S04.E03: Connor's Wedding

[TaraS1]

When Kerry walked in smiling, I thought she was going to say they had revived him.  I didn't honestly believe he was dead until we saw the police and an ambulance pulling up to meet the plane.

The scene of Karolina, Tom and Co. ushering Kerry off and then giving each other those WTF looks might have been my favorite of the episode lol

[txhorns79]

35 minutes ago, nilyank said:

In her audition tape to be a news anchor, weirdo Kerry was smiling up a storm like a maniac as she was reading the news of horrible events. Instead of having a Poker Face, she had a Joker Face.

There was an episode of Mary Tyler Moore where Sue Ann (Betty White) is auditioning for a spot on the evening news.  She ends up giving a cheerful, upbeat report concerning a mud slide that destroys a town.  It was amazing.

As to Kerry, I just presume she's in shock and really has no idea how she is coming off with her smiles.  I'm not entirely sure how she really felt about Logan, but everything she had that came from being with him is now over.  I would think that could be devastating, even for someone who is just a sycophant.     

[Sailorgirl26]

Am I the only one who thought Kerry was in the bathroom with Logan, giving him a blowie, when he collapsed? I thought that was the reason for the weird grinny face...

Edited April 10, 2023 by Sailorgirl26

[Bluerinse666]

Is Kerry pregnant???? Logan was eating some super-sperm food at the mother's wedding. 7 more episodes!

[politichick]

I'm so glad I didn't watch this until this morning because I was, like, physically shaken. Like others I wondered if it was a prank.

Truly a masterful episode that I want to watch again, but am unsure I can take it.

[cardigirl]

As devastated as Shiv was, she still got the jealous angry look when she thought Tom was getting ahead of her with preparing a statement. And the look she gave when he responded to her snark with a gentle remark about it being a very tough day was just so ... mean. Like Tom can't be affected by Logan's death? Tom doesn't have feelings worth thinking about per Shiv.

As sorry as I was for her devastation at the news, I still saw a flicker of the selfishness she has about herself. I don't know if she can be redeemed in my eyes of deserving happiness, or peace. 

[TexasGal]

10 hours ago, CharlizeCat said:

Here is Logan's "obituary" in the L.A. Times. I can't guarantee it won't be behind a subscriber paywall for everybody, but I was able to access it.

Also, it's great background for any viewers who started watching the series later, as I did. 

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-04-09/logan-roy-succession-dead-obituary

 

I love this line in the obituary:

Quote

The price of company shares plummeted after the news broke on Sunday, even though the markets should have been closed.

I was so wrapped up in watching everything that I didn't even think about it being the weekend.  I guess they could have been tracking foreign markets but seeing that made me giggle.

[Simon Boccanegra]

2 minutes ago, TexasGal said:

I love this line in the obituary:

I was so wrapped up in watching everything that I didn't even think about it being the weekend.  I guess they could have been tracking foreign markets but seeing that made me giggle.

Ha. That reminds me of the "Smart Line" host on The Simpsons saying, "And we have our first caller! And I mean ever because this is not a call-in show." 

[Blakeston]

I actually wasn't very surprised by Logan's passing. I figured it was inevitable sometime this season. I would have guessed that it would be later in the season, but when they got the call, I thought, "Okay, I guess it's happening now."

[Francie]

11 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

Yeah, "The Body" is basically the only other comparison to this, and this was done a lot better than "The Body" (and "The Body" was excellent). It really captured the emotion of sudden death in a way that you just don't see on TV shows. Brilliant. 

My all-time favorite parent death/telephone scene has to be Roseanne with Jackie having to notify relatives (scene written by Norm McDonald). 

 

 

They could have used her on that plane. 

8 hours ago, MBayGal said:

For a long time, I thought Logan put his people up to faking this to stress out the siblings who were going against him about the sale. They kept showing someone apparently doing chest compressions, but not the body. I knew it made no sense forr someone to pretend to do chest compressions for nothing, but just could not believe Logan would die. An incredible, gripping episode of TV.  

