Even though the Pierce deal fell apart and the company is still facing an ostensibly serious takeover bid, the Roys still like to throw a party. Return, this weeks episode of Succession, opens with Kendall FaceTiming his new fling and sometime rival Naomi Pierce from the bathroom, and she needs him to send her a dick pic for her records. This is, weirdly, the most functional sexual relationship on the show. He begrudgingly goes along with her request, and for the first time in the season seems happy. It wont last.
Look at them! All the little piggies at the trough, Logan says, surveying the party. When Marcia suggests their presence is a sign of love, he responds ineloquently, Love, fear Whatever. Hes then pulled into a meeting hunkering, in his parlance to discuss the takeover bid. His (second) ex-wife, and the mother of the three youngest Roy children, is reportedly wavering on her commitment to keeping Logan and the gang at the helm of the company the family must go to London to talk her off the ledge. Kendall, for some reason (spoiler alert: its the manslaughter he committed), doesnt want to go to London. What are we, octopus, giving reacharounds to every fish in the ocean? he says, unconvincingly. Relax, branzino-porn man, Roman replies.
Brian Cox: The 'Succession' Star on the Art of Playing Bastards'Succession' Season Premiere Recap: A Better PlanSee 13 Rare Images From New Jim Marshall Book, 'Show Me the Picture'Emmys 2019: 10 Biggest Snubs
The next day, on the way to London, Logan, in his own way, begins to apologize to Roman for backhanding him at the Argestes conference. I didnt know you were there, he mumbles, lamely. Did I even make contact? Roman, playing his part, equals his fathers fumbling avoidance of the situation: Im not quite sure what were talking about, to be honest. They both end up agreeing that it couldnt have happened, because its not something Logan does. Fucking cars, buildings everywhere, Roman observes, to change the subject.
Once they get to the plane, its revealed that Rhea until very recently the CEO of Pierce is coming along for the trip to London. She has somehow vaulted into Logans inner circle, and he wants advice on the suitability of his potential successors. In her estimation, Shiv thinks shes smarter than she is, Roman could actually be good, but nowhere near right now, and Kendall has all the shots, but doesnt know when to play them.
Do you think theyre fucking? Kendall asks Roman. Oh, god, can you imagine? Like a rhino fucking a hummingbird, Roman responds.
Logan instigates a feeding frenzy when he asks Kendall and Roman and Rhea for their thoughts on a memo Shiv has drafted up. Its her first move since dinosaur-gate, and even Tom had trouble showing enthusiasm for this play. Kendall fires the first shot: I think the twin quotes from Thomas Aquinas and Amelia Earhart Shiv really may not be as smart as she thinks she is kicks us off with a bang. Rhea immediately shows why shes a power broker: You cant blame her for her lack of experience is a masterful backhand.
Shiv, meanwhile, is being kept as far from the inner circle as possible. Logan ducks her repeatedly, then leaves, and she is fixated on the fact that her role as heir apparent is no longer set in stone. Tom, panicked for his legal safety in the ongoing cruise investigation, has his very reasonable fears brushed aside once again in favor of her obsession with being on Logans good side. In whats becoming a theme, Shiv decides to jet after her father and brothers in search of a confrontation, or just confirmation that she exists.
In Toms meeting with lawyers about the history of sexual assaults on Waystar Royco cruises, he tries to minimize as much as possible, to terrible effect. Im like an old woman whos had a baby somehow, he says, ducking out to go to the bathroom almost immediately. He immediately goes in search of Greg, keeper of the last loose ends from this part of his tenure at the company. Greg has joined a cult? Tom, only caring about himself, brushes right on past that revelation something one can only dream develops into a standalone episode soon to ask about Gregs experience with the lawyers. Greg immediately dives into his emotional response: I got a haircut even though I didnt need one, I guess I just wanted someone to touch my head. Tom, though, just wants the papers, and starts playing hardball. I cant trust you, he says, and plans a sleepover with Greg to make sure the papers that could destroy his reputation dont go missing or, in his words, hell break Gregs legs.
The pair settle on burning the final pages of evidence, though Greg haplessly attempts to come up with new ways to create insurance for himself, like getting Tom to confess on tape to destroying evidence. In the end, he settles for swiping a few pages when Toms not looking, and stuffing them down the back of his pants.
Logan, in a rare moment of weakness, confides that he has no fucking idea what hes doing in appointing a successor. Rhea is more than happy to jump into the power vacuum, offering to make this go away, and Logan silently acquiesces. It quickly becomes clear what she means: playing every angle she can. In a meeting with Shiv, she plays up an attraction to Logan to get her to open up. It works like a charm. Youre very smart and talented, Rhea says, probably about 24 hours after saying Shiv isnt as smart as she thinks she is. Then, she dangles the CEO position at Pierce I can float it with clean hands and Shiv jumps at it for leverage. Its a sign of disloyalty when Rhea, presumably, informs Logan of the trap shes laid, and Shiv is finally, officially, not on deck to inherit her fathers legacy.
If that move seems cruel, its nothing compared to what Logan does to Kendall to keep the livelier-seeming husk of a man under the heel of his boot. The family of the young man he killed in a drug-induced car crash are blaming Logan for his death. To keep up appearances, Logan must apologize, and he opts to bring Kendall with him. We should stick together on this, dont you agree?
Actually, Ken, why dont you come on in with me, he says when they arrive at the familys home. It looks a little strange, bringing you all this way, and then you sit in the car like a labrador. Hes inflicting psychological damage to Kendall at every turn, forcing him to see childhood photos of the man he killed. Kendall cant make it into the living room, and sits dazed in the kitchen, not really putting on a good show as functioning human being. The meeting somehow goes well anyway.
Later, Kendall sneaks to the house and stuffs a wad of bills into the mail slot, a misguided attempt to atone before another attempt at redemption: He gets close to confessing to his mother, who doesnt want to hear difficult things until the morning. When he wakes up, shes gone.
Previously: I Was Just Dancing