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Succession | Season 2, Episode 7 Recap: “Return”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) record themselves burning it all down as they talk about Succession season two, episode seven, “Return.”

In “Return,” Logan Roy (Brian Cox) takes his number one and two boys Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) on a trip abroad to free up some change in the endless quest to avoid their impending corporate doom. Another guest comes along for the ride: Rhea Jarrell (Holly Hunter), accompanying Logan in both professional and personal capacities. Logan leans on Rhea to help him solve his issues with Shiv (Sarah Snook), and also leans on Kendall in a way that very nearly breaks the already broken man. Back in the United States, Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) commit crimes.

Josh and Emily hop into all of that and much more in their latest Succession recap. Send feedback for their next podcast by reaching out on Twitter and also through our feedback form.

About Succession … 

Created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO, Succession focuses on the Roy family, rich and powerful monsters with their hands on the wheel of an enormous media empire. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch who built the empire, brick by brick, but in his aging and ailing state, it’s time for him to consider the line of succession. He has four children to choose from, all of whom are problematic for their own litany of reasons: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Logan’s drug-addicted “number one boy”; Roman (Kieran Culkin), a jester in a power suit; Shiv (Sarah Snook), a political animal who is on the fringes of the family business; and Connor (Alan Ruck), the eldest sibling with no apparent appetite for the job. Dark horses like Tom Wamsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) are jockeying for the job, while inside-outsiders like Cousin Greg (Nicholas Bran) want nothing more than to scrape on by as best as they can. But of all the candidates to rule Waystar Royco, there is only one leading candidate in Logan’s decaying mind: himself.

Past Succession podcasts:

* Season 2 Preview

* Season 2 Premiere Recap

* Season 2, Episode 2 Recap

* Season 2, Episode 3 Recap

* Season 2, Episode 4 Recap

* Season 2, Episode 4 Feedback

* Season 2, Episode 5 Recap

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Succession | Season 2, Episode 6 Recap: “Argestes”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette), aka the MySpace of Succession podcasters, are back with a very late recap of season two, episode six, “Argestes.”

In “Argestes,” Logan Roy (Brian Cox) finds his impending deal with Nan Pierce (Cherry Jones) on the edge of implosion, thanks to scandalous skeletons spilling out of the Waystar cruise line’s closet. Logan’s three children all do their best to help the situation, but “help” is a loosely defined word when connected to Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook). Sparks fly, and so do fists, as Logan’s already tenuous grasp slips to its weakest position in weeks.

Josh and Emily size up the fallout from “Argestes,” pick apart some recent interview quotes from Brian Cox, get into your feedback (which you can send along by writing in using our feedback form) and much more.

Additional reading from the show:

* Brian Cox’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter

* Business Insider on the inspirations behind “Argestes”

About Succession … 

Created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO, Succession focuses on the Roy family, rich and powerful monsters with their hands on the wheel of an enormous media empire. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch who built the empire, brick by brick, but in his aging and ailing state, it’s time for him to consider the line of succession. He has four children to choose from, all of whom are problematic for their own litany of reasons: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Logan’s drug-addicted “number one boy”; Roman (Kieran Culkin), a jester in a power suit; Shiv (Sarah Snook), a political animal who is on the fringes of the family business; and Connor (Alan Ruck), the eldest sibling with no apparent appetite for the job. Dark horses like Tom Wamsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) are jockeying for the job, while inside-outsiders like Cousin Greg (Nicholas Bran) want nothing more than to scrape on by as best as they can. But of all the candidates to rule Waystar Royco, there is only one leading candidate in Logan’s decaying mind: himself.

Succession | Season 2, Episode 5 Recap: “Tern Haven”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) spend nearly an hour quoting Shakespeare in their recap of Succession season two, episode five, “Tern Haven.” Except not really.

 

In “Tern Haven,” the Roy family goes toe to toe against the Pierces, the wealthy liberal family who safeguards the media empire Logan (Brian Cox) so desperately covets. Just one problem: the two clans could not be more politically and morally opposed, leading to a series of incredibly awkward encounters between various individuals on both sides of the battlefield. In the end, Logan finds the common denominator between the two houses — money — but not before Shiv (Sarah Snook) makes a declaration with huge ramifications for the rest of the season.

 

Josh and Emily dig into all of those topics and more on this recap of “Tern Haven,” along with reading listener feedback. Make sure to send your questions and comments in on Twitter for the next recap.

