Anyone excited for the final season of Succession? *Spoiler alert*

So there is some info about what's going on here. It answers one of my questions about the pregnancy storyline (which is in the post I've written for later tonight when we're allowed to post spoilers!)

Hmm that is a tricky one, @Blondbombsite as you'll have to avoid social media for 2 days - and I would guess might need to access it to look at travel updates or similar? So can't just block everything on your phone. You may have to avoid physical newspapers as well, I think some planning ahead may be required so you can stay out of WHSmith at the airport or whatever.

Same im hoping my ds tablet with sky go will work on holiday

When does the finale air in the UK? I think I might be on holidays too 😱😱and I can’t avoid social media for a week!!

Just marking my place for when you have all caught up. I must admit, it didnt grip me as much this week.

I hope Gerri, Ebba and Shiv will take over and fire everyone else.

Loved that. When can we talk about it 🤣

I'm going to post my thoughts now that it's gone 10pm, I think that's the rule?? Hope so.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

Wow. Well, I do think Succession does best when it's confined to one location - Logan's house, the boat. It was great (and awful) to see all the interactions in one place, and another chance to see Shiv's amazing apartment, of course.

When Matsson was sitting on the windowsill talking about how New York is boring compared to Singapore I was having flashbacks to this scene in Sex and the City: (not that I was really expecting Matsson to fall out and plummet to his death).

It was a very disorienting episode of private and public loyalties. The suggestion that right and left wing players are happy to socialise together behind the scenes. Rava trying to raise the anti-Semitism that ATN is presumably spewing and its impact on Kendall's own child, but he just seemed unable to grasp it. Shiv in freefall as it looks like she's backed the wrong horse - but is the story about the fake subscriber numbers actually a ploy cooked up by Matsson and Ebba? Despite his blingy jacket (perfect for the character) the shine seemed to come off Matsson in this episode, especially if Ebba is right and he's just a front man for someone else's tech. Ebba herself seems like she could go full psycho at any time, I hope she manages to escape from Matsson.

Shiv and Tom - clearly some extreme trauma bonding going on and I'm feeling quite traumatised myself watching Tom sext with Shiv whilst Greg fires dozens of people from ATN. Shiv seemed to be (slightly) drinking again in this episode, IS she still pregnant? Why, during that fight, would she not tell him?? If she is still pregnant, he's going to realise soon. It's a bit disconcerting that these scenes were obviously shot when Sarah Snook was less pregnant than in some of the earlier episodes, definitely giving the impression that maybe she isn't. (Since I wrote this earlier today, I've googled and there's some info an earlier post from me - the pregnancy storyline was added late, and inserted into episode 4). It was great to hear them actually talking (screaming) honestly with each other for once, I wonder where on earth they go from here. Hopefully Tom gets that bloody vineyard in the settlement as the wine sounds shit.

Connor - line of the episode is surely "a bit car bomby" to describe Mogadishu. But ultimately a very touching scene to have him take Willa's advice on the (correct) premise that she's the only person who doesn't think he's a joke. Is he going to split the vote just enough in some key battleground states that Mencken (hopefully) loses? Next week is going to be a corker.

Gerri - absolutely on fire. She is taking no prisoners and Roman I think has realised he's lost. He's betrayed Shiv and now Kendall is leaving him behind, too. Kendall seemed all over the place himself until the public speech at the party with its rather brutal message of 'dad's not even in the ground but it's time to move on', and then with the idea of acquiring GoJo. But where does that game end - Kendall has wildly overestimated the value of Living+ to drive up his stock price, Matsson has wildly overestimated his subscriber numbers to drive up his stock price ... so do both of them end up knocking over the other's house of cards in the same battle?

And Greg - what a blinder he's played this episode. Matsson and Oskar may be toying with him but his boasts of how many people he's fired were perfectly judged to appeal to them. We saw Greg and Tom maybe on opposite sides for the first time - as Matthew Macfadyen said in the podcast, don't count Greg out.

The bleakness of the funeral discussion - 'we need a tight 90'. God, dreadful. So on brand.

Loved the link, thank you @tribpot interesting theory about Tom’s Android phone…🤔

OMFG - that scene between Tom and Shiv 😱. I think I held my breath throughout - talk about 2 people ripping each other to shreds until there’s nothing left 😬. Incredible from Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyan 👏🏻

Roman is up to something at the funeral. Presumably we see what next week.
I would like more of the election and ATN's relationship with the Trump figure.
Was a bit bored for long stretched until that argument on the balcony. Finally they said everything they'd been storing up.
Why did Logan not stop Connor from his election campaign?

Has Mattson deliberately ruined Shiv and Tom's rekindled relationship? He immediately talked about their divorce, then kept talking about Tom getting fired. He is an agent of chaos, I do not mean that he has designs on Shiv.

Was anyone else worried about the balconies? They dont look secure at all, no way could I live in a “trilplex” at the top of a skyscraper.

Except the scenes with Connor and Gerri, nothing made any sense here.

Why would someone as apparently smart and savvy as Mattson need advice from Shiv on how to behave at a networking event? Why on Earth would he keep Ebba around as his communications manager and take her with him to important events if she hates his guts and makes no secret about it. Why would she want to continue working for him? Pay off and NDA would surely be the way to deal there. Why would he need Greg's ridiculous "advice" on how to fire people? Surely his own HR/lawyers can deal just fine. The whole Ebba story is bizarre and completely unbelievable. The India subscribers story is also very simplistic and just rubbish.

Tom and Shiv - from the weird Scorpio "joke present" to him constantly repeating how tired he is, again none of it made sense. Shiv just says word jumbles with lots of "fucks" in there for the sake of it. Most of the time the actual words make little sense. Although I could understand why Tom was pissed off about Shiv standing by and listening to others make fun of him. I hope he dumps her and takes her money.

Some people assume that the whole Ebba story is just made up, and Matsson and Ebba are workingtogether. It was very convenient how she spilled the beans straight away to the Roys.

That scene was so, so sad. As someone said on one of the links earlier it was reminiscent of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. I hate both of the characters, but they managed to make me feel so sorry for them. Brilliant acting and writing. Sarah Snook is so good at conveying so much with her facial expressions. Matthew Macfadyen was just sublime. Hateful yet pathetic.

Oh, that is a good theory. Does that mean the India thing is fake too? But why?

Yes I was wondering whether the whole ebbe thing was a plot to sell their company.

I'm loving this season, will be bereft when it's all over

As someone said above, there is no way Mattson needs Shiv's help! He's surely stringing her along? He said he wasn't any good at reading people?
Surely he's a master manipulator?!

I have no idea what Lukas is up to. I don’t believe that he would keep Ebba on in such a senior role if she were likely to be a blabbing liability. He would have paid her off ages ago.

So, I think that he and Ebba have cooked up the India story and the tale about the original tech being the brainchild of someone else, and are also playing Shiv like a violin. Why, though?!

Shiv and Tom have finally been truthful. A brilliantly written and acted scene with an absence of the word salad which sometimes spoils this show. Such a contrast to the scene where Connor and Willa put their cards on the table, but became closer.

I can see why a “new money” tech bro would need some guidance in navigating that more “old money” press/political event especially as a non-native.

But also would not be remotely surprised if Mattson is playing them all! I enjoyed this episode!

And the inflating numbers also totally believable for me - look at Theranos, billion dollar company build on complete fabrication.