Succession #2 HBO

[kendallroysdownfall]

I adored Shiv. All the sibs were utterly damaged by Logan who himself was product of abuse. Shiv had been hard-wired not to love in the traditional way because she'd never known love from either parent. Her feelings for Tom confused and probably frightened her. She showed him love in the way her Dad did to her - the "kicking the puppy to see if it comes back" analogy. In the end, before Tom was even announced, she finally laid herself bare with the most honest, human feelings that come to most people organically during that phone call to Tom on the plane. Their version of a marriage might be somewhat salvageable because she did so before his Succession.

(I know it's only a TV show so I say this whimsically) but my heart ached for all of them in how they arrived at their particular versions of interpreting, showing and even feeling love; albeit in their own, twisted ways. Roman had to be physically hurt or humiliated, Connor never expected to be a recipient of it, Shiv had to be as brutal as possible and Kendall mistook the need to be CEO as the only way to protect and provide for his family as this was the sentence that his Dad always threw out to them; "Everything I did, I did for my children". It never occurred to him that a night in eating pasta and watching DVDs with Rava and attending his kid's school recitals would have actually been everything he could do for his children.

 

[Smca53]

Oh Tom stickering Greg was

 

[Sheeeet]

Connor would definitely go on that Titan submersible

 

[LittleMissOnions]

I’ve never had any envy of the Roy’s wealth, their apartments, the clothes, the private jets, the SUVs but when they turned up at Lady C’s place in Barbados and I know it probably didn’t go directly down to the sea like they tried to make out, but even I would do a Willa and shag Connor for the chance of a gaff like that!

 

[Homebird44]

I loved the finale. Tom has arselicked everybody since day one. Final scenes and he's got everybody else arselicking him. Shiv has always had the power now it's him. I thought it was so well done.

 

[Sheeeet]

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

Just remembered another favourite moment of the episode - Mattson: ‘we’re like Jesus and the disciples - and hey, Judas is here too!’

 

[LaBlonde]

i have more detailed thoughts but all i can say right now is GIVE KIERAN CULKIN THE EMMY

(the “is he in there?” broke my heart and i actively hate roman at this point but god )

 

[Fanny Muchmore]

I think Shiv seeing Ken putting his feet up on Logan's desk sickened her, which is one of the things that led her to changing her mind. Also him just throwing titles at Stewey with no consultation, proving it was very much gonna be 'his show'.

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

Excuse me Stephen

I’ve always thought SK was a dick. Perhaps he’s got a chip on his shoulder because his output tends to be seen as schlocky/sci-fi/low brow/horror, and Succession is mostly described as Shakespearean?


On the subject of which, look at the beauty of this: why Tom ‘won’ over Kendall:

 

[LaBlonde]

Tom eating Logan’s chicken is truly one of the best moments of this entire show.

That, and ‘L to the O G’

‘A N, he pppllllaaayyyiiinn’

i work with a guy called logan and it takes every part of me not to do this when i email him.

 

[MissTeddy]

But the power play now … Tom suddenly appears completely god-like in those final scenes, the king of all he survey. In the back of the car as he puts his hand out - he’s allowing Shiv to touch him. He has all the control. Almost regal.
A masterpiece of acting from every one.

 

[Sheeeet]

Just finished rewatching and Ken really just went full Logan nut-nut as soon as he got into the office. That 'hug' with Roman on second look was specifically to burst his stitches. I think Rome's hesitation at giving his vote was the thing that gave Shiv pause. They both looked very uncomfortable when Ken sat in Logan's chair and the gaslighting about the waiter's death was the cherry on the cake. Ken tried to verbally bully them both but lacked the force and fear Logan would have instilled and had to resort to a tantrum and then physical assault.

If that were my brother, there's no way I'd be voting for him at that stage and even Rome had fully changed his mind by then, so I don't get the disdain for Shiv changing her mind.

Great episode. Also face eggs.

 

[Stillwater]

The sibling fight in the side room off from the Board was It - spoilt, horrible children squabbling. Just brilliantly done.

I thought Rome looked rather wistful over his martini - maybe just pleased Kendall didn’t get it?

Shiv and Tom in the car at the end is very intriguing- both looking miserable as sin. She’s ended up being the CEO’s wife! Is she just keeping her hand in or so broken by this point she can’t even walk away from that toxicity.

In the Board meetingat the start when Hugo was summarising, Shiv didn’t even get a name check - just the co CEOs. The camera really focussed on her face. - I think it was that moment (along with being right about much else about him).

 

[Bleurghgram]

I’m sorry but I do not believe Tom Wambsgans can give 30 orgasms in one day, I just don’t.

 

[Walkthehemline]

What an episode. Kieran was heartbreaking.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Also loved the ex-wives/girlfriends sitting front row. Marcia and Kerry holding hands made me weep!

 

[LaBlonde]

I loved the finale. Tom has arselicked everybody since day one. Final scenes and he's got everybody else arselicking him. Shiv has always had the power now it's him. I thought it was so well done.

he also was, maybe, the only person who ever truly caught logan off guard:



(brian cox’s delivery of “what the fuck?” here is outstanding )

 

[strawb]

hi everyone just popping in to say i haven't read the thread as i only started watching the show 2 days ago - i'm on season 1 episode 8 and i cannot think about anything else, i watch it on the toilet, in bed, outside, any moment i have i cannot stop so i'll definitely watch the finale with you!!

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

I don't know if what Shiv did could be made out as noble or thinking on a higher plane. Jealousy pure and simple.

Nothing on Succession is ever pure, or simple.

The sibling rivalry between the three of them was obviously a massive factor, but both Shiv and Roman foresaw what a monster Kendall would become: Roman faltered before his vote, after Ken deliberately broke open his stitches under the guise of brotherly affection, in order to prevent a last-minute rally from Roman as CEO. Shiv saw Ken do the faux-humble ‘anyone mind if I sit here’ routine and a minute later put his feet up on the desk - there’s no way he wasn’t going to cut Shiv & Roman out of everything the minute he got what he wanted.

Plus Euan’s ‘first do no harm’ reminded Shiv that Kendall has done, and got away with, significant harm. She already had concerns about whether her father had been a ‘bad man’; Kendall was clearly en route to becoming a megalomaniacal nightmare.

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.

 

[ohdoris]

The scene in their Mums kitchen was nice, just siblings being siblings. Tom & Greg’s “scuffle” in the toilet made me laugh. Not mad keen on Shiv but I don’t blame her - toxic male ego’s insisting that it should be them. Kendall’s “I’m the oldest boy” was was painfully pathetic (& shows he doesn’t even acknowledge Connor). Despite having the enormous wealth, they won’t ever be happy.
Such a bloody good show - how to fill that void now !