The Roy youngsters are right here to play ball. The primary episode of Succession season 4 sees Kendall (Jeremy Sturdy), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) aligned of their quest to take down Logan (Brian Cox), delivering the one-two punch of skipping Logan’s birthday celebration and scooping Pierce Media Group up beneath his very nostril. On this week’s episode of Self-importance Honest‘s tv podcast Nonetheless Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy break down the unification of the Roy youngsters, the top of Tom and Shiv’s marriage, and what precisely occurred to Anne Pierce in Maine.
Earlier than they will tackle Papa Logan, the Roy youngsters need to give you—and dispense—their possibly horrible thought, The Hundred. “Quite than take care of any of the way in which extra urgent points of their lives, they’re like ‘Oh, let’s begin a made-up, faux, bullshit firm that has no method of going wherever,” notes Murphy.
However The Hundred, the Roy youngsters’s new media enterprise—described as “Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker”—is lifeless on arrival. “It fails ten minutes into the episode,” Lawson notes, whereas mentioning it is shrewd satire of latest real-life media ventures like Semafor and CNN+.
The deserted enterprise additionally servers as desk setting for the remainder of the season. “It was eerily acquainted,” says Lawson. “I feel that it is such a very good characterization of precisely this sort of inheritor: not inheritor to only a static fortune, however inheritor to a enterprise.” At first, the children wish to attempt to construct one thing new. Then “they deserted this sort of dumb wealthy child thought, after which they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re wealthy youngsters. Let’s simply purchase this present’s model of the New York Occasions.”
Enter Nan Pierce, the proprietor of Pierce Media Group. Because of a tipoff from Tom, the Roy youngsters be taught that Logan is angling to purchase it, and determine to get within the recreation. Performed by Tony-winner Cherry Jones, Nan Pierce is diametrically against Logan in her negotiation fashion, revealing one thing very true a few sure kind of rich individual . “It is such a wealthy individuals factor to be like, ‘Oh, I do not care about cash. It is beneath me.’ And it is like, no, you are mendacity,” Murphy notes. “That is possibly all that you just care about, truly.”
The Roy youngsters finally go head-to-head with their father for Pierce Media Group—and win with a bid of $10 billion. However will their excessive bid find yourself biting them within the ass? Both method, it appears Nan Pierce wants the cash if solely to assist cowl “Anne’s catastrophe in Maine”—no matter that could be. “What was the catastrophe in Maine?” wonders Lawson. “Did she run over one of many Bushes in Kennebunkport on her wood-sided motor boat?”
In non-business dealings, Tom and Shiv appear to be on the finish of the street with regards to their marriage. Lawson appreciated the scene by which they seem to name it quits. “I assumed that was fairly putting. I do not suppose these are good individuals, simply trigger that they had a second of weak spot and connection,” he says.“All through this episode there have been moments that had been cautious to remind us that these are, on the finish of the day, flesh and blood individuals—who, like Roman says, ought to most likely be shopping for snowmobiles and sushi. Ought to simply be having fun with themselves, however they can not.”
However will the top of Tom and Shiv’s union have an effect on Tom’s standing with Logan? If he’s legally not married to Shiv any extra, if there isn’t any formal bond between them, what’s Tom’s place at ATN? We’ll have to attend and see.
Pay attention beneath to listen to Lawson and Murphy unpack the season premiere of Succession, and debate who will take over Waystar Royco by sequence finish. On your personal questions, feedback, and last season theories, please e-mail stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.
