*** SUCCESSION *** (Season 4)

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aglaohfour
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Sex Panther said:

Well that's insulting, I don't think I want to go anywhere that doesn't have nukes


That killed me! And then him hard selling Oman to Willa was amazing.

The Tom and Shiv fight was almost too real to stomach watching it. Yikes. I genuinely felt awful for both of them.
PatAg
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BowSowy said:

Big ****in realization that Gojo's numbers are false, holy crap. I was wondering if we'd get a shift in the power dynamic and it appears we have gotten it
Especially since Kendall just fudged his own numbers for Living+
Quinn
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Probably going to be a minority opinion, but did the Tom-Shiv fight scene seem out of the flow of the story to anyone else? Obviously an amazingly written and acted scene, and it has been coming since pretty much their marriage might, but I dunno, I thought it was tagged onto the end of the episode. Could have used a little bit more leading up to it in the episode?

Anyways, still a fantastic episode. I feel like I did towards the end of Mad Men - I am happy to spend whatever time I can with these characters and will take what the writers give us. Seems like we'll get an Election Day episode and a Funeral episode. Not sure on the last one - maybe a deal closing/exiting episode?
Head Ninja In Charge
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Quinn said:

Probably going to be a minority opinion, but did the Tom-Shiv fight scene seem out of the flow of the story to anyone else? Obviously an amazingly written and acted scene, and it has been coming since pretty much their marriage might, but I dunno, I thought it was tagged onto the end of the episode. Could have used a little bit more leading up to it in the episode?

Anyways, still a fantastic episode. I feel like I did towards the end of Mad Men - I am happy to spend whatever time I can with these characters and will take what the writers give us. Seems like we'll get an Election Day episode and a Funeral episode. Not sure on the last one - maybe a deal closing/exiting episode?
Disagree. The whole episode set it up. Nate coming out of nowhere. Matsson coming in. Whole thing set in their house. I felt the entire episode led up to this complete implosion of Shiv's own making because she had been winning the past two episodes.
Seersucker Ag 2011
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These writers have never had a 20 week pregnant wife.
Head Ninja In Charge
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"Well, that's not very nice to say, is it?" is such a great line in this show. For all of the vile **** these characters have said to each other over four seasons, this is when you know someone might've crossed the line a little bit.
Quinn
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Seersucker Ag 2011 said:

These writers have never had a 20 week pregnant wife.


Yeah, that part is pretty inaccurate.
BowSowy
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Head Ninja In Charge said:

"Well, that's not very nice to say, is it?" is such a great line in this show. For all of the vile **** these characters have said to each other over four seasons, this is when you know someone might've crossed the line a little bit.
And the audience knows it, but Tom does not. Her pregnancy is still lurking out there for these characters
Proposition Joe
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Great episode, but the entire Ebba character/storyline seems way too forced and existing as a deus ex machina.

We've got this behemoth tech company and in the final few episodes before the potential acquisition that there's this one highly disgruntled employee and though we've already established said employee is fine with being "hushed" with money/employment, she is still paraded around all of the people that her grievances could be the only thing that could legitimately screw up the deal.

It's one thing to have a scorned ex-lover try and ruin things, it's another thing to have a scorned ex-lover that you keep on the payroll... and you still allow to mingle with potential merger partners at a company retreat... and you admit to one of said merger partners you sent blood bricks to... and you bring along to a high profile party in NYC to mingle with potential merger partners and high status politicians... and you continue to push her buttons at said party... and then she gives up the key piece of info that would legitimately screw up the deal.

I know much of the show is about the kids not understanding their shortcomings and seeing their blindspots -- but they've made Mattson out to be extremely calculating and the Ebba storyline is the equivalent of the evil villain having the superhero tied up and letting him know his one fatal flaw since it doesn't matter as he walks away sure his henchmen will finish the job.
cr06gis
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My favorite ep this season. That was fun.
CC09LawAg
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Man, I thought this show was good before but this season has just been absolutely incredible.
TCTTS
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Proposition Joe said:

Great episode, but the entire Ebba character/storyline seems way too forced and existing as a deus ex machina.

We've got this behemoth tech company and in the final few episodes before the potential acquisition that there's this one highly disgruntled employee and though we've already established said employee is fine with being "hushed" with money/employment, she is still paraded around all of the people that her grievances could be the only thing that could legitimately screw up the deal.

It's one thing to have a scorned ex-lover try and ruin things, it's another thing to have a scorned ex-lover that you keep on the payroll... and you still allow to mingle with potential merger partners at a company retreat... and you admit to one of said merger partners you sent blood bricks to... and you bring along to a high profile party in NYC to mingle with potential merger partners and high status politicians... and you continue to push her buttons at said party... and then she gives up the key piece of info that would legitimately screw up the deal.

