Succession season 3 episode 3 review and recap: Was Shiv's Kendall letter too far? (HBO)

In our Succession season 3 episode 3 review and recap we get into Kendall Roy's humiliation of Shiv, how she responded, and one of the best episodes for Roman yet as he spoke about a "fishing trip with Logan." (HBO)
SUCCESSION SEASON 3 EPISODE 2 REVIEW: THE NEGOTIATION
• Succession season 3 ep...
SUCCESSION SEASON 3 PREMIERE REVIEW: KENDALL VS. LOGAN GETS UGLY
• Succession season 3 ep...
SUCCESSION SEASON 3 PREVIEW: WILL LOGAN ROY FALL?
• Succession HBO season ...
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[@lindadegroote4750]

I think it was Logan who set up that music to be played when Shiv was talking....we never saw him set it up, but the boxes and book were just left in Kendall's office??? Nah, it was Logan to set it up so Shiv would finally go to Logan's side

[@mackjay1777]

I think it's Logan who is really 'despicable''. Kendall and his siblings are all damaged people with a horrible father and a mother who isn't any better. None of these kids were ever really loved and that's the problem. Sure, they're very wealthy, but look how happy they are. Logan just treats his children as extension of the business. He doesn't respect their feelings or innermost needs.

[@treysmith1551]

I think Tom has a plan we don’t know about. He was testing Shiv to see what she said when he suggested going down. Idk. Tom is really impressing me this season. I never really liked him that much cause I just felt like he was Shivs Pet. I think Tom will be on team Kendal

[@simonaguastalla4868]

agree 100%, you can see it in his eyes.

[@MattandJessTV]

I'd love to get something like that where we can then get some more insight on how it came about later. I wonder if a lot of the stuff at the end of last season caused Tom to open his eyes and view the world a little differently. -Matt

[@angelbedolla347]

Not sure why all this “sympathy” for Shiv over the song. First she pushed for Kendall to be the head on the spike at the end of season 2. She refused to admit that she knew what was going on when all her brothers admitted it. Their whole conversation of the wolf pack/Mo shows how full of it she is. She is also the one that was acting like she had a moral compass and that’s why she didn’t even work for her dad. During her speech she even used the slogan “we get it” after saying it sounded terrible.

[@suzannes5596]

I agree. I have no sympathy for Shiv either. She is sweeping rape and more under the rug to try to further her own take over of Waystar. Everything she does is a strategy, just not usually a very successful strategy.

[@risacord23]

Kieran Culkin plays character Roman so good. Love it. Best actors in one series!

[@MattandJessTV]

I totally agree, I'm a huge Roman fan. He's an incredibly complicated character and many times the smartest guy in the room, but his lack of confidence has him unheard. Love his character and love Kieran! - Jess

[@pushpendrachoudhary1307]

Best show right now on tv

[@MattandJessTV]

I agree 100%. This show is fantastic!!! - Jess

[@suzannes5596]

Anyone notice how Kendal is mirroring Logan in how neither of them can apologize? Logan just can't "eat shit" for Marsha and Kendal thinks he's right... he knows he's right but he "maybe threw a couple of ugly rocks." He should have played another Nirvana song... No Apologies.

[@MattandJessTV]

Oh for sure! That second episode the way he went off on his siblings felt like Logan coming through him. - Jess

[@treysmith1551]

Love this show. Great review guys

[@roxxylala26]

@4:40 I really did say under my breath "oh sh*t" when I heard Nirvana's song "Rape Me" over Shiv's speech. Things are definitely getting very very ugly between the family members. I feel it's taking its toll on Roman. Idk, he seems out of it to me.

[@MattandJessTV]

Oh 100000% me too, when I heard those first few bars of that Nirvana song I was straight up covering my eyes. I couldn't believe it would go to that level, but this show never ceases to amaze me with where they will push the bar too and I love them for it. Very uncomfortable, but for this family makes complete sense. - Jess

[@doozowings4672]

I think Pinkey is out on an iceberg now, and her dad wanted it that way..This episode was good … The way Kendal made Greg pay for that watch made it crystal clear that he is a total dirt bag .. You nailed it when you said Kendal is retaliatory, I think the ending of this will push Ken into total beast mode .. I think Kens father is right, Naomi is very bad for him and I see a HUGE train wreck with her . That said , I agree with you Roman is a rockstar and one of my favorites.

