S01.E09: Pre-Nuptial

[showme]

Quote

The Roys assemble at Eastnor Castle in England to prepare for Shiv and Tom's wedding. Meanwhile, the children reunite with their mother, Caroline, who is every bit as acerbic as Logan; and as guests mingle and clash, Kendall learns from Stewy and Sandy that their plot for a hostile takeover of Waystar has been fast-tracked in order to catch Logan off-guard.

 

Exactly how stupid can Kendall be? Sandy has no respect for him, the "Canadians" think he is a joke, he is merely being used as a pawn to rob his own family's media empire. As soon as the hostile take over is over, he will be thrown out like garbage. If Ken can't see that, he has no business being the company's mail man, not to mention its CEO. Pathetic!

Speaking of being pathetic, isn't Tom another fine example? He is burying his head in the sand and hiding his manhood between his legs in order to marry into a mega rich family, fully aware that his bride is a slut that sleeps around, who even invited her fuck buddy to their wedding to add insult to injury. On the other hand, he behaved very much the newly rich jerk towards his logistic lady. What a guy!

Edited July 30, 2018 by showme

[Adultosaurus]

Someone please tell me how I know Tabitha??  It's right on the tip of my addled memory.  Oh wow, it's Caitlin Fitzgerald.  Nevermind!

Edited July 30, 2018 by Adultosaurus
found out who the actor was

[Sharper2002]

In a family of egotistical and insipid people, I just want Tom to get hit by a car. Preferably one that Greg is driving. 

[scrb]

Roman is trolling Tom and someone said right in front of Shiv that Tabitha messed around with the groom.  Maybe she didn't catch it or thought they were joking?

But he seemed serious about marrying Tabitha, though he's not fucking her, as was the case with his ex. 

Good to know that Shiv wants to broker a deal between Gil and Logan, not destroy Logan and  Waystar.  

Tom gives Shiv a chance to back out of the whole thing but she doesn't take it.  Yet when Logan tells her that Tom's a good man, she seems to have doubt.  In the Inside the Episode, Sarah Snook says that Shiv and Tom met at a time when she was in some vulnerable state and that she needed him more than she wanted to.

 

All doesn't seem to be lost with the Roys.  The siblings had a nice moment, probably going back to their childhood, hanging out together at the boathouse, away from everyone else.  Logan found an excuse to go to the wedding after all, even if Shiv didn't cave as he was hoping she would.  And they kind of reconciled, at least for the purpose of the wedding and he didn't hold it against her for blackmailing Logan into backing off on Gil.

Logan also seemed serious about offering Kendall a way back in, to run one of the TV networks.  

Of course, there's still a lot of potential for everything to go to shit, with the hostile takeover bomb and possibly Tom or Shiv backing out.  

[minamurray78]

Best episode yet. Loved Lady Caroline's supreme bitch, then again you can't go wrong with Harriet Walter.

And Greg needs to lay off the weed a bit, it's making him slow; it was obvious Tom understood, he just did not want to hear.  

At first I thought Greg was going to be a dark horse, specially after he went to Gerri behind Tom´s back when he wanted to babble about the cruise files. But I guess they did bond with all those nights out in town. Ah well, there´s no shortage of back stabbing in the family, so there´s time still.  

Roman and Connor are sooo screwed up, you kinda feel like Willa and Tabitha could do better.

[sheetmoss]

What did Connor's girlfriend reply to the Pastor when he asked what she did?  I could not make it out even after a few rewinds

Also, who was the guy Greg was speaking to about Shiv cheating on Tom, and debating about whether or not  he should tell him?

[ichbin]

47 minutes ago, sheetmoss said:

What did Connor's girlfriend reply to the Pastor when he asked what she did?  I could not make it out even after a few rewinds

Also, who was the guy Greg was speaking to about Shiv cheating on Tom, and debating about whether or not  he should tell him?

I think she said she was a playwright.  The guy Greg was talking to looked like he was wearing a white apron so I figured he was either a kitchen or waiting staff member.  

[preeya]

I'm late to this, as I've just caught up this week. Is this show a one season mini-series or will it be ongoing beyond next week's finale?

[Eyes High]

Really liked this episode. This show has improved a lot over the past season and has gone to nigh-unwatchable to compelling and addictive (so basically the opposite of LOST.) A few thoughts:

1. Harriet Walter was fabulous as the horrible Caroline, although I couldn’t help but be reminded of her recent, equally fabulous portrayal of the even more horrible Princess Margaret on Patrick Melrose.

