What Are You Watching?
A podcast for people who LOVE movies. Filmmakers/best friends, Alex Withrow and Nick Dostal, do their part to keep film alive. Thanks for listening, and happy watching!
What Are You Watching?
TV Minisode: Succession Series Finale
Alex and special guest, Kat Dame (‘Two Mics, One Kat’®), break down the series finale of HBO’s “Succession.” The two discuss standout scenes from the show, all their favorite characters, predictions for each actor’s career, Brian Cox’s hilarious interviews, Jeremy Strong’s process, and much more.
Later, in a rapid-fire What Are You Watching segment, they quickly review a ton of new TV shows and movies, and talk some shit about the Oscars.
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Watch Alex's films at http://alexwithrow.com/
Watch Nick's films at https://www.nicholasdostal.com/
Send us mailbag questions at whatareyouwatchingpodcast@gmail.com
Hey, everyone. Welcome to What are you watching? I'm Alex Withrow. And wow, do we have something fun and different today? Nick is not here. He has not seen HBO's Succession, which just ended its four season run to much acclaim. I love this show. I have been watching from the beginning. I've loved it from the beginning. I have some thoughts on the finale and the show in general, but I certainly didn't want to do it alone. So we have a very special guest here today, my good friend Kat. Dame Kat and I have worked together for over four years now. She is super cool. We talk about movies and TV shows all the time. She watches every TV show. I swear to God, everything. Whenever I have a question about a series, miniseries, whatever I ask her, she'll tell me if it will be worth my time or not. We tend to agree on most things, and while we are agreeing, she is more often than not cracking me up. She is, without question, one of the funniest people I've ever met, so I thought she would make for great guest and I really hope you all enjoy this conversation. I know it's a bit different for the pod. We do not talk about TV a lot. We will, you know, occasionally highlight a standout mini series, but this is the first time we've dedicated a whole episode to TV. And I will get to the reasons why. Make sure you stay tuned after we're done talking about succession, because we have a great sort of rapid fire. What are you watching? Segment where we talk about a ton of recent TV shows and movies. Just really quick reviews. We get in a few shots at the Oscars because why not? Spoilers. We are going to talk about all of succession, especially the series finale, in great detail. This is a succession pod, so all information is free reign. And then in the Rapidfire segment, I just wanted to highlight that I did see Spider-Man across the spider-verse. And while I do not talk about any of the content in the movie, I do talk about a title card that is featured at the end of the movie. So do with that information what you will. It's you know, it's pretty well known if you've been paying attention to these things, but I do get into it just a little bit. That's enough for me. Let's get to my discussion with Cat talking about succession. Here we go. All right, let's do it. Cat Davis here to talk about succession. He never talk about TV on the podcast. We always talk about movies. This is a big deal. You're like one of our first ever guests. So I love this succession. You're a fan? I'm a fan. First, I want people to kind of meet you a little bit. Mm hmm. Hi. Introduce yourself. Hi. Tell us who you are. A little bit. Two mikes, one cat two coming at you. Yes, yes, yes. This is the guest segment. Yeah. Mike's one cat. Oh, my God. I can. You can. You can have. We can have, like, a little song, a little ditty. I can create a ditty. I we talked about, like when I first started this podcast with my friend, I said I was going to have you on to give us cats takes. Yeah. Takes that I was two mikes. One cat is pretty good. It is. It is. It's pretty good. All right. Tell me about I want people to know a little bit about you. So, like, in general, what kind of TV movie fan are you like? I know, but yeah, I know. You know, I like weird. Yes, but not too weird, right? Like, what's that movie that with the flowers and the. That I can't stand Midsummer Summer to make me feel like a Yankee feeling. I like dark. Yes. The kind of comedy I like. It's like thinking comedies like that kind of stuff. Yeah. You and I. Very similar since we do. Yeah. Step Brothers is hilarious. I think several. This is great. Step Brothers. Yeah. So stupid. It's the whole point. I like that about it. So anything and everything. I grew up on it and my brother like on TV, I would be because I'm aging myself. I would be sitting there like with the TV guide in front of the TV just waiting for my shows to start. I used to do that too. Yeah. And like, watch this screen go and be like, okay, I got Roseanne. At this time. I was a lot to watch. I was like, I'm, look, I'm lying. But yeah, I was it. No, no, no, no. To Crass and I know to no me neither. Place No, I was allowed to. Oh, you heard it like Melrose Place Mondays at eight or nine. I remember. Yeah. Yeah. Watch. Oh, my God. It was just fresh. Yeah. Yeah. I love that show. Yeah. So you and I are very similar. We are. And in, like, our taste, I think. But then the reason why I wanted to have you on for this is because we started talking about succession. Yeah. And you said right at the top you went best finale of a TV show ever. Ever. And I went. Hold that thought. If you want to come on the pod for, like, I don't know, 20, 30 minutes, I want to hear about this. People who are listening to this are probably fans. I'm not going to do like a breakdown of the show. You know what succession is, you know, just ended on HBO after four seasons. The finale was huge. And one thing I talk about a lot on this podcast is that movies are not really the center of the conversation anymore. I cannot remember the last time everyone in my life was talking about one thing of entertainment, and this finale was that people were like, everyone saw it and everyone was talking about it. So yeah, why is it the best TV finale ever? I mean, I loved it, but why did you like it? I think because it was it was perfectly executed in terms of the storyline and the character development. Right. So and the fact that the director had it from he knew the whole thing in his mind. Right. Like and he didn't stray from that. Right. I think. And he committed to it and he didn't let the hype like it wasn't a Game of Thrones thing, right? We're like everything out popular. And they tried to capitalize on that popularity and then it just was the shit is what has so many people us shittiest. And so you didn't like that one Game of Thrones and you were. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Whereas where people are like, scared to watch House Dragon now because of that, you know, they're like, tainted. They fear for it. True. And I feel and also as a fan for succession Yeah Jesse Armstrong like gave it to us like he was like you guys are awesome. You're such loyal fans. Here's this wrapped up in a bow present, but not neatly in a bow. Yeah. Yeah, right. I get you were able to think about. Okay, what's his character like now? What's what's what's Siobhan doing right now? Right. Right. Is she like her mom or she's in like B, I am living her best life. Like, what are they doing right now? What's Roman doing? You know, I like to think about the characters afterwards. Same here. And I like that. It wasn't like, definitive. I heard some rumors, and maybe they'll like, flash forward and they'll be kind of older and seeing. I don't want that know, don't need it, get it all. I mean, I want to jump. Yes, I agree with all of that. Like, I didn't you know, it's setting everything up so well. And when, you know, she lives on the side of Madison, when we start the finale and I'm like, where is this going to go? And I think the question, given the title of the show, is who's going to Succeed in what I realized. And that is I was like, Oh, no one wins this shit, right? But they're all just even though Tom, quote unquote, like, did he win even though he's CEO? I don't know. He's just what does he say to Madison? Like I'm a I can be controlled. Like I'm just a little bit. Yeah, it's a little yeah. I mean, Mattson says, like, I want to sleep with your wife. Will you be my CFO? It's like, Yeah, I can do it. I mean, sure, she's grown a baby inside of her, and you can have some of that for sure. Yeah. Yeah. That's such a snake. Okay, There were so many highlights here. I just want to know some of your, like, favorite scenes from that first phone call when Shiv is on her private jet, and then she calls Tom and they're, like, actually talking like, can this work? Oh, right, right, right. For one, maybe like the first time he goes, I just I don't know, like, I don't know if this can work because obviously earlier in the season, that fight they had on the balcony was like, so the all timer argument, oh, my God, it was so, so nasty, so evil. And then they get to Barbados. This is funny. I went to a wedding in Barbados last summer. Yeah. Never been there. And as soon as they saw this, as soon as they showed the scene, I was like, this Barbados, I notice. Oh, yes. You look at me. Fancy, fancy, fancy face, eggs. Have you ever heard ice cold face eggs? And that's what Caroline got. The mom called. She was like, I don't like I said, these squishy things. Little face eggs. That's amazing. Yeah, that after they leave Barbados, there's that conversation between Mattsson and Tom when he offers in the job. Right, Right, right. They gave me House of Cards Vibes. Yeah, Yeah, they gave me a huge house car, like in the beginning of season three, where it's like, you guys are so fucked up and. And you both know you're fucked up, but you both know you're both so dependent on just knowing that you're like, I can only have you. You're only going to be the one that deals with me and I'm going to be the only one that deals with you. Yeah. So we have to be fucked up together and make it work. And Shiv and Tom thing. Yeah, because that's kind of a question throughout the series is what? To me, it kind of seems like he's with her to get it in in