Me watching the show: Ha! Logan's totally faking them out. Some kind of loyalty, who will talk to him sorta test. 

Me, 10 minutes later: OMG! They totally faked me out! 

I truly was in denial until 60 seconds after Shiv's "dead on arrival" report. Call me Roman, but when she first said that, I was all, "Hey, did they check with the doctors before they made that statement? [pause]. Of course they did. Wow. It's real." 

Let the reading of the will begin! Oh, Kerry, it was (not so) nice knowing you. She's not even going to be allowed to attend the funeral, is she?

But the most biting, most real moment for me: Shiv acknowledging that she was hoping that it was her mother. Not that I blame her. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Francie
'cause Norm McDonald deserves some credit

[AngieBee1]

3 hours ago, dmc said:

So is Gerri hired back?

As far as I'm concerned she wasn't officially fired. Sure, Roman told her the news but we don't know if Roman had a chance to hear his voice mail and release the info of Gerri's firing to others to make it official (get her exit package together, etc.). Did Roman even get a chance to confirm to Tom that he fired her? And if she had been officially fired I don't see Karl, Karolina, Frank and Hugo letting her into the cone to strategize how to handle letting people know of Logan's demise.

[Macbeth1966]

12 hours ago, CharlizeCat said:

Here is Logan's "obituary" in the L.A. Times. I can't guarantee it won't be behind a subscriber paywall for everybody, but I was able to access it.

Also, it's great background for any viewers who started watching the series later, as I did. 

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-04-09/logan-roy-succession-dead-obituary

 

Here's an excerpt pertaining to HBO:

"A spokesperson for HBO, which has handled media for Waystar Royco since 2018, declined The Times’ repeated requests to make anyone available for comment."  😂

Of course we don't need to hear from HBO.  We all know their slogan.  "If a HBO show is having a wedding - there will be blood."

[ichbin]

12 hours ago, Jaundiced Eye said:

It looks like Roman has turned on Gerri. He's worried that his voice mail to Daddy Dearest did him in, and he needs to transfer the blame.

Now I'm wondering if he went to see his father's body on the chance the phone was there and he could grab it.  This character is always ducking and weaving.

 

12 hours ago, Simon Boccanegra said:

Even early in the episode, when I wasn't sure Logan was really going to die (he began the series by cheating death, after all), I was thinking that phone scene could be one of the iconic ones. It could be Succession's equivalent of Tony and Carmela's big marital argument in which he punches the wall, or D'Angelo yelling "Where's Wallace?" at Stringer, or the Red Wedding—one people think of when they hear the show's title. It was not only brilliantly executed but so informative about the characters. 

One of the best TV episodes ever!  It reminded me of the episode of The Good Wife when Alicia and Cary left to start their own firm.  

 

8 hours ago, MBayGal said:

Does anyone else suspect Kerry of leaking the news of Logan's death?  The way she was grinning was bizarre.  I also wondered if she might be pregnant with his child, but that would be too soap operaish for the quality of this show.

There was the potential for leaks coming from several sources, even emergency services or other airport related areas. 

 

Whoever is responsible for the casting of this show deserves rewards.  

 

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Wow. I think I went through the 5 stages of grief along with all the Roy kids.

Denial: Surely this is just Tom pranking them?

Bargaining: They're still doing chest compressions and defibrillating him; he could still make it!

Anger: I was supposed to get a fun wedding episode!

Sadness: Oh, the poor Roy siblings. Their last interaction with their father was so terrible and Roman even left him a nasty voice mail message.

Acceptance: Logan really is dead.

I liked Shiv's manifestation of denial. When she first heard the news, she said "I can't have that!" She got angry at Kendall for not getting her sooner. But she reached acceptance a lot quicker than Roman. She about broke my heart when she called Logan "Daddy" on the phone. Sarah Snook really stood out to me this episode although all of them did such a great job reacting to the sudden news.

Tom really stepped up. He knew it might be a last chance for Shiv and the others to express their feelings to Logan so he made sure to make that happen for them by holding up the phone for them.

