‘Succession’ Episode 6: Kendall Is Cringe, But Is He Free?

Once again, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) seems to have notched an unlikely win, delivering a cringey yet ultimately effective product launch for Waystar Royco’s latest business venture: the planned community Living+. “When Kendall’s giving his speech and he’s talking about how [Living+] is gonna have discreet security, it’s like, ‘Oh, this is for rich white people who feel terrified that Black Lives Matter is gonna come get them,” notes Richard Lawson on this week’s episode of Still Watching. “But that’s what the Fox News set wants to hear.”

While Kendall and the gleam in his eye are impressing investors, Roman (Kieran Culkin) is flailing and firing anyone who rubs him the wrong way—from Waystar Studios exec Joy (Annabeth Gish) to Geri (J. Smith Cameron). Still Watching co-host Chris Murphy posits that Geri’s warning to Roman is Shakespearean in scope, something that might foreshadow a tragic end for Roman. “[Roman] was always good at sort of squirming around daddy and courting his favor, and he would always retreat, sucking his thumb back to his lap,” agrees Lawson. “We saw that right before Logan died. And now that he doesn’t have that, he’s a baby with a gun.” 

Elsewhere in the episode, Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) seem to be reconciling in their own twisted way. The episode’s director Lorene Scafaria dropped by Still Watching and let viewers in on the complicated power dynamic between the somewhat estranged couple. “Bitey was just electrifying to watch,” said Scafaria. “It’s like they’ve already kissed under the bleachers, so now they’re teenagers at a party. Of course their expression of love can’t help but have some violence in it of who can hurt the other.”

Despite Kendall’s big win, there’s still plenty that can go wrong for the Roy family. Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the sixth episode of the final season of Succession. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.