 

Additional reading from Succession season 2, episode 5:

* How Succession Created an Even Weirder Rich Family Than the Roys (Vulture)

* What Is Up With Roman Roy’s Sex Life? (The Cut)

About Succession … 

Created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO, Succession season 2 focuses on the Roy family, rich and powerful monsters with their hands on the wheel of an enormous media empire. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch who built the empire, brick by brick, but in his aging and ailing state, it’s time for him to consider the line of succession. He has four children to choose from, all of whom are problematic for their own litany of reasons: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Logan’s drug-addicted “number one boy”; Roman (Rory Culkin), a jester in a power suit; Shiv (Sarah Snook), a political animal who is on the fringes of the family business; and Connor (Alan Ruck), the eldest sibling with no apparent appetite for the job. Dark horses like Tom Wamsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) are jockeying for the job, while inside-outsiders like Cousin Greg (Nicholas Bran) want nothing more than to scrape on by as best as they can. But of all the candidates to rule Waystar Royco, there is only one leading candidate in Logan’s decaying mind: himself.

 

Past Succession podcasts:

* Succession | Season 2 Preview

* Succession | Season 2 Premiere Recap: “The S...

Succession | Season 2, Episode 4 Feedback: “Safe Room”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) invite a new guest into their safe room to discuss the events of Succession season two, episode four, “Safe Room.”

 

In this week’s podcast, Josh, Emily and Cousin Ben weigh in on the recent pandemonium at Waystar Royco, the myriad misadventures of various different characters, and much more. They read listener feedback, float out their own theories, and generally just have a very good time. Five stars, four Bens for sure.

 

In “Safe Room,” Waystar Royco goes on lockdown during a potential active shooter situation. In the process, many truths are revealed: Logan (Brian Cox) and Kendall (Jeremy Strong) attempt to woo PMG CEO Rhea Jarrell (Holly Hunter) in their continued quest to buy the blue-blooded media empire, while Shiv (Sarah Snook) watches from the sidelines, feeling like a kid stuck in the corner with a coloring book. Her husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) suffers through some feelings of inadequacy of his own, as Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) announces his desires to move onto bigger and better things — and he’s not afraid to use his leverage to get there. Plus, Roman (Rory Culkin) becomes Ron Rockstone and makes a new friend, all while Connor (Alan Ruck) delivers the blandest eulogy of all time.

 

Josh and Emily will return with their recap of Succession season two, episode five. Make sure to send in feedback on Twitter by tagging @PostShowRecaps.

 

Check out Josh and Emily’s recap of “Safe Room” on this Succession feedback show: Succession | Season 2, Episode 4 Recap: “Safe Room”.

 

About Succession …

Created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO, Succession focuses on the Roy family, rich and powerful monsters with their hands on the wheel of an enormous media empire. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch who built the empire, brick by brick, but in his aging and ailing state, it’s time for him to consider the line of succession. He has four children to choose from, all of whom are problematic for their own litany of reasons: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Logan’s drug-addicted “number one boy”; Roman (Rory Culkin), a jester in a power suit; Shiv (Sarah Snook), a political animal who is on the fringes of the family business; and Connor (Alan Ruck), the eldest sibling with no apparent appetite for the job. Dark horses like Tom Wamsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) are jockeying for the job, while inside-outsiders like Cousin Greg (Nicholas Bran) want nothing more than to scrape on by as best as they can. But of all the candidates to rule Waystar Royco, there is only one leading candidate in Logan’s decaying mind: himself.

Succession | Season 2, Episode 4 Recap: “Safe Room”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) enter their top-secret safe room to deliver their takes on Succession season two, episode four, titled … well, “Safe Room.”

 

Important note: the “Safe Room” podcast is hitting your feeds earlier than expected, thanks to HBO releasing the episode two days in advance of its normal Sunday night time slot, due to the Labor Day holiday weekend. If you were not yet aware of the episode’s early release, now you are! It’s streaming on HBO Go and on demand, and you should absolutely watch it before Josh and Emily spoil the episode.

 

In “Safe Room,” Waystar Royco goes on lockdown during a potential active shooter situation. In the process, many truths are revealed: Logan (Brian Cox) and Kendall (Jeremy Strong) attempt to woo PMG CEO Rhea Jarrell (Holly Hunter) in their continued quest to buy the blue-blooded media empire, while Shiv (Sarah Snook) watches from the sidelines, feeling like a kid stuck in the corner with a coloring book. Her husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) suffers through some feelings of inadequacy of his own, as Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) announces his desires to move onto bigger and better things — and he’s not afraid to use his leverage to get there. Plus, Roman (Rory Culkin) becomes Ron Rockstone and makes a new friend, all while Connor (Alan Ruck) delivers the blandest eulogy of all time.

There is no feedback in this week’s podcast recapping “Safe Room,” due to the unique timing, but there will be a special feedback episode coming next to your Succession podcast feeds. Make sure to send all of your questions and comments to @PostShowRecaps on Twitter, or by using our feedback form.