Sponge cake (or loony cake as he calls it) is real bad news for Conner. I'm glad he still got married but I wonder if it's going to hurt him or the other kids in the future. I mean won't people call him heartless for getting married right after his father died? Like Kendall said, "what we do today will always be what we did the day our father died." Then again as Shiv has said in the past "The Roys don't get embarrassed."

I'm glad Gerri got a reprieve just because I want her to stick around for awhile.

I think Kerry is basically gone now. She was only Logan's assistant and now that he's dead, she's got no position left to fill. (That sounded like a double entendre but I swear I didn't mean it like that.)

Now that Logan is dead the siblings no longer have a common enemy. I fear they will tear each other apart, starting with Roman since he betrayed them by getting on board with Logan. Or maybe they will have to stick together in order to fight the board and then tear each other apart.

[absnow54]

18 minutes ago, AngieBee1 said:

As far as I'm concerned she wasn't officially fired. Sure, Roman told her the news but we don't know if Roman had a chance to hear his voice mail and release the info of Gerri's firing to others to make it official (get her exit package together, etc.). Did Roman even get a chance to confirm to Tom that he fired her? And if she had been officially fired I don't see Karl, Karolina, Frank and Hugo letting her into the cone to strategize how to handle letting people know of Logan's demise.

Agreed. Roman was given the task of "giving her the heads up" that her firing was coming, but it wasn't a done deal.

3 hours ago, Artsda said:

I thought it was Tom via Greg who was the leak.  He told Greg he wanted it known he was by his side. 

That was my impression too. 

 

12 hours ago, buttersister said:

And condolences to anyone competing with these people at the Emmys.

Seriously, they should create a special category for this episode, so no one else has to compete with it. I'm going to have the theme song in my head for weeks after they sweep the drama category off this episode.

[Francie]

It’s just hitting me that Logan Roy could have – indeed should have – been spending that day with his children at his eldest son’s wedding. But instead of being surrounded by them, they were talking into cell phones doubting he was even hearing them. Well played show, well played.

And even darker thought – had Logan not embarked on a long flight across the Atlantic, he wouldn’t have been taxing his heart quite so much that day. 

Also, for a show that started with a man barely surviving a near fatal stroke, continued to his mental incapacitation last season, and even had me nervous last week that he was going to seriously injure himself by falling off of a file box, his death still surprised me the point of disbelief and denial.

[Macbeth1966]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

There was an episode of Mary Tyler Moore where Sue Ann (Betty White) is auditioning for a spot on the evening news.  She ends up giving a cheerful, upbeat report concerning a mud slide that destroys a town.  It was amazing.

As to Kerry, I just presume she's in shock and really has no idea how she is coming off with her smiles.  I'm not entirely sure how she really felt about Logan, but everything she had that came from being with him is now over.  I would think that could be devastating, even for someone who is just a sycophant.     

Speaking of the Mary Tyler Moore show - Someone (either Frank or Karl) mentioned "Chuckles the Clown" when talking about Kerry.  They didn't want a Chuckles the Clown moment with Kerry.

Chuckles the Clown, was a character on MTM, that was often referenced but never seen.  He went to a parade dressed as Peter Peanut and was killed by an elephant that was trying to "shell" him.  Everyone in the news room was making jokes over his death except for Mary.  She, of course, started laughing and couldn't stop, during the funeral.

It is considered to be the best episode of MTM, and one of the best in history.

[jrzy]

13 hours ago, Jaundiced Eye said:

It looks like Roman has turned on Gerri. He's worried that his voice mail to Daddy Dearest did him in, and he needs to transfer the blame.

I didn't get that impression at all,  it seems to me that Gerri wants nothing to do with Roman.  She was cold as ice to him right when he was seeking comfort from her.  I don't blame her but he is a little bit pathetic.  What wounded souls they are.

 

[Penman61]

17 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Tom really stepped up. He knew it might be a last chance for Shiv and the others to express their feelings to Logan so he made sure to make that happen for them by holding up the phone for them.

Agreed. Tom gets a grade of A- for me for his handling of this situation. No one else on the plane thought of Logan's kids' emotional needs (however warped) at that moment of crisis.

