Succession Season 3 Discussion

[bundabergdevil]

The way Kendall's face changed walking down the hallway into the server room was absolutely Emmy material. The happy-go-lucky facade totally crashed into Season Two Broken Kendall.

This family goes so far out of the way to show how much they don't care about one another, but when the chips are down it becomes clear that they actually care quite a lot.

Agree on the performance. Most of the majors are giving really engaging performances. Last night I thought Shiv was outstanding, too. I really like how they’re tearing down her sense of smarts and moral superiority. Her face when “Rape Me” started playing and the subsequent anger was great.

[Skydog]

Kendall is just coming to an inevitable outcome because he never really believed the words coming out of his mouth. The whole “we really were corrupt and need to change” stance was just adopted as a shortcut path to getting personal revenge and restore his own power. He might have even briefly fooled himself into believing that was his true self but the way he’s acted every moment since shows he is still the same narcissistic child he has always been. Now the damning evidence of his own hypocrisy is tearing down his facade - to himself and soon inevitably to the world.

[bundabergdevil]

Was kind of surprised to see both Kendall and Logan in their respective headspaces in this episode. I thought Shiv's letter and the FBI raid would leave more of a mark but both seemed relatively stable...well, up until the second half of the long walk. I hadn't seen Adrien Brody in anything in a while but found his character interesting --- he certainly played the Roys and I don't think they'll much like that.

They didn't give the other characters too much to do this episode. Shiv is trying to establish herself as someone to be listened to while the Waystar folks are doing their best to ignore her. Tom continues to spiral in interesting ways and eat poo from Shiv. I still think he's going to give it back at some point. Gregg continues to exert what leverage he can, awkward as his execution may be. Roman and Connor mostly orbited the main tension.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Was kind of surprised to see both Kendall and Logan in their respective headspaces in this episode. I thought Shiv's letter and the FBI raid would leave more of a mark but both seemed relatively stable...well, up until the second half of the long walk. I hadn't seen Adrien Brody in anything in a while but found his character interesting --- he certainly played the Roys and I don't think they'll much like that.

They didn't give the other characters too much to do this episode. Shiv is trying to establish herself as someone to be listened to while the Waystar folks are doing their best to ignore her. Tom continues to spiral in interesting ways and eat poo from Shiv. I still think he's going to give it back at some point. Gregg continues to exert what leverage he can, awkward as his execution may be. Roman and Connor mostly orbited the main tension.

I totally disagree. I think the fringe characters of Tom, Greg, and Connor are getting MUCH more interesting. As they recognize their own leverage points, they realize they can find their own path.

Shiv is realizing she can't just step into a top job without getting blowback. And maybe recognizing that she actually IS becoming what Kendall said she was - a convenient figurehead placed into power by the nepotism of an archaic patriarch.

Watching Adrian Brody poke their buttons was amazing. Seeing him meet with Stewie after was predictable. The crafted silence between Logan and Kendall at the beach table was fascinating.

The walk on the beach at the end was purely brilliant cinema. The tension ratcheting up from the moment it was suggested they take a walk... wow.

This season is delivering for me on so many levels.

[bundabergdevil]

I totally disagree. I think the fringe characters of Tom, Greg, and Connor are getting MUCH more interesting. As they recognize their own leverage points, they realize they can find their own path.

Shiv is realizing she can't just step into a top job without getting blowback. And maybe recognizing that she actually IS becoming what Kendall said she was - a convenient figurehead placed into power by the nepotism of an archaic patriarch.

Watching Adrian Brody poke their buttons was amazing. Seeing him meet with Stewie after was predictable. The crafted silence between Logan and Kendall at the beach table was fascinating.

The walk on the beach at the end was purely brilliant cinema. The tension ratcheting up from the moment it was suggested they take a walk... wow.

This season is delivering for me on so many levels.

Oh, I agree that the overall character arcs for Shiv, Roman, Tom and Greg are becoming more interesting, they just didn’t do too much advancing in this particular episode. I’ve particularly liked the education of Shiv and the deconstruction of the person she thought she was.