the way Star to do 100%. Yeah. So then my question is like why is she with him. It doesn't, but I think it's this Yeah, it's the emotional like balance that I mean she can kind of control them. She can, right? She's running the show for most of this show in terms of their relationship until it turns the table at the end and he's in charge and it's like boom, boom, boom. The camera leans into her and he's like, I have a car in tow if you want to meet me outside of it. Mr. CEO, that handhold the handhold and hold dearest bitch. Yeah, exactly. So good. Okay. One thing the show doesn't do often is let us see. I'm excluding Conner. You know, I love Alvin Broken. I'm a cop. Good. You're content. Yeah, but when we get to see the three Shiv, Kendall and Roman, like, be siblings, and they were nice to each other in this house in Barbados, you know, meal fit for King. He dumped that, you know, blender on top of his head. I don't know if that was scripted, but that reaction from Jeremy Strong with real very intense guy Jeremy Oh he's character a lot Oh yeah. Oh yeah. You ever had a Brian Cox interview like since he's been offered? Yes, of course. I've read like every single one. Good. He does shit out of all the time and you know, he's just crying and he's like, I murdered DDL. Yeah, I worked with DDL. He was my mentor. That's true. I loved the slapping scene with the Disgusting Brothers bathroom. Yes, I was. Yeah, that was a great one. Yes. Because stuck up for himself, Kristy finally slapped the shit out of him. And then. But still, like, Tom owns them, right? So he's like, you're not going to get maybe you'll get your six figure salary. You stole 200,000 videos, you know, huge pay cut. You know, I love that moment. And when he did that, like, the music kind of swelled up like so Greg like, have a little fight to him. I'm like, All right, Cousin Greg. And then they're getting in that I love him. Once they get back into the corporate offices in the finale. And that's basically where we stay until the end. It's like a half hour live. That is some of the best television or film filmmaking I've ever seen because they're walking in there and I'm like, okay, I think so anxious. They're all on the same side, like, how is this going to go? And then I think when everything changes and when things start to change in shifts mind is when Kendall, you know, sits at Logan's desk and they're like, Yeah, whatever. It's fine. Oh, he's talking to Stewie, and he puts his feet up and he goes, You know, you're a bullshit. You like pancakes and waffles and you kiss guys on Molly. You're not the heart of darkness. You're. You're a grilled cheese with a suck dick. Let us clean you up. That's, like, the funniest thing I've ever heard. But really, that, like, sealed his fate. You see the. The wheels spinning within shed and then. Yeah. When do you think she changed her mind? You think it was in that moment? I think she kind of always knew. Yeah, but that moment sealed the deal. Yeah, I think. I think it's always in the back of her head. You know, that really famous thing, like the last thing Brian Cox said to them. You are. I love you. You are not series. Right? Exactly. And I think she she realizes like this My brother is not a serious person when he gets in the boardroom and he's like, you know, this deal's shit. We don't we don't have it. And he thinks it's going to be all good. But actually, Shiv withholds her vote. And then they go in the boardroom and the three way argument, it's like, What did you think of that? I was so anxious. Yeah, I was like, cheeks clench. Yeah, because what's going to happen? Okay, here's one thing I want to say about finales for shows that go like on and on for seasons. We as an audience have to accept that, like there's shit subplots that just aren't going to be brought up exactly that way back in season one to like there are actual shows, I think Friday Night Lights, the show is one where they like kill someone in the second half, in the second season and then it's like it's a major arc of that season. Succession. Roman has a kid, like there's a kid in there and a wife because I just watched I, I told you, I started rewatching it. Yeah. And the first episode in the pilot episode, Roman is there with a woman and he has a ring on and there's a kid. And so I looked it up. I was like, I don't remember that. And it was just because as part of the pilot and then they realized that that character was just too gross and disgusting, that he would never have settled down. Oh, because I remember I rewatched the whole damn thing and like, for preparing for this after the finale, I rewatched every episode I remember. He does have that woman with him. Oh, okay. So that and yeah, you have to do stuff like that. Sometimes you have to scrap it, right? There were some threads kind of hanging out here in succession for season four. I'm like, Are we ever going to see or meet Kendall's two kids again who we don't get? Oh, right. Are they ever going to mention the fact that he, like, killed or kind of killed her? Who's involved in the death in season one? Oh, that's what I mean when when they brought that back around and she's like, you can't be in charge. You killed someone. It's like, boom, hammer drop. I knew what a little asshole. And he denied it. Denied it? No, that was just a and that, I think, changes Roman's mind. Roman's like, Wait a minute, that was a move. Like you said that to us, right? I love that. Just Kendall like, that's what's going to change their mind that, no, I didn't actually kill someone. I was lying about that to get your trust. Oh, I loved it. But, yeah, I want to know when they drop. When Shiv drops that hammer on him and Jeremy Strong. Kendall's just so desperate and, like, crying, and, I mean, he's begging. It's like, Please, please. And then when he threatens, I mean, suicide, basically. Like, I'm not going to be able to live if I don't have this right. It's sad. It's. It's weird, right? That's why the show is so great, because all the characters are terrible. They're terrible people. But you still feel empathy for them. Yeah. And that's what makes the show so great. You're like, I'm just as fucked up as I'm sitting here. Like, thinking, like, so true. Kendall, don't jump off the boat in that water. Because at the end I was like, What's for security? Aren't going to do it. The savior of, is he going to follow you around for the rest of your life? This guy doesn't want that. No, He's Brian Cox's body. The woman's body. He was out. Colin the Grim Reaper guy. He was out. And then, you know, it's like Kendall kind of threatened him, like, No, don't talk to a therapist. Come back and talk to me. I don't want you talking about how I killed someone. Right? Few years ago. So when Shiv drops that hammer, you can't have it. He's begging. And then we get to see Roman, who's been pretty, like, controlled this episode so far. When he says that stuff about his kids and it's like, Whoa, I mean, now we're just we're just going. And that is so, you know, having grown up with a sibling and we didn't get along when you when you just go for like the source spot possible, like right here we go. I'm going in and grabs his face like he's going to, I don't know, squishes it it was just a Game of Thrones, right? Yeah. I would like to say, you know, it's pushing the line, you know? Yeah. Was that with Pedro Pascal? Wasn't that one or what? The mountain. Mountain? Yeah, the mountain did it right. But I didn't even catch that at first. I was like, What did he say about his kids? Yeah, we had a text. My friend is like, What did he say? Oh, yeah, I didn't catch it really the first time. And I went, Well, Oh. And then when I went back and rewound it, I mean he says like awful shit, but he's doing it just to provoke him. He's like, Yeah, if I provoke you here and then you, you know, try to squish my face to death, then we're not going to have you in a class. Yeah. And here it and just I don't know how much I don't know if you could script this stuff, but the way were the conversations and you just sits on the table like cross-legged. I know. It is like it's. We're bullshit, we're bullshit. It's done. It's done. Oh, God, I loved it. But yeah, I mean that those like, final 30 minutes, so tense and ivory. Watch that. Like the final episode and that final scene three or four times now it just holds up and it really will go down. It's like one of the all time great finales, and I loved it 100%. I absolutely loved it. But yes, when they left and Kendall got on that elevator, I'm like, is he going up to go in? Because he used to love to go up to the roof and look out or go into the water. And then. All right, let's talk about these real quick, like these cutaways at the ending. Did you get what Roman was doing, like the last time we see him with the martini? What do you mean? I didn't get this one. I saw. That is Jerry's drink of choice. Oh, yes, yes, It's okay. Yeah, It's like an image. A little smile right up there. That's right. Yeah. And I love her. God. And we'll talk about the characters in a second, but one of their last conversations is when think it's in episode nine, when they're in the apartment, right? Yeah, Yeah, the apartment. And he goes, What are you going have, Jerry? Let me guess, a martini any boxer like perfectly. And that's and then I realized, okay, he's having his little martini, which I love. Yeah, that's good. Shiv and Tom in the car, which is. I mean, just. That's where I got, like, strong house of cards. Yeah, right there. Yeah, I felt like that kind of presidential scene. Yeah. What happens now between them? What do you think? Like, are they just going to live? They're going to be together forever. Yeah, Yeah, probably. But I mean, she's going to be her mom. She's her mom. She trans she just in that moment, she's now her mom. Yeah. You know, like she's going to be a shitty mom. Yeah, she's not going to take care of them. She's never going to be in the boardroom again. Right? But she's going to have her husband's going to be earning all the money. She's her mom now. Yeah, I didn't even think about that. That's totally true. That cycle, which she absolutely did not want to be, that's probably the thing. She wants to be the leader right