*** SUCCESSION *** (Season 4)

161,376 Views | 1599 Replies | Last: 4 mo ago by LawHall88
MW03
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AG
You make some excellent points. My take is this:

The whole series, Logan has been telling them that they are all still children and not serious. They play pretend and dress up, but they don't fool anyone except themselves. Not the Gerris and Franks of Waystar. Not Stewy. Certainly not Matsson.

So they give us a scene where they are all together at their mom's house and they are having fun like they did when they were kids. And we're all charmed for a moment because we think we're seeing a softer side of what their relationship once was.

Then you get the boardroom scene and the fight. And what you see is them still as children, only now they are being petulant and whiny and fighting, and none of it really makes sense.

I think what we're supposed to realize in those two scenes is that these people weren't regressing to childhood in individual moments; they never developed. They are still children. The scene at the mom's house wasn't a bit of reminiscing. It was them being children because they are children that have spent 4 seasons putting on dad's hat and tie and looking in the mirror while "playing" work.

So of course they are still children at the end. And their fight really doesn't make sense and is a lot of "nuh uh!" and "yeah huh!" because that's how children fight.

If you think about it, the only person they actually fooled into thinking they were important was their little cousin, and of course the little cousin thinks the "cool cousins" are important and wants to be in with them
Proposition Joe
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Yeah I definitely understand that is what they were going for and I actually like the concept and think it fit -- I just think for whatever reason it (tension, show coming to an abrupt close, whatever) that how quickly it amplified just didn't sit right with me.

Shiv's progression/regression I think was fleshed out well. She's always been really smart, but also always thought she was smarter than she really was and always felt like her brothers got more respect than their brains/actions deserved. So her knowing something was the play but just not being able to stomach her brother getting the prize so deciding to burn it down fit perfectly for me. I don't really even buy the whole "well my husband will be CEO so this still works for me". Tom being CEO and suddenly being the true power in the couple is a negative for her, not a positive. She was willing to live with a dangerous person heading the company, live with Mattson screwing her, live with her husband being "above" her... All these things that her character has shown to absolutely despise. She was willing to stomach all of that simply to not let her brother get the prize. Perfect.

Roman going from "I don't care about any of this" to "I think I'm good enough to do this" over the course of a season or two fit. But Roman going from "I think I'm good enough to do this" to complete toddler just was too quick. Can't even look at Gerri? Has to be shoved into the board room at the end to finalize things? They just gutted his character far too quickly and even went far past "where he started". Suddenly the kid who would didn't give a **** what anyone else had to say was constantly scared to walk into a room.

Kendall I thought was handled well even through the "king crowning" at this mom's residence. Basically saying "look, you two have some redeeming qualities and I don't. I'm a ruthless piece of **** who only cares about this business. So let me take it on and you two can actually do something you actually want to do". And him attacking Roman and the siblings fighting after the comment about his bloodline I think fit the kid's personas. But when he started begging and the "please give it to me, please". It was just a side of Kendall that I simply did not believe would come out that quickly.

And yes I know, I'm overly-critical as always.

dc509
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AG
Proposition Joe said:

Yeah I definitely understand that is what they were going for and I actually like the concept and think it fit -- I just think for whatever reason it (tension, show coming to an abrupt close, whatever) that how quickly it amplified just didn't sit right with me.

Shiv's progression/regression I think was fleshed out well. She's always been really smart, but also always thought she was smarter than she really was and always felt like her brothers got more respect than their brains/actions deserved. So her knowing something was the play but just not being able to stomach her brother getting the prize so deciding to burn it down fit perfectly for me. I don't really even buy the whole "well my husband will be CEO so this still works for me". Tom being CEO and suddenly being the true power in the couple is a negative for her, not a positive. She was willing to live with a dangerous person heading the company, live with Mattson screwing her, live with her husband being "above" her... All these things that her character has shown to absolutely despise. She was willing to stomach all of that simply to not let her brother get the prize. Perfect.

Roman going from "I don't care about any of this" to "I think I'm good enough to do this" over the course of a season or two fit. But Roman going from "I think I'm good enough to do this" to complete toddler just was too quick. Can't even look at Gerri? Has to be shoved into the board room at the end to finalize things? They just gutted his character far too quickly and even went far past "where he started". Suddenly the kid who would didn't give a **** what anyone else had to say was constantly scared to walk into a room.

Kendall I thought was handled well even through the "king crowning" at this mom's residence. Basically saying "look, you two have some redeeming qualities and I don't. I'm a ruthless piece of **** who only cares about this business. So let me take it on and you two can actually do something you actually want to do". And him attacking Roman and the siblings fighting after the comment about his bloodline I think fit the kid's personas. But when he started begging and the "please give it to me, please". It was just a side of Kendall that I simply did not believe would come out that quickly.

And yes I know, I'm overly-critical as always.


Agreed on Shiv. Jesse Armstrong has apparently said a few times that Succession is the story of Tom and Shiv.

On Roman, I actually think the storyline worked. Remember, for all of his DGAF bs he still can't get it up. He was pumped about giving the eulogy then came the performance issues. Same with the board. All the bluster was fake.

Kendall whining didn't 100% land imo, but I think the overall interaction was on brand.
Four Seasons Landscaping
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Roman's progression absolutely made sense. He was actually one of the deepest characters once it was all said and done.

I feel like it would only be confusing if you bought into the pre-funeral Roman being anything more than a cliched cover for insecurity.
ChoppinDs40
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AG
Remember when Logan made Roman go to "management training"?

And when the satellite launch blew up?

Dick pics to Geri? List goes on.

Roman is a total dud and although he could talk his way into and out of some things with quick-witted humor and vulgarity, he never had the ability to properly execute.