I assume they’re going to make Tom eat poo until he finally breaks but I still think there has to be an ultimate reckoning in his relationship with Shiv.

I think Connor is a great character but so far he’s been inessential to any of the main plot tensions.

Agree that this season is delivering and Im very happy with the first four episodes. Really hope they’re able to land it.

[weezie]

Much better this Ep 4. Finally a little less staring into the distance and sulking. Terrific watching the gears move in Jeremy Strong's head. And Adrian Brody livened everything up just in time.
Helicopters always add spice...

[JasonEvans]

Not sure if folks noticed it but there was some interesting stock market valuation math in this week's episode.

Josh (Adrien Brody) said he owns 4% of Waystar Royco and that his shares are down 10%. He said that computes to a $350 mil loss for him.

So, we now know what Waystar Royco is worth! Josh's 4% stake was worth $3.5 billion. That means the whole company was worth $87.5 bil before the stock dropped 10% (now worth a little less than $80 bil).

By comparison to some other (real world) media companies, Disney is currently worth $315 bil, Comcast is worth $240 bil, CBS is worth $30 bil, ad so on. When Disney bought Fox (which appears to be the real life version of Waystar Royco) it paid $71 bil for most of the assets of Rupert Murdoch's company. Bottom line, $80 bil or so is a good approximation of what Waystar could be worth.

Do we have any sense of how much of the company is owned by the Roy family? The way Logan rules the roost and the fact that it has been assumed that Logan's kids would take over, it sure feels like they have 25% or more.

[bundabergdevil]

Not sure if folks noticed it but there was some interesting stock market valuation math in this week's episode.

Josh (Adrien Brody) said he owns 4% of Waystar Royco and that his shares are down 10%. He said that computes to a $350 mil loss for him.

So, we now know what Waystar Royco is worth! Josh's 4% stake was worth $3.5 billion. That means the whole company was worth $87.5 bil before the stock dropped 10% (now worth a little less than $80 bil).

By comparison to some other (real world) media companies, Disney is currently worth $315 bil, Comcast is worth $240 bil, CBS is worth $30 bil, ad so on. When Disney bought Fox (which appears to be the real life version of Waystar Royco) it paid $71 bil for most of the assets of Rupert Murdoch's company. Bottom line, $80 bil or so is a good approximation of what Waystar could be worth.

Do we have any sense of how much of the company is owned by the Roy family? The way Logan rules the roost and the fact that it has been assumed that Logan's kids would take over, it sure feels like they have 25% or more.

I seem to recall (and the googles verified) that Logan owns 36%. He lost a % to his ex-wife in the divorce and brother owns a small piece, too. They’ve done a pretty good job of the business/investor math in the show. That’s a daunting ownership stake to go against but not insurmountable under the right set of circumstances, hence the courting of Brody’s character.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

FWIW, the value was stated to be $85b on last night's episode.

Anyone got hot takes from Episode 5? Without saying too much in case folks haven't watched, I felt it was a solid episode, but without the stringent intensity of the last two.

[Billy Dat]

Anyone got hot takes from Episode 5? Without saying too much in case folks haven't watched, I felt it was a solid episode, but without the stringent intensity of the last two.

I thought it was hilarious. I saw someone refer to it as a farce, and it did have the hallmarks of a stage play where a roomful of characters reacts to multiple unpredictable absurdities in real time. When out-of-it Logan looks at the TV screen and sees Frank painfully trying to kill time and says, "What's wrong with Frank?" and Tom responds with, "Someone was very mean to Frank but it's all ok now", I was dying. Tom is the best, as is Greg's potential lawsuit against Greenpeace.

I also love the recurring theme of how Kendall, and I guess all of them but especially Kendall, thinks the rules don't apply to him. In this case, him telling the babysitter to feed the rabbit some bagel because the precautions are only intended for extreme overeating situations - and it looks like the rabbit is gonna die.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I thought it was hilarious. I saw someone refer to it as a farce, and it did have the hallmarks of a stage play where a roomful of characters reacts to multiple unpredictable absurdities in real time. When out-of-it Logan looks at the TV screen and sees Frank painfully trying to kill time and says, "What's wrong with Frank?" and Tom responds with, "Someone was very mean to Frank but it's all ok now", I was dying. Tom is the best, as is Greg's potential lawsuit against Greenpeace.