2. Poor, pretentious, damaged Connor. I howled when he mentioned his planned Napoleonic history podcast.

3. I used to think Roman is just closeted, but I think it may be more complicated than that. Maybe not having sex with the women he’s involved with has its roots in his emotional issues. All the Roy siblings are obsessed with seeking control in their personal relationships—Shiv by marrying down and marrying someone she doesn’t love, Connor by resorting to paid companionship, etc.—so his lack of interest in sex may have something to do with avoiding vulnerability...Or maybe he is just closeted and I’m overthinking it. (His comment about Tabitha last episode to Tom—“Dad would go for her,” not “I would go for her”—seems like a telling slip.) I guess it could be both, too: Roman stays closeted and pursues women in whom he has no interest because having a genuine relationship with a man scares the crap out of him. 

4. Shiv looked amazing in that rehearsal dinner dress. She seems awfully thin-skinned for someone who grew up around such terrible people: all Marcia needed to do was call her a spoiled slut and tell her to fuck off to reduce her to tears, and honestly, that’s pretty tame as far as insults go.

5.  Matthew Macfadyen is killing it as Tom. The whole cast is excellent, but he’s the standout for me. I’ve seen him in dramatic fare (Little Dorrit, Pride & Prejudice), but he’s really very funny. His groomzilla hissy fit during the cold open (“My mother’s dying of thirst!”) was hilarious.

6. Greg is darling. Caroline’s casual remark about Greg’s dad trying to have sex with every man in Sausalito...ouch.

Edited July 30, 2018 by Eyes High

[Panda Bear]

17 minutes ago, preeya said:

I'm late to this, as I've just caught up this week. Is this show a one season mini-series or will it be ongoing beyond next week's finale?

It's been renewed for a second season. 

[preeya]

12 minutes ago, Panda Bear said:

It's been renewed for a second season. 

Then I'll be not looking forward to the inevitable cliffhanger.

[showme]

10 hours ago, scrb said:

Tom gives Shiv a chance to back out of the whole thing but she doesn't take it.

That is not my take on it. He was passive aggressively trying to make sure his upcoming "marriage" does not fall apart before it even started. Obviously Tom has his eyes on the real target - money and status. If he has to be a cuckold to get them, so be it. Poor Greg, fretted all night for nothing.

Edited July 30, 2018 by showme

[preeya]

24 minutes ago, showme said:

That is not my take on it. He was passive aggressively trying to make sure his upcoming "marriage" not fall apart before it even started. Obviously he has his eyes on the target - money and status.

3

But deep down he knows she's not and won't be faithful to him. The mother's questioning "how long will it last" is a keen observation not something frivolous as she stated.

[minamurray78]

2 hours ago, Eyes High said:

5.  Matthew Macfadyen is killing it as Tom. The whole cast is excellent, but he’s the standout for me. I’ve seen him in dramatic fare (Little Dorrit, Pride & Prejudice), but he’s really very funny. His groomzilla hissy fit during the cold open (“My mother’s dying of thirst!”) was hilarious.

He's the reason I started watching the show. He doesn´t always get to display it, but Macfadyen's got great comedic timing.

[TimWil]

I worked on the show-please don’t ask me in what capacity, heh heh. I’m astounded at how brilliant McFadyen is in this when to be honest I couldn’t really tell on set all those months. To be fair I wasn’t actually there on days when Tom was behaving particularly badly and McFadyen was performing with such outrageous comic flair.

 

Fun facts: Tom’s bachelor party was supposed to take place on a yacht somewhere off Puerto Rico or Miami but those plans got scrapped. And Tom and Shiv’s wedding was originally supposed to be held at an Italian villa (not Lake Como but somewhere on the coast) and then the plan was switched to possibly Croatia (where Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again was shot) but Eastnor Castle in Gloucestershire was where they ended up. 

Edited July 31, 2018 by TimWil

[scrb]

But it's good that they ended up in England, for Caroline to appear.

Actually it would be fun if she moved to NY for next season, so they could weave her in more.

[Lemons]

13 hours ago, Adultosaurus said:

Someone please tell me how I know Tabitha??  It's right on the tip of my addled memory.  Oh wow, it's Caitlin Fitzgerald.  Nevermind!

Ok, who is Catlin Fitgerald?