Tom easily could have later pleaded "confusion" and/or "shock" as an excuse for why he didn't contact the kids as Logan lay dying. But Tom did contact them, and what he did could very much help them process all this (which will definitely be warped).

Edited April 10, 2023 by Penman61

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

There was an episode of Mary Tyler Moore where Sue Ann (Betty White) is auditioning for a spot on the evening news.  She ends up giving a cheerful, upbeat report concerning a mud slide that destroys a town.  It was amazing.

 

They even called it out in this ep with someone referring to Kerry as "Chuckles the Clown." 

A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down you rpants....

37 minutes ago, AngieBee1 said:

As far as I'm concerned she wasn't officially fired. Sure, Roman told her the news but we don't know if Roman had a chance to hear his voice mail and release the info of Gerri's firing to others to make it official (get her exit package together, etc.). Did Roman even get a chance to confirm to Tom that he fired her? And if she had been officially fired I don't see Karl, Karolina, Frank and Hugo letting her into the cone to strategize how to handle letting people know of Logan's demise.

Agreed. Roman was to be giving her a heads-up. She dodged that bullet.

18 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Sponge cake (or loony cake as he calls it) is real bad news for Conner. I'm glad he still got married but I wonder if it's going to hurt him or the other kids in the future. I mean won't people call him heartless for getting married right after his father died? Like Kendall said, "what we do today will always be what we did the day our father died." Then again as Shiv has said in the past "The Roys don't get embarrassed."

I don't think he'd be called heartless. His wedding was a perfect show of respect--it was quiet, with few in attendance, rather than the splashy affair it was meant to be. The only real reason to cancel a wedding because of a death is because people don't want to party--declaring your love for someone still alive seems pretty appropriate.

I'm really fascinated by Connor's whole story here, how he and Willa had a really honest conversation about their feelings that made their wedding pretty healthy, especially for Connor who was able to do something good for himself quietly without proving anything to anybody, unlike his siblings. It seemed like a good follow up to last week when he bitterly said he didn't need love. He does need it, but he didn't have it so appreciates the comfort of actual connection.

It was a bit up there with Tom, who also did the right thing on an emotional level. His upbringing gave him the right instincts.

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by sistermagpie

[Zaffy]

<standing ovation>
Masterfully made.
This was a piece of art.
From the 1st min to the last, a true masterpiece.

And for those who have lost parent(s) this felt so effing real...
It definitely hit me hard.

Of course, like most of you, I was shocked and I was, like Roman, expected Logan to make it.
Personally, I never expected Logan would die and that the series would end with him still in the lead and his kids probably shuttered.
Maybe I preferred this way, cause now are we gonna see the kids tearing each other apart? I hope not..
I would not mind at all if this was actually the series finale.
 

[BoffoDaWonderSheep]

18 minutes ago, Macbeth1966 said:

Chuckles the Clown, was a character on MTM, that was often referenced but never seen. 

Truly trivial trivia: I just started watching MTM after decades and was surprised that Chuckles made an appearance in a very early episode. He was played by Valerie Harper's husband, Richard Schaal.

[cardigirl]

Another moment that got me was when the Three finally informed Connor, and Roman grabbed Connor's hand and hugged it for a moment, as a gesture of love and support. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by cardigirl

[absnow54]

23 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Yeah, Tom gets a grade of A- for me for his handling of this situation. No one else on the plane thought of Logan's kids' emotional needs (however warped) at that moment of crisis.

Tom easily could have later pleaded "confusion" and/or "shock" as an excuse for why he didn't contact the kids as Logan lay dying. But Tom did contact them, and what he did could very much help them process all this (which will definitely be warped).

This is a really good point, but in Tom's absence, I think Frank would have acted as the liaison. Although, if Frank were the one to make the call, I would have believed Logan was dead in the first minute of the episode. Tom was the right choice from a narrative perspective, because he has such unclear motives, I don't trust a word from his mouth until I see the body being carted off the plane. 

[TV Diva Queen]

Was the boat they were on for the dinner, just a standard dinner cruise rental?  It was kind of icky.