I also love the recurring theme of how Kendall, and I guess all of them but especially Kendall, thinks the rules don't apply to him. In this case, him telling the babysitter to feed the rabbit some bagel because the precautions are only intended for extreme overeating situations - and it looks like the rabbit is gonna die.

Oh, that rabbit is dead.

Also, they are doing a good job of humanizing Roman. He seems like the only one who realizes that Logan is going to be apoplectic when he realizes what has been done.

Also, RIP Shiv as Logan's favorite. She's screwed the pooch too many times.

[Bostondevil]

I've changed my mind about nobody being likeable. Tom is likeable. He helps his father-in-law take a leak? Above and beyond.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I've changed my mind about nobody being likeable. Tom is likeable. He helps his father-in-law take a leak? Above and beyond.

Tom almost fell over when Logan called him "son."

If you think Tom is likable, go back and watch season one. It will cure that.

[Bostondevil]

Tom almost fell over when Logan called him "son."

If you think Tom is likable, go back and watch season one. It will cure that.

In general, I do not. But Tom is getting a redemption arc at the moment.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

In general, I do not. But Tom is getting a redemption arc at the moment.

Tom is, yes.

I feel like Kendall is going really regret not buying Greg's watch and also telling him he is gonna get burned. Greg needs to get smart quickly.

Gerri and Shiv getting sidelined is almost too predictable. Logan can probably recover with Shiv, but pushing Gerri away would be a massive mistake IMHO.

Conner is overplaying what he thinks his hand is, and it may or may not end up biting him. Depends on how closely people are paying attention.

[Skydog]

“Is there a way to sue my grandfather in, you know, a friendly way?”
That was my favorite line. (From recall, it was said much better than this.)

[Billy Dat]

I've changed my mind about nobody being likeable. Tom is likeable. He helps his father-in-law take a leak? Above and beyond.

"Do you need me to, you know, hold the scepter?"

[DevilHorse]

“Is there a way to sue my grandfather in, you know, a friendly way?”
That was my favorite line. (From recall, it was said much better than this.)

Somehow I have a feeling:
+ the grandfather will pass away before he can change his will,
+ leave a pivotal voting share to Greg,
+ Greg will become the compromise CEO of Waystar/Royco
+ Will fire/demote Tom and Kendall for all of the crap poured on him
+ and then walk out on a pond ala Chauncey Gardner

Larry
DevilHorse

[mkirsh]

FWIW, the value was stated to be $85b on last night's episode.

Anyone got hot takes from Episode 5? Without saying too much in case folks haven't watched, I felt it was a solid episode, but without the stringent intensity of the last two.

I loved it. The entire negotiation sequence seemed very authentic to me - the back and forth between intermediaries then having to go back to the principals, everyone trying to read the situation to determine their leverage to see if they can do even better than what they just agreed to, etc - was great. The shareholder meeting with a different people coming and going and killing time seemed too ridiculous for a large enterprise, even one going through last minute proxy battles. They would have much more filler ready to go. And there is no way Kendal would ever get close to the stage. Security would have been all over him keeping him away.

The Kendal roller coaster is exhausting though. Every time he does anything remotely competent he then does something totally ridiculous to undermine all his credibility. I guess all the Roy kids do this to some degree, but he is the worst offender.

But overall I though the episode was great (even if it didn't have multiple modes of private aviation).

[Bostondevil]

Somehow I have a feeling:
+ the grandfather will pass away before he can change his will,
+ leave a pivotal voting share to Greg,
+ Greg will become the compromise CEO of Waystar/Royco
+ Will fire/demote Tom and Kendall for all of the crap poured on him
+ and then walk out on a pond ala Chauncey Gardner

Larry
DevilHorse

Nah. Never forget that Greg's a greedy wanker that could have walked away from all of it with $250 million. He's an idiot.