 

About Succession …

Created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO, Succession focuses on the Roy family, rich and powerful monsters with their hands on the wheel of an enormous media empire. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch who built the empire, brick by brick, but in his aging and ailing state, it’s time for him to consider the line of succession. He has four children to choose from, all of whom are problematic for their own litany of reasons: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Logan’s drug-addicted “number one boy”; Roman (Rory Culkin), a jester in a power suit; Shiv (Sarah Snook), a political animal who is on the fringes of the family business; and Connor (Alan Ruck), the eldest sibling with no apparent appetite for the job. Dark horses like Tom Wamsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) are jockeying for the job, while inside-outsiders like Cousin Greg (Nicholas Bran) want nothing more than to scrape on by as best as they can. But of all the candidates to rule Waystar Royco, there is only one leading candidate in Logan’s decaying mind: himself.

Succession | Season 2, Episode 3 Recap: “Hunting”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) go on the record with their thoughts about Succession season two, episode three: “Hunting.”

 

In “Hunting,” Logan Roy (Brian Cox) announces his plans to combat his rivals: buy up PGM, a massive media conglomerate that stands diametrically opposed to the Waystar Royco worldview. Logan’s inner circle protests the strategy, but ever so quietly, delegating the responsibility to stand up and speak out against the plot like a game of hot potato. In no time at all, a different game emerges: “Boar on the Floor,” an improvised witch hunt in which Logan attempts to ferret out the traitors in his midst — separating the wheat from the chaff, or the snakes from the morons, as it were. In the process, Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) outs brother Roman (Rory Culkin) for trying to broker the PGM deal behind Logan’s back, thereby inadvertently putting a huge thorn in the deal’s side.

 

Back in New York, Shiv (Sarah Snook) is charged with speaking to elder half-brother Connor (Alan Ruck) about his desire to run for President of the United States — an embarrassing notion all on its own, but potentially a detrimental one to the Waystar Royco universe. All the while, she’s attempting to remote-control husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) into thwarting the PGM buy-out, referring to him as her “meat puppet.” Tom is not only displeased at the notion, but outright bad at the operation, leading to his placement as one of the many boars on the floor — right alongside Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), already in the thick of a panic attack due to his role in speaking with someone writing a tell-all biography about Logan Roy.

 

Josh and Emily weigh in on all of that and more, and dig into your feedback as well. Make sure to send feedback every week to @PostShowRecaps.

Previous Succession coverage:

Season 2 Preview

Season 2 Premiere Recap: “The Summer Palace”

Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: “Vaulter”

About Succession …

Created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO, Succession focuses on the Roy family, rich and powerful monsters with their hands on the wheel o...

Succession | Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: “Vaulter”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) break down Succession season two, episode two, “Vaulter.” They podcast not because their dads told them to, but because they genuinely want to do it for reasons they cannot explain — like a kid taking candy from a candy store, or a grown adult stealing a pack of batteries from a bodega for no reason other than… well, he can?

In “Vaulter,” the HBO drama continues dragging Kendall Roy into darkness, as his father Logan forces him to shutter a beloved project. Kendall surprises both his father and the audience alike with the ruthlessness in which he executes the command, proving once again that there’s nothing he isn’t willing to do on behalf of dear old dad. It’s a bleak display of power, one that even the wicked Roman Roy couldn’t quite enact, his best efforts to impress his dad notwithstanding. Meanwhile, Shiv Roy decides to go all in on the plan to succeed her father, dropping out of Gil Eavis’ presidential campaign in big, barn-burning fashion. Bonus: Cousin Greg identifies his moral code and gets a brand new apartment.

Josh and Emily break down the events of the episode and field feedback from listeners of the podcast about the episode. Their next podcast will recap season two, episode three, “Hunting.” Send in questions and comments for that show by reaching out on Twitter @roundhoward, @emelette, and  @PostShowRecaps.

Previous Succession coverage:

Season 2 Preview

Season 2...

Succession | Season 2 Premiere Recap: “The Summer Palace”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) sweep the chimneys and break down the events of “The Summer Palace,” the eventful season two premiere episode of HBO’s Succession.

Set a scant 48 hours after the first season finale, Succession season two sees Kendall Roy still reeling from his involvement in a fatal car accident, Logan Roy scrambling to battle back against a “bear hug,” and the appointment of a new successor in Shiv Roy — in theory, at least.

Josh and Emily tackle all of these plot points and much more in their first recap, and they invite you to send in your feedback for future episodes of the podcast. Do so by sending questions and comments on Twitter @PostShowRecaps.

Succession | Season 2 Preview

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Emily Fox (@emelette) have announced the successor to their Big Little Lies podcast: Succession, the HBO drama which returns for its second season on August 11. In this preview podcast, Josh and Emily offer up refreshers on where things left off in season one, who’s who in the Roy clan, and more. Send feedback to us on Twitter @PostShowRecaps.