'Succession' Season 3 Episode 5 review: Do the Roys lose Waystar Royco in HBO's latest episode? (Spoilers)

Still from HBO's Succession Season 3 Episode 5 (Image via HBO Max)
Still from HBO's Succession Season 3 Episode 5 (Image via HBO Max)

The fifth episode of HBO's rich family drama series, Succession Season 3, premiered November 8 and its takeover day at Waystar Royco. Will the Roys win against Sandy and Stewy?

Written by Tony Roche and Susan Soon He Stanton, Episode 5 has crazy energy with smooth yet layered insults along with a ticking bomb and lots of last-minute decisions. The episode focuses on the company's fate at the Annual Shareholders Meeting, where Sandy and Stewy are ready to take away their precious private jets.

It's time to dive in and dissect the latest episode of HBO's Succession.


'Succession' Season 3 Episode 5: Recap and review

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Recap

Succession's Season 3 Episode 5 picks off after Logan's breakdown at Josh Aaronson's house, and he is seen wearing a leg brace due to the same. It's the day of the Annual Shareholders Meeting at Waystar Royco and the day that holds the company's fate. Team Logan is worried, and Team Kendall is still playing games and swig between both the parties.

Retired Janitors of Idaho is a classic 'Succession' episode as time ticks by for Team Logan to cut costs and settle against Sandy and Stewy in the absence of Logan himself. The old man is entirely out of it as he is considered enraged after asking to remove an imaginary dead cat from under him and mistaking Shiv for Marcia.

Kendall is again trying to cut a deal with the opposition party because there's no greater satisfaction than letting his dad down for Kenny. Meanwhile, the Roy family is scurrying around the convention center along with the company's top officials. They are trying their hand at anything and everything to keep themselves from ceding their power to the whims of the people they serve.

The team somehow manages to agree and cut a deal with Sandy and Stewy but Logan makes sure they realize that it wasn't a win. While the company's takeover may have been canceled, they still have to deal with the Department of Justice investigation, Kendall's continuous attempts to take Logan down, and their need for a long-term plan to control the company.

The supposed winners are in the mood to celebrate but Logan knows the realities even while he's coping with his health and he is ready to rain on Kendall.

This episode of Succession ends with Kendall taking over the stage at the convention and later being invited to meet Logan himself, which turns out to be a lie. To get answers for the same, he tries contacting his dad only to get 'permanently blocked' by him. This might really be it for Kendall and Logan's relationship, although the father-son duo always find a way to get back.


Review

This episode of Succession emphasizes the disconnect of being a janitor - an idea of a person the rich never had to deal with personally. What made the episode so riveting was that it took one simple yet life-changing decision to gather all the players into one space, even the isolated Kendall.

As for Shiv, Pinky might have gotten a scolding from Captain Cuddles, but she managed to manipulate Sandi Jr. by using the 'I know how it feels to grow up in the shadow of a domineering father' card.

The director of episode 5 of Succession, Kevin Bray, manages to orchestrate informative blocking like Shiv and Gerri closing the frame for a confused Logan and is able to capture an incredible array of outstanding reactions from the characters.

Succession's latest episode highlights why these guys - people outside the family or outside their business - don't exist for them, and it's because the rich always find a way around. At times it's by exerting political pressure, paying someone off, or rigging the very game not to let others have a chance.

Still from HBO's Succession Season 3 Episode 5: Sandi Jr. and Stewy (Image via HBO Max)
Still from HBO's Succession Season 3 Episode 5: Sandi Jr. and Stewy (Image via HBO Max)

To the Roys, NRPI (No Real Person Involved) isn't just something used for a cover-up, it's a way of life. While Logan might not be himself in the entire episode, his performance is what really stood out. His constant rants about dead animals, calling people by the wrong names, mid-day snoozes, and the constant need to use the bathroom (thanks to his UTI) definitely made the episode more enjoyable.

Succession's episode 6, What It Takes, will air next week, November 22, but for now, fans can catch the latest episode on HBO Max. Previous seasons of Succession are also available to stream on the platform.

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