S03.E07: Too Much Birthday

[RedDelicious]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I think Kieran and Matthew are so attractive.   But Kieran is not younger than me and I'm an enormous fan of "Igby Goes Down" and "Pride and Prejudice".  They are burned into my brain.

Omg ME TOO. I had such a coug crush on Kieran Culkin in Igby Goes Down. I still have Bohemian Like You on my pink iPod Mini 😆

Matthew McFayden in real life has a much deeper natural voice that is just so hot (and he’s tall). And British. And my age. Le sigh. 

[TheGourmez]

On 11/29/2021 at 8:35 AM, Lassus said:

YMMV I guess, but considering the personalities of every last human being on the show, I still find the hatred of Naomi kind of weird.  She was quite literally the only one at the party among family and friends who cared about Kendall at all, and was more supportive of his emotional problems than Tom has been of Shiv's, or vice-

Co-sign. I really liked Naomi this episode and have paid her little attention otherwise. 

On 11/29/2021 at 11:09 AM, Bluesky said:

Greg abandoned Kendall just like everyone else. Greg gave Logan confidential information on Kendall that Greg learned when he was Team Kendall.  Pretty shitty move.   Kendall probably has a mixture of hurt and rage.   

This is when I realized my love affair with Greg was over. I thought he had high potential to be the Roy who makes it out of all this with his soul attached. But nah, he prefers the financial protection of being a Roy. Such high hopes I had when he held that manila folder at the end of last season...

2 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

Matthew McFayden in real life has a much deeper natural voice that is just so hot (and he’s tall). And British. And my age. Le sigh. 

I have never been attracted to tall men. I always find it funny that tallness seems to be a given for attraction. Not for me! I can't even imagine thinking Greg's actor is hot - he's so gangly!

You can tell my true feelings about this show when I admit that I have no idea who Pierce is. I don't remember a Pierce episode at all - vague dinner party flashes, maybe? He's not the vegetable, right?

[Pestilentia]

18 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I thought it wasn't clear which one was older. To me, Roman is the youngest.

 

The official HBO page   lists Shiv as the youngest Roy child.  

This article  lists Connor mid-50s, Kendall 39, Roman mid-30s, Shiv early 30s.  

[Blakeston]

3 hours ago, TheGourmez said:

You can tell my true feelings about this show when I admit that I have no idea who Pierce is. I don't remember a Pierce episode at all - vague dinner party flashes, maybe? He's not the vegetable, right?

Pierce is Naomi's last name. Her family owns a news organization along the lines of CNN, that Logan is obsessed with acquiring.

14 minutes ago, Pestilentia said:

 

The official HBO page   lists Shiv as the youngest Roy child.  

This article  lists Connor mid-50s, Kendall 39, Roman mid-30s, Shiv early 30s.  

Wow, I'm shocked. Everything about Roman's personality screams "youngest child" to me.

This makes it even more galling that Shiv insisted that her vote matters more than Roman's.

[dmc]

8 hours ago, Bluesky said:

Her daughter Caroline is very much a Kennedy and JFK Jr was too.  I only followed their political careers,  not so much Jackie or personal.  Have you been to Chappaquiddick?    Pitch dark and very narrow bridge with no sides.   Not an excuse just an observation.  

I have and you are right, you can’t see anything.  I actually drove there once in a rain storm and got seriously nervous.  Weirdly where I live in Virginia is the same, no light whatsoever but we don’t have a body of water you can drive into with your car.  We do have severe flooding anytime it rains though.  

[peachmangosteen]

6 hours ago, TheGourmez said:

You can tell my true feelings about this show when I admit that I have no idea who Pierce is.

I literally never know who any of the people they're talking about are tbh.

2 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Wow, I'm shocked. Everything about Roman's personality screams "youngest child" to me.

I wouldn't put much stock into what the official site says tbh. The writers seem to have done quite a few retcons throughout the seasons, especially with regards to Roman.