in life. And then I love going back in episode because episode nine was great with the that was a funeral. And so the mom just sees Shiv and like has it announced she's pregnant? And Mom's like, Mm, I just figured your mom's. Oh, she's you know what I just thought of as we were talking about the mom, too. So Logan came from nothing, right? Like they talked about that. We learned a lot about his backstory this season, which was great. Yeah. Especially in that funeral scene. Right. And that just made me think of how Tom, he came from nothing. Saint Paul boy. Say, exactly. So it's like it really is. He's kind of transient, transforming into a Logan until Logan, and then she was turning into her mom. That's absolutely true. And then oh, God, going back because they've had the Tom and Shiv like arc of season four. It's been so good. Just they've had these stand out conversations every episode. I don't remember which one it was on which number, but when he it might be four or five when he basically sits her down and he's like, I like my stuff, I like my watches, I like my things. That makes me shallow. Then come be poor with me in a trailer, right? She's like, No, right. I'm just owning that. Like you're actually this materialistic and you come from nothing and you just want the things right? I loved it. I mean, he's probably the most honest one. He's totally like he's spineless because he'll do anything to get ahead. But he's always been really relatively honest. Yes, from Betrayal in Season three. But oh, that was a great idea when he just screwed them all over. That was so good. I loved I mean, this show has always gotten its endings right? In season two, it's when Kendall sitting up there going, yes, testify. And yes, I think about that, too, throughout this season. I think about all those past things that they've just like sort of fucked each other so much. And then there's still just like, Daddy love me. Yeah, yeah, I want to be in charge. I mean, that's really all Roman's doing. Roman just wants, like, love and validation. I think that's all he wanted and never, you know, got it. And I thought in the end, with that really intense hug with Kendall, he was like, you know, it was more like a father son thing. And then that just all Yeah, yeah, that's that was an interesting one because it was like he was kind of wanting to get away from him. But at the same time, like, I need this, like. But I don't want this. Yeah, yeah. It was over my stitches. It may have bought Kendall just sitting there, sitting there on a bench. I mean, I did hear this, that all of these three, these four siblings, I mean, how much money do they have from this deal? They probably have to 3 billion each. I mean, they're they'll be fine. That's the thing. That's another thing I love about the show. Like give me to 3 billion. I'm cool. I'm not going to go cry five. Oh, my God. Yeah, exactly. There's miserable these miserable rich people, right? Money doesn't make you happy. No, it's not really like part of the show. Yeah. Yeah, it is. Trying to think of this, like, compares to anything. Like, I love the End of The Wire, The Sopranos, all of those shows. I mean, but The Wire does. I mean, The Sopranos is honestly, obviously just like that hard cutout. And it's not really showing you much. And then The Wire, you get to see little strands of like everyone's stories. Succession was kind of a mix of both, where we're just seeing them like at the end of today. Right. Not going past right today. And then whatever happens is going to happen. But I think you gamed out Tom and Shiv really well. I think Yeah, yeah. I'm just trying to think of other really good finales and it's it's really hard because it was the writing is so good. I can't wait to see what he does next. Jesse Armstrong I can't either. I don't know what he has. Like, I don't want any prequels. I don't want to know sequels don't do that. Like put on a shelf were good. We had it. It was fantastic. But do not do any of that. I've heard talk not from them, just from fans of like it would be cool to have like a two hour movie a few years from now when I go. I mean, maybe if if it it's fine. You did it. You left it on the field like it's a good show, you know? Yeah. You ended on a high. No, you left us all wanting more. There's no need to keep it going. Right. And if the show that you keep continually thinking about, too. Yeah. Which is a great. What makes a great show. Yeah. Thinking about it a lot and a good way, knowing how it was and then. Yeah, I mean, like dialog. Remember the Dexter finale? See, I, that's what I tapped out on. I was like, I can't do this anymore. It just went for too long, so really angry about it. What? But they're bringing that one back too. Well, they already did a movie and it was terrible. I was like, I don't want to talk about it. Okay, no more Dexter. Dexter, fine. But no, that's the thing. Like we're bringing everything back for. I don't know. I don't. I don't need it for this. And certainly not any time soon. Right at all. Right. But yeah, rewatching it like binging it in, I binge it on eight. It's like a lunatic. That's amazing. The I took notes just so I could so it could help me remember. And at least once an episode, there's a stand out line where I was just dying like hysterical. Which one was at the time? Oh, I mean, it's for. It's for everything I loved. In the finale, when Mattson runs into the. The hotel with all these people, because Madsen's always usually cool, he's like, I want to see some fucking just. But oh, Alexander Skarsgard was so good, so good, and he never gets to do that real accent of his. Or at least not awful. Yeah, right, right, right. I also thought about him, right? Because he had that. And that was one storyline where I. I questioned it a lot. The one with the PR woman Marie's like, I gave her my belt, my black belt stop. I just kept saying, Yeah, it's like, what happens there? Like, I thought that, okay, well, let's talk about this. What did you think, like while the season was going on? Because I thought that was all bullshit. I went back and forth. Yeah, I went back and forth a lot. Now I guess. I guess I believe him. But I when I was watching, I was like, No, he's just trying to stir up stuff and get them like questioning stuff. I thought the same thing, like it was a plant, right? Like, was like, let's see what their loyalty is if this story leaks. But they didn't leak it, right? So I thought the same thing, like, is this real? Because she sticks around is it's because he's afraid of lawsuit and he doesn't have an agreement with her or something like that. She has a solid day. I'm thinking about all these. I mean, seriously. Yeah, I guess I maybe just paid off well enough and she just tolerates the abuse. But then he took he took Logan Roy as PR person. It wasn't she either. Emma was their PR person wasn't she Emma or Carolina. Cara. Carolina. Well, so they had Logan Roy's. Yeah. He was like, I want your PR person. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Yeah. So was she replaced placing blood vial girl? I don't know. I don't think. I mean, if you replace her, he'd have to pay her, like 2 billion not to talk. He's got. I know, I'm still, I'm still unsure about that and I don't need that closure. Right. Like everything explained, I loved that they took a liking to Greg, you know, the oh meter people and Greg at the time and he's like, I swallowed things last night that you're not supposed to drink or something. So much to tell you that's pretty monstrous. His crime. Oh, some unseemly versus reliability. I danced with an old man. Information is one. She didn't want to dance, but they made us dance. He was so confused. I drank those things that are normally drinks. It's people like it. All right, let's get into I mean, we can talk about the cast of characters as we go. And just favorite whatever favorite scenes, favorite quotes, quotes. Did you like the character? Did you not like them? The actor did not like them. I had them kind of split up into groups and start with the Roys. Brian Cox is Logan. Roy, what do we think? Oh, I love them. A love them, love them, loved him. It's like he's not like that in real life. He's you know, he can play these roles. But I've also seen him and he was in Watts. He was in Super Super Troopers. That's what I was about to say. I'll give you the answer. Yeah. Look, he's a exactly. He has like a sense of humor. And I think there are people who, if you're new to him, I mean, this is not the way he is. And I love picturing that in these interviews. Got these no nonsense interviews of like he doesn't watch the show. Right. He thought it was stupid that they killed him off in episode three, which was not stupid, is actually really, really cool. I think about that. I know I was kind of annoyed about his comments about that. I'm like, Dude, you've been you're amazing. You've done this project. Like on this. It is a project that you've been on this show for four years. Like, yeah, it makes sense. It makes. It does. And I think they were I mean, I assume they were always going to. He has like a stroke in the very first episode, like in the pilot. I knew I had thought about that in the past. I'll write a piece on the ground. Yeah, yeah. Oh, that too. That too. Yeah. I mean, he has a he has a series of the UTI episodes. Yeah. He's a really good writer. Forgotten about that one completely when he's just, like, delusional. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Brilliant. His that death scene, which was off screen, which was just so brilliant, you know, on the plane the way that Tom the the Matthew McFadden played that we're like talking to the kids. I thought it was so believable because he's like doesn't really like them but this is something bigger than that. It was yeah. Brian Cox Just great throughout the show. I think it's the kind of performance and role that it's like that anchor of a show. And I think honestly, we all just kind of take it for granted for how good it is, because if that I mean, if Logan Roy doesn't work, the show doesn't work, and he was just the anchor that killed it the whole time. Nobody knew if I liked him or when the show had to end. You can't end with him dying as the last episode, right? Like that would be like, Yeah, right, exactly. You have to know what happens to the family. Yeah. Where they go from here. So they could. They did it brilliantly. Yeah. And what was did you track like watching Season four live That every episode was a day and it was like, Go. And I took me a few episodes to get that and I went, I think this is what they're going to do. It's going to be like ten days. I love that. I just So it was cool after he was gone, to see them all have to actually scramble. Like, now you really have to do it, Daddy in here anymore. Daddy ain't here. No, I'm serious. Jeremy Strong, former protege of Daniel Day Lewis, says Kendall Roy, a lot has been made about his work ethic. Apparently, he is, as method is, can all be and doesn't break character, which I don't know if I've ever heard of that on a TV show that's gone for years, 39 episodes. I can't, you know. Great, right? But but it's really good performance all the time. Yeah. He was such a dish is such that first episode of the first season, you're like, I forgot how big of a dude. Yeah. Listening to music. And then he has like one drag to fuck. This dude would go, Yeah, yeah, but where does he go from here for his career to yes, deeper, I think. I mean, he's like, I mean, super troopers, like Brian Cox's in Super Troopers and you're like, Okay, yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you meant Kendall. Roy Yeah, I mean, Jeremy Strong as an actor, so. Okay, I haven't loved him in his other stuff that he's been in. He was in like trial of the Chicago seven and Molly's game over Armageddon time. I didn't really like that movie, but I that's something we could say about all these people. Brian Cox will be cool. He people will remember him as Logan Roy, but he can go do something else. We'll be like, Wow, that's a new Brian Cox thing. Jeremy Strong I don't know. Sarah Snook I never seen her before right before this, so I don't know. Will she go on to she's in a Beanie Baby movie coming out. Are you excited for that show? And of course, you know, it's a documentary about the beauty babies and she's in it. I think she's a voice in it or something, I don't know. But I was like, Oh, Sarah smokes, and that's okay. I think. Different Wild Bunch. I love them. Did you really? Yeah. Well, those are like my age. They were just for girls. I understand. Yeah. What a weird fucking thing. Beanie Babies were. Yeah, I heard I had that. I don't know, like, how many double digits? We still have any? No, I don't have any. Are you sure? I'm positive. I'm positive. I probably like ten or 12. And then, like some that were like, really big. No, I probably my mom probably don't need them or something. I don't know. They were worth thousands. Now. I'm just kidding. Oh, God. I literally I'm sick, but I struggle because, like, it's another one. Missed opportunity but gym. Siobhan ROI Yeah. What I found most interesting in my rewatch is that she it I think takes her about a season to become chef because in season one she like wears different clothes. She's much more hands down. It's very down long, like more like kind of oh girl next door to my foot and casual little innocent yet casual. And it I mean it just change. At one point it might have even been in the season finale of season one when she's like, I'm Shiv fucking Roy, and you go, There it is. There it is. Right there we are. Right. Well, I think she just saw her brothers, right? Yeah. She's like, I want to. Why am I not getting a bite at the apple? You know, I'm daddy's girl. I'm the only girl I should be in this next. Did you like her in the show? I heard, like, mixed reviews. Yeah. No, I always liked her. Yeah, she's fucked up, but, yeah, I like her. But again, they're all. They're all fucked up. That's what's up. You just have to accept it real. Like figuring out on this part. Realizing with you saying that she's just turned into her mom. It's like, just heartbreaking. It's so true. Does not like your mom. It's so true. It's so true. So true. She is her mother. She is her mother, Caroline. I love when they leave Barbados and Caroline is waving. She goes, Go away. And that husband's like, Fuck all that. She's always the fucking. So I mean, she does just no reason. She's so sorry. Let me just cut down on Peter's. So he's. I'm so sorry I missed it all. Nova, I'm so sorry, Mommy. I like your taste. I get some look at his teeth and go like, God, he was great, too, in utero. He, like, gives them hugs. Like, Daddy's here. It's like Daddy's here. Kieran Culkin. I mean, probably my favorite character on the show, Roman ROI. I love whatever he tapped into so early on is just he really had it. He really dialed into the smart, me, sarcastic, profane. I mean, I most of my favorite lines are Roman lines, but I love Sam. It's like earlier it's when they're trying to when they're going to, you know, overthrow in season one and they're going to do that board meeting and they're trying to get the Lawrence guy from Voltron. And Roman goes and courts him and he's like, This is the most important thing that's ever happened to me. And I'm thinking of like six other things right now. It's like, I'm dumb, but I'm not dumb. I just love that. I love the way he handled that. But I mean, I could talk about Roman, Roy, Kieran Culkin just all day, but any favorite moments from him? Oh, God, so many. I mean, the dick pig, too. The dad that I, I, of course I remembered that, but I didn't remember entirely how it played out in intending to send that to Jerry. And so that's funny. It's one of those where you're watching and you could you felt like you were in the room because everything is like going well in that moment, actually. Like everything's kind of good for like the business of family. And they get that. And, you know, Brian Cox is like any fight as he's like, Are you okay, Roman? Like, is there something wrong? Do we need to get you some help? And yeah, he just can't talk about anything. I mean, it's not even the talking. They can't even physically communicate, like when they hug and they're always got their arms out, or he's just like, pats the knees and his body language I always paid attention to because he had the same kind of little tics and mannerisms on the show, which I found interesting that this was talked about, his psyche. He's kind of erratic, right? Like a total manic. Yeah, in that way, Yeah, absolutely. And even the thing like sitting on the table, it's like, okay, who's who would do that? Who would sit on a table one after, like, the most intense confrontation? Like that would, would do that. But it fits so well for him, right? And speaking of that, like those character tics, Jeremy Strong was really good, especially toward the end of like season three. And even in this finale of I always thought he was playing it a bit like a manic depressive in these he's in these hypomanic modes of like, I can take anything on let's go. Like when he's always using that like douchey tech bro talk and yeah, I remember when he rapped at the hall at the Happy, which is so freakin weird. He just gets up there, he's like, Oh gee. And it doesn't make any. And they're all watching it. Yeah, exactly. It's hard to even talk about it is. It's so cringe worthy. But he has this like mania of like I'm invincible and he has to be right really brought down. I think it's just total insecurity. Yeah. Oh yeah. It's total insecurity. And he just has, like you said, like spurts of it. Yeah. Oh, God, I love him. I love him. Someone, you know, I mentioned like a few of the actors do take a little bit to kind of like get into the swing of things, fall into their character, Alan Ruck, as kind of Roy is there from episode one. He does not. He's just that. That's what he is. And I love the way that he played that about how, you know, he never took things like his personally from Logan because he's had so many more years with it, just trying to like, write things off and, you know, sometimes trying to be peacekeeper. I thought it was great. And then what I noticed on this rewatch, I never put this together before, but Connor and Willa are the only couple that stay together the entire time they are together. In episode one. They like not break up, but she can has a little flip out at the rehearsal dinner and leave for a little bit and she's in the bed at the end. But they never have like an official breakup. Even Shiv and Tom are like, you know, on the album together throughout the whole thing. And will they realize that either I did. I mean, I didn't I was watching it and I'm like, wait a minute, She's been in like every episode. I didn't realize she was and I didn't realize that either. In the first episode, it's very much like she's, you know, an act sex worker. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Yeah, right. It's her. That's right. And then it's a lot of, you know, I want to be your full time guy and we'll see how that works. And then I think by season two, it's just, Oh, I'm with or no, he proposes to her at 70. And what a great politician story, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's such a politics in story. He's like holding on to the 1% and just really Oh my God, I love it. Because they're like, How do you feel about Mogadishu? And he's like, Little Kabul, Right? Right. I know, I know. Oh, my God. He was. He was a good, consistent character. Yeah, very consistent. You always knew he didn't necessarily pop up all the time. Never even really had, like, a standout Emmy scene. Yeah, nominated. But he was just so good and nailed it so well. So now those are the main Roys that we're going to go to some relatives starting off with. Mr. Tom While I'm gay. Oh, that's a big fat in who? I mean, I didn't even say this for Sarah Snook. I didn't realize until, I guess, like season three that she's Australian. I'm one of those like, you know. Oh, yeah, yeah. What? And I mean him. I've, you know, I've seen him in like Pride and Prejudice from way back when. But yeah, I always loved him in this. I mean did you watch a show live, Like did you start to as an actor, Okay, so did I. And I'm like, Oh, I know that guy. And I remember thinking, like, I've only seen him in, like, stuffy British stuff. So, like, is this going to go well? Right? And I just thought he played it perfectly. Perfect. They're perfect. There's a dinner scene. God, this is like season two or something. Yeah, it's Kendall's dating someone who? And he has her over that. The woman who has an end with the Pierces. Yeah. And then Tom and shiver together, and they come over and, like, have a double date. It's Shiv and Tom's house, and they all start picking on Tom. And they say that he's has like a body, the body build. It's very like agricultural, cultural and you know, just like this box. And he's looking down and he's like, you know what? You have fuck off. And you're like, Whoa, whoa. But I mean, he does have an agricultural body before, but he looks like a C poor boy. But I just I always loved him. I always loved that he he was a guy that you knew was going to be a snake, right? You just you couldn't trust him. But the way that he played in the finale once he became CEO was really genius. He's very reserved now, and he's like the boss, you know, let's party, let's go. Come on. And he's being very like, Right. They were coming up congratulating him, and I made a note. I was like, it's it seems like the the village idiot. Oh, yeah, Yeah, right. He's running the show. He's my favorite character. