Everything about this episode sounds awesome...

I got a newborn at home so lots of time to binge lately, this is great news.

Nice!

Wow, that episode was.... something.

I am going to kill myself.

I honestly don't get Logan's angle with Shiv. Why bring her in and **** on her the whole time?

What the **** is wrong with Roman?!

This episode was kind of all over the place and yet still somehow one of the best of the entire run.

That ending between Kendal and Shiv... my god. So heartbreakingly good.

Oh, and Tom + Greg forever. Please don't break up.

So was Kendall back in the same place he was smoking before and they had put up a glass barrier?

Yes. But I was confused as to what that place was. Was it a residence he was trying to flip/buy or something else?

TCTTS said:

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Yes. But I was confused as to what that place was. Was it a residence he was trying to flip/buy or something else?

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It was the same building where he bought several units and let Greg stay in one.

Gotcha. Thanks.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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I honestly don't get Logan's angle with Shiv. Why bring her in and **** on her the whole time?

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I think that is what he revealed at the end. If his dad doesn't have a use for him then what is he? He didn't want Shiv to neuter him in front of their dad.

Jerri was getting off on it too. We'll see how far they take that relationship.

I have a theory. This whole show has been the love story between Gerri and Roman.

As far as theories go, that's pretty bad. Must make for some interesting reactions when you watch each episode, though.

Max Power said:

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Definitely felt bad for Tom with this episode. Tom got more upset about Greg wanting to leave his side than he did at his wedding finding out his wife is unfaithful. He also finds out Shiv is in a different safe room, a real safe room that he wasn't considered important enough to be in. Rough day for him, with Greg he had a family ally, but he wants to get away, lots for Tom to process.

Really got a little bit more of a peak into Roman's head with this episode, he can't physically be with his "girlfriend" but gets off to being talked down to by Jeri. Grown up in a family totally withholding praise, gratitude, etc and that's how it manifested in him.

Funeral....Connor...good lord, Ruck has been killing it on this show, he's so great.

Ending with Kendall and Shiv, really heart wrenching stuff. Part of me wonders if Shiv is going to decide to not be a part of the company. She's been away, purposely, all this time. She might be the best heir to take control, but she's so different from Logan philosophically that she's going to have more questions for him as she learns. What's she going to think the more the curtain is pulled back? She sees Kendall is broken, and is right next to her dad for what's going down.

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Just watched the episode last night and was going to type up my thoughts but honestly this really hit the nail on the head for me.

Although, regarding your last paragraph, I definitely think Shiv still wants to be in control of the company. I think that has been her dream for a long time, but her father never took her seriously. Now that Logan is considering her as successor, or at least making her think that he is, she is 100% focused on taking over. That is why she got so jealous of Kendall and was grilling him to see if Logan made him an offer as well.

The Roman stuff is crazy and I think you all are right - he was so verbally abused (and who knows maybe physically abused by ol Mo-Lester) that it manifested into him only being aroused when he is insulted and talked down too.

The scene where Tom and Greg were leaving the fake panic room and you see all the water bottles scattered about had me rolling.

I may or may not have had nightmares about an attack child last night.....lol...what a great line.

DannyDuberstein said:

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Jerri was getting off on it too. We'll see how far they take that relationship.

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I'm thinking far. Seems to be building pretty quickly.....

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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I honestly don't get Logan's angle with Shiv. Why bring her in and **** on her the whole time?

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I don't get the angle with Shiv or Kendall. Why is Logan basically ignoring Shiv at all times and listening to Kendall and then praising Kendall for doing a great job? Is he just trying to pit the two against each other for some reason? The whole thing is extremely weird.

mavsfan4ever said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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I honestly don't get Logan's angle with Shiv. Why bring her in and **** on her the whole time?

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I don't get the angle with Shiv or Kendall. Why is Logan basically ignoring Shiv at all times and listening to Kendall and then praising Kendall for doing a great job? Is he just trying to pit the two against each other for some reason? The whole thing is extremely weird.

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Yeah, it's hard to figure out right now - I'm excited to see how it plays out.

With Kendall, I think Logan knows he controls him now, and with the dirt he has on him, Kendall will do anything he wants. He is basically just a puppet at this point. The praise he gives Kendall is just positive reinforcement for doing a good job - which Kendall did with the Vaulter and Rhea situations. It's like rewarding a trained dog for doing something well. Logan hasn't forgot about the betrayals, but he knows keeping Kendall in line and working for him is better for the short term. He can dispose of him later if he needs to.

Shiv is harder to figure out - I'm guessing that he just doesn't want to reveal his hand too soon. He doesn't want people thinking that he has already told her she would be successor. However, why not just tell her "Hey, I'm going to act a certain way with you in front of others, so people aren't tipped off to our agreement".

And it all could be the Littlefinger scenario - "Chaos is a Ladder" - he is just mind ****ing everyone and playing everyone from every angle possible.

There was a scene in the previews for next week where Cherry Jones (who I'm guessing is playing the matriarch at Pierce) asks Logan directly if he has given thought as to whom he is going to name as successor. I'm really intrigued as to what Logan is going to say. I'm sure he will divert, but should be a pretty awkward situation.

Yea I'm starting to think it's the Littlefinger chaos strategy.

In response to the questions asking about the opening and ending scenes of last weeks episode where Kendall was on the roof smoking - I found this article - the first paragraph nails it.

Quote:

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The first image in "Safe Room" is a surveillance shot of Kendall climbing up the emergency stairwell to access an empty floor leading to a terrace at the top of the Waystar Royco building. He's going up there to be alone, to ponder what it might be like to hurl himself into oblivion, but the implication is this: He's being watched. The last image of the episode places him on the same terrace again, this time surrounded by great glass partitions that would keep him from jumping, even if his despair summoned the nerve to do it. It's a reminder that the Roy siblings are still children bratty and tempestuous and spoiled, yes, but also vulnerable and easily wounded and that their father (and the company) is still putting up guardrails, as all parents do, to make sure they stay safe and understand their limits.

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https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/succession-season-2-episode-4-recap-safe-room.html

Seems obvious that Logan is manipulating the kids to his advantage and it's working. He's Tywin Lannister except maybe he doesn't really care about family legacy.

Kendall has been reduced to Theon levels.

Shiv is needed because she can help close the Pierce deal. She's in for a huge betrayal after he's done with her. How bad will it get?

With Logan as the big looming bad guy I find myself rooting for all the lower characters to succeed.

I'm still mostly on #teamShiv and #teamShivsAss

Shiv is a hoar. Sends Tom into battle while she lets some glorified barista squirt a load up in her. F the kids. I'm Team Tom and Greg.

The complete lack of reaction by Logan of what Shiv pulled is interesting.

I think he was always planning on ****ing her over and now he just wants to prolong the pain.

I'm afraid you're right.