[BlackberryJam]

I also thought the boat looked a little cheap on the outside for Roy standards, but the inside was lovely.

I need to rewatch and figure out what Logan’s last words were on the show. 

Having Shiv read the statement seemed calculating. Roman doesn’t have self-control to not throw in a few “fucks” into every sentence and Kendall would be subject to far too many questions. 

I thought Connor’s small wedding was the right thing to do for him. He does need love and he needs the security that Willa can provide him. I like Willa because she can’t help but be honest with him.

I’ve had to make the call that Tom did, and it’s hard. It’s so hard. How do you answer, “Are you sure?” type questions when you can hear the heartbreaking on the other end of the line? I think Tom is weak and slimy, but he did the best he could. Until of course, he called Greg to tell Greg to destroy some evidence. 

I’m certain all the Roy children resent Tom because it was Tom who was with Logan at the end, and not any one of them. 

Family relationships are complicated and grief complicates things even more.

On a lighter note, I totally need someone to “Greg” for me. I need a team of Greglets to do my bidding. 

[Guest]

The scene where Shiv and Kendall held hands as they were walking to tell Connor was so, so well done.

[4N6MAL]

14 hours ago, Jaundiced Eye said:

The kids will never get Logan's approval now, not that they ever would anyway. 
 

Let the jockeying for position and backstabbing begin.

My money is on cousin Greg, the egg, for the win!,,

[kittykat]

So many things to unpack but in the hands of less talented actors this would not have worked but damn too many actors, not enough Emmys.

I thought Connor's reaction was the most interesting.  They may have taken a while to actually get him but when he knew, he willingly chose not to take the phone and leave a message, he knew he wasn't loved.  What was going to change?  He had already been told by Shiv that Logan wasn't coming because of Mattson.  The man is free!  There was something beautifully poetic about him and Willa still marrying to a miniscule audience.  Getting married in light of his father's death was likely one of the few decisions Connor made acting on his own free will and good for him.

As for the boat Connor mentioned in episode one about downgrading the yacht because he wanted to allocate those funds to his campaign. 

Also interesting that once the shock passed and the power plays began it was Kendall of the three who shifted the quickest into Business Mode.  With pa gone can the Killer finally emerge?

I know people have mentioned Kerry as the leak but I'm kind thinking it's the woman Greg was talking to.  She threw out an "how's your uncle?" She's gotta know who he is right?  And, I mean, the leak has to inadvertently involve Greg right?

Poor Roman, of course he would assume his honest voicemail would do the man in.  Then again, it's also another elephant in the room.  What are Kendall and Shiv gonna when they find out Roman had already turned?

I wouldn't be opposed to Gerri coming out on top. At least she and Cyd get to keep their jobs.  And at this point I wonder who the "brain" trust of Karl, Frank and Hugo would lobby behind.

In terms of story structure this is basically the Succession version of "Long Night." A major event building up since the beginning leaving a lot of shit to clean up afterwards.  Although unlike that other show we get seven more episodes and most likely a much more cohesive, logical, not at all rushed ending.  At least I hope so.

[Francie]

Sure, the Roy kids are broken up, but can we have a moment of reflection for the person who may just miss Logan the most:

 

 

Man, show, you sure got me. And it was all laid out for me. Logan having that conservation about the after-life with his body guard/driver? It's one of the best precursors to a character's death since Bobby and Tony talked about "You probably don't even hear it when it happens?" on Sopranos. 

[BlackberryJam]

5 minutes ago, kittykat said:

 

Also interesting that once the shock passed and the power plays began it was Kendall of the three who shifted the quickest into Business Mode.  With pa gone can the Killer finally emerge?

[snip]

I wouldn't be opposed to Gerri coming out on top. At least she and Cyd get to keep their jobs.  And at this point I wonder who the "brain" trust of Karl, Frank and Hugo would lobby behind.

In terms of story structure this is basically the Succession version of "Long Night." A major event building up since the beginning leaving a lot of shit to clean up afterwards.  Although unlike that other show we get seven more episodes and most likely a much more cohesive, logical, not at all rushed ending.  At least I hope so.

