Succession - Season 4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they all self-implode in different ways, perhaps by going after each other. Then Mattson takes over, or Gerry/Frank/Karl launch a search for a new CEO.

Ha. If Gerry becomes CEO!!

Or cousin Greg…
https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/24/will-roman-die-could-cousin-greg-be-king-our-predictions-for-the-succession-finale

So many calling it for Greg:

https://time.com/6281792/greg-succession-finale-theory/

https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/succession/2023/5/24/23734253/succession-series-finale-cousin-greg-waystar

It would be such an excellent scene if we saw Greg sitting at a huge executive desk, berating someone mercilessly - who then turned out to be Tom.

Actor playing Greg is doing some PR damage control. https://www.yourtango.com/entertainment/nicholas-braun-confirms-relationship

Can hbo can keep the lid on until the finale?

[Anonymous]

Was thinking about Kendall's eulogy today, and how he technically wasn't even supposed to speak. It was very artfully composed. Some people have a wonderful ability to speak off the cuff like that, but I'm not sure we've seen Kendall to be one of them -- he has often choked when faced like opportunities like that before.

Thinking specifically of lines like this: "He had a terrible force to him. And a fierce ambition that could push you to the side. But it was only that human thing, the will to be, and to be seen, and to do. And now people might want to tend and prune the memory of him to denigrate that force, that magnificent, awful force of him. But my god, I hope it's in me."

Like that is poetic. How did he come up with that on the fly? I wonder if the writer and the actor had the idea that probably Kendall had essentially written a eulogy, if only in his head, with the plan to deliver it on the fly (surprising his sibs), or even that he anticipated Roman would fall apart and he could save the day.

Or maybe, since the show so often references Shakespeare (mostly King Lear, of course), this was just a bit of artistic liberty, knowing that Kendall might not really be able to put that together so eloquently on the fly, but wanting that character to deliver a kind of ode to the character of Logan and what he stood for.

Would be interested in other's thoughts on this. It's just a very memorable, beautiful speech. Even though I don't really agree with it! I was moved by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like some of you don’t realize this is a TV show

Oh, most definitely - one or two posters in particular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was thinking about Kendall's eulogy today, and how he technically wasn't even supposed to speak. It was very artfully composed. Some people have a wonderful ability to speak off the cuff like that, but I'm not sure we've seen Kendall to be one of them -- he has often choked when faced like opportunities like that before.

Thinking specifically of lines like this: "He had a terrible force to him. And a fierce ambition that could push you to the side. But it was only that human thing, the will to be, and to be seen, and to do. And now people might want to tend and prune the memory of him to denigrate that force, that magnificent, awful force of him. But my god, I hope it's in me."

Like that is poetic. How did he come up with that on the fly? I wonder if the writer and the actor had the idea that probably Kendall had essentially written a eulogy, if only in his head, with the plan to deliver it on the fly (surprising his sibs), or even that he anticipated Roman would fall apart and he could save the day.

Or maybe, since the show so often references Shakespeare (mostly King Lear, of course), this was just a bit of artistic liberty, knowing that Kendall might not really be able to put that together so eloquently on the fly, but wanting that character to deliver a kind of ode to the character of Logan and what he stood for.

Would be interested in other's thoughts on this. It's just a very memorable, beautiful speech. Even though I don't really agree with it! I was moved by it.

It was a beautiful eulogy, but I disagree that Kendall hasn't been able to speak extemporaneously before. He had a very eloquent speech when he was promoting Living+ (and I was sure he was going to bomb) and has given some wonderful toasts before. Of course - all of these were written for him in reality, so there's that.

[Anonymous]

It’s a show guys, it’s not like the actor ad libbed the eulogy!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a show guys, it’s not like the actor ad libbed the eulogy!!

Exactly. It was a beautifully written eulogy that we're supposed to think was made up on the fly.

[Anonymous]

It’s likelier to have spontaneous elements because of the actor’s particular method, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s likelier to have spontaneous elements because of the actor’s particular method, right?

I'm the PP who bought this up and: No I guarantee that speech was written word for word by Jesse Armstrong. But also Jeremy Strong's delivery was phenomenal -- he's an amazing actor.

I disagree Kendall has been eloquent like this before. At the beginning of his Living+ speech, he came out and repeated the phrase "big shoes" like six times, struggled with the teleprompter, then went off script to muse about how cool it would be if they could make people live forever and was like "I mean we can't but wouldn't it be cool?" It was terrible but people are idiots so it got positive reviews on Twitter (within the universe of the show).

But the eulogy was a really wonderful piece of writing that almost feels out of character for Kendall and I'm wondering if we are meant to believe he actually just spoke from the heart, or if he had imagined the speech ahead of time and in particular worked out some of those very lovely turns of phrase, or if the whole thing is more just Armstrong speaking through the character to make a point about the show and Logan and what it means, in the penultimate episode.

There's no right or wrong answer, we can't know, it just struck me because several lines from that eulogy have stuck with me all week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a show guys, it’s not like the actor ad libbed the eulogy!!

Yes I think posters are discussing the character, in the show, being portrayed as ad libbing the eulogy. I don’t think anyone believes the actor himself made it up on the fly.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't anyone else think it's very unusual for a NYSE-listed mega conglomerate not to have a fully-formed CEO succession plan in place? Given Logan's age and medical issues throughout the series, wouldn't the board and stockholders, particularly stockholder activists, have insisted on it?