I know much of the show is about the kids not understanding their shortcomings and seeing their blindspots -- but they've made Mattson out to be extremely calculating and the Ebba storyline is the equivalent of the evil villain having the superhero tied up and letting him know his one fatal flaw since it doesn't matter as he walks away sure his henchmen will finish the job.


To me that's kind of the point; that at the end of the day, as calculating as he's been, even Mattson is a clown. He's just as clumsy and craven and pridefully obtuse as the rest of them.
rynning
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I was worried Tom was going to jump over the railing for a minute. Didn't think that was outside the realm of possibilities at this point.
Phrasing
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TCTTS said:

Proposition Joe said:

Great episode, but the entire Ebba character/storyline seems way too forced and existing as a deus ex machina.

We've got this behemoth tech company and in the final few episodes before the potential acquisition that there's this one highly disgruntled employee and though we've already established said employee is fine with being "hushed" with money/employment, she is still paraded around all of the people that her grievances could be the only thing that could legitimately screw up the deal.

It's one thing to have a scorned ex-lover try and ruin things, it's another thing to have a scorned ex-lover that you keep on the payroll... and you still allow to mingle with potential merger partners at a company retreat... and you admit to one of said merger partners you sent blood bricks to... and you bring along to a high profile party in NYC to mingle with potential merger partners and high status politicians... and you continue to push her buttons at said party... and then she gives up the key piece of info that would legitimately screw up the deal.

I know much of the show is about the kids not understanding their shortcomings and seeing their blindspots -- but they've made Mattson out to be extremely calculating and the Ebba storyline is the equivalent of the evil villain having the superhero tied up and letting him know his one fatal flaw since it doesn't matter as he walks away sure his henchmen will finish the job.


To me that's kind of the point; that at the end of the day, as calculating as he's been, even Mattson is a clown. He's just as clumsy and craven and pridefully obtuse as the rest of them.


This. That and the weed pen part. I think Ken asked Greg to give him some drugs or something and that led to the scene where they were passing around the pen. And then Lukas said some things that weren't favorable. It all felt like they were setting up Lukas and Gojo to fall. I could be wrong but I felt like that's where they were going with that.

One of my favorite episodes. It goes without saying but the Tom/Shiv scene was one of the best acted minutes of TV I have ever seen.

One question - is Nate on the Jimenez campaign? I might have missed that. But was Kendall playing the middle and missed out on getting their backing?
Aggie09Derek
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rynning said:

I was worried Tom was going to jump over the railing for a minute. Didn't think that was outside the realm of possibilities at this point.


Came here to post this. When they went to the balcony that was my first thought and the more the insults flew I thought that's how the episode was going to end with him jumping.
Aggie09Derek
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Nate I think was a lobbyist and now works for the D campaign
MBAR
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TCTTS said:

Proposition Joe said:

Great episode, but the entire Ebba character/storyline seems way too forced and existing as a deus ex machina.

We've got this behemoth tech company and in the final few episodes before the potential acquisition that there's this one highly disgruntled employee and though we've already established said employee is fine with being "hushed" with money/employment, she is still paraded around all of the people that her grievances could be the only thing that could legitimately screw up the deal.

It's one thing to have a scorned ex-lover try and ruin things, it's another thing to have a scorned ex-lover that you keep on the payroll... and you still allow to mingle with potential merger partners at a company retreat... and you admit to one of said merger partners you sent blood bricks to... and you bring along to a high profile party in NYC to mingle with potential merger partners and high status politicians... and you continue to push her buttons at said party... and then she gives up the key piece of info that would legitimately screw up the deal.

I know much of the show is about the kids not understanding their shortcomings and seeing their blindspots -- but they've made Mattson out to be extremely calculating and the Ebba storyline is the equivalent of the evil villain having the superhero tied up and letting him know his one fatal flaw since it doesn't matter as he walks away sure his henchmen will finish the job.


To me that's kind of the point; that at the end of the day, as calculating as he's been, even Mattson is a clown. He's just as clumsy and craven and pridefully obtuse as the rest of them.


100% this! This show is just an endless takedown of the ultra rich. It's not like we don't have a perfect example of Mattson in real life.
MBAR
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rynning said:

I was worried Tom was going to jump over the railing for a minute. Didn't think that was outside the realm of possibilities at this point.


I think we get a suicide before the show is over. Theyve been teasing it a lot.
Sex Panther
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There has been a ton of hinting someone jumps, but it's almost always Kendall
Ghost of Bisbee
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

Hey guys just fyi, Tom is tired.