[@simonaguastalla4868]

Romoulus is the best one. I can't belive I'm saying this.

[@jamesmarieellison]

Pinky is def the favorite, and Logan is doing his best to protect her. Now, I am beginning to think how it went down in season 2 with not naming Shiv. It was to protect her.

[@doozowings4672]

@@jamesmarieellison I'm not so sure Logan is protecting her. I do think he is creating the illusion of protecting her . I think he would send her to prison they same way he was about to send Kendal to prison.

[@angelbedolla347]

I agree but Greg is no different lol he’s two timing both sides and already blackmailed Tom. He also didn’t make Greg get the watch it was his choice. and we don’t actually see a scene where Kendall had offer to gift him a watch from what I remember (correct me if I am wrong).

[@angelbedolla347]

@@simonaguastalla4868 no, lol Romulus is an idiot and has some real fucked up sexual tendencies.

[@gomez3420]

This is my favorite drama on TV. I remember saying to myself after the first two season that this is the first show that I have seen where none of the main characters are likable....and season three has not changed that notion one bit. Logan is my least liked character followed by Roman.

[@MattandJessTV]

Oh yeah for sure, no one is really likeable but everyone is compelling! Reminds me of The Wire in that way. - Jess

[@SteelerY360Nation]

I like the characters Tom & Gerri (no pun intended). The ones I dislike are Shiv and Roman. Shiv deserved what Kendall did with that Nirvana song. I wish you 2 would review BMF too. What a great show on HBO

[@MattandJessTV]

BMF has for sure been on our radar since before it came out and we've heard it's excellent. We have such a stacked work schedule between youtube and our website that we couldn't cover it, but I plan to catch up it over the holidays. - Jess

[@kiiodmf]

Mentioning Roman is also one of my favorite characters, I think that in the midst of all his extravagance he is the most sincere of them and if he is broken (my poor boy Roman) and beyond that there may be a relationship between him and Gerri (I think she feels something good beyond any convenient manipulation), I think that her presence, that she takes it into account and in some way respects or shows consideration when listening to it (even in those uploaded telephone conversations of tone) are helping you to be more confident and follow an old-fashioned learning path with a good mentor (Gerri of course), I really hope that when you tip the balance you do not betray you and that your bond or association is stronger (but it is succession so I do not have pink illusions).

[@MattandJessTV]

I really like the relationship with Gerri and Roman. She seems to be the only one that is mentoring him or even listening to him. No one takes him seriously and he's quite smart and has offered tons of great ideas over the years. - jess

[@killapositionz2]

The best music in any episode. That ending was perfect.

[@MattandJessTV]

Fantastic end to a fantastic episode! This season is firing on all cylinders! I'm so happy this show is back :) - Jess

[@kuromyou7969]

3:39 people on reddit think that the song was actually done by Logan, to get Shiv on his side. How else did Logan know Kendall was going to do anything? She walked in and he said, "do you see now?"

[@MattandJessTV]

It's an interesting theory, and we know that Logan is despicable enough in order to pull something like that off... -Matt

[@Js6390c]

