbe <a href="https://twitter.com/electrolemon/status/1182047291084959744">tweeted his own remix</a> of the theme, which we’ll call “Kiss From Daddy.” (“All the rich white folk are going to argue / And then whoever’s best is going to win a kiss from daddy,” so goes its inspired chorus.) I’m not bringing Demi’s version up just because it slaps—but also: Yes, it does—but because what transpired in Sunday night’s season finale actually became a twisted inverse of those lyrics. Kendall Roy didn’t receive a kiss from Daddy, but he did plant <em>him</em> a smooch—and what initially looked like a dispiriting pledge of fealty was, in fact, reminiciest of Michael Corleone planting a kiss of death on Fredo. (Or pulling a Judas, if you want to get biblical.) </p>
<p id="nqPobH">To rewind: We entered the finale, “This Is Not for Tears,” with Waystar Royco in panic mode, after a congressional hearing into the claims of malpractice and sexual misconduct at the company’s cruise lines. With an important shareholder meeting imminent—and the possibility that the board would rather ride with Stewy and Sandy instead of the Roys and their cohorts—Logan ominously warned Shiv that placating the board would require a “blood sacrifice.” (The identity of whom left us <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/11/20909644/succession-season-two-episode-ten-precap">anxiously theorizing</a> that one of our favorite idiots, like Tom or Cousin Greg, would get the ax.) After plenty of debate over who should be sacrificed—making an Instagrammable trip to the Mediterranean aboard one of the Roys’ titanic yachts a claustrophobic, tension-filled nightmare—Logan, with Shiv’s critical input, figured that Kendall would make for the perfect fall guy. Not to mention, unlike Tom, he <em>is</em> blood.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="SBqsmf"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The ‘Succession’ Finale Has Scrambled the Dynamics of the Roy Family","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-roy"},{"title":"“The Sad I Get From Being With You”: How Tom and Shiv Encapsulate ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913717/succession-season-2-finale-tom-wambsgans-shiv-roy"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="scisbA">Logan delivers the news to Kendall himself—though not before making Kendall boot Naomi Pierce off the boat, which led to Naomi telling Kendall that his dad loves him only when he’s broken, which is both true and heartbreaking. As Logan likens sacrificing his son to how the Inca offered child sacrifices to their sun god, Kendall wears the same defeated look he’s bared all season. He appears ready to take the fall, just as he’s suffered every other indignity this season—including gutting <em>Vaulter</em>, the digital media enterprise he’d personally brought to the company, at his father’s behest. This was shaping up to be a terrible evening for the ardent members of <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/8/20904404/jeremy-strong-kendall-roy-succession">Team Kendall</a>. (We’re always accepting newcomers!) </p>
<p id="v4Weh6">Watching Kendall, the only Roy with a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/9/23/20879718/kendall-roy-succession-return">shred of humanity</a>, this year has been unbearably painful at times—he can be less of a person and more of an emotionally inhibited punching bag for his father to thump around at his discretion. Jeremy Strong’s work has more than warranted an Emmy nomination; it’s one of the best television performances of the year. But Kendall seemed fated for a prison sentence—one he was willing to accept as penance for the Chappaquiddick-like incident from last season’s finale that left a young man dead. And yet, what seemed like the real nail in the coffin was Logan’s insistence that Kendall would’ve never been the best heir to the Waystar throne because he isn’t a “killer.” </p>
<p id="Khc3Sh">Never mind that Kendall literally committed manslaughter—he doesn’t have the kind of instincts to make the ruthless decisions required of the head of a multibillion-dollar company. In Logan’s (morally bankrupt) defense, Shiv and even Roman have impressed this season, while Kendall hasn’t shown much of a backbone to prove otherwise. If anything, KeNWA’s <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/1/20892195/kendall-roy-rap-succession-breakdown">“L to the OG” rap</a> from the eighth episode, one week after Logan forced him to meet the family of the person he killed, was a cringe-worthy exercise in defeatism. With that, however, Kendall kisses his dad on the cheek and prepares to take his punishment. Or so we’re led to believe. </p>