Had me rolling! Great episode and phenomenal writing. That had to be fun figuring out how to put all those characters together in one setting.
My other favorites:

- Matsson calling Greg "Slim Reaper"
- Connor's mutton-chop-wearing clown campaign manager, and Connor wanting North Korea
- Greg trying to work his way into every relevant circle and failing on almost all counts
- I love that for the first time ever, Connor and Willa have leverage

Props to whoever it was who correctly theorized Gerri would threaten revealing the dick pics

And I also thought Tom was going to jump. Glad he didn't

No Karl or Hugo tonight. Strange
Head Ninja In Charge
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Quote:


- Connor's mutton-chop-wearing clown campaign manager, and Connor wanting North Korea


Had to look it up and that's Maxim Pierce. LMAOOOOO. The way I wanted a Tom/Greg spin-off after the first two seasons? Times that by 10 for how hard I'd watch a Connor/Maxim do politics spin-off.
TCTTS
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Ghost of Bisbee said:

Brian Earl Spilner said:

Hey guys just fyi, Tom is tired.


Had me rolling! Great episode and phenomenal writing. That had to be fun figuring out how to put all those characters together in one setting.
My other favorites:

- Matsson calling Greg "Slim Reaper"
- Connor's mutton-chop-wearing clown campaign manager, and Connor wanting North Korea
- Greg trying to work his way into every relevant circle and failing on almost all counts
- I love that for the first time ever, Connor and Willa have leverage

Props to whoever it was who correctly theorized Gerri would threaten revealing the dick pics

And I also thought Tom was going to jump. Glad he didn't

No Karl or Hugo tonight. Strange

Aka actor Mark Linn-Baker. Aka Larry from Perfect Strangers. Aka Maxim Pierce, from the very first Pierce family episode back in season two, where he and Connor hit it off. Which makes the reveal this episode all the more hilarious that Maxim is now not only running Connor's campaign, but that the black sheep from the two families united forces and now the fate of the country lies in their hands.
TCTTS
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Beat me to it.
Ghost of Bisbee
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Holy **** that's incredible. I forgot he was a Pierce
Prosperdick
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rynning said:

I was worried Tom was going to jump over the railing for a minute. Didn't think that was outside the realm of possibilities at this point.
I was worried about Ebba actually when Ken and Roman went to talk to her...she seems like a ticking timebomb.
Proposition Joe
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Connor's campaign manager showing up got my first laugh out loud moment of the night.
Proposition Joe
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TCTTS said:

Proposition Joe said:

Great episode, but the entire Ebba character/storyline seems way too forced and existing as a deus ex machina.

We've got this behemoth tech company and in the final few episodes before the potential acquisition that there's this one highly disgruntled employee and though we've already established said employee is fine with being "hushed" with money/employment, she is still paraded around all of the people that her grievances could be the only thing that could legitimately screw up the deal.

It's one thing to have a scorned ex-lover try and ruin things, it's another thing to have a scorned ex-lover that you keep on the payroll... and you still allow to mingle with potential merger partners at a company retreat... and you admit to one of said merger partners you sent blood bricks to... and you bring along to a high profile party in NYC to mingle with potential merger partners and high status politicians... and you continue to push her buttons at said party... and then she gives up the key piece of info that would legitimately screw up the deal.

I know much of the show is about the kids not understanding their shortcomings and seeing their blindspots -- but they've made Mattson out to be extremely calculating and the Ebba storyline is the equivalent of the evil villain having the superhero tied up and letting him know his one fatal flaw since it doesn't matter as he walks away sure his henchmen will finish the job.


To me that's kind of the point; that at the end of the day, as calculating as he's been, even Mattson is a clown. He's just as clumsy and craven and pridefully obtuse as the rest of them.

I don't mind that point being made, I just don't like it being made with an eleventh hour character. So many of these storylines are tying up with characters we've known "for years" and decisions they've made in the past or character flaws they've shown in the past -- with the only exception I can think of being the waiter at the party that Kendall killed and that fit Kendall's character in screwing it all up with one night of "fun". Even Connor's 1% mattering to the storyline tracks back to a few seasons ago when he made the decision to be happy with that.

Ebba just seems like a very conveniently written time bomb that not only exists for the "main baddie", but one that he also continues to carry around with him. Mattson's pride being his downfall definitely fits when he's butting heads with Kendall or telling people what he really thinks of them rather than putting on a business face... But the whole Ebba thing is just way too convenient an Achilles heel to introduce and parade around this late.
The Milkman
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I had no idea the parable of the scorpion and the frog. Gives the meaning to Toms gift.

A scorpion asks a frog for a ride across the river. The frog replies "no, because you will sting me".

"Of course I won't, if I do, we'll both drown and die."