Hell, his only "power" in the last 4-5 episodes was Mencken and that fizzled away as soon as he was elected. So Roman was a pawn there too.
Brian Earl Spilner
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AG
No more Succession tonight, or ever.
Texaggie7nine
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Good ending. Still going over it in my head.

I was totally convinced Lucas was just setting up Tom to have Shiv hate him and divorce him so he could have Shiv. I thought, there is no way he's putting in a limp noodle as CEO. I guess it makes sense though, if he really didn't want to give up any control.

Also, Tom putting a sticker on Greg and claiming him I don't think had much to do with Greg having the backup of the documents he was to get rid of. I think Tom respects his game as they both are just out to exploit every advantage they can to secure their bank. Plus he needs Greg as his punching bag.


Great seeies ending.
LawHall88
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AG
rynning
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AG

LawHall88
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AG
InternetFan02
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AG
Succession as Royal Tenenbaums


swc93
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"I'm a sturdy birdie"
TyHolden
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Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.
HossAg
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TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.
Seersucker Ag 2011
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TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.


Brian Cox's voiceover recording schedule for McDonald's commercials prevented him from being able to be on set for Succession so they just killed his character off. HTH
JYDog90
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AG
Seersucker Ag 2011 said:

TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.


Brian Cox's voiceover recording schedule for McDonald's commercials prevented him from being able to be on set for Succession so they just killed his character off. HTH


Ba-da-bom-bom-bom.

He's like his own little Easter egg, he pops up in the strangest of places. We were watching Rushmore yesterday and he's in there.
DannyDuberstein
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AG
Will always be my favorite small role I saw Bryan Cox in



I remember telling my wife on premiere night of S1E1 of Succession that "it's HBO and it's got Uncle Argyle in it, I'm in"
ChipFTAC01
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AG
He places a great "villain" in the first season of Shetland. An old hermit who's maybe mentally challenged.
Old Buffalo
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TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.


Hey guys, I'm reading this book called "The Bible" and this Jesus guy just straight up died. I mean, what the heck!? They built up this savior for 2/3 of the book and now he's gone!
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
Seabreeze
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Favorite Brian Cox movie
TriAg2010
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AG
TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.


You can't believe they moved on from the central figure in a show called… Succession?
TyHolden
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AG
TriAg2010 said:

TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.


You can't believe they moved on from the central figure in a show called… Succession?
I get it. His death reminded me of the battle with the white walkers in GOT....all this build-up for 5 minutes.
Brian Earl Spilner
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AG
What? It's not even remotely comparable.

Game of Thrones was building to the fight itself, which was underwhelming at best.

Succession was building to what happens AFTER Logan's death, not the death itself.
TyHolden
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AG
Brian Earl Spilner said:

What? It's not even remotely comparable.

Game of Thrones was building to the fight itself, which was underwhelming at best.

Succession was building to what happens AFTER Logan's death, not the death itself.


Proposition Joe
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Willy Wonka said:

Seersucker Ag 2011 said:

TyHolden said:

Just binged this. That was the last season? I don't get why they killed off old man Murdoch. He carried the whole thing.


Brian Cox's voiceover recording schedule for McDonald's commercials prevented him from being able to be on set for Succession so they just killed his character off. HTH


Ba-da-bom-bom-bom.

He's like his own little Easter egg, he pops up in the strangest of places. We were watching Rushmore yesterday and he's in there.

He already dealt with kids far more burdensome than his lot in Succession... "She never sleeps".



And there's no doubt where his kids get his sociopathic behavior from... "Dream much, Will?"

TyHolden
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AG
seriously dude - I couldn't sleep for weeks after that scene....
JAggie2007
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I swear to god I'll pistol whip the next guy who says "shenanigans."
TCTTS
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Brian Earl Spilner
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The Porkchop Express
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Yes, it's an odd bump, but I had to share.

Last week, a CEO's personal assistant contacted me about ghostwriting a book for him, giving me this description of her boss,

"He's a very young guy for having accomplished so much, lots of social media followers, and is successful in his personal life, brands and businesses he grew. Real laid back, very dry, very crass, but incredibly kind."

So that literally sounded like something that Kendall Rpy would have his assistant say about him before a meeting.

That meeting was an hour ago on Zoom. Guy is 38-40, wearing a black Mercedes Benz ballcap inside his study, with models of Ferraris and Porsches and an autographed picture of him with Jay-Z right over his shoulder. He's wearing black and he holds his hands up and says with no prior introduction:.

"I do social media. I also own quite a few different companies. People have been asking me to write a book for a while. I'm not that big of a reader, but a lot of people like to learn that way. So 2 weeks ago, I decided to write a book."

I was like biting my tongue about how ridiculous the parallel was.

After we talked details, I said, "Can I answer any other questions for you about me?" and he replied. "No, my assistant shortlisted you and said you were a good choice, so whatever, I guess you're the guy."





Life is better with a beagle
TCTTS
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Leggo My Elko
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AG
OMG, Please please please do the "book" and try to place some easter eggs in there that hard core Succession fans AND/OR TexAgs Entertainment Board people would pick up on.
The Porkchop Express
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No problem. I've worked a Star Wars reference, overt or indirect, into basically every book I've written in the last 12+ years - like more than 300 books at this point.

If anyone wants to throw one out there to work in, please post here or DM me. I loved Sucession but I've only watched it once so it's not fresh in the brain.

Guy's first name even starts with K!
Life is better with a beagle
TCTTS
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"Closed loop system."
Leggo My Elko
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""They're not all crypto-facists and right wing nut jobs."

"Running people over is not a selling point."

"Deniability is difficult"
 
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