I rewatched a bit of S1 before this season started. The pilot was all about how Logan was to name Kendall his successor, Kendall would be taking over the company, etc. Shiv was working in politics and Roman was smoking weed with his (now vanished) wife. Kendall is the child who knows the company best. He’s also an egomaniac coke addict with a whole host of mental health issues. But yeah, not surprised that he switched into business mode.

Personally, my hero of the Teterboro crew was Karolina. Every single thing that happened, from finding out Geri was getting the axe to dealing with Kreepy Kerry, she took in stride. If I were running a business, I want Karolina on my team. 

You know, for a hot second here, I might ship Karolina and Mattson, because A-Skars is hot and Karolina deserves better than to be stuck with Frank, Karl and Tom.

[Penman61]

My simplistic take on this entire show is that Logan was an absolute, incorrigible monster, and that his children are fighting (with various awarenesses and intensities) to deal with being raised by a monster and find their own humanity somewhere under all that sludge. 

So my hope is that just one of them--just one--takes Logan's death as an opportunity to check out of this Heartfuck Hotel, and just leave all this toxic dysfunction behind.

I want one Roy child--just one!--living on the coast of Oregon running a seashell shop with a dog named Bottles and getting high now and then. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Penman61

[Francie]

Just now, BlackberryJam said:

Personally, my hero of the Teterboro crew was Karolina. Every single thing that happened, from finding out Geri was getting the axe to dealing with Kreepy Kerry, she took in stride. If I were running a business, I want Karolina on my team. 

 

Agreed. 

Although I would pay Geri untold amounts of money to keep her happy and and keep her from working for the other team. 

[sistermagpie]

Regarding the leak, I don't think it was any of the people we could guess and we aren't supposed to know and they and we never will. It was some faceless person who had something to do with the airplane or airport.

Edited April 10, 2023 by sistermagpie

[kittykat]

4 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

Personally, my hero of the Teterboro crew was Karolina. Every single thing that happened, from finding out Geri was getting the axe to dealing with Kreepy Kerry, she took in stride. If I were running a business, I want Karolina on my team. 

Oh absolutely!  From an editing perspective I really enjoyed the intercuts between Team Boat and Team Plane.  You understood why Team Plane went into Damage control mode and managed to do it without being heartless and why Team Boat (the kids) saw it that way and Karolina was instrumental in both sides for once actually coming together for a brief moment.  That woman kept her shit together when it was needed the most.

Another favorite moment was the Kendall/Frank phone conversation.  These are arguably the two men who have been betrayed the most by Logan's machinations and I it was a devastating, honest moment when Frank finally tells Kendall that he's gone.  It was also fitting that Frank talks him down when Kendall demands to talk to the pilot, only he could have pulled that off.

[AngieBee1]

Quote

Another moment that got me was when the Three finally informed Connor, and Roman grabbed Connor's hand and hugged for a moment, as a gesture of love and support

.

I loved that moment. It was part of the the through-line that Connor is a good big brother to Roman (Connor taking Roman fly-fishing being Roman's happiest memory, Con being the one to go after Roman when Shiv cut him down while the four were having a discussion about teaming up with Kendall to go against Logan).

Edited April 10, 2023 by AngieBee1

[absnow54]

I think I'm most excited for the reading of the will, so we can see how Logan dicked over his kids one last time. I mean, I don't think anyone would be surprised if they were disinherited, but what is the most spiteful move for distributing his shares?

[DoubleUTeeEff]

2 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I don't think he'd be called heartless. His wedding was a perfect show of respect--it was quiet, with few in attendance, rather than the splashy affair it was meant to be. The only real reason to cancel a wedding because of a death is because people don't want to party--declaring your love for someone still alive seems pretty appropriate.

