We kept a Christian home
+Succession
I was born in a small town in New England. My home was warm, well kept and pleasant. We kept a Christian home and when I was 21 I moved away to Kentucky because my husband needed to get work in the coal mines. It was very lonely for me and he soon became withdrawn, taking to the bottle more. I met a woman named Elizabeth, she worked in the textile shop where I used to go most Fridays. I’ve never met anyone quite like her before, she reminded me of home, always hootin and hollerin, tossing her hair back as she laughed. She kissed me on the mouth and I wanted to die right there. We ran away together to live in Vermont. We walk together most Saturdays and Sundays, her laugh is still the same.
My clients come from all walks of life. Some of them are very wealthy and they feel like they have nothing. They often have two or three cars, large houses with second homes in exotic countries. One client in particular, a well known person, I can’t reveal their identity, it’s classified but you would know them, they told me that despite all their money, fame and beauty they still hate themselves. It’s odd isn’t it, life, that funny old thing.
When I was a young man I used to go to the hills behind my village in the northernmost tip of Norway. It was brutally cold in winter but in summer the ice and snow would melt and leave in its wake the lushest grass known to mankind. I would lie on the cold soft grass, close my eyes and think of him. His freckled skin, his furrowed brow, the way he scratched his head whenever he was uncomfortable. It was enough just to think of him.
Do I care if I survive this, bury the dead where they're found
In a veil of great surprises, hold to my head till I drown
Should I tear my eyes out now, before I see too much?
Should I tear my arms out now, I wanna feel your touch
I never felt I had to choose between my career and raising children. My first child, a girl, didn’t take to my teats very well. It was hard at first I felt distracted when I held her in my arms and her cries pierced me and I could feel the well of darkness begin to rise again. I returned to work after two months with baby. It was unusual in those days for a wife to work and even more peculiar for a new mother to find a job but I knew it was right for me.
By then I was managing the market stall myself and during the summer of 1962 I made a discovery that would change the course of my life. On a particularly hot day I had accidentally left my soda in the freezer. A young man passing by offered to buy it so he could find some relief from the sweltering heat and I agreed. That got me to thinking - what if I could make those frozen drinks easier to consume? I needed to make sure there was just enough movement to keep the icey drinks from freezing solid while ensuring they were cold enough to stay frozen. And that’s how I invented the slurpee in Green Point Brooklyn, a 29 year old mother of two.
Sometimes I think back to the time before. When the breeze rustles my fur and the sky is red my mind drifts and I linger on you. On our long walks in the city before the big change. When it was good and right to be man with woman and woman with man. Before there was too much to remember and too much to get wrong.
LOVE IS NOT WINNING
Tom so real for being tired at his party and spiralling about the wine. As someone who hosted a party last week and lost five years of my life in the process I really relate. The fear of drinking a covfefe in case it keeps you up when u really gotta sleep - that’s my midwestern everyman.
Deadbeat dad Kendall accusing Rava of not being there for Sophie while he’s busy running a ‘we’re coming to give your guns hormone therapy’ news network. Ken having the audacity to tell Rava, who has seen right through him since season 1, that he’s doing it all for his kids. Then later Ken “fuck the patriarchy” Roy straight away folds when Roman suggests getting into bed with firebombing Nazis could end up beneficial to them. Yeah fine I see it. Go girl give us nothing.
Ken is being Wilf from The Traitors and turning on his fellow schemers one by one. There's a slim chance this ends with killer Ken in charge and alone, just competent enough to get there.
Nate Sofrelli delivering a solid line this ep - I'm not Gil, you're not Logan, and that's a good thing. I don't think Ken will ever see it as a good thing. He’s doing it for the kids remember.
Love that Succession is ticking off the bucket list of writers room suggestions, this time with a zoom mass layoff call perpetrated by Greg. Great seeing Egg confirmed a psychopath at last. He's always been a little rat but feels like they've taken the lid off his disgustingness since he sold his soul last season. He seems like someone who cares but he doesn't. His and Tom's little alliance has now fully fallen apart.
Really enjoying the crazy Swedish guys this episode, I especially loved it when three dudes were sharing one vape and slinking around the party with tiny beautiful haunted Ebba.
Everyone massively out as evil and an idiot in this episode which is I think helpful to be reminded of. Mattson’s combo of inflated numbers + sexual harassment nicely mirrored in the CEBros. They aren't good people. They aren't serious people. They're incapable of sustaining a win and they always make the same mistakes. Although it was really hot to me when Mattson said ebBA. I can’t help it I love tall.
Roman’s impersonation of Gerri ordering a martini was perfect. He continues to lash out when he feels he hasn't got any control or isn't respected. So he goes straight from failing to unfire a woman who he has sent copious dickpics to to trying to bully or humiliate Connor into compliance. He is always swinging from mummy to daddy vibes. Excited for his funeral speech it’s going to be awful.
Everyone is not choosing love I REPEAT everyone is not choosing love they are choosing money and business and they will end up alone for it accept for Connor and Willa who make decisions together as to whether they should live in countries with nukes or not. Ken and Rava already divorced, Gerri and Roman relationship over, Tom and Shiv going full Marriage Story- all alliances are down, bring on free for all finale.
If someone said I was broken while making that hand gesture I would die. Tom saying I think you are incapable of love and maybe not a good person to have children was hard hitting and you know it hits deep when the only response you can muster is That’s not a very nice thing to say, is it? Everyone comparing this scene to Tony and Carmella from the Sopranos I’m still on season 2 so sure why not.
It was a stunning scene, we’ve never seen Tom shout like that at anyone who is not fathoms beneath him and Shiv looked tired and defeated. He has given her endless approval and when he does she doesn't respect him. He's right about her and tbh all of them not having any sense of who they are as people which is maybe what happens when you're raised by a bully and a narcissist. In this show you kick your dogs (rip Mondale) and they come back to you so I don’t think this is the end of TomShiv, they need each other.
I thought it was odd seeing their dynamic at the beginning of the episode, it was too season one TomShiv. So when it all fell apart and they said the meanest things they possibly could it felt right. Solid callback in there to when Logan told Shiv she'd married a man fathoms beneath her. Their performances were fantastic and you know I love to hear those little accents come through. You can’t have Matthew Macfadyen throw his arms wide open and shout I’M WITH YOU BECAUSE I LOVE YOU and not have a little Mr. Darcy creep out.
My barometer for reading Tom:
High voice - he's being servile and she doesn't respect him
Low voice - we all take him seriously/want to fuck him
Again giving a name-choosing Emmy to whoever came up with Ravenhead