Every Friday, Ringer employees gather to answer a key question ahead of Sunday’s episode “Succession.” This week’s topic: Lukas Matsson.
It’s Friday, which means the latest installment of Succession is upon us. What can we expect from episode 5? Read along as we examine a burning question heading into the next chapter of Succession’s final season.
The burning question in episode 5: Kendall and company prepare to travel to Scandinavia to negotiate with Lukas Matsson. What do you expect from these talks?
Ben Lindbergh: I suspect GoJo’s team building retreat in Norway will not strengthen team unity or cause too much hygge in the Waystar Royco crew. (Side note: how excited do you think the real companies called Gojo and Waystar are for Succession to end?) Lukas Matsson, too, won’t be inclined to back down on the Waystar acquisition: gone with Logan and the stock price plummeting , the Swede will go on the offensive. While trying to sweeten the deal with an ATN topping, he’ll examine the remaining Roys for weaknesses he’s sure to find. Roman has been the Swedish Whisperer in the past, but with him and Kendall doing their best Logan impressions and Shiv harboring grudges with both her brothers and Tom, she may be the tech bro’s best bet when it comes to a gentle touch works. It won’t be long before we learn how the siblings will get Hans Christian Anderfucking – and even if they’re all a Skarsgard, it’s still a mark of strength for Succession to replace his big dad with a worthy big villain.
Julianna Ress: With Shiv sitting second to Kerry in terms of the number of Ls this season, she needs to plan something to get Kendall — and Roman! — really to be removed from the Waystar CEO title. It’s hard to tell where everyone stands on the GoJo deal right now, but I could see Shiv using her history of political negotiation to strike some sort of deal with Matsson that would nix the brothers. Shiv also has an influence on Kendall: her knowledge of his role in the death of the waiter at their wedding, which she could use at any time. Let’s not forget the letter she wrote in season 3 about Kendall’s drug addiction, misogyny and distance from his children. Shiv is definitely not above sharing some damn information about her siblings to trip them up, and right now she’s desperate for an ounce of power.
Alan Siegel: In a clumsy attempt to charm Matsson, Roman is set to date the Swede. Kendall will try to act like an alpha during negotiations and fail. Shiv will make the international journey, very understandable but won’t explain why. And Tom will be dumped as always, but will continue to make quiet plans while firing off the best one-liners you’ve ever heard in your life. Things will continue as usual for Succession.
Kai Grady: Kendall is back (for now, at least). The Logan Roy-esque grin at the end of last week’s episode was as thrilling as it was sneaky. However, I think Jesse Armstrong could use this moment as a kind of red herring. All the two Roy brothers have to do is close the deal with Matsson, which suggests to me that anything but that will actually happen. But I don’t think it’s due to a lack of effort. My prediction is that Shiv will take her shot and make a move that will pit her brothers against each other. In doing so, she wins Matsson’s ear and attention. Her name may not have been the one underlined or crossed out, but my gut says she doesn’t let a piece of paper dictate her future.
Kate Baker: I’m trying to figure out where I would put the over/under on “number of people who secretly approach Matsson, either with a side business proposal or with undermining information about someone else”. Kendall is a given; He thinks his father would have done that. Shiv feels left out by her brothers and resents her intended ex. I damn hope we get a Karl Matsson one on one. It’s easy to imagine Tom giving up with increasingly single-minded intent because that’s what he’s been doing throughout Episode 4. Greg will definitely be awarded a penthouse in Stockholm somehow… for a price. Roman might be the exception, ultimately winning Matsson’s favor because he’s too exhausted and grieving to hurry properly. I don’t know. At the end of the day, I add a buffer for surprises and set the line at…above/below 6.5. Scal!
Jomi Adeniran: I expect what always happens to siblings in these conversations: they break up. Kendall and Roman will do their best to bring the deal home, but with the Waystar board looking for more money and Matsson doesn’t want to spend a dime more than he wants, Matsson will try to split the team up. With Shiv as her odd sister, she’s the perfect target to break the ranks. Shiv has just been having a terrible time lately and she needs a legitimate comeback. Between Tom selling her in the Season 3 finale and two of her brothers becoming co-CEOs without her, Shiv needs a win — and she’s going to get it, regardless of how it affects everyone else around her.
Austin Gayles: Alexander Skarsgard, who will go head-to-head with Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin, will be world-class television. Superstar performances have already taken Succession to a new stratosphere in just four episodes, and now Skarsgard has the opportunity to take it even further. Every line of dialogue will be a scene-stealing uppercut. I don’t know – and I don’t care – which of the Roys will end up hit-listing enough names to seduce the Swede and close the GoJo deal, or if the deal will go through at all. Just give me the losers and dimwits posing as serious people having an afternoon fika with Skarsgard and it will be me the clown giggles for over 60 minutes.