[sistermagpie]

9 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I literally never know who any of the people they're talking about are tbh.

I wouldn't put much stock into what the official site says tbh. The writers seem to have done quite a few retcons throughout the seasons, especially with regards to Roman.

That's how it seems to me as well. In the first ep Roman was believably older--he was married with a kid. But they've retconned all that and now there's good reason many people think he's the youngest. 

[smartymarty]

I saw the Kendall story as a kind of It's a Wonderful Life story, except while the protagonist realizes that what is really important is family and friends, his story ends with him having none.

[TexasGal]

I've let a few asides about other dynasty families be, but it's time to move on.  This is not about the Kennedys.

[MBayGal]

2 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

That's how it seems to me as well. In the first ep Roman was believably older--he was married with a kid.

Roman has an no-longer-seen-or-mentioned child???  I have no memory of that!!  At least he managed to have sex once.

[sistermagpie]

2 minutes ago, MBayGal said:

Roman has an no-longer-seen-or-mentioned child???  I have no memory of that!!  At least he managed to have sex once.

He doesn't anymore, it seems. In the pilot the woman and little girl he was with weren't specifically identified as his wife and kid, but there was little sense in seeing them as anything else--I think he even had a wedding ring maybe? But the two of them were later shown to be his girlfriend with whom he rarely if ever had sex and her child. 

[RedDelicious]

9 hours ago, TheGourmez said:

I have never been attracted to tall men. I always find it funny that tallness seems to be a given for attraction. Not for me! I can't even imagine thinking Greg's actor is hot - he's so gangly!

You can tell my true feelings about this show when I admit that I have no idea who Pierce is. I don't remember a Pierce episode at all - vague dinner party flashes, maybe? He's not the vegetable, right?

For me its somewhat been handed down through generations. My grandmother always asked my mother if her dates were tall, and in turn my mother always asked me the same thing. Plus the men in my family are all tall. So I tend to prefer taller men. But I agree with you, I don't find Nicholas Braun attractive in the slightest, and if I were Comfrey, I probably would have hidden in the tree house (provided that Greg didn't have a rainbow bracelet).

The main Pierce episode is Tern Haven, a true gem in Season 2. Cherry Jones absolutely nailed Nan Pierce. The primary Pierces of PGM, including Naomi, are all cousins. 

[dmc]

1 hour ago, MBayGal said:

Roman has an no-longer-seen-or-mentioned child???  I have no memory of that!!  At least he managed to have sex once.

TV shows are frequently changed after the pilot and this was the pilot episode.  Sometimes they literally change actors too.  Their plan was to make him married and have a child with that woman Grace I think is her name. Then it was probably scrapped because they realize they were better story lines for him if he was single.

Edited December 1, 2021 by dmc

[Lassus]

6 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Wow, I'm shocked. Everything about Roman's personality screams "youngest child" to me.

Fully and totally agree.

[MizLottie]

I found it funny that one of Kendall's gifts was a motorcycle, did it come with a driver as in Season 1?  

[aghst]

Recap of Too Much Birthday episode and interview with Lorene Scafaria, the director of the episode.

https://www.theringer.com/2021/12/1/22811416/succession-season-3-episode-7-with-director-lorene-scafaria

 

She says Kendall and Naomi do have a genuine connection.  May not be healthy for either of them but still a real connection, Naomi seeing Kendall lashing out, then being down and her trying to be supportive, pulling him back from the brink

Also says Sarah Snook is quite a dancer and she chose the song she danced to but it's meant to be an angry dance, given what's happened in the episode before she decides to cut up a rug.

[vibeology]

9 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

 

The official HBO page   lists Shiv as the youngest Roy child.  

This article  lists Connor mid-50s, Kendall 39, Roman mid-30s, Shiv early 30s.  

This makes sense to me. Shiv is Pinky to Logan. She wouldn't be his baby finger if she wasn't the baby of the family.

