It’s flat out sibling war after Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) letter last week. Little Lord Fuckleroy…I’m sorry, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) definitely isn’t playing nice with sissy but can he play nice with daddy (Brian Cox) long enough to secure some shareholder votes? With all their little hoopla lately, DOJ investigation and search warrants and what-not, it’s understandable that shareholders might get spooked. Wise men remove their investments when the trend seems to be going down. It’s four days until the shareholder meeting so if they were looking for crunch time, it’s now. Ken agrees, pulling his own little bullshit stunt. I’m not sure why but I find Kendall the most insufferable asshat. But then he says shit like “Meep, meep,” and I’m dying of laughter.
Greg (Nicholas Braun) gets summoned by Logan to negotiate lawyers. While Greg has retained his own counsel (smart), Logan wants him to reconsider (mhmmm, probably less smart but also probably inevitable). Isn’t it just like Greg the Egg to not fully understand how that negotiation should have gone? Logan gives him time to consider, which is generous for Logan. Seeing him lay it on rather thick with Greg was laughable though. Logan has consistently been the cold steel negotiator and when he schmoozes, it kills me because it’s the most awkward thing you’ve ever seen. Of course the stone hearted business man who is emotionally abusive to his own children would suck at kissing anyone else’s ass. But he needs every card he can get in his deck. Connor (Alan Ruck) wants in at the company, fighting off the press notion he’s never really worked a day in his life so why should he have the hardest job in the country? Yeah, best way to fight that is nepotism. Shiv can give him something but it isn’t what he wants. Con, no one is surprised your dad said racist shit. We’ve heard him say racist shit. But everyone in this family really is out for themselves.
Though Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) leveraged some noble seeming behavior to impress Logan, he’s got some very real fear that he’ll see time behind bars. Honestly, yeah me too, bro. He’s a very easy whipping boy and Logan would have him out of his hair for a while. I wonder what Shiv would actually do if he had to serve time. Their marriage started out pretty rough and is fighting against workplace dynamics now too. Would the marriage survive if he left? I’m not so sure.
But returning to the all important shareholders, one had cold feet and needs some familial convincing. Adrien Brody was so perfectly cast. I feel he maneuvers emotion so gracefully and subtly. Seeing him talking with Ken and Logan was quite something. We learn right away he has a penchant for his own misgivings. Hmm, no offense Brody but I’m not sure I quite trust you. Yet, you’re so warm and inviting and feeling like this very solid attempt to build bridges. Logan offers up some buttery language that right away tasted foul. How did he follow it up later to Ken? Oh yes, “Yeah well, you’ll say anything to get fucked on a date, won’t ya?” Ouch, daddy dearest indeed. But really, it’s Ken who sinks the final nail in the coffin of the deal. Ken needs to learn when to read the room and just like Elsa, fucking let it go. It was a test and like a dumb idiot, you failed. Quite a surprise to see Brody’s next guest flying in. I wonder what this spells for the shareholder meeting in 96 hours.