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. My father, Roman Art. Well, tell me Tom and Roman are my top two. Yeah, Bret time. That's shit that would come out of his mouth, which is so incredibly witty and mean. Oh, yeah, right. You're like, How does someone come up with that? Those amazing. And just his relationship with Greg was just phenomenal. The Disgusting Brothers, all that hilarious when he makes Greg be a table for him or buries a coffee table. Yeah. Greg, I need you to be a coffee table for me. Yeah. What? Your feet. That's like fucking Greg goes off. He's like, you know, this culture of, like, human furniture. Yeah. Like, it's not really. I don't really know if I'm, you know, if it's for me. Their interactions were another highlight of the whole series everything. And maybe my favorite interaction with them, with the exception of the Slap, is election night, when Tom is just very, very tired. He hasn't slept in a long time. Yes. Greg goes, you know, Do you want what I brought for you? Oh, right. Just sitting there. Tom needs some cocaine to go through election night running a television program or television network, rather, And that he just Greg doesn't want and he's like, I don't want to get addicted. I don't want to do two days in a row. Tom's like, no, no, no, not for me. But now I'm just starting to feel normal from last night. What you do with Madson and not with me. I don't want you looking all judgy all night. Come on, now. I need a clear head. And I don't want to get addicted to night. Sorry. Don't be, Mom. Come on. I don't want to. Please, Greg. It's medically good for your brain. It is. What are you saying? All Aztecs are stupid. Don't be a racist little bitch about it. Come on. You okay? Just do it. It's just so witty and again, like, so mean. And that was that scene on the election night when the dude got wasabi and it's all right. Yeah. And he's put in and Greg is putting lemon. Look, what I do is like, it's lemon flavor. They're like, What the fuck are you doing? Greg? Why would you put the out? I fucking hate you. It delivered. Good. I love that. It is the way if you go back and rewatch that you could see the beginning of choreography of the wasabi and how it all goes. I Well, my next one is Greg Rhodes. Nicholas Brown. Oh, my God. And he's. I've seen him in a few other things since, like a few movies. He's hysterical. But that the term Cousin Greg's relationship is probably my favorite relationship because they're both like bumpkins. They related on, like, the bumpkin not being like true family. Yeah, well, that's, you know, but it ain't fucking no Greg White. Yeah. You know, And then that first episode, Tom goes, Greg, you want to kiss me? Yeah. If I told you, give me a kiss. Would you give me a kiss? It's like, What the fuck, right? It's sort of like he's going hard on him. Yeah, He needs, like, someone to pick on because Tom's getting picked on all the time. Exactly. Needs a punching bag. One of my Greg moments ever is when he goes to Logan and they're talking. You know, Greg has some information. He goes to Logan because he's now had his gotten his own lawyer separate from the firm. And Logan needs. Oh, right. You need to join our firm. So they're going. And, you know, the first thing a lot of these characters do is they sit down and they pour the scotch. It's very like Mad Men. Yeah, they and it's like, Can I get you a drink, Greg? Could you give us. Yeah, a rum and coke. Good looking, bright guy. Just looks at the eye, calls for his baby's like, Can we bring Greg a Coca-Cola? And he brings it, it it pours it. And the conversation, you know, every conversation, succession. So like that. Can I quick five and it's this mean stuff back and forth and they were there. Doug Greg's like, should I just show this shots? And he's like, that is that is good good doing everything. Every time he was on screen, I just immediately started laughing. Love Agreed Agreed. They're just they're duo is just like just kids. Matt is perfect The disgusting brother's disgusting brother. God, this was like episode one or two of this season when he when Greg brought the woman over to Logan's birthday party. I think maybe even episode one. And they fool around, like in the house. Oh, yeah. It's like he has cameras on. His lawyer was very. Yeah, they're making jokes about adult Oh God. The way that like it's not easy to play dumb like it's not because you can it can just seem boring but the way he was always fumbling and like stumbling over his words and he always was looking for that angle. Like the second he does the translation on his phone in the bar with the Swedish guys because Kendall, right away he did all that shoot shot, but take it, which by the way, was super smart of him. It was Oh, I would not. Wow. And he does that from the beginning. I didn't remember this early even in like season one, he has clearly ratted someone out. He's made a move offscreen. And then Jerri comes by and she's like, Good talking, kid. Nice move, kid. Keep talking. And you see that? Like, so he's got he knows how to wiggle in. And he starts he started at the amusement park as the mascots mascot, humane in his eyes, and ended up with it six figures. So he started out getting high in his car before word that he pukes really tells his mom someone like they were smoking a marijuana cigaret near me. And I think I like inhaled some at the funeral. Where these try to stop is his grandfather James Cromwell, who we're going to get to. Oh, he's playing Logan Roy's brother and then he sits down and is Bob straight? It's like, it's fine. It's like he goes, Shut up, I don't care. It's just like, Go tell me to shut up his funeral. God. Oh, it was great. It was great. Justin Loop. As Willa, who already mentioned, I again, she I've seen her in other things. She is not like that. However, you want to classify. Well, a bit like areas like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's that actress is not like that in real life and I love that. And yes, she was in the show way more than I remember because this is interesting I watched every episode basically once I watched them all live and then I binge them all. Yeah. The past like two weeks. Yeah, that's. Those are the only times I've seen it. I went, Wow, okay. She's in a way more than I thought. Oh, let's talk about this one. Marcia Roy by Hymen. Abbas I'm not going to get some of these names. Right. Sorry. Oh, Marsh, it's great. I didn't remember how, like, exquisitely he screws her over. Logan does, I think, in, like, season three, and she's when he starts, you know, sleeping with the baby. Yeah. Yeah. Like me and Amy and, you know. Yeah. And then she just takes him for a total ride, like I'm on this. Want this is stay married. But I really like the way that she played that in that in episode nine, the funeral scene when she grabbed him Oh God I have her name. Carly. Carrie. Carrie. Yeah. When she grabs her hand and they had that little moment of, like, tears, that was that was just really nice. That was really a show can do that stuff. It did it in the season finale when all the kids are watching the video. Oh, yeah. Like Connor Connor's making fun of Logan and the starts singing. And then all the kids are watching, crying like it was. It was emotional, too. Yeah. Yeah, she was really good. I liked it. She. But Carrie and her place do. And Carrie came back to the house and. Oh, can I get my stuff? You're like, No, but you ain't going to. Yeah, you're not to let you go. You got to get out. Get out. You're flipping out. Yeah, it was. It was nice. Output in her place in my house. No side piece. Carrie. It's like we were going to do. You're going to do this. And we had all these plans for Carrie. What the hell? Sheets back at, like, some tiny apartment. Now, I bet Carrie's working as an assistant somewhere. She's. Yeah. Yeah, she's not taking care of. She got nothing out of that. I hope she. Yeah, she should have enjoyed her time with it. I think that's. Yeah. I don't think it's going to last very long. It's Laurie Garrett. Another one. Oh, God. Rava Roy, played by Natalie Gold. She's in it more. She was like completely absent in the third season, I think, in a main character of season one. But I was really happy they brought her back for season four because everyone stands up to Kendall because he's such an idiot. But the way that she could do it, I really appreciate. I think it's even in that first episode, in the pilot episode, she is saying like, you know, I'm seeing someone else. And he's like, Yeah, that. And Kendall's like, Okay, yeah, that's fine. He goes, Yeah, You know, she goes, I don't have to come home and find him doing, oh, lines on the air. Yeah, the kid's iPad. Yeah, it's boom right there. Like, yeah, know who you are, buddy? Like, I know. Oh, yeah. And I just. I don't think I'd ever seen her before, and I really liked her. All right. James Cromwell, as you and Roy, another heavy, heavy actor, you know, shows do this a lot. You bring in a heavy actor