[sistermagpie]

37 minutes ago, vibeology said:

This makes sense to me. Shiv is Pinky to Logan. She wouldn't be his baby finger if she wasn't the baby of the family.

I assumed it was a reference to her having strawberry blonde hair. They were all the baby of the family at some point. (Of course you could be right, just seemed more Logan to be referring to hair color than littleness.)

Edited December 1, 2021 by sistermagpie

[ChelleGame]

Nothing to do with nothing but Sarah Snook is so pretty to me. I know that's always subjective but I just love to look at her. Stunning. I saw her once in person and she was just gorgeous. It was after her Limited Series, The Beautiful Lie.

That dance, though, was hilarious. I watched it twice. 

The acting on this show is superb but I didn't love this episode. It was just so damn harsh. I felt awful for awful Kendall and him falling at the end.

Lordt.

Edited December 2, 2021 by ChelleGame
For spelling

[Francie]

7 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I assumed it was a reference to her having strawberry blonde hair. They were all the baby of the family at some point. (Of course you could be right, just seemed more Logan to be referring to hair color than littleness.)

I've assumed it's "Pinkie," like she's a pinkie commie.

Logan started it as an insult, and then he used it so often it morphed into the closest Logan gets to showing genuine affection. 

Speaking of showing genuine affection, I'm convinced Shiv and Roman would have gone to Kendall's birthday party even if they hadn't learned Skarsgard was going. It's the Roy family way to pretend they had to go for some ulterior motive. It's just like Logan not wanting to actually miss out on his daughter's wedding. They latch on to some convenient reason to go (not to say the meeting up with the techie wasn't important, it was; they lucked out with a good excuse). Roman indicated he was planning to go, anyway before he learned the technie would be there. For Kendall's sake, I wish he had realized that. They all doth protest too much. 

Shiv also should have been more suspicious of Roman's claims that he and Logan had worked out the offer to Kendall together. Understandably, she's still reeling from the recent Logan slights and can't see straight. 

I'm still getting vibes that it's Naomi who's going to go over that balcony rail. She and Kendall are functioning drug users, and while Kendall has her to rely on, I doubt he's there, or will be there, when she's hitting a low. Total co-dependents, those two. 

[Pestilentia]

 

 

18 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

In the pilot the woman and little girl he was with weren't specifically identified as his wife and kid

When he was taunting the kid over offering the million dollar home run he waved/gestured to someone out of frame and said "Where's our checkbook? Is it in your bag?"

Paraphrasing of course, but...

And I think there could be a million reasons why Logan started calling Shiv "Pinkie" initially (she looked like a newborn mouse at birth?) but I do get the feeling that it started quite early in her youth. He uses it to manipulate her so he must feel she has enough sentiment surrounding it to make her vulnerable to his using it. So no, not a 'commie' reference.

[Haleth]

I'm still curious about who gave Kendall a motorcycle.

[endure]

On 11/28/2021 at 7:24 PM, heatherchandler said:

I also love me some Skarsgard.

Cousin Greg??  He’s my favorite reason for watching!!

Agree totally is it because Cousin Gregg is the only likeable character? I have issues with series like this when I just don’t like anyone….. but the acting is top notch and some of the dialogue amazes.  I did have to laugh at Greg and Tom strolling together through the compliment tunnel.

Edited December 4, 2021 by endure

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 12/1/2021 at 5:09 PM, ChelleGame said:

Nothing to do with nothing but Sarah Snook is so pretty to me. I know that's always subjective but I just love to look at her. Stunning. I saw her once in person and she was just gorgeous. It was after her Limited Series, The Beautiful Lie.

When Sarah had the long romantic hair in the first season , guuuuuuuuuh.  She was so beautiful I couldn't even concentrate on the show.  

[ChelleGame]

3 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

When Sarah had the long romantic hair in the first season , guuuuuuuuuh.  She was so beautiful I couldn't even concentrate on the show.  

OMG. Same.

[peachmangosteen]

I think she looks the best she ever has this season. I've never really noticed her before tbh but in this ep she was just stunning.