I think one of the over-arching messages of this show is that hubris leads to destruction. If Logan and his acolytes had been responsible stewards of the corporation, they would have put ego aside and accepted that Logan wouldn't be around forever and would have undertaken the uncomfortable task of planning next steps in the event of his demise. But by appeasing his ego, the corporation now is left in uncertainty and is at the whim of some really self-serving and diabolical players. Seems like a cautionary tale for not hoarding short term personal benefit at the expense of the greater good.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't anyone else think it's very unusual for a NYSE-listed mega conglomerate not to have a fully-formed CEO succession plan in place? Given Logan's age and medical issues throughout the series, wouldn't the board and stockholders, particularly stockholder activists, have insisted on it?

I think one of the over-arching messages of this show is that hubris leads to destruction. If Logan and his acolytes had been responsible stewards of the corporation, they would have put ego aside and accepted that Logan wouldn't be around forever and would have undertaken the uncomfortable task of planning next steps in the event of his demise. But by appeasing his ego, the corporation now is left in uncertainty and is at the whim of some really self-serving and diabolical players. Seems like a cautionary tale for not hoarding short term personal benefit at the expense of the greater good.

A TV show about a fully formed and executed succession plan would be quite boring to watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s likelier to have spontaneous elements because of the actor’s particular method, right?

I'm the PP who bought this up and: No I guarantee that speech was written word for word by Jesse Armstrong. But also Jeremy Strong's delivery was phenomenal -- he's an amazing actor.

I disagree Kendall has been eloquent like this before. At the beginning of his Living+ speech, he came out and repeated the phrase "big shoes" like six times, struggled with the teleprompter, then went off script to muse about how cool it would be if they could make people live forever and was like "I mean we can't but wouldn't it be cool?" It was terrible but people are idiots so it got positive reviews on Twitter (within the universe of the show).

But the eulogy was a really wonderful piece of writing that almost feels out of character for Kendall and I'm wondering if we are meant to believe he actually just spoke from the heart, or if he had imagined the speech ahead of time and in particular worked out some of those very lovely turns of phrase, or if the whole thing is more just Armstrong speaking through the character to make a point about the show and Logan and what it means, in the penultimate episode.

There's no right or wrong answer, we can't know, it just struck me because several lines from that eulogy have stuck with me all week.

I self-identify as a poster accused of "not realiz[ing] this is a TV show," and this is one instance where I think the answer is that you're not supposed to think about it that much. The plot required an eloquent eulogy from Kendall and and one was provided. It think it's also likely that anyone in that position would be thinking of things they would want to say about their father if they had been called on to speak, so that seems a probable explanation as well - you'd been going over it in your head type thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s likelier to have spontaneous elements because of the actor’s particular method, right?

I'm the PP who bought this up and: No I guarantee that speech was written word for word by Jesse Armstrong. But also Jeremy Strong's delivery was phenomenal -- he's an amazing actor.

I disagree Kendall has been eloquent like this before. At the beginning of his Living+ speech, he came out and repeated the phrase "big shoes" like six times, struggled with the teleprompter, then went off script to muse about how cool it would be if they could make people live forever and was like "I mean we can't but wouldn't it be cool?" It was terrible but people are idiots so it got positive reviews on Twitter (within the universe of the show).

But the eulogy was a really wonderful piece of writing that almost feels out of character for Kendall and I'm wondering if we are meant to believe he actually just spoke from the heart, or if he had imagined the speech ahead of time and in particular worked out some of those very lovely turns of phrase, or if the whole thing is more just Armstrong speaking through the character to make a point about the show and Logan and what it means, in the penultimate episode.

There's no right or wrong answer, we can't know, it just struck me because several lines from that eulogy have stuck with me all week.

I self-identify as a poster accused of "not realiz[ing] this is a TV show," and this is one instance where I think the answer is that you're not supposed to think about it that much. The plot required an eloquent eulogy from Kendall and and one was provided. It think it's also likely that anyone in that position would be thinking of things they would want to say about their father if they had been called on to speak, so that seems a probable explanation as well - you'd been going over it in your head type thing.

DP and I agree. If nothing else, Kendall would have been thinking about what to say at the reception following the funeral, when people came up to him to say "your dad was such a great man."

[Anonymous]

I too think it was out of character for Kendall to be that eloquent and composed in the fly.

So Jess Armstrong either had him preparing it before and we just didn’t see it, or Jesse said who cares if it’s out of character, he’s going to deliver a beautiful piece of poetry!

Ps I don’t want to weekend to go by fast because it’s a three day weekend but I can’t wait until Sunday night!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't anyone else think it's very unusual for a NYSE-listed mega conglomerate not to have a fully-formed CEO succession plan in place? Given Logan's age and medical issues throughout the series, wouldn't the board and stockholders, particularly stockholder activists, have insisted on it?

I think one of the over-arching messages of this show is that hubris leads to destruction. If Logan and his acolytes had been responsible stewards of the corporation, they would have put ego aside and accepted that Logan wouldn't be around forever and would have undertaken the uncomfortable task of planning next steps in the event of his demise. But by appeasing his ego, the corporation now is left in uncertainty and is at the whim of some really self-serving and diabolical players. Seems like a cautionary tale for not hoarding short term personal benefit at the expense of the greater good.

Yes. The entire show is dumb and boring. Cannot believe I watched every episode. I kept waiting for it to make sense and something interesting to happen, but nothing ever happened. Nothing noteworthy happened the entire show. Even the funeral is boring. Most exciting thing that happened was Roman messing up the eulogy. There was some funny banter, but that was really it.