for an episode or two, but then to bring him back in the end and his I mean, that speech was so all those eulogies were really good. Even Roman's like, had me in tears because he just, you know, I pretty grieved. I'm not your son. Yeah. Yeah. You didn't agree, buddy. Yeah. And then Kendall gets up there and does, like, a Shakespeare thing is Julius Caesar thing. But you ain't just, like, laying it all out right now. Wasn't necessarily good, dude. He did. There is some context for this, but I don't know if that I appreciate it. That's when we learned about it. We learned about the marks on his back. Yeah. Yeah, we learned what they went through. Thank you. Because you only see that one. Yep. You. I am of the understanding. I think it's like episode eight of season one. But they make a note in that there's a line of like, Dad can't swim or there's something And I when I heard that I'm like, because then you see later he is swimming with Marcia, he's just doing like laps and she's, you know, for, for exercise. Then when he gets out of the water, has all these scars. So I'm like, I bet this man's never had a shirt off in front of his kids. I bet they don't even know about this shit. That's crazy. Yeah. Now, that said so much more. Yeah, I'm glad that they. That they said that. Yeah. Yeah, I'm too. I feel like we needed that. Yeah. Your stand and even the way Cromwell was like, you know, the ah, uncle basically blamed him for, like, killing our. Yeah. Even though it was not his fault. But they didn't do anything to help dissuade him from that great stuff. I mean, in there only even being on the damn like boat going across and you're four and five years old, you can't make a peep. Yeah, that was really good. Yeah, that was needed. We knew we needed all that, like backstory and context with also not it being too much. Not like, Oh, I had Logan wrong the whole time. Was actually a sweetie. Like, No, he's still he's a dick and he's like, He's a Titan dick. Yeah, maybe my second favorite character. We're going to get to the Waystar Royco family. Jay Smith. Cameron is Jerry the beloved Jerry. God, I loved her. I loved her. Rob Yeah, she's in the first episode. I know she starts, she comes up in season in episode two. I just I loved every single interaction with her. That arc that happens in season two with Roman is unforgettable in the way that she sees what's happening and then is able to. I don't know if manipulate is the right word, just use it to her advantage. I love it. Yeah. Yeah, of course. And then at the end she walks away with tons of money and she's still employed. Yeah, right. She was suing them, too. That's right. That's right. Yeah. So she's like, well, shit, I'm still employed because Tom is going to keep Jerry. No, wait. Tom did. They wanted Jerry to leave? Is that Jerry? Jerry's gone? Frank Oh, yeah, right, right, right. So she whatever she gets her, she gets her money. Yeah, she'll be fine. She'll be off the air. Oh, God. One of my. This is in season three. I took when I was doing my binge. I meant to send it to you, and I didn't. I took a little video this spring. My favorite moment from succession, like, ever. Maybe I'll even loop in the audio out. I'm not so sure. Okay, well, we can talk about it over lunch. Maybe not today. And I have a date. Fuck off. With who? Montgomery Clift. The ghost of Christmas past. Who? Laurie. He's DOJ. He worked the Arthur Andersen prosecution. I want to see if there's a back channel there. Laurie. And you said he wants to back channel you in the parking lot or. Yeah, so the thing is, I'm dating. I am dating, and that needs to be understood. Okay, I get it. Yeah. Yeah. You're. You're drawing a line. Montgomery Clift. No. Know Laurie, He goes, Laurie, Who's Laurie? The rest, it's like we see. Get to see Laurie If you tied to Romans always like, Hey, Laurie, how's it going? Good to see you. I mean, I think it's a I don't know if Robin is capable of love. I like to think so, but I don't know. I think she is probably the mother that she was. Right. That's the thing. As turned out as something else. Correct? Right. But yeah, right. I just love that he needed the nurturing. Yeah. Yeah, that's what he got. Oh, yeah. Oh, he got to my favorite guys, Frank and Carl. Frank is played by Peter Friedman. Frank Vernon, I. I really, really wanted to pay attention to these two guys. And Carl is played by David Rasche, who's he's been in. He was in Burn after reading Gypsy. That was the guy at the end and he's like, We yeah, it didn't go well He's that both of them are so, so good. And rewatching the whole series Frank is like you I think he really does care about the kids and I think he cares about so. Frank such a punching bag. It's like fired. And I've seen it so many times and Carl's just early on, someone can't remember Carl's name and they're like, you know, American Psycho over there. I love that. But those two I mean, part of what made the show so fun was people like Frank, Carl, Carolina, Hugo, watching all their banter. And sometimes the camera would like cut to them when no one else was there and they would be doing something on their own. It was just a joy to like, watch them. Yeah Yeah, yeah, I like I like how frank or no was it? It was Carl at the end. It was putting Kendall in his place. Oh yeah. Like before he gets on stage. I think it's like if you, you know. Yeah, yeah. If you fuck me, I'll squeal because his numbers are so bullshit. He's like, This is my job. I've been doing this for two decades, and I love when these characters get that moment. Even Fisher Stevens in episode the second to last episode when Kendall's like me take over the world and he looks at and he's like, he's like, Oh yeah, the scraps will be millions. And he goes, Oh my God, people are heartless. They care. That's another thing. Like what? This is a world I don't necessarily understand because, like, is this about money or is it just about power? Did you all have more money than God? So, like, what the hell is this? Oh, yeah, Yeah, I don't. I don't under I guess I've never had that much power even been to. I just don't, I don't want feel people would I, I wouldn't want that much attention like this podcast as far as I go attention wise I like do one. I don't want my name on Bill but I like, Oh, no, no. But that's that's always a running question for me. Like, what? What what is it here? Is it money? Is it power? Respect? I don't know. Right. And then my final category of the Outsiders, starting with Stewie. I love that guy. Oh, yeah. He was really, really good. Really good. Played it so well. Yeah, just the back and forth. And he's really a shithead early on in. Yeah. Trying to get Kendall to do drugs again and then. Yeah, I do. I think that scene with them because Kendall always got into like his loose bro vibe with him, like, you know, we're friends, We're like guys. And, you know, when Kendall puts his feet up on that desk. Oh, yeah. So he's like, Now, this about money? Yeah. Oh, what did he say? He's like, I like bad drugs. I like this. And he's like, No, you like pancakes and waffles and making out with guys on Molly. Come up with this dialog. It's so, so good. Alexander Skarsgard, Lucas Madison. Amazing. It's such a good scene. Amazing. Like, I mean that. Yeah. I never and still talking with you don't fully know how to like, feel about him. His angle, right? Is it what the hell is he going to do? You always think of Elon Musk, right? Yeah. Like when you're watching him, we think of Elon Musk. Yeah, like the Twitter thing. Yeah, exactly. The ego. Like the insanity of it all. Yeah. Come fight on the mountain. That fight between him and Robot was really good. That argument on the mountain, You know, I fucking hate you. And he's like, Easy, brother. I really, really love that. His body language was so good every time. Yeah, yeah. And I mean, just always so loose and just messing with them. Oh, I love him. They have that great moment in the final season when they go to wherever the hell they all like. Norway. Oh, yeah, yeah. In the woods. Yeah. Well, then when they go up on that block. Yeah, yeah, it's Roman and Kendall meeting with Manson to finally talk, and they're all talking. And Madsen has a tendency to interrupt and. So Kendall's talking, and he's like, You might have interrupted Kendall's like, I wish you wouldn't, but you already have. So go ahead. That's just all that. All that dialog, boom, boom, boom, back and forth from my least favorite character on the show, Ashley Zuckerman is Nate. She had had Nate. Remember Nate? He was the one who had the affair. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I hate him. No, I'd be this good actor, but I just didn't like that character at all. But I liked how he got. I loved him at the wedding. I was going to say at Tom and Jim's wedding when Tom kicks him out. Yeah. And like, you know, you need to leave. It's very definitive. But you also see that moment. This isn't a show where, like, physical aggression, no one's like sizing each other up in terms of size. Like, I'll kick your ass. It's like I'll kick your ass financially. That's what it's about. But in that moment, you're like, Mr. Agriculture could probably throw down, right? You're right. I know. It seems like you want to do take his family's wine. Yes. Oh, that's great. He makes a poor back of the bottle. Yeah, He's like, No. Yeah. You give more back it to the power move. So I love it. And then we get some, you know, more well-known actors, maybe not necessarily known for succession. People like Holly Hunter, who came in Israel, who's great Cherry Jones was Nan Pierce. I love Cherry Jones. I love the way she played that hope. Davis came in there as daughter Sandy and then Justin Kirk, who has always been a really good, sensitive actor. And just in America, we we had had Jared Mencken, who I can never get a handle on it. Some sometimes I thought maybe is he going to like try to like put up move on Roman or like, what is this guy, that final scene with him when they're when, you know, we have him now, like we got him elected And you can tell, like, I you guys got me elected, but I don't give a shit about you anymore. Right? Right. He used it for what he needed it for as a politician does. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. You played it great. I know. He was great to see. You're like, Oh, yeah. Shit. We meet. Yeah. Yeah. Shit. I didn't have Carrie in my breakdown here. Poor Carrie, but we already mentioned her. That's all I have for the characters. I mean, that's any What else to say about succession before we end here, I imagine most people listening to this will have seen it, but I can attest that if you want to go back and rewatch the whole thing, it really holds up, really does burn through it. And I didn't really catch any outstanding threads from the finale. There's no door that's still open that I want closed. Like, I was wondering, you know, I haven't heard about this. Him, you know, drowning this waiter kid in a while and then just drop the conversation like you kill the kid. You're like, Oh, shit. Okay, they're bringing it back. You know, we hadn't heard about the kids much and they bring those back. So, yeah, that's what I always really like about it. I get that maybe you have to let some thread go and you can't do everything too neatly. But I thought this was very neat and where it wasn't neat worked and just loved that we got the closure that we needed. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's the best way to do it. You end on a high note and that's why British shows get it so yeah, yeah, do it so well because I do 3 to 4 seasons and they're done. They're done. We're Americans. Like, we're going to drag this out as long as humanly possible. Do you remember when in America they used to do like seven or eight seasons, they'd be like 24 episodes? Yes. What the hell? Thank God. They're like, Alright, we'll just do ten now or something. But yeah, yeah, it can be tough. Yeah, tough. You know what? I know there's a good Ozark. Ozark, Ozark. Yeah. Oh, that's another one. Beginning in four seasons and you're done. And that, that was a show where I was like, any time something moderately well or like, good was happening for the characters, I always nudge Ally and I'm like, It's about to go bad, Right? Right, exactly, exactly. But that was a good beginning in it. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. There was. All right, what else does the writing. Yeah, I mean, the writing and succession, I think is probably the highlight. I don't it's not necessarily a show where, you know, I'm like a movie, cinematography nerd, where it wasn't a show where I was like, Wow, look at that shot. I'm going to study that. I don't really think that's the objective of TV too much. It's really character and writing and story and moving things along, and this just did it so well. There's a reason why I wanted to talk about succession on this podcast because it really I mean that that final season is like a ten hour, right? Cause I, I, I in my rewatch I went, I'm really going to try to do this in like two days, just this last season and I didn't it, it works so well it just flows right into the other episodes. It's one that holds up two. Yeah, yeah. I can see it holding up. I mean, there's going to be people that are gonna be offended by things always in this show, right? Because that's the dialog. But I can see it in like five, ten years. You're like, Oh shit, let's start watching succession again. That's another thing I appreciated about the show is that I believe it started in 2018. So we're that's things may have been filmed and shot already, but we are effectively in the Trump era and the MeToo era. Exactly. And this you know, it touched on that, but it still had some dialog that it's not like like I don't get to hear this dialog in movies now because movies are so everyone's afraid to provide content movies and get away with it on TV. I don't I don't really know why, but yeah, I love all the nasty dialog, you know, I've thought about a lot since the shows ended. What, like these people's actual careers moving forward? I was saying like where it is, just like Jeremy Strong where does your Me Stronger premiere? Because I feel like I feel like Roman is peaked, right? We've peaked. Yeah. Let's have there. You can't you can't go like once Kieran Culkin goes, Where does he go without us being like, Oh, you're Roman, right? Yeah, correct. It would have to be something completely different, like from that type. But it'll be interesting. Like, are you? It's like, why do actors get like best actor, right? And their character or their career just kind of goes in the shitter. And it does. It happens. It absolutely happens all the time. I would say Jon Hamm has struggled a lot with that post. Mad Men. I agree. And I think he's actually primarily wanted to be a comedy actor when he landed Don Draper. And everyone takes in the series and Right. I watch like confessed Fletch. He's hysterical And that and I go, okay, I see. So, yeah, I'm looking at the list here like, Brian Cox will be fine. Jeremy Strong is going to get work. He's so intense, but he's going to have to do something. Is he a lead actor? Those that's like a best actor. He'll get to play someone like a real person, right? Exactly. Who like to do like the biopic thing. Exactly. You know, do it for a year. Kind of like, say you'll go play Lincoln and go away for a year to prep for that. Yeah, I don't know. I'll be. That's really interesting because I think like Sarah Snook right Like she might be good Australia. Maybe she'll do some things in Australia that'll be amazing. But I think in America, I don't know. She's dynamic enough, I don't know. And I know that this is really the only thing we've seen her. Yeah, she was in that movie Pieces of a woman that real crowd pleaser on Netflix. Oh my God, I love that movie. That was tough. But she's not in it much, but she's kind of playing Shiv, honestly, like it's in the middle of succession. That's the only other thing I've seen her in, but I don't want to see her in a rom com. Yeah, I mean, I don't want I don't want to see her in a no no, I don't either. I don't want it. No I don't want that. I Yeah. That's such a good, a good question because Tom would be fine. You are Matthew McConaughey. You'll be fine. I think he's always this kind of there are some actors, Brian Cox McFadden where I'm like, this is you're doing great work, but this is kind of a temporary gig for you because you'll still have a lot of work out right outside of here. So and that's and I mean that in the best possible sense. But what happens is Cousin Greg, I guess he's from. Have you seen Zola, that movie? No, I know we're talking about when he's in that and he's hysterical. He's really good. That's the thing now, because he's goofy, right? He's Mark Regev and he is the goofy idiot. So he's going to be in comedies, right? Yeah. But I mean, could that do do drama? I'll watch it. I don't know. This is a great question for TV. This is something we don't talk about movies a lot because the next movie is always right, you know, on the way. But who will we potentially not hear from so much anymore? Or, you know, there's someone like Julie Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who it's like Elaine, Elaine. And then she gets the Veep and now it's like, okay, so you could do that. But then that's another TV show. Didn't necessarily go to movies. I don't know. I don't know. Just national look out for I haven't I think it's mostly the movies he's been in that I didn't really like, not necessarily his acting but yeah, that'll be Alan Ruck. He'll be okay. We'll always be. He'll be he'll always be okay. Frank. Frankie, Karl. I love those guys. They'll be good. All right. That was great. We talked for longer than I thought, and I love it. I love this. All right, We every episode called What Are You Watching? That's the name of the podcast. And it's our segment that we end with. And it's just a recommendation. It's something you like that you've been watching. Well, I'm on a podcast right now and we just finished Smartless the documentary. Oh, was it good? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is it? I listen to the podcast is it just like one episode? No, it's six. Okay, so Smartless is Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, Correct. Hilarious. If you catch them, do you here like the Bradley Cooper episode? Yes. That was really, really good. Really intense. Yes. Yeah. I like Yes, Yes. And it's it's shot all in black and white. Oh, okay. So this is a documentary about them like on their podcast tour. Yeah. Okay. They did a tour. They went to six cities. They were in D.C., actually. Oh, cool. And so it's funny, though, so it shows snippets of that. They're actual shows, but Then it shows. I'm like how they're interacting backstage because they stay in a hotel room all together and their friendship and it and my husband doesn't watch, doesn't listen to podcasts at all, but he watched it with me and really liked it. Oh, yeah. All right. That's really funny. What else? Anything else you watch? I mean, I would be if we talked about B before, We didn't, did we not know? Oh, I'm just talking about it. Okay. It wasn't good. Was it funny you watch B You know what? Well, no, I do not get to TV a lot, I promise. I don't just knocked up and we're talking about fucked up and weird. It is fucked up and weird. Is it on? It's on Netflix beef. And the best part of it is Fuller. I love that. Sold, Sold. I love it. Yeah. Ali Wong, who I don't think is funny. Is she funny? I don't think she's a funny comedian, but she knows she it's not supposed to be funny. It's almost like it's kind of dark. Comedy is also a really fucked up love story. Okay, I love it. I have one for you. Guess what? Ali and I started last night, Made it three episodes. What? Dave and we were. Are you kidding me? I finished, Dave. I know you did, but I've saved you told me about it like three years ago. It was just. I was like, I heard this is really funny. And so. Yeah, and it was so funny. It was hysterical. I didn't know it was going to be like that. And Yes. And it's that is really, really good writing, too. Yeah. Yeah. It's it is really funny and really fucked up too. I mean, I mean, I never knew why he was called Lil Dicky, if you know now. Know now. Oh yes, I do that. Just watching that. Another one we watched was jury duty. Oh, God, I've heard. That's