[FemmyV]

On 11/30/2021 at 7:40 AM, dmc said:

I feel like anyone who has lived in society know this is a nope.  So she knew and didn’t care so basically like a Kennedy.  Once Jackie went to a party and stole this expensive gold lighter.  
 

https://lisawallerrogers.com/2011/10/11/jackie-kennedy-the-gold-cigarette-lighter/

 

Her husband had to send a check for it. 

The one I heard was about one of the lesser-known cousins who destroyed a Cadillac because it was parked in his favorite spot at the country club, and then wrote a check to the owner.

[heatherchandler]

On 11/29/2021 at 9:45 AM, RedDelicious said:

Okay so all this talk of pasta. They're talking about cocaine, right? Obviously not Rava but definitely Lukas.

 

I think pasta is a codeword for coke.  I can't imagine Matteson wants actual pasta... or does he?

[xaxat]

Has an extended cut of Sarah getting her groove on been released.?

On 12/13/2021 at 2:39 PM, heatherchandler said:

I think pasta is a codeword for coke.  I can't imagine Matteson wants actual pasta... or does he?

It's always a good time for a well made pasta dish!

Edited December 19, 2021 by xaxat

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 11/29/2021 at 11:03 AM, sugarbaker design said:

If she really cared, wouldn't she help Kendall find the gift his kids have given him?

I would actually say that's a poor test for whether Naomi actually cares about Kendall.

First, it's not like the gift was likely stolen, destroyed, or likely lost for good. It will undoubtedly turn up and Ken has people who will find it. He does not need to find the gift right that second.

Second, Ken starts acting manic about the search for his kids' gift. I think the act of a person who cares about him would be to say "Hey, calm down...everything will be alright." Which Naomi attempts somewhat by asking him to take a break and trying to redirect Ken's attention to his gift. 

Which just re-awakens his mania because it was not at all personalized, but still.

On 11/29/2021 at 12:22 PM, Hera said:

Nitpick: I don't understand the in-universe reason why that bouncer was intimidated by Roman yelling that he was being touched inappropriately. Drop his hand, wait for Roman to try to get through again, then shove him away. The bouncer knew that Kendall had banned him from the treehouse—all he had to do was not let him through. I would have rather seen Roman actually sneak in than have him bully the bouncers.

In the case of Roman Roy v. Rando Bouncer in actual court or the court of public opinion, who is likely to come out on top? At least if I were the bouncer, I would not want to be accused of feeling up someone vindictive, rich and famous. Despite the current friction between Roman and Ken, I don't think I could trust my company or Ken to have my back.

On 11/29/2021 at 3:42 PM, Kirsty said:

Idk if that was shallow. It was one of a series of birthday disappointments coming back to back. Not that he got a watch, but that the one person who claims to care about him doesn't know him well enough to get him something he would like or find meaningful. There was nothing personal about the gift, that was the disappointing part. It could have been a corporate gift. For someone who's "shit at gifts" Naomi built it up as though it was special. And for Kendall it was one disappointment too many so he couldn't brush it off.

I liked how petty the show allowed Kendall to be, between Connor's jacket and not letting his family into the tree house. It was pathetic and ridiculous.  And it was also his way of hitting back, of trying to control things, of expressing his disappointment with how the night was turning out. I can be a petty asshole sometimes (I'm not proud) and that shit rang true.

Edited to add: When Kendall started to cry, and he said "I wish I was..." did anyone else think he was going to say "dead"?

We didn't get to see much detail as to the watch. Could have been relatively inexpensive, could have been a year's salary to people. I'm figuring that in his mental state then, even if Naomi had a specially crafted super-watch that was dubbed "The Kendall" no gift would have been god enough.

Re: Ken's pettiness, the height of it was he had a specialty room set up to tweak his siblings with fake headlines trying to prey on their insecurities. The fake paper about Shiv tried to make her subordinate to Tom and called her a slut, the one about Connor brought back that he shit himself in childhood and hasn't accomplished much, the Roman one was a shot about him being likely to sex pervert himself to death. 