<p id="Q6cQDI">It’s not clear whether Kendall was driven to betray his father because Logan had downplayed his son’s feelings of guilt over someone’s death, but something finally allowed Kendall to fight back. In a callback to the <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/8/11/20799083/succession-season-2-premiere-recap">Season 2 premiere</a>, Kendall gets summoned for a press conference in which he’s to offer a statement accepting all cruise lines culpability. In the premiere, Kendall’s loyalty/indentured servitude led to the depressing mantra: “I saw their plan. Dad’s plan was better.” This time, he finally becomes a killer in his father’s eyes—telling the world that Logan knew about everything. These aren’t just empty words, either: Greg accompanied him to the press conference, and is ready to unleash Chekhov’s Cruise Lines Documents to support his homie. (Cut to me, jumping on my couch, tweeting out in all caps <a href="https://twitter.com/HKSurrey/status/1183565767192829952">“KENDALL ROY IS MY FATHER.”</a>) With that, Logan almost assuredly can’t crawl his way back into the shareholders’ good graces; Kendall, for lack of a better word, killed him. And Logan can’t help but smile—surely, it’s the only time he’s ever been proud of his son.</p>
<p id="UTXPeU">We’d require a psychologist to unpack all of that—my unprofessional diagnosis: These people are fucked up!—but in the meantime, it seems Kendall might finally have his mojo back. Of course, keeping in line with <em>Succession</em>’s twisted nature, this development becomes a bit of a monkey’s paw. Kendall is easy to empathize with, and while he certainly has more redeemable qualities than his siblings, our dude getting his mojo back may bring back some of his more unpleasant Business Bro/<a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/8/18/20809150/succession-season-2-episode-2-recap-vaulter">Techno Gatsby</a> qualities. Next season, Kendall, free from Logan’s suffocating hold, could very well become the Number One Douche—someone we’ve seen vestiges of when he hasn’t been stuttering in front of his dad. Just ask the actress who said “awesome” too many times in the presence of the OG.</p>
<p id="GtdswF">Meanwhile, the Waystar throne just became an absolute free-for-all for the Roy siblings. (Well, except for Connor, who’s too stupid to function.) If Shiv was willing to let Kendall fall on the sword—lest we forget, he broke down in her arms during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__EQQPfo51A">most devastating scene of the season</a>—then she’d do anything to take what she thinks she rightfully deserves. Apparently all you need to do to make Roman take the family business seriously is throw him in the middle of a military coup. And Kendall should be absolutely feeling himself now that Logan is, theoretically, out of the picture. (Though since he can buy the best lawyers on the planet, I suspect Logan won’t spend a single day behind bars.)</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="Fr2EwU">If life under Logan’s rule was already in disarray and subject to the occasional round of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYqqW3c2mBU">Boar on the Floor</a>, a kingdom with no clear successor should yield unrepentant chaos. That’s what Kendall has brought upon himself, his siblings, and Waystar with one mic drop of a press conference. It’s dope to see my guy look closer to the person rapping to the Beastie Boys in the back of his car in the <em>Succession</em> pilot than the one crying in his father’s arms at the end of Season 1. But Kendall just won a decisive battle; the war for Waystar is just beginning. Techno Gatsby better bring his sword to the rave.</p>
<p id="HacV8g"><em>Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in </em>The Ringer.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913052/succession-season-2-finale-kendall-royMiles Surrey2019-10-14T00:43:14-04:002019-10-14T00:43:14-04:00The ‘Succession’ Finale Has Scrambled the Dynamics of the Roy Family
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<p>The HBO series is a portrait of people in purgatory, and the repetition of their lives only enhances their tragedy. But the decision at the end of Season 2 alters the show’s status quo.</p> <figure class="e-image">