The frog is convinced and helps the scorpion, who of course stings the frog and they both die. Because it is in the scorpions nature to sting.
Phrasing
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The Milkman said:

I had no idea the parable of the scorpion and the frog. Gives the meaning to Toms gift.

A scorpion asks a frog for a ride across the river. The frog replies "no, because you will sting me".

"Of course I won't, if I do, we'll both drown and die."

The frog is convinced and helps the scorpion, who of course stings the frog and they both die. Because it is in the scorpions nature to sting.
Great pull. I didn't know about that either. I wonder if that balcony scene was their dying in the river together moment, or if one of both will make it back from that. And with Tom's "you aren't fit to be a mother" line, I'm concerned about the baby making it to term.
swc93
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The Milkman said:

I had no idea the parable of the scorpion and the frog. Gives the meaning to Toms gift.

A scorpion asks a frog for a ride across the river. The frog replies "no, because you will sting me".

"Of course I won't, if I do, we'll both drown and die."

The frog is convinced and helps the scorpion, who of course stings the frog and they both die. Because it is in the scorpions nature to sting.
Wife and I were both thinking Tom and Shiv were reconciling and getting back together...and then THAT gift. Perfect chance for a heart felt something/something and then we are reminded again at how none of them have any heart just avarice.

The way Mattson was blowing Shiv off at the end to; she is hosed. The Striking Viking is done using her and ready to kick her to the curb.
Max Power
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After last week's episode, what a crazy turn of events last night was. Last week they all felt like they were taking control, then the rug comes out from each of them in different ways.

What an episode for Shiv & Tom, wow. After it felt like they were patching things up it all fell apart, they passed the point of no return, that's it. I don't know why but when he gave her the gift I also immediately thought of the scorpion and the frog, it was the only thing that made sense to me. Their scene on the terrace just made me sad, they both just killed it.

After last week I thought Kendall, Roman, and Shiv teaming up made them a formidable combination, now I'm back to thinking the only thing that can happen is for the deal to fall apart. I also kinda feel like they all need to separate at the end.

If I'm calling my shot:
-The deal between WayStar and GoJo falls apart, neither company acquires the other.
-WayStar is unable to acquire Pierce as well.
-Kendall is installed as CEO, perhaps he's got a little more magic to convince the board to give him the job with another speech or two and a plan that makes sense for the future.
-Roman leaves WayStar to do his own thing. He made enemies a bit too quickly between firing the studio head and Jeri. He's the only one that seemed to want to do a new venture.
-Shiv goes to work for Mattson or Pierce.
-Tom and Greg I can't put my finger on, a lot depends on whether Shiv has the kid or not.
-Connor keeps going ridiculous Connor stuff.
-I've also thought that they separate out different business units and each kid takes over a different one.

I love that we're getting close to the end and just about everything is on the table. I do think there's a shock coming in the form of Logan's will that completely turns everything sideways.
k20dub
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Max Power said:


I love that we're getting close to the end and just about everything is on the table. I do think there's a shock coming in the form of Logan's will that completely turns everything sideways.
Hmmmm...we haven't seen Marcia in a couple of episodes...
Proposition Joe
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I know it's what the writers were going for but the scorpion and the frog fable doesn't really fit.

Shiv definitely fits as the Scorpion in the whole "I'm going to tell you I'm not going to sting you but it's in my nature, I'm going to sting you".

But I'm not sure the Frog really works. Shiv is the one helping someone gain mobility, not Tom. And the tale is one in that the sting of the scorpion will kill both creatures (by sting and by drowning), and it's never been implied that Shiv needs Tom to survive. There is a version where the scorpion never actually needed the frog anyways and could always swim, but it's not the original fable.

The Monkey and the Cat is the far more applicable fable:

The Monkey and the Cat.
by Aesop
A MONKEY and a cat lived in the same family, and it was hard to tell which was the greater thief. One day, as they were roaming about together, they spied some chestnuts roasting in the ashes. Come, said the cunning monkey, We shall not go without our dinner today. Your claws are better than mine for the purpose; you pull them out of the hot ashes and you shall have half. Cat pulled them out one by one, burning her claws very much in doing so. When she had stolen them all, she found that the monkey had eaten every one.

Moral:

A thief cannot be trusted, even by another thief.


(And don't take any of this as being too critical - Shiv and Tom on the balcony was probably the best drama I've seen in quite some time).
Head Ninja In Charge
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k20dub said:

Max Power said:


I love that we're getting close to the end and just about everything is on the table. I do think there's a shock coming in the form of Logan's will that completely turns everything sideways.
Hmmmm...we haven't seen Marcia in a couple of episodes...
The funeral episode will be the GOAT episode of the series. Calling it.
Phrasing
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The scene with Connor telling the kids about spending time with Pop while he was dead was hilarious.
 
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