Did anyone think that when Shiv approached Kendall at the award ceremony she was actuallly offering an olive branch & if Kendall would have heard her out she may have joined him? I felt that after seeing her father's bulldozing of Geri, demeaning of Roman , total disregard for the FBI's authority & his bs excuses for all the wrongdoing Shiv had an aha moment where she realized her dad might actuallly destroy the company as well as the family. I felt like after she heard her father deny stuff that she knew was true & he knew she knew either out of disgust or self preservation she seriously considering joining Ken. In real life a similar awakening happened to Barry Goldwater during Watergate that caused him to abandon Nixon. In a private meeting Nixon admitted some of the wrongdoing & promised Goldwater he would stop lying to the public as well as come clean about some of the criminality he in exchange he asked that Goldwater stick by him. Goldwater offers up public support of Nixon then when it was Nixon's turn not only did he neglect to come clean he added to the lies. Goldwater was able to understand why Nixon lied publicly for political reasons but when he lied to Goldwater privately he knew Nixon was not only untrustworthy he was a person he could ever respect again. If you watch the scenes where they are having a strategy session & Shiv's 1 on 1 with her day she definitely was disgusted & looked uncomfortable. However when Kendall assumed Shiv's presence & conversation at the banquet was as a spy or for nefarious intent he went off on her she was taken back. Then when his antics sabotaged her speech she opted to go nuclear. I think what hurt Shiv the most about the sabotage was the fact that it was her first official act with the company. Knowing the importance of first impressions & the fact often they have a lasting impact he damaged her more than he knew. It also eviscerated any chance of those in attendance believing that the company is not at risk & everything is going to be fine. Last week Shiv, Connor & Roman all felt slighted or disrespected that Kendall assumed he should be the CEO & they would all be a rung below him in terms of chain of command, none of them were willing to be a number 2. However I also believe after seeing how Geri was being treated & how her father wasnt going to conform to a modified command structure she was more willing to join Kendall. The expression on Shiv's face in those scenes seemed to also indicate/ realize as long as her father was alive & free anyone who took over the #1 spot would never actually be in charge. Thus being number 2 under Kendall might be a better choice because she would be a legitimate decision maker with autonomy. Plus knowing that Kendall is a genuine mess her moving up to was an inevitable matter of when not if. Lastly I love the music & score of the show it always adds to the presentation even with tonights use of song. However if someone said a song by Nirvana' s going to be used in the episode & gave me 20 guesses of what song it would be " Rape Me" wouldn't have been one. After that song was used I might place a prop bet in Vegas that Nine Inch Nails song "Closer" will be used before the series concludes.

[@harena6267]

I wonder if Logan is going to threaten Kendall with outing he was complicit in the waiters death

[@MattandJessTV]

I don't think so. Logan's wife brought that up near the end of episode two this season and he said that if he drops that bomb it will explode on himself because he's helped to cover it up too much. - Jess

[@angelbedolla347]

Didn’t Shiv throw Kendall under the bus at the end of season 2? She pushed for him to go down, don’t think she cares much for Kendall. And as for who is lobbying the hardest are you kidding? Kendall is the only one with real knowledge and experience he spent 2 years running their company in China.

[@MattandJessTV]

Shiv and Kendall have both run the bus over each other multiple times over the years. I don't feel sorry for Kendall or Shiv, they have both been awful to each other, so for me, neither gets a pass. - Jess

[@queeeeericuraaaaaaaa]

I get the disappointment you guys had on Greg giving Tom the heads up, but at the same time it just shows you he ain't playing around, Greg has a PhD on snaking from this family and he's playing both sides perfectly! hahaha Oh and Roman is my favorite character too! I think he'll end up with the gold somehow :)

[@jamesmarieellison]

I have soft spot for Shiv, first and foremost, but each siblings this episode wow oh wow to grow up under a parent such as Logan.

[@MattandJessTV]

I feel bad for all the kids that grew up with Logan as a father who neglected them to their face and their mother who just straight up abandoned them and left the country. Each of them deal with it in their own way, but no one's dealing with it well. - Jess

[@jtlaramore4946]

I still wholeheartedly believe that Greg the Egg will be the last man standing when everything is said and done. Either he’s been playing dumb the whole time or he’s about to seize a major opportunity.

[@MattandJessTV]

Matt is right there with you, he thinks Greg will end up with everything kinda like Big Head on Silicon Valley. - Jess

[@kiiodmf]

I recently saw an interview with J Smith Cameron in which he was asked who was the worst person after Logan? and she said that Shiv and that he honored his diminutive like a dagger, it may be that they are all damaged but they have limits to hurt each other I think she crossed a line in the statement against Kendall, and I don't know why but I'm looking at Roman as the most conscious in some crazy way, there is a scene from the chapter where Logan catches him before entering Gerri's office ups! Daddy is realizing! On the other hand, Kendall is out of control, someone to hold him, please! I couldn't bear to see him fall again! maybe Nan Pierce should help him because his cousin Naomi is not very supportive...and she seems more lost than him...Be careful with Nirvana, we already know how this whole thing ended, I don't want to think that they could kill Kendall... I think Kendall's personal journey has been a twisted maturity, and in tonight's episode, he seems to have learned an important lesson: pushing against his father's values ​​has only tied him further. Such self-awareness is not easy in a family that protects its wealth first and puts sentiment last. Maybe now something about Kendall can change. Or maybe something already did: In the final shot of the episode, as Kendall watches the news of the FBI raid, Strong lets her character crack a small smile, and feels authentic (gesture similar to Logan at the end of the film. previous season)

