The prison alternative – toilet wine made from fruit ketchup, but you have to “burp” the wine bag as it ferments – makes him terrified. He’s still worried about prison and confesses to the one thing he’s going to miss the most if he’s incarcerated – that first glass of cold wine on an empty stomach at the end of the workday. “Minion-wrangler and sh*teater” Terminal Tom tells Shiv that Ravenshead, the guy running ATN editorial, is refusing to pivot more negatively on its presidential coverage (something Logan wanted Shiv to set in motion), and then admits that putting the screws to Greg is about his level.
Tom has a mini-tantrum/bullying episode at Greg, but it’s revealing of Tom’s fear about going to prison while Greg leverages his way to a high-level position.Ĭousin Greg is Tom’s punching bag whenever he needs a pick-me-up. Greg doesn’t quite know what to make of the compliment/threat and neither do we – other than that Tom is clearly having a moment. Tom: “I’d castrate you and marry you in a heartbeat”. Tom asks Greg what he knows about Nero and Sporus (“This is not IP I’m familiar with”) - Nero, who pushed his wife down the stairs and castrated Sporus who was made to dress up like his dead wife. If you’re undermined, take it out on the person with less power than you. It’s the consistent power dynamic of the Roys. Whenever Tom is feeling emasculated, his go-to is to take it out on Greg. Poor Terminal Tom, not only does he get little more than a “it’s not going to happen” brush-off from Shiv, she’s really only there to give him orders, which includes “thumbscrewing” Greg. There’s no justice in the justice system, which is, of course, not a new revelation but Succession really likes to remind us how everything is rigged. You almost feel sorry for him – and that’s because Matthew Macfadyen is just so, so likeable – but it’s obscene that he gets to “shop” which prison he might like to do time in. He’s impressed at the kosher vending machines and sturdy bunks at the Jewish prison, but the fear is palpable. Meanwhile Tom is perusing through a folder of prison catalogues. Josh owns an island because of course he does. He may be shaking like a leaf but he is still shaking down Logan when so many others would have rolled right over for a belly rub. The squirrelly Greg at least has the mind to ask Logan what his loyalty is worth. Greg clutches his glass with two hands, and declares, nearly sputerring, “strong for a man,” trying to convince himself he is one. Why wouldn’t you pass up the Macallan 1926 for the nectar of the drunken uni student? Rather than physical violence, at Logan’s Cousin Greg is offered a drink – zut alors, an alcoholic one! – and he asks for a glass of rum and coke. There’s also nothing like Cousin Greg fretting about the “goons, stooges and roughjacks” waiting at Logan’s to administer a beating when he is summoned to the belly of the billion-dollar beast. There’s nothing like some schadenfreude to pull you out of a funk. Who’s the lion and who’s the gazelle? Picture: HBO/Foxtelĭespite being publicly reamed by his own sister as a drug addict, a sexist and a bad father - and probably the grassy knoll second shooter at this point - Kendall is riding high on the non-stop media coverage of his father’s offices being raided.