“You think [Logan] would send poisoned donuts to the house of his grandchildren?”
Connor Roy (Alan Ruck, The Exorcist) asks this to the rest of his siblings and, while they don’t say it outright, the unanimous and factually correct answer is, “Yes, without a second thought.”
This episode saw the Roy children meeting at Kendall’s (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7) home base as he tries to bring them to his side. The dynamic the siblings have with each other are always interesting, but to see them all together is an entire experience altogether.
They definitely delivered on the entertainment factor, with Roman (Kieran Culkin, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Shiv (Sarah Snook, Predestination) arguing over whether she made “fucky eyes” at him, Roman mocking Kendall for having to try to remember his daughter’s name, and the variety of insults tossed around like pet names were a great joy.
The epitome of the quartet’s dynamic was when Shiv made a dig at Roman’s habit of sending nudes and he stormed out of the room. Connor immediately chastised Shiv, wondering why they can’t just be pleasant, and chasing after Roman to make sure he’s okay. Meanwhile, Shiv asks Kendall whether she was too harsh which he dismisses, pointing out Roman’s degradation kink and how he was probably getting off on her insulting him, making sure Shiv didn’t feel guilty and lightening the mood. Then a few minutes later the oldest and youngest return, Shiv giving a mock apology and Roman scoffing at the notion he was upset, but insulting Shiv to get the last word in before they all return back to the task at hand.
Their dysfunctional dynamic extended out towards the rest of the world, but while the siblings have known each other long enough that it works and they don’t need to worry about what they say because the others always seem to understand, they struggle to connect the same way with others. Roman and Gerri’s (J. Smith-Cameron, Search Party) relationship doesn’t necessarily apply, as Gerri has made it clear that she wants firm boundaries and lines drawn and Roman has no problem adhering to them.
Shiv and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen, Pride & Prejudice), however, are another situation entirely. Their relationship was rocky from the start with Shiv’s request for an open relationship and Tom’s willingness to go along with everything despite personal feelings, and how it all came to a head in the Season Two finale when Tom finally stood up for himself enough and lamented to Shiv about whether the sad he would be without her would be less sad than the sad he would be with her. Their relationship the past two episodes had been rather delicate, though mainly centered around the business and getting higher positions, and while this episode definitely had that, it also gave a short yet impactful scene between the two when Shiv says she loves him and he thanks her, which leads her to asking whether he loves her back. The two go back and forth saying they love each other, though Tom also points out that she can’t just keep using him and his love as though they were pieces in a game rather than her husband and his love for her. It’s a short scene and doesn’t have any lingering effects, but it’s more than enough.
This episode’s main theme was that the relationships these characters have are always transactional. Love doesn’t necessarily factor into the relationships, at least on the surface, as the children definitely don’t love their father, but they also feel a certain obligation and loyalty to him despite their resentment of him, and that is in part due to their relationships being so centered around reciprocity and personal gain; while sort of a joke, Tom even says that it’s good they don’t have an “unbalanced love portfolio,” during their phone call where he reminds her that his love isn’t currency.
This is also shown when Logan’s estranged third wife Marcia (Hiam Abbass, Ramy) agrees to come back and publicly support Logan and stand by him throughout this scandal. She initially speaks with Hugo (Fisher Stevens, The Blacklist) and Karolina (Dagmara Dominczyk, The Lost Daughter) to discuss her compensation for publicly returning to Logan’s side, making it clear that she won’t go back until the demands are met. This isn’t meant to cast judgement either way on her character, but rather show how, despite feeling humiliated by Logan’s affair in the previous season, she understands how this entire process works and agrees to the terms with her own conditions, as has been expected of every family member.
Even when he siblings were beginning to consider Kendall’s proposal, it was still laid out like a business transaction with pros and cons weighed and lofty promises of power should they join with him. While it makes sense they should consider the consequences of turning against their father and employer from a business standpoint, the proposal ultimately appealed to their emotions and mutual resentment of Logan; when making decisions, the Roy children always first consider the benefits, never truly going with the few morals and instincts they have.
This was shown when the conversation turned from fun teasing and hypotheticals regarding the future of the company and got down to the heart of the issue: the sexual misconduct and abuse conducted on their father’s cruise lines.
Kendall and Connor are forthright in accepting they were part of the problem, and while not directly causing any harm, they did turn a blind eye. Roman tries to brush it off and disagree, but does relent by the end, while Shiv vehemently argues against any knowledge, which none of her brothers believe. Kendall emphasizes that they didn’t do anything wrong and shouldn’t be held accountable for any harm done, but they can take accountability for the toxic environment they contributed to by not speaking up; a mindset that, at its core, was created to be given to the public for the optics and public approval; even when it comes to these ethical considerations, there needs to be enough in it for them that they’d take the risk.
That is why, when Logan sends donuts to Kendall’s house, the united sibling front folded in an instant.
Connor’s decision was the most indicative of the real issue, as Shiv and Roman were on the fence from the beginning. Shiv has been career motivated from the beginning, and Roman feels obligated to stand with his father with a child-like insistence that blinds him to the fact that Logan has never treated him well and had been ready to send Kendall, Roman’s brother, to prison to cover for him and the company; like an abused child, he still feels compelled to stick with his father in the hopes that he’ll change and things will get better.
Connor’s decision reached the true root of the issue in that the children are, essentially, still children when it comes to their father. To them, their father is an omniscient, all-powerful being that can never be taken down. Shiv even says to Roman earlier in the episode that their father isn’t himself from 20 years ago and is now vulnerable, which showcases the internalized mindset all the children have: their father will always have control over them because there’s simply no universe where he would be able to be taken down.
It’s even pointed out as they begin to flee Kendall’s house that Logan was always abusive. Kendall tells Connor that he isn’t wanted since he’s out of the plan, and Roman scoffs and sticks up for Connor, pointing out that the oldest sibling has heard that constantly in his life, from childhood to the present, yet they all cave when their father’s “relevant” donuts enter the scene and remind them that they will never truly be free of him.
Suddenly, their proposals and planning to takeover the company and take down their father went from being genuine and realistic consideration with a solid shot of success, to the conspiratorial musings and wishes of children who dream of a future where they’ll be adults and out from under their father’s hold.
After decades of wishing with no true results, it makes sense that they would cave as soon as their father went from being an intangible concept to a very real person with very real power and control.
All pragmatism and personal consideration were thrown out the window, however, which really emphasizes the familial power dynamic. These people strategize how to go about acknowledging and cleaning up a scandal that involves covering up systemic sexual abuse and the deaths of migrant workers, they are not above anything if it means coming out on top by the end. So for them to all back out without hesitation shows that the hold Logan has over them is far more than even the most controlling of typical parents, even non-typical; Logan Roy is a breed all his own.
On a lighter note, Greg (Nicholas Braun, How to Be Single) was an absolute delight in this episode, as always, reaching out to his first year law student friend for legal counsel on how to seek legal counsel, fumbling and attempting to ensure nothing he says or does can be used against him in any way, haplessly agreeing with what the lawyer his grandfather got him despite not understanding a single word out of his mouth, and sheepishly asking whether it would be too selfish of him to have his main priorities be not to get fired or go to prison, he’s an absolute gem and a fun side plot to follow and break up the more tense scenes.
Ultimately, while the sibling rebellion died before it could truly begin, the stakes have been raised and tension in the Roy household and company is only increasing, and it will be interesting to see where it all goes.
Rating: 9.5/10