[@standswithalean5413]

Too much confusion. Is it Shiv?, is it Logan?, is it Kendall? Is it Gerry?

[@tashareed223]

When u look at the promo picture Tom and Gregg are behind Kendall and shiv, Roman and Connor is behind Logan. I think Tom will flip. I feel sorry for Tom. This show is awesome!

[@kissmybuttID]

There are several of those posters. All of them are different in who stands behind Logan and Kendall.

[@crystalrossow-hobbs3268]

I think Marcia is going to come out on top.

[@MattandJessTV]

She very well could! - Jess

[@nanasakvarelidze9148]

I don't agree with you. Kendall never deserved what he got from Shiv. Shiv is despicable.

[@MattandJessTV]

That's okay, we didn't expect everyone to agree with us. We know that many are huge Kendall fans no matter what he does, he's Matt's favorite character too. For me, I like Kendall a lot, but he is accountable for his part, just as Shiv is too. I think neither of them deserve a pass. Kendall has done some terrible things to Shiv and she has done awful terrible things to Kendall. Kendall's hands aren't clean, neither are Shiv's. That's what makes the back and forth between them as good as it is, it keeps ramping up with how awful they are to each other. - Jess

[@nanasakvarelidze9148]

@@MattandJessTV I do agree with that: both of them are monsters, but what I "respect" about Kendall is that he never hides (except season 2 where he was abused and used by his father and lost) that he wants to takeover the company while Shiv does not know where her loyalties are.

[@MattandJessTV]

@@nanasakvarelidze9148 Watching season 2 with Kendall's story was so difficult. He was such a broken man, I really felt bad for him and Logan really put the screws to him to take advantage of that situation and keep him under his thumb. Tough story to watch, but so well written and performed. - Jess

[@ronaldmwandama8650]

Why don't you review BMF?

[@MattandJessTV]

Our schedule is just so packed with work we haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, but it’s number one on my list once I have more time. I hear it’s excellent. - Jess

[@BonnChnd]

Kendall is NO saint. Playing “R-- Me? That was worse than Shiv’s letter, however, I think the people who watch this show are on Kendall’s side because, well…you know why…cuz she’s a woman. My 1 cent worth.

[@MattandJessTV]

oh for sure, most people that watch this show are team kendall no matter what he says or does and I think most of it is because after he accidentally killed that waiter people became more sympathetic to him last season. I'm on an island with Roman being the character I find the most fascinating. I've seen a lot of comments that think Shiv went too far, but that nirvana song at that time when she finally had a spot in the company, making her first speech... that's a first impression she's stuck with her whole career now. That was brutal. This whole episode was wildly uncomfortable on all fronts lol - Jess

[@BonnChnd]

Jess-thank you for your reply and thank you for reviewing this show. I’m so happy there IS a show! After GoT I had virtually nothing to watch. The mean comments do bother me because they are so ugly toward women and I don’t understand where that comes from. Anyway, as far as the show goes, I bet we will get to the end of the season and everything will be the same…no progress. Hope I’m wrong. Thanks again!

[@angelbedolla347]

You are right he is no saint and nor is his sister. I mean she already planned to had him go to prison during last season (curious if that’s going to come up). As for what’s wrong correct me if I am wrong but didn’t the song play at a private company meeting? No media. While that letter is public. And no I don’t have sides on the siblings just want Logan to go down.

[@harena6267]

Kendall reminds me of a president we just got rid of. He is a narcissist with n I redeeming qualities. He should be packing groceries at the local supermarket

[@bryantbarth9051]

I wonder why Hiam Abbass is now recurring?