These 28 "Succession" Season 3 Moments Had Me Feeling All Types Of Ways
It's obvious that after the bombshell Kendall Roy dropped in the Season 2 finale of Succession that Season 3 would start with the immediate aftermath of his press conference. With just three episodes having aired, we're still trying to figure out who will have the upper hand in all of this, Logan or Ken.
So far it's been a mad dash to not only getting the best lawyer but figuring out who is loyal to whom. In the midst of all the chaos, there have already been some "Oh sh*t!" moments that I know had me wondering how this will all shake out. When it comes to my top moments, I like to factor in not just shock and awe, but also the sheer awkwardness of a moment, and this show delivers on both.
Let's get right to it, and of course I must warn you of 🚨Spoilers🚨.
1.The president's support
Gerri not being able to get the president on the phone with Logan was just the start of Logan's problems in this episode. Gerri seemingly tries to indirectly ask if the president will help them in their time of need, but with the damning evidence that seems to be in Kendall's hands, the President wants no part of Logan. It felt reminiscent of having a friend call a person you like, only for that person to not be interested.
2."Who says I never killed anyone?"
I don't know anybody who wasn't immediately shocked at Ken's response to Greg saying that this is like OJ if he would've never killed anyone. I can only imagine Greg's awkwardness if he ever finds out the truth.
3.31 flavors
While Frank and Carl are discussing all the past company issues, Carl really emphasizes why this time could be different when he lists off the Senate and FBI among others that could be going after them. Nothing captures how bad a situation is like proclaiming, "This is the full Baskin Robbins, 31 flavors of fuck right there," and I agree.
4."If your hands are clean, it's only because your whorehouse also does manicures."
Logan shouting, "This is war!" to Frank about cooperation was a great reminder of how unwilling he is to look weak to the public. But hearing his reaction to Carl offering himself as the CEO following Logan's departure was something that had me howling. Brian Cox's portrayal of Logan Roy is one to marvel at; he's a character that has a lot of horrible qualities, but you also understand why they consider him to be the comeback kid.
5.Tom backing Gerri and Roman but not Shiv
When Logan and the gang are all trying to brainstorm as to who will be the next to take the throne at Waystar|Royco, Tom quickly scurries away and calls Shiv to update her. After hearing that she would like for him to throw her name in as a candidate, he goes and supports Gerri and Roman instead. I would like to think it's his way of protecting Shiv from herself, seeing as he knows how damning the evidence is against them. I can't wait to find out!
6.Roman shooting himself in the foot for the CEO position
It seems the Roy family always has a way of getting in their own way. This time it was Romulus giving his dad a little too much uncertainty when it comes to being ready for the job of CEO. Roman states that he would like the position, but if his dad doesn't feel that he is ready that he would like for Gerri to receive the honors. It initially seems like he's doing somewhat of a selfless thing, but it also smells like maybe he doesn't want to have to be the face of the disaster coming. I mean, come on — it's Roman!
7.Shiv drops the ball on getting Lisa Arthur
I'm sure Shiv must've thought that being tasked to hire an old friend as the family's lawyer seemed like a great way to get in her dad's good graces. Unfortunately, after reuniting with Lisa Arthur and dumping all the reasons as to why she needs her counsel, Lisa is able to chime in to let her know that her services aren't available. This makes her immediately flip her demeanor from friend to foe and reminds us of just how desperate she is to become CEO of the company.
8."Your friend doesn't like you boo hoo boo hoo; Dad wants to fire you."
Seeing Roman react to Gerri getting the CEO position over him seemed bittersweet, but was all worth it when he asked if he could deliver the bad news to his sister, Shiv. He then proceeds to be the obnoxious asshole brother that he loves to be by singing a song about her failed attempt at hiring her friend. Trolling seems to be Roman's love language.
9.Beast Mode
At the end of "Secession," we get the last middle finger coming from Kendall as he calls his father to brag about having Lisa Arthur as his lawyer. This leads to another Logan outburst that really sets the tone of the war he sees playing out. He yells, "We'll fucking beast 'em. We'll go FULL. FUCKING. BEAST!!" I got fully hyped and ready to see the shitstorm that's coming.
10.Greg's uncertainty
There's a glimpse of Greg having some buyer's remorse, after realizing what pledging his loyalty to Kendall could mean for him. The reality that he might have to speak to law enforcement or Congress has him questioning if Ken has his best interest at heart.
11."You have good instincts; you also have HORRIBLE instincts."
After Ken and Shiv's reunion, we see Gerri and Roman having a one-on-one where Gerri shoots it straight with Rome. Knowing that Gerri is going to need family support, she's open to his advice on creating a committee for him to be a part of. She does the usual Succession thing where she compliments him for his ego but also humbles him to remind him she sees him for who he is.
12."You tell yourself you're a good person, but you're not a good person."
The way this family speaks to each other is what makes this show so great. Hearing Ken say this to his sister seemed like something he definitely learned from his father. Trying to manipulate that side of Shiv that believes herself to be the only one with her hands clean.
13.Greg's lawyer fiasco
Greg has gotten himself into something way above his paygrade but like a true Roy, is willing to hitch his cart on the horse he believes to be winning. In true Greg fashion, he reaches out to someone with no legal experience and is in her first semester of law school. As always, I caught myself thinking, "Oh Greg, what are you doing?"
14."If everyone's showing up to battle in armor, then I feel kinda exposed here in my loin cloth."
