‘Succession’: The Castle Crumbles Without Logan in ‘Retired Janitors of Idaho’ (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Succession, Season 3, Episode 5, “Retired Janitors of Idaho.”]
Succession continues to remind viewers that despite all of the drama taking place between Logan (Brian Cox) and Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), the HBO hit is actually really really funny.
In the show’s latest installment, a pivotal shareholders meeting is poised to take place and after their less-than-productive meeting with Josh Aaronson (Adrien Brody) in the prior episode leaves Waystar Royco’s position in the balance. Opening the action at Logan’s house, he’s now wearing a boot after his hazardous walk in the previous installment.
Just as he’s about to get in the car for the meeting, his assistant asks if she can help him, and he considers going back in to use the restroom but shakes it off. Meanwhile, Kendall is raring to go because he sees this day as a potential win for him, but a phone call to Frank (Peter Friedman) reveals that things could go to a vote.
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At the location of the meeting, Shiv (Sarah Snook) asks where they stand when it comes to securing control, and when Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) tells her that no agreement has been made with Stewy (Arian Moayed) or Sandi (Hope Davis) which would leave the decision making to a vote cast by shareholders.
“We’re gonna lose the company,” Shiv worries aloud, just as eldest brother Connor (Alan Ruck) shows up with threats of potential blackmail if the Roys don’t come out of the day victorious. As Logan’s team wonders if there’s a way to delay the vote for more negotiation time, he tells them that they need to turn the temp of the DOJ down before votes are potentially taken.
On Kendall’s side of things, he meets with Stewy and relays that he wants to settle on a scenario that works for both of them, warning his friend that Logan’s ready to let things go to a vote. This prompts Stewy to give Gerri a call and ask for a meeting with Logan wherein they hope to settle things.
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And so, Shiv, Gerri, Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Karl (David Rasche) represent Logan at a meeting with Sandi, Stewy, and Sandy (Larry Pine) who is supposedly suffering from dementia. Essentially, the trio says they’re willing to back off on a takeover of Waystar if they have their costs covered and are promised a veto so that none of Logan’s family ever becomes CEO.
They call Logan to consult, but he won’t allow a veto, which makes Stewy, Sandi, and Sandy ask for more time to think. It’s at this point in the episode, that viewers should notice the separation that Logan seems to have with the rest of the team and when Connor strolls over to ask for a job within Waystar, his father appears to be daydreaming in his own world.
On their way back to the whole group, Gerri apologizes to Roman for potentially ruining his chances of one day becoming CEO. Shiv on the other hand feels better about the situation and calls to tell Logan how things are going. Kendall talks with Stewy over the phone as well just as Greg (Nicholas Braun) is showing up. He apologizes to his cousin for joining Waystar’s joint legal defenses, and while Kendall doesn’t seem that torn up about it, he does warn Greg he might have to “burn” him, a predicament that doesn’t sound thrilling to the novice.
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After that face-to-face with Kendall, Greg goes to meet his grandfather Ewan (James Cromwell) and former lawyer Mr. Pugh (Peter Riegert) only to be brutally leveled. Ewan informs Greg that after abruptly leaving Mr. Pugh’s legal umbrella, he’s now changing his will to leave all funds to charities, particularly Greenpeace. Greg is understandably upset, but Ewan makes it clear to his grandson that he needs to start taking himself seriously and avoid a life in “service of a monstrous endeavor.”
As deliberations still occur, Frank is sent to tell shareholders that a deal has been reached and no vote will be necessary, but Logan doesn’t like the deal and feels suspicious. He wants Kendall out of the building. When Sandi calls Gerri and offers to an agreement if Waystar agrees to let go of their private jets. Before the team can get an answer on if that’s good or not, Logan insists that he has to pee and Karl is sent to tell Frank to vamp.
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Upon coming back, Logan’s behavior is even more erratic as he says “f**k ’em,” about making a deal with Stewy and Sandi. He then asks one of his right-hand men for pills but is told he just took some, the confusion is clear, but the cause isn’t right away. As everyone around him worries about gambling the company with a vote. Shiv makes a call to Sandi to ask if they can drop the private jets request, but she won’t budge. So Shiv hands Greg a note to run to Frank who is still on stage in order to keep from saying anything out of turn to the shareholders. Kendall calls Stewy to try and understand what’s going on, and the businessman tells Kendall Sandy is immovable but that they’re still willing to make a deal.
At the same time, Logan has gone back to the bathroom with Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) in tow. Completely out of it at this point, Logan has a distressing moment in the stall and requires his son-in-law’s help. Upon returning to the team’s sitting area, Tom tells Shiv that something is wrong with Logan and she calls her father’s assistant to find out why he’s confused. Supposedly the Roy patriarch is suffering from a UTI, which at Logan’s age could be extremely dangerous, especially when it comes to confusion, a symptom that occurs when he doesn’t take meds.
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Just as they’re trying to deal with Logan’s situation, Kendall comes in to yell that they’re throwing the company away if they don’t make a deal with Sandy and Stewie. In the corner, Logan is being tended to but is also experiencing delusions of seeing dead cats and thinking certain people on his team are different people from his life.
Gerri is pulled on stage when she checks in on Frank who is still filibustering on stage, but being done and over the spotlight, he puts Gerri on the spot and escapes. She doesn’t stay too long, hitting a button for a video presentation so she can head back to the discussion. Together, Logan’s team begins to wonder what their next move is. Shiv tries to tell them he’d want to make the deal, but when the president calls to talk with Logan, but clearly impaired, the honor goes to Roman who is told that the “raisin” won’t be running for another term, essentially taking a somewhat ally out of Waystar’s pocket.
Meanwhile, Greg calls someone to ask about the potential of suing his grandfather over his lost inheritance, and Shiv asks Sandi if they can work something out. Ultimately, she cuts a deal that gives both sides an extra seat on the board and drops private jets. Tom takes this happy moment to try and make a move on his wife, and she pieces together that he’s trying to get her pregnant because he wants to leave a part of him with her if he ends up in prison.
As Karl announces Waystar’s deal that will make a vote unnecessary, Kendall worms his way onto the stage to make some comments about the company’s alleged wrongdoings. He asks for a moment of silence and reveals he’s starting a foundation that would help victims of the company.
Now with some coherence, Logan begins to take in the situation that’s unfolded while he was unaware. Needless to say, he’s not happy and he doesn’t like the deal Shiv made. After Kendall’s stunt on stage, he has his assistant call for a meeting, but then never shows. When Kendall calls Logan’s phone, he tells his assistant to block the number.
Has all affection Logan has for Kendall disappeared? It seems that way, but only time will tell for certain. One thing’s for sure, we wouldn’t get in the mogul’s way.
Succession, Season 3, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO
