Man, another outstanding episode. Every episode is just top notch, they are really doing the anti-GOT final season. So many thoughts:

-Roman, after feeling like he's on top of the world, comes crashing down. He's not taking over.
-Shiv, not happening. She's been valuable to Mattson but she's not going to be in charge as the American CEO of the company. I also think with the scenes with her mom there's some motivation in there to maybe, just maybe, try to be the parent she never had. I don't see Mencken signing off either considering how fundamentally opposed she is of him. She's not a fit.
-Kendall just won episode 9, so he has to come back down to earth in episode 10. This show consistently pulls the rug out after a character gets a victory. Plus Kendall was willing to burn the company and his dad to try to get his way. Doesn't seem like Kendall is the amiable CEO that Mattson and Mencken would want in charge.

I just cant get the idea out of my head, however unlikely, that it's Tom. He was running ATN and made the call to announce Mencken as the winner. He proved himself loyal to Logan at the expense of his relationship with Shiv. He offered to go to prison for Logan if they needed a head. He missed the funeral because he was too busy continuing to run ATN. Shiv ends up married to the CEO of GoJo/Waystar who is the father to her child. Tom isn't going to try and subvert Mattson or Mencken. He's their Manchurian candidate. I think Menken sees the value in having Waystar in his corner, but GoJo/Waystar is a more formidable asset to have backing him up. A lot of the old guard wants to cash out, Kendall can't get their backing. Connor backs the deal because it's the deal his dad wanted. Sandy and Stewie go with the more valuable deal.

Greg gets put in charge of cruises.

Also, let's not forget, Kendall/Roman taking over was contingent upon the president elect using the DOJ to stop the deal. Let me repeat, Kendall and Roman were pinning their hopes on taking over their dad's company on the future President of the United States using the DOJ to stop the deal that they helped orchestrate and agreed upon. This is the plan of a couple of children who grew up nowhere near the real world. Who is putting them in charge of a fortune 500 company? The disgusting brothers collectively have the inside track on those two. Hell even cousin Greg has shown that he's willing to get his hands dirty by going into the company archives to shred documents and saved copies as insurance. It's hard to argue that Kendall and Roman have the best interests of the investors at heart, I mean that plan alone is proof.

Anyone hearing that plan should have the following response to Kendall. Hell, this is the response that Roman should have had when Kendall said it rather than indulging him and signing up.



Kendall and Roman might consider starting Prestige Worldwide.

Tom may be a bad person but he is at least competent. The Roy Boys fancy themselves as savvy operators but they are just morons decimated by the lack of their father's love. Tom feels like the guy standing when this is over.

Tom has experience in parks/cruises AND ran the flagship network. He is the most experienced of the group, other than the old guard.

Shiv has no corporate experience and Roman just had a huge, very public meltdown. Kendall is damaged goods.

we all know the Roy kids are incredibly ill-suited to run a publicly-traded company that controls a significant amount of the news content consumed by the public.

kendall's an addict, roman's a sociopath and shiv's a dip*****

but maybe that's sort of the point that jesse armstrong ultimately wants to make...that in this country so proud of its democracy, it's ultimately three morons pulling at the strings not because they're uniquely qualified to do so, but because of who their daddy was

I mean Tom is also where he is because he married someone to get power and then sold her out to get power. Tom has done all kinds of incompetent **** himself. I think Succession kills off any semblance of the idea that any of this is based on merit and I DO think that is a central theme and pillar of the story.

If Greg becomes CEO then we'll have to seriously reconsider the greatness of this show. Love the character and understand this show is a dramedy, but him becoming CEO is just ridiculous.

Just got to watch the episode. Was I the only one who was actually moved by Roman's breakdown? I believe this is the only time this show has actually made me shed tears. It was so raw. And the look on Shiv's face, like she wanted to comfort him but they're all so effed up they don't even know how to respond to genuine emotions. Heartbreaking.

On the flip side, Roman's comments about the baby being his and then just continuing with the bit even though it was just beyond disgusting was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. So gross, but his commitment to it was hysterical to me.

This role is great for Cromwell because he doesn't have to act. He can be his looney, judgmental self

My anticipation for the finale is about on par as the long night. This is the type of show that doesn't come around often.

BudFox7 said:

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FL_Ag1998 said:

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If Greg becomes CEO then we'll have to seriously reconsider the greatness of this show. Love the character and understand this show is a dramedy, but him becoming CEO is just ridiculous.

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The kids have been destined to fumble the bag for years now. You'd have to be blind to have missed that.

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Uhhhh, yeah, but its not like the Roy kids or Greg are the only options.

aglaohfour said:

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On the flip side, Roman's comments about the baby being his and then just continuing with the bit even though it was just beyond disgusting was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. So gross, but his commitment to it was hysterical to me.

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I was laughing so hard at this part. But it was early in the ep and it kinda got buried by how great the rest of the episode was.

It makes me sad this is the final week of discussion for this show.

aglaohfour said:

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Just got to watch the episode. Was I the only one who was actually moved by Roman's breakdown? I believe this is the only time this show has actually made me shed tears. It was so raw. And the look on Shiv's face, like she wanted to comfort him but they're all so effed up they don't even know how to respond to genuine emotions. Heartbreaking.

On the flip side, Roman's comments about the baby being his and then just continuing with the bit even though it was just beyond disgusting was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. So gross, but his commitment to it was hysterical to me.

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I thought the funniest part of Roman's interaction with Shiv was when he said, "Wow. I just thought you were eating your feelings."

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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It makes me sad this is the final week of discussion for this show.

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Nah. There will be at least two more weeks of ripping the ending apart and declaring how TexAgs could have done it better.

Greg finagling his way into a "wheel man" position was a good power play, only to have that power dashed when he couldn't stop grandpa from speaking.

I think there should be a spinoff with only tall lanky comic relief HBO characters with Greg, Jared Dunn and Jonah Ryan living together.

Did anyone else feel like it was somewhat showcasing how none of the children had what it took to be "the one" when none of them stopped Ewan from speaking (and instead hoped cousin Greg would do it)?

I'm not sure it wouldn't have made an even bigger scene had they tried to stop him, but at the same time that felt like a situation where someone was openly disparaging their father at his own funeral and not one of them had the backbone to stand up and put a stop to it.

JDUB08AG said:

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My anticipation for the finale is about on par as the long night. This is the type of show that doesn't come around often.

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Yup. My anticipation for a finale has rarely been higher than it is for this Sunday.

Never would have thought that when I was halfway through season 1.

Incredible how invested I am in all these awful people. I love it.

Bregxit said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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It makes me sad this is the final week of discussion for this show.

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Nah. There will be at least two more weeks of ripping the ending apart and declaring how TexAgs could have done it better.

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The only way the discussion would conclude immediately after the finale ends is if instead of Kendall/Shiv/Roman/Roy succeeding Logan…it randomly was Bran Stark.

Proposition Joe said:

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Did anyone else feel like it was somewhat showcasing how none of the children had what it took to be "the one" when none of them stopped Ewan from speaking (and instead hoped cousin Greg would do it)?

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Isn't that kinda what the whole show is about?