With Greg feeling like he can't trust anybody, he reaches out to his grandpa Ewan to help him find some legal representation. This is a bold move on his part since Ewan usually tries to distance himself from the Roy family — especially since Ken has aired out their dirty laundry. In the end, we see what Ewan is really up to when he finally gets him a lawyer, but not with the intention of helping Greg, but to help dismantle capitalism.
15.Family reunion
With Shiv, Roman, Connor, and Ken reuniting, it's a great reminder of how much these siblings still care for each other, even if it's in their own twisted way. The dynamic between each sibling that leads them to lash out at each other, especially in disagreements, is another display of how their father's parenting has molded them into the dysfunctional family they are today.
16.Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!!
Logan finally getting Marcia back at his side was a small win, since she came with a list of demands for Logan after she felt embarrassed by his actions with former CEO Rhea Jarell. It's another harsh pill Logan's team has to swallow, since she has all the leverage by threatening a messy divorce if the demands aren't met.
17."Don't threaten me, Gerri..."
Seeing all the Roy siblings start to actually consider Ken's offer had them all checking with their closest confidante if that would be the right move, but no phone call was better than Gerri and Roman's. After laying out the hypothetical of them teaming up with Ken, Gerri gives her honest take and also makes a slight threat to Roman. He hilariously responds by saying, "Don't threaten me, Gerri; I don't have time to jerk off." A great callback to his fetish that was revealed in Season 2.
18."These are relevant donuts."
When everybody comes back after making their phone calls, the family starts dropping like flies after getting spooked by Logan, sending some donuts to his kids, signaling that he knows what they're up to. It's a clear sign that the kids who have been abused by their father, and know that collectively they can take him down, are too terrified that he could still win it all somehow. Another showing of just how powerful Logan is when it comes to his children.
19.President Shiv
As Episode 2 ends, Shiv finally gets a position of relevance when she's offered a spot as the President of Waystar|Royco. It's clear that it's a made-up position from Logan to not only satisfy Shiv's need for power and control but also to be Logan's eyes and ears — another reminder of how each of Logan's kids has this need to want to be in their father's good graces for the sake of status and power, and not receiving his wrath.
20.The interview
Episode 3 starts with Kendall doing an interview in which Ken comes off as this sincere person who's trying to say all the right things that he thinks people want to hear. He starts speaking about his headspace after getting a question about his family, vaguely answering the question but also taking a subtle jab at his brothers and sister.
21."Maybe I don't do that dance."
Logan's response to agents trying to serve him a subpoena is classic. He's a man that clearly has roared at any adversity he's faced and feels he can do the same to the Department of Justice. Cooperation is a weakness in his eyes, and this is just another example of him wanting to puff his chest.
22.Good tweet, bad tweet
Once you hear him say it's time for "good tweet, bad tweet," you know that there's bound to be one that cuts him to the core. Sure enough, it's the last tweet read that is the closest to the truth by not only speaking about his mental health, but also his addiction. Just another showing of Ken being the masochist that he is.
23.The Committee for Protection and Welfare of Journalists ceremony
This whole event showed off not only Ken's desperate attempt at being woke by screaming, "Fuck the patriarchy!" but also Shiv's ascension into the executive role by trying to neutralize her brother. You see the act drop quickly from Shiv though, after Ken sees through her insincere offer of reconciling. He's done it for far too long, and seeing her make this move reminds him of who's pulling the strings.
24.Shiv and Tom discuss him possibly sacrificing himself for the company
Once Tom gets back from hearing that most likely he will see jail time if the DOJ does an investigation, he offers his services to his wife drunkenly, which she feels is actually a good idea after consideration. Although she believes it won't be necessary, the fact that she's willing to possibly throw her husband to the wolves shows how cutthroat the Roy family can be.
25.Logan versus the president
Since Logan couldn't get on the horn with the president, he took it upon himself to speak directly to his aide face to face and see if he can leverage some help. After a back and forth between the two, with threats being made by Logan, Michelle finally concedes that if Logan can "lower the temperature" they might be able to make something happen.
26.Nirvana playing during Shiv's speech
With the chaos that Ken created by going to the Waystar|Royco headquarters, there was a haunting moment where the goon that helped Kendall cover up his murder from Season 1 comes to his office and says, "I know you." This seems to be a move from Logan that pisses off Ken and has him setting up his sister to fail at her "We get it" company speech. Instead of helping calm the nerves of her employees, Shiv is blindsided by Nirvana's "Rape Me" song playing over her audio, which is an ultimate troll move from Kendall, considering the allegations the company is facing with women being assaulted on their cruise line.
27.Shiv goes for Ken's throat
With Ken trying to be self-deprecating in most of this episode, nothing probably hurt worst than when he saw the letter that Shiv wrote to the media. Even if we understand why Shiv responded the way she did, the fact that Connor and Roman didn't want to take part shows how ruthless the move is. Coincidentally, it happens at the worst time for Ken, as he was going to be a guest host on a political comedy show that has been roasting him throughout this episode. This, in turn, makes him flee from being on the show, which as a viewer made me feel bad for Ken but also wonder, "What were you thinking?!"
28."Can they come back tomorrow?"
In the last few minutes of "The Disruption," we see Logan's plan of speaking to Michelle Anne bite him in the ass. It seems that his little meeting didn't go over too well with the Deputy Attorney General, which put the FBI at his doorstep. It's a rare defeat for Logan, who was not trying to cooperate with the DOJ by any means. But seeing the FBI raid Waystar|Royco offices seems to be a win for Kendall after all. What a way to end the episode!!!