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<p id="VtVq4E">The second season of <em>Succession </em>seemed poised to end how it began. Once again, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) was hauled in front of the cameras at his father’s request. Once again, he was prepped with talking points by an anxious Karolina (Dagmara Dominczyk). Once again, Logan (Brian Cox) looked on, confident his erstwhile heir apparent would do what he was asked. But this time, of course, Kendall didn’t. </p>
<p id="Q9kCeg">“This Is Not for Tears” is an episode full of callbacks. The finale to <em>Succession</em>’s bravura second season, written by series creator Jesse Armstrong, takes care to create a sense of the cumulative. There’s a shot of Logan from behind at the head of a table, an echo of the opening credits. There’s a group summit where Logan disingenuously floats the idea of stepping down as CEO of Waystar Royco, a reprise of a near-identical set-up from the season premiere. (That meeting took place in the Hamptons, this one on a yacht in the Mediterranean. Both proposals were met with a chorus of oh-no-you-can’ts.) There’s another face-off between Kendall and his friend-foil Stewy (Arian Moayed), though with the power dynamic reversed and Logan as a literal, not just metaphorical, presence. <em>Succession </em>is a portrait of people in purgatory, and the repetition of their lives only enhances their tragedy.</p>
<aside id="SE0QM6"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Number One Man: Kendall Roy Takes Center Stage on ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913052/succession-season-2-finale-kendall-roy"},{"title":"“The Sad I Get From Being With You”: How Tom and Shiv Encapsulate ‘Succession’","url":"https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913717/succession-season-2-finale-tom-wambsgans-shiv-roy"}]}'></div></aside><p id="Vnh0t9">But in its final moments, “This Is Not for Tears” seems to break <em>Succession</em>’s mold. A popular fan theory holds that <em>Succession </em>is setting itself up for each season to focus on a different Roy scion taking, then inevitably missing, their shot at Logan’s throne. Season 1 <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/8/20904404/jeremy-strong-kendall-roy-succession">belonged to Kendall</a>, the Don Jr.–Lachlan Murdoch hybrid we pitied and loathed in equal measure; Season 2 zeroed in on Siobhan (Sarah Snook), or “Shiv” for short, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/7/20899070/succession-season-2-shiv-dc">gradually dismantling</a> our image of her as the likable one. Roman (Kieran Culkin), fresh from a hostage situation in Turkey, looked to be up next, and much of “This Is Not for Tears” worked to confirm that hunch. Professionally, Roman’s candor about the shadiness of their company’s prospective buyers earned his father’s respect, and his romance-alliance with Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) appears to be going strong. Personally, Roman’s brush with mortality brought out something like maturity, asking for a heart-to-heart with his jeering siblings and protesting Kendall’s selection as the fall guy. (Kendall <em>did </em>come to his defense when their dad slapped him in the face, after all.)</p>
<p id="nvTpf2">Even if Roman does eventually assume the captain’s chair at Waystar Royco, though, he might be steering a ghost ship. Roman may well be the new Iron Man of <em>Succession</em>’s Avengers-like ensemble, giving Culkin the showcase in Season 3 that Strong and Snook have enjoyed in seasons 1 and 2. But Kendall’s decision to (accurately) blame his father for the years of abuses on the company’s cruise lines, and assassinate his character in the process, actually alters the show’s status quo. It’s a reversal that <em>Succession </em>has been <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/9/30/20891145/succession-dundee-logan-roy-cruise-scandal">flirting with</a> all season: Logan, the only man brutal enough to master the formalized brutality known as capitalism, has finally sustained a critical blow. Having made its point about the system that rewards Logan and the behavior he, in turn, brings out in others, <em>Succession </em>can finally explore a post-Logan universe, or at least a universe that’s proved Logan isn’t omnipotent.</p>
