I was encouraged to hear it will likely end after season 4. It does run the risk of dragging out the core conflict to preposterous degrees but the first two seasons set up a great front end narrative arc, IMO. If they can land it, well, we’ll see.
I think MOST of the characters are excellently observed, including 4 of the 5 primary Roys. It may be one of the best explorations of the intergenerational dynamics between a billionaire trailblazer and his progeny that I’ve seen. I’m also a big fan of how they’ve handled the actual business issues and situations.
I enjoyed episode 1 and did not really find Kendall inconsistent with season 2 Kendall. He didn't suddenly become the moral compass of his generation. He's still a narcissist playing a part and obsessed with what others think and particularly his dad, who set him off by criticizing him for not being a killer. Each character represents so much of what is wrong with society but has fleeting moments where I can empathize or feel sorry for them so that they are not just caricatures and I become invested in the show.
3 predictions for S3E2 that's about to start here in a few:
1. Kendall's behavior will become more erratic/manic and we'll find he's still heavily using.
2. Shiv and Tom are going to end up on opposite sides of the battle field taking shape.
3. Greg finally cancels his mom's credit card.
Didn’t age well for last night’s episode at least.
Stray thoughts-
Greg has obviously been the audience avatar in all this and it’s interesting to see him potentially taken advantage of in a new way.
Kendall came back down to earth somewhat. He didn’t have as many manic highs and actually seemed quite genuine in his conversation with the siblings about the company’s sins. He’ll have to reckon with being saved Kennedy-style from the consequences of his own actions in the UK by the very power mindset he’s railing against in this episode.
I thought the “we knew” discussion among the siblings was excellent and hit the awareness of slight age differences really well.
Messy situation and still not sure the path.
That's good news. Great narratives aren't great stories until we know the ending. Great narratives can be ruined by endings. It happens all the time, I'm afraid, especially with multi-season television dramas. Endings don't have to be happy, but they do have to be satisfying, and this point is the real tough one, they have to be earned. No deus ex machina. As you know, I'm in a production of Romeo & Juliet right now. I've told my fellow cast members that I would so much rather act in R&J than have to watch it. It's not my favorite Shakespeare because there are just too many hand of god moments in that play for me to stomach. The playhouses were shut down due to plague multiple times in Shakespeare's career. The only time he mentions plague in any of his plays? When fear of pestilence prevents a friar from delivering the important letter to Romeo telling him Juliet's death is faked. Plague prevents a letter from being delivered. Plague. Come On!
Last edited by Bostondevil; 10-25-2021 at 08:51 AM.
I see no drop off as yet in season three. The top smartest folks on the show seem to be (in order):
Jerri
Logan
Shiv
But Jerri is the only one who isn't wildly emotional. She's played everything perfectly so far, but I suspect she's due to take a big hit this season - Logan basically spelled that out to Shiv. But, she's so smart, she may have an insurance policy tucked away somewhere.
I can't help but think that this season is just coming up with new ways for Kendall to fail. It seems to be what he's best at. But at least he doesn't have that beaten dog look he had all last season.
Every time I see Greg on the screen, I just hope he doesn't do anything colossally stupid. You root for the kid not to cause his own demise. I was on pins and needles when the Waystar attorney was at his door.
I mentioned during this episode in talking with my wife - this is just Game of Thrones in suits. I love it.
yeah, Greg is still a dope.
All of the kids should know by now that when Logan tells them "you're my number one person" they are about to be screwed. Logan would toss them all out of the plane at 35,000 feet if it saved his own butt.
They have given Greg at least a modicum of street smarts, just when he seems like he's going to always be the fool, he does something smart and self protective...like keeping copies of those documents, like not telling that Waystar lawyer that he could represent him, etc. He's keeping his broken Greggs out of that Tomlette.
Tom was the highlight last night. Marvelous acting out of Macfadyen.
He’s got something a brewing.
The first half was a bit slow but from the time Kendall goes into Waystar until the closing with both contestants temporarily retreating to the pressure brought to bare by their opponent the episode had me at the edge of my seat. Great viewing.
Kendall is not well. I thought the closing sequence juxtaposing his descent and the way his dad finally gave in to the FBI pressure was outstanding television.
It’s hard not to think Kendall wouldn’t have known his dirty Laundrie, all of it, would get aired —- same with dad and his. How they respectively respond to it is a case study in temperaments and psychology. You’ve got to take Logan down with a kill shot, Kendall might give up after taking schrapnel.
Hah. So, my autocorrect went from laundry to Laundrie. Fancy algorithms.
Considering Kendall killed someone, maybe he is like Laundrie, Brian Laundrie.
Non-pertinent-to-the-plot question, Greg somehow had $40K to buy that watch. After being essentially broke at the start of the show, do we assume that he has risen high enough to afford a $40K watch? Also, how is Greg being allowed to move between the two worlds...he's still showing up at work yet hanging with Kendall all the time? I admit that I fall asleep, a lot, while watching (Sunday night issue, not my lack of interest)...did I miss something major that allows him to move between those two worlds so easily?
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.