hysterical. Yeah, that was really funny. Yeah. Yeah. What about the idol on HBO? If you heard of this, I can't really. I'm not. I'm not watching them fucking weekend. Did you watch Euphoria or. No, I can't know. I've quit. I can't do it. It's too much. Too much. It's too much. It's. That show is a lot. Like, what does Idol even about? I watched the first episode because everyone it's the most controversial thing ever. And Johnny Depp's kids and Johnny that yeah Lily-rose Depp can she act she's not really. This is going off episode one. As of the recording of this podcast, only two episodes of aired. So I just watched the pilot. It's not it's she's playing like a supermodel, really famous actress. Okay. It's there's a there's not I haven't seen much like range yet but the pilot definitely did not ask for that It's more like they're setting like tone and stuff but did you hear like the oh my God, what was it called? It's like that sex cult that they were trying like Acxiom. Yes. Okay. Apparently that's where this is going. Oh, he's like a cult sex leader. You don't get that from the from the first episode. But I read something last night and I was like, Oh, because it's only going to be six episodes. But the first episode at least was not like this crazy sexual perverse thing. Maybe it's going to go there, but it was not that. And I like to watch these really controversial shows to be like, What is everyone so upset about? What's going on? And maybe it will get there. But it Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not it honestly wasn't like the best thing ever. I went, okay, this is only going to be six episodes. Maybe I'll deal with it, but I'm waiting for the bear to come back. Oh, my God, That's soon. You told me about that one. And I watched that literally like two. I've talked about that on the podcast because I that that season finale made me weep. Yeah. Just so video head playing and figuring out the money in it. Oh, my God. The way it shot is so good. I can't wait for that to come back. I didn't even know I thought that when I watched it. That was just like an eight episode, one off thing. I know how to bring it back. I'm really excited. What else? Shrinking on Apple's really good If you've seen I know that's with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford it's it's okay. It's okay It's my Bill Lawrence. Oh you did Scrubs. Yeah. Did Ted Lasso What do you think? Ted Lasso? I mean, we finished it, and I hated this season, and I used to hate watching it till the end. Yeah, So I didn't. I have. I've seen the first season, but I've heard so many mixed things about where it went. I guess the tone change in season two and three. Yeah, but yeah, I didn't know. But you weren't a fan of Seasons is a family Nacho cheese was like the fountain of nacho cheese. Okay, okay, I get that. I get it. I talk about, like, perfectly wrapped up in a bow, which I hate you said that's what it was. I don't like everything. I don't like it. No, like it? No. Where? It's like a mystery. Yeah. Give me a little mystery there. Yeah, I think that's about it. Yeah. For TV Now, current O, Happy Valley. Oh, yeah, Yeah, I've heard. I haven't seen it. Heard it? Yeah. That's good. That finally came back years later. Okay, so I had to get it like a seven day trial. Now. I know. Yeah. A British BBC is right. I love the British show so much better. Hey, do you ever see the British office? Of course. We like to be serious. It's funny. Funnier than the. I agree. I'll tell my wife I take a break and watch the British one forever. Really? Ricky Gervais is one of those where it's like you can just cringe the entire time. Yeah, the whole time they shot it for me for TV. I know. I think so too. Okay. And in movies. Oh, God. Well, new ones. It's a tough Little mermaid. It's a tough row to hoe for her new movies. Would you tell our audience how you saw Little Mermaid? You told me that and I loved it. Yeah. I actually meant to ask you this up top as a way to introduce you to the audience, how you saw Little Mermaid. This is great. Well, because movies are very special. We and we have two daughters. We took them out of school. I bought Little Mermaid T-shirts. We surprised them, pick them up early from school and went and it was amazing and loved it. And so that's a memory where I hope they have it. They'll have it forever, because then I remember telling you, like, Reagan did that for me a few times, and I always remember them just like we're getting that was being sprung out of school, going to my favorite place in movies to see a movie at one. Yeah, she never brought me a t shirt, so that's cool. I mean, it was a Little Mermaid comic and it was good movie to that. I love that. No, I see. I mean, I'm excited, you know, for Oppenheimer. Oh, me too. Me, too. That's Oppenheimer. It's his first R-rated movie in 20 years since Insomnia. That's a be really good killing. Murphy. Yeah, Yeah. Jillian. Jillian, Cillian Killian. I don't know. I guess it is. I think it's Jillian as soon as Spider-Man. Yeah, I did. I went to. Did you know how was it? It it's good in this. I hope this isn't a spoiler to say it shouldn't be. And because I'm going to tell you, like, I had no idea when I sat down for that movie, which is 2 hours and 20 minutes in animated movie, that it is to be continued movie. So it leads you, it takes you there and you think you're getting to the end like battle, whatever it's going to be. Yeah. And then it literally says Spider-Man will be back in the next one. It's supposed to come out in March. I have a buddy, our friend of the podcast, Dan, is in animation. He works in L.A. Go. And he says, like, it's definitely going to come out March 20, 24. And I go, Have they been making it? Because they take these things take years? Yeah, real adventure. Yeah. Asteroid City. I want to see that. Yeah, we'll see. I'm a little we've covered Wes Anderson on the podcast. I'm not I don't love every single one of the same, but I do French dispatch I didn't really like. No, I didn't. But my dad loved that movie. I didn't like that I paid money to see that about I mean, it's like, what's going on? I didn't really get this. That's one of the few that I haven't gone back and rewatched. I, I love Grand Budapest. I mean, to love to this watch air. Did you like it? I saw that same, same, same. It was just nice. They used to make movies like that. There used to be movies like people just sitting around having compelling monologues. Right. But if they did not have those actors, there's no fucking chance. No chance. No way. But seeing Affleck and Damon just bounce off each other like that was pretty cool. I, I like that guy when he was coming out. A new one is coming out a new one. I know he's in Oppenheimer. Oh, in general, yes, that's right. Yeah, he's an outlier. Oh, I can't wait. That's going to be good. I hope that's like Oscar worthy because you and I have talked about, like, how the Oscar That sucked the best. Oh, we talking about this podcast, the Oscars. Did you like everything? Every role one academy. I wanted the rest of my like whatever time that took for my life, I would like it back. I hated it. Oh, my God. I didn't know where you going. I thought you'd be like, Are you kidding me? I loved it. So yeah, that was a huge source of contention. Our podcast last year. I did not like that movie at all. At all. My podcast partners is favorite movie of last year. Oh, yeah. That was know. It was it was a tough to like keep the podcast positive but have that movie constantly be brought up because because of the Oscars and all this stuff. So he and I are going to talk about our Oscar coverage going forward because since we started the podcast, these three Oscar years have sucked. Have they sucked? Like I'm just saying it here, like, yeah, they're not. I did Killer the Flower Moon. It was the flower that's going to be coming up. DiCaprio Just on Apple. Yeah, they'll do it in theaters. Yeah, yeah. I mean, three and a half hours is genius. No joke. No joke. Yeah, I love it. Do you see the Irishman? Three and a half hours. I couldn't finish it. No. Up. Okay, so then how can we. Here's how I want to end. How is it? Why can we sit down and watch easily 4 hours of succession, four episodes easily, but can't even consider a lot of us a three and a half hour Scorsese movie? I don't know what it is. I think it's because the story's like in a there's a it's like an act, right? Yeah. Go to see a play. There's an act, there's intermission, and you're like, okay, well, this episode is gone. But yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. I mean, I, I do this myself sometimes. I just get into a TV show and I'm like, you know, going through it, going through it. It's just so funny. I don't know what it's like. I know our brains are wired like that. Yeah. TV moves faster. It definitely does. So if you're, you know, you can get to more like what kind of hook at the end, right? It's like you're waiting for more. You're waiting for more. Or as a movie, it's consecutive. Yeah. And a movie might have like one or two or three payoffs, like kind of toward the end. And that can be really big, but it show can have that one or two times per episode exactly as big. So yeah, I mean, it all makes sense, but too much Appreciate it too much. One Get to mix one cat. That's me in your pocket. Oh, my God. I have to buy one. Get rid of your first at succession. We love it. I love that. What are you watching? Segment? All right. Let us know what you think about succession on Twitter, on Letterboxd, on Instagram at W AIW underscore podcast. But as always, thank you for listening and happy watching. Thanks, Alex. You're the best and thank you for being here. Cat You're welcome. Thank you for having me. Hey everyone, thanks again for listening. You can watch my films and read my movie blog at Alex Withrow dot com Nicholas Dose Dotcom is where You can find all of Nick's film work send us mailbag questions at what are you watching podcast at gmail.com or find us on Twitter at w aiw underscore podcast next time is all about the great Martin Scorsese. Here's a teaser for you. The biggest argument Nick and I have ever had, whether on the podcast or in person, is featured in this episode. We go at it. Stay tuned.