<p id="nQzK5v">Kendall’s betrayal opens up all kinds of narrative possibilities for Season 3, which <a href="https://ew.com/tv/2019/08/20/succession-renewed-season-3-hbo/">HBO announced</a> almost as soon as Season 2 began. Where does this upheaval leave Roman and Shiv, who respectively risked their life (Roman) and likely sacrificed their marriage (Shiv) for what suddenly looks like a rotting corpse? What does Kendall do now that he’s the only Roy to have actually, meaningfully broken from the family patriarch? Will Logan fall victim to the shareholder revolt that’s been haunting him for months, and if so, who will he take down with him?</p>
<p id="j4sOjj">Yet <em>Succession </em>is a show that has use for plot only as a vehicle for emotion. Whereas <em>Billions</em>, its obvious counterpart and most frequent comparison, revels in the details of high finance, <em>Succession </em>deliberately hand-waves the micro until the macro—both the bird’s-eye view and the primal foundation—is all that’s left. Logan loves to insist that Waystar Royco is a family company; it’s a lie in the sense that Logan invokes family only when it suits him, but a truth in that all of Waystar’s high-level maneuverings are little more than an amped-up sibling squabble. And like us mere mortals, the Roys tend to be trapped in the same dynamics for years on end, repeating them ad nauseam but unable to change—until all of a sudden, they’re not. </p>
<p id="eHpF2E">Kendall’s turning on Logan is not, in and of itself, new. All of Season 1 hinged on his unsuccessful coup against his aging and potentially addled father, provoked when Logan walked back on his promise to retire and hand over the reins. Logan broke Kendall with some good old-fashioned blackmail, then returned him to the fold as a deputy even more trusted than before, allotting his pills like <em>Game of Thrones</em>’ Reek once shaved Ramsay’s neck. What’s different about this second, much more fundamental split is that Kendall isn’t doing it with an eye toward replacing Logan as the head of Waystar Royco. He’s burning that bridge, though doing so ironically makes him the kind of “killer” Logan can respect, hence the final-shot smirk. Hopefully, his approval won’t undo Kendall’s emotional progress. There’s a genuine note of moral outrage to his denunciation of his dad, and a Roy with enough awareness to see—and reject—Logan for what he truly is has been a possibility so tantalizing it’s almost hard to believe. Shiv’s short-lived independence turned out to be a (literal) red herring, and the mistrust she’s learned the hard way is a tough instinct to shake.</p>
<p id="tOuWzj">The hour leading up to Kendall’s would-be sacrifice contains one of <em>Succession</em>’s most well-worn scenarios. Logan gathers his family and deputies together, then has them turn on one another with a minimum of prompting, unleashing the self-preservation and venality he’s trained into instinct. As everyone takes turns throwing everyone else under the bus, one can’t help but flash back to the <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/8/11/20799083/succession-season-2-premiere-recap">Summer Palace brainstorm</a>, or <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/8/25/20829901/succession-season-2-episode-3-recap-hunting">Boar on the Floor</a>, or any of the other umpteen times this backbiting has played out, leaving everyone except Logan in tatters. This time, however, “This Is Not for Tears” presents an alternative ending. Much like Logan, <em>Succession </em>keeps us on our toes, conditioning us to expect one outcome so it can better surprise us with another.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="6jv14L">Familiarity is one of television’s most powerful tools. It’s what draws us in week after week in search of comfort, and what gives writers a blueprint for replicating a successful formula for years on end. On <em>Succession</em>, it’s also shown just how deeply ingrained the Roys’ need for Logan’s approval, and distrust of one another instead of solidarity against their shared tormentor, truly is. But familiarity can also turn stale and predictable; as we start to anticipate what a show has in store for us, boredom sets in, and our eye starts to wander. “This Is Not for Tears” deploys familiarity and novelty in equal, and expert, measure. The episode intentionally invokes what’s come before to set up, then subvert, our expectations. <em>Succession</em>’s characters may be trapped in a loop, but headed into a months-long hiatus, the audience has no idea what will happen next.</p>
<p id="xe40Jp"><em>Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in</em> The Ringer.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/10/14/20913200/succession-season-two-finale-recap-review-hbo-kendall-royAlison Herman