[showme]

5 hours ago, Lemons said:

Ok, who is Catlin Fitgerald?

I have seen her on "Unreal" and "Sweetbitter".

Edited July 31, 2018 by showme

[Lemons]

Just now, showme said:

I have seen her in "Unreal" and "Sweetbitter".

Ok.  I didn't see unreal but I just watched Sweetbitter.  Wow. She looks totally different on Sweetbitter because of the hair.    I think she was perfect for her part in Sweetbitter.  Not so much in this role.  

[scrb]

She was also on Masters of Sex on Showtime for several seasons.

[clb1016]

5 hours ago, preeya said:

Then I'll be not looking forward to the inevitable cliffhanger.

For a while now I’ve had the feeling that the show has taken off in a different direction in the second half of the season than the writers/showrunners may have originally envisioned.

Rob Yang (“Lawrence”) is billed in the opening credits but has virtually disappeared while Arian Moayed (“Stewie”), who gets guest billing at the end of each episode, has become a major player.  Peter Friedman (“Frank”) also gets billed at the top of the show; meanwhile, J. Smith-Cameron (“Gerri”), has had at least as much (and perhaps more) screen time but also gets guest billing.

I know that billing is part of contract negotiations and sometimes characters and/or storylines just take off in unanticipated ways, but I’m curious to see if there are casting/billing changes going into Season 2.

[Moxie Cat]

7 hours ago, scrb said:

 

But it's good that they ended up in England, for Caroline to appear.

Actually it would be fun if she moved to NY for next season, so they could weave her in more.

 

Totally agree, and I hope we get to meet Connor's mom as well. And please more Uncle Ewan - couldn't they have shoehorned him into the wedding?

Not ashamed to admit that I love this show. Some lines and situations have me laughing out loud. Better than some "comedies."

[MBayGal]

10 hours ago, scrb said:

She was also on Masters of Sex on Showtime for several seasons.

There she played Masters' wife, which was where I first saw her.  She also had a small role in Rectify.   

[terrymct]

On 7/30/2018 at 9:42 AM, Eyes High said:

3. I used to think Roman is just closeted, but I think it may be more complicated than that. Maybe not having sex with the women he’s involved with has its roots in his emotional issues.

 

 

I think he's dating, or at least being seen with, Tabitha pretty much strictly to torque Tom.  Every time Tom sees her, he's freak out inside.  For Roman, that's high entertainment.

Marcia's chat with Shiv on the stairs was interesting.  She pretty much said what a lot of us read into Shiv and Logan's interaction last week.  Logan has protected Shiv from a lot of crap, but Shiv doesn't recognize that and thinks that she's brilliant and self made.  Shiv is in for a shock soon.   I think the first major part of that shock will be fallout from the Gil-Logan truce.   You know that's not going to hold.

Edited July 31, 2018 by terrymct
Edited to add another thought.

[lazylou]

Wonder if Kendall will back out...if not, he is once again going to be double-crossed.

[ichbin]

On 7/30/2018 at 1:28 PM, TimWil said:

I worked on the show-please don’t ask me in what capacity, heh heh. I’m astounded at how brilliant McFadyen is in this when to be honest I couldn’t really tell on set all those months. To be fair I wasn’t actually there on days when Tom was behaving particularly badly and McFadyen was performing with such outrageous comic flair.

This part is so different than almost anything else I have seen him in.  I think the only time I saw him in something that allowed him to do some comedy was Death at a Funeral.  Tom and Greg are my favorite characters in this and both actors are doing a great job with their parts.  Well, actually, I think pretty much all the rest are really good too.  Good writing and good casting.  

[ethalfrida]

Okay, I'm out. That last episode was disgusting. Besides, their roles are so undynamic I still don't know one person from another. Is the one brother hitting on his sister? Should have known what was coming (no pun) with the ejaculation on the picture window a few episodes back. Stopped watching.

[Lemons]

On 7/30/2018 at 8:51 PM, Moxie Cat said:

Totally agree, and I hope we get to meet Connor's mom as well. And please more Uncle Ewan - couldn't they have shoehorned him into the wedding?

Not ashamed to admit that I love this show. Some lines and situations have me laughing out loud. Better than some "comedies."

I thought Connor's mother died, that's the only reason he re-married and had the other kids. 

[RabbitEars]

My husband and I have discovered that every annoying chore is made a tiny bit better by snorting "on my WEDDING EVE."