I don't personally have an issue with it. He did the right thing for himself for sure. I was just thinking about how it could be spun. The headlines write themselves:

Anti-Masturbation Presidential Candidate marries Call Girl while Recently Deceased Father Logan Roy is Shuttled from Teterboro Airport to Morgue

[sistermagpie]

13 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I don't personally have an issue with it. He did the right thing for himself for sure. I was just thinking about how it could be spun. The headlines write themselves:

Anti-Masturbation Presidential Candidate marries Call Girl while Recently Deceased Father Logan Roy is Shuttled from Teterboro Airport to Morgue

I feel like this is a case where being Connor is an advantage. Nobody really cares about him, and he got married in front of a handful of people--so any press that was there probably left.

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, absnow54 said:

Seriously, they should create a special category for this episode, so no one else has to compete with it. I'm going to have the theme song in my head for weeks after they sweep the drama category off this episode.

Don't forget about last week's episode. I'm relatively certain that Brian Cox won the Best Actor Emmy while standing on a box on the floor of ATN. 

[realityplease]

Perfection to write Logan's death with 7 episodes left to go!  So unexpected (but unless one dies after a lingering or debilitating illness giving the survivors an almost guilty relief when the person's suffering ends), isn't it almost always? Even when the person has attained old age?  Sure, everyone knows they're going to die at some point - that your parents will too - since everyone does - but you never know exactly when.  And even rationally knowing that it WILL happen at some point - most still leave a mess of unfinished business &/or unspoken words or words & emotions that come or are said too late.

To have Logan be so much the Lion in Winter - walking onto the plane with vigor, motivation, plans & machinations (The GoJo deal, reinvigorating ATN, firing Gerri, pushing out Syd, sticking with Kerri, pulling Roman back in, & who knows what else) & exit in a body bag - wow!  With, apparently, no succession plan in place & many soon to go from shock to crawling over each other for supremacy.  The funeral & prep for the next board meeting & the completion (or end) of the GoJo deal should be amazing!

How brilliant that the writer didn't end the story with a neat bow and a death at the end - but give the audience an opportunity to see the struggle or resolution still to come to characters we've come to know.

[millennium]

The surreal aspect of final-farewells-by-phone was perfectly captured.   My father died at the hospital during Covid.  Only my mother was allowed to be at the bedside  My siblings and I all said our goodbyes via group chat on the phone, knowing that once we hung up, that was it.   The End.   I don't know what was weirder, trying to say what I needed to say over a phone, or having to listen in silence as my brothers and sisters struggled to say their part.   I remember one of them, maybe one of their spouses, said "We'll miss you."  It struck me as hilariously absurd, like my father was going on vacation or moving to another part of the state.   Yeah, I wouldn't wish that scene on anyone.

[aghst]

53 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I don't personally have an issue with it. He did the right thing for himself for sure. I was just thinking about how it could be spun. The headlines write themselves:

Anti-Masturbation Presidential Candidate marries Call Girl while Recently Deceased Father Logan Roy is Shuttled from Teterboro Airport to Morgue

 

38 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

I feel like this is a case where being Connor is an advantage. Nobody really cares about him, and he got married in front of a handful of people--so any press that was there probably left.

I think they had a genuine moment.

Willa didn't lie to him that money wasn't a factor.

And she joked that she isn't leaving him today, when he asked her if he postponed the wedding, he's scared she might leave him.

She was honest about the money and told him she was happy, which is also true.

Maybe Connor isn't the prince charming ideal she had all her life but their situation works for her.  She probably gets enough money in the prenup that it's not a huge risk for her.

If she wanted to find real love, she could have left him years ago rather than yield to the inertia of being in a relationship with a wealthy guy who could give her things she wanted, like the play.

So them deciding to get married on their own, away from most of the family, seems like a genuine moment for them.  Things could go to shit next month but for this day, they're a happy couple.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by aghst

[sistermagpie]

1 minute ago, aghst said:

So them deciding to get married on their own, away from most of the family, seems like a genuine moment for them.  Things could go to shit next month but for this day, they're a happy couple.

 

That's how it read to me. That in a way, Connor was having a real moment of honesty.  Not just with Willa who could genuinely tell him that she was happy in her life, but that he was happy enough with that that he didn't need his wedding to be impressive or help with his campaign. It seemed like he was freer than he had been before and more clear-sighted.