It is so petty to set up this room just for private jokes that you're going to make public. But I think it interesting that Ken was not willing or able to punch at his dad. Too afraid to try to make light of Logan and possibly have it reported back.

I totally thought Ken was going to say "dead" too and just stopped himself.

On 11/29/2021 at 3:51 PM, RichterChick said:

I find it fascinating that there’s a line Logan seemingly doesn’t want to cross.  He would tell Kendall to sell his shares and fuck off, he'd allow spying on his grandchildren, and Shiv’s letter about Kendall’s mental state, but Logan won’t go public with Kendall’s involvement in the waiter’s death at the end of season 1?  I can’t figure out why he’s holding that back, especially after Kendall stabbed him in the back. 

I think that there's a combo of a) he hasn't needed to go full nuclear and cross that line thus far to accomplish his goals b) he probably realizes there is no putting that genie back in the bottle once he releases it c) there is a bit of a double-edged sword, because exposing Ken's letting the person die exposes whatever Logan's people did to investigate and cover up and d) the incident was No Real People Involved. There may even be some e) he actually on some level does have a little bit of love/affection for Ken or (more likely) f) he enjoys having the sword over Ken's head more than he would enjoy swinging it. 

Sorry for all the mixed metaphors :)

On 11/29/2021 at 4:38 PM, Marley said:

Why was the one guy peeing on the phone. I got that he was saying it’s shitty tech but was it Waystar tech or his?

So Lukas is the mind behind GoJo, which is the new hotness  in streaming apps.

Waystar has a streaming app called StarGo. The two joke about destroying StarGo entirely and Lukas talks about subjecting its servers to an acid bath. They agree that StarGo is a piece of shit.

Then Roman comes up with the idea to literally piss on StarGo, which he pulls up on his own phone, to bond with Lukas. Which is IMO prime Roman: I got your streaming RIGHT HERE! And also the old adage about marking territory.

And as Lukas says, even after that long piss, StarGo hadn't finished loading.

On 11/29/2021 at 6:04 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

What was the jacket thing even about?!  I thought nightclubs forced coat check on us normal people because they don't want us concealing anything and they want to make money and tips off of us at coatcheck.

But why would that matter at a party of millionaires?  Was it just a petty thing about attire and aesthetic?

Yes. 

It was also in part about control. If some rando decided that he wanted to keep his coat on, that probably wouldn't have had Ken think twice about it. But the fact that Connor was doing it mostly as a "You can't make me check my coat" thing probably irked Ken, along with his inability to control the other things and his encountering various disappointments (his kids' birthday present going AWOL, Logan expressly telling him to fuck off for a birthday present, his girlfriend getting him a generic present, etc.) led to him getting increasingly focused on trying to put Connor in his place.

[Broderbits]

On 12/1/2021 at 10:12 AM, smartymarty said:

I saw the Kendall story as a kind of It's a Wonderful Life story,

I see it as a riff on Citizen Kane. As Kendall dies we see a package wrapped in rabbit paper fall out of his hand.

Speaking of the missing present from his kids, why would Rava bring it to a crowded party where she knew it would be passed off to a minion and tossed in the pile. She could have sent it to his house or have the kids present it to him personally. In this show, if the outright hatred doesn't get you the passive/aggressive bull will.

[DrSpaceman73]

Kendall mania is over and now depressed again

I actually pitied him here. That party was so begging for attention on his part when all he wanted was his family there. And it turns out they are there for a business deal and his dad sends him a card that basically says I don't want you in the family. 

It irritates me how seemingly scott tree the company gets off from the cruise line though. I imagine it's a combination of political connections, high priced lawyers and Kendall just blowing his testimony but still .....they found no systemic problems in the company?  And them celebrating about 'justice prevailing'? F*** them 

Roman is an ass really wanted Kendall to punch him.