[absnow54]

1 minute ago, sistermagpie said:

That's how it read to me. That in a way, Connor was having a real moment of honesty.  Not just with Willa who could genuinely tell him that she was happy in her life, but that he was happy enough with that that he didn't need his wedding to be impressive or help with his campaign. It seemed like he was freer than he had been before and more clear-sighted.

I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition that highlighted that Connor is the only Roy child who wasn't living for his father's approval. The other three were carefully tightrope walking around the narrative of what their actions would do and how it would effect the company. 

[caracas1914]

8 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition that highlighted that Connor is the only Roy child who wasn't living for his father's approval. The other three were carefully tightrope walking around the narrative of what their actions would do and how it would effect the company. 

In hindsight Logan’s last live conversation with them, “you are not serious people” establishes the narrative homestretch framework  for the rest of the episodes remaining.

Can they prove Daddy wrong as they now actually have to battle for succession.

From this episode its glaring how Carl, Karolina, Gerry and the rest of the sychophants don’t take the kids serious either.  

[tennisgurl]

I swear, I was so sure that this was all some messed up game that Logan was playing with the kids, some sort of test to see how they would handle his dead, until we saw someone actually doing chest compressions and it hit that this was actually happening. The king is dead, long live the king. I always figured that Logan would have to die before the show ends, but I never saw him dying so suddenly without even a real death scene, its brilliant in how shocking and sudden it was. As awful as the Roys are, you really could feel empathy for that horrible confusing moment when someone dies unexpectedly and your trying to process everything, especially when you aren't actually there and have to deal with it on the phone. Everyone has already said it but it should be repeated, Emmys for everyone, the acting was just outstanding from everyone.  

I think two of my favorite non death reactions were Willa's face when she leaned exactly what "loony cake" was and then when Kerry showed up smiling like a loon and she was dismissed by the grown ups, everyone else were just starring after her with the best "what the fuck?" expressions. 

[BC4ME]

I have some thoughts about Willa. She was a hired escort or sex worker or whatever. She probably lost her aspirations for a true fairytale love a long time ago. Her values are just different. This is probably the very best outcome for her. She is real. I probably like her the best of anyone on the show.

And I liked how the sibs seemed to think Conner should stick with her. Actually they said something to the effect of, you can't do better, but from them this was acceptance and endorsement. 

[realityplease]

I think HE WAS living for his father's APPROVAL. Connor actually said he was sad about Logan's death because he would no longer get to do something to make Logan proud.  It's just that Connor's no longer living for his father's LOVE.  Respect & Love can be two separate things.  And he sure as heck was living for his father's money, whether for Willa's theater production, to run for office, or to cash-out on GoJo. 

The writing really has me ambivalent - it makes me feel sorry for Connor - the overlooked first son from the nutty mother & unloving father.  But then, I look at Connor as the rather pampered gentleman rancher living off Dad's money, running for office as an ego boost, & something, at 1% in the polls, he doesn't have the slightest chance of winning & should have given up long ago.  And I'm not so sure that he should garner the sympathy.  And I love that he & Willa are going for it.  As an ex-sex worker, it's more transactional for her, but she's pretty honest with him. These are certainly not one-note characters!

Edited April 10, 2023 by realityplease

[sistermagpie]

9 minutes ago, realityplease said:

The writing really has me ambivalent - it makes me feel sorry for Connor - the overlooked first son from the nutty mother & unloving father.  But then, I look at Connor as the rather pampered gentleman rancher living off Dad's money, running for office as an ego boost, & something, at 1% in the polls, he doesn't have the slightest chance of winning & should have given up long ago. And then I'm not so sure that he should garner the sympathy he's getting.  These are certainly not one-note characters.

I think the reason Connor's getting some approval from the audience is that, weirdly, marrying Willa here this way in this moment was the most dignified, non-ridiculous or delusional thing he's ever done. And it's even fair, with Willa not having to kiss up to him.

I think even his line about not being able to make Logan proud could work two ways. Either he's going to spend the rest of his life wishing he got the chance, or he now no longer has to try.