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It's Kendall's 40th Birthday Bash in the seventh episode of HBO Max's Succession, and it's as chaotic as it sounds.
Written by Tony Roche & Georgia Pritchett, episode 7 of Succession focuses on bringing in the tech mogul Lukas Makssen from GoJo and Kendall's childhood-like birthday party. Generally, birthdays are an occasion for joy and celebration in a family, but that's not the case for the Roys in Succession, as getting together means corporate backstabber-y and feuding in front of billionaires. But then again, the Roys aren't the average family one sees.
It's time to dive in and dissect the latest episode, Too Much Birthday, of HBO Max's Succession.
'Succession' Season 3 Episode 7: Recap and review
Recap
Succession's Season 3 Episode 7 is what one can call a 'top up' to Kendall's 'L to the O.G.'. The episode opens with Kendall preparing for his performance of Billy Joel's 'Honesty' for his birthday bash. Meanwhile, the Roys on Logan's team are trying to cut a deal with GoJo. This episode of Succession really is all about GoJo. Tom is still looking at pictures of prison. Shiv and Roman are busy gossiping about Kendall and their father's private life. Prepared to present and nail a business deal with GoJo, they go into their father's office only to see everyone celebrating with champagne.
Apparently, there is good news, and it comes from Gerri. The DOJ called and told them that if a large payout is offered, no Waystar executives will be put behind bars because of the cruise ship scandal. That's a definite reason for the Roys to celebrate and a moment of relief for Tom. Logan, of course, hasn't forgotten Tom's pledge to go to prison for his father-in-law if it came to that as he looks at Tom and says 'I'll remember' with a nod.
The celebratory mood evaporates from the Succession's episode when Lukas Makssen (Alexander Skarsgård) of GoJo doesn't show up. Instead, he sends his CFO and a bunch of 'nobodies' to represent him at the meeting. Worse of all is that he shows up at Kendall's party and not at the business meeting. Logan is furious, but Shiv and Roman know how to handle things. They take responsibility for going to Kendall's birthday and having a little chat with Lukas. As Roman is leaving, Logan slips him an envelope to give to his estranged son Kendall on the occasion of his birthday.
It's Kendall's big birthday bash in this episode of Succession, and the decked-out place is adorned with a giant photo of himself styled after the banner that says 'The Notorious Ken: Ready to Die.' Classic Kendall. As Roman, Shiv, and Tom enter Kendall's party, they are greeted by Connor and his girlfriend and then by a woman dressed as a nurse who says, 'Congratulations, you’ve just been born into the world of Kendall Roy!' meaning welcome to hell. The trio then headed directly to the VIP lounge to greet Kendall, who was happy to see them. Few mean statements were exchanged (typical Succession thing), like how everyone except Kendall's actual family was at his party.
Kendall then takes his siblings to his version of Wall of Fame, where blown-up tabloid magazine covers are put up for each Roy sibling. There is 'Failed Sibling Dies in Tragic Jerk-Off Accident' for Roman; 'Wife of Tom Wambsgans Arrested in Sweep of City Street Walkers' for Shiv; 'Connor Roy Elected President (of Sh–ing his Bag)' for Connor; and, 'Waystar Chairman Kendall Roy Elected President of the World Federation' for the birthday boy. Kendall's childish ways upset Connor while the other two just laugh it off.
After leaving the room, Kendall goes out and opens the envelope sent by his father, only for him to see a simple birthday card that says 'CASH OUT & F– OFF' with a term sheet ready for him to sign. Again, a classic Succession and Logan move. It upsets Kendall, but his girlfriend Naomi doesn't really think it's a bad idea. On the other hand, Shiv gets upset for not being included in this. Shiv and Roman's thought to have that chat with Lukas hits a roadblock as he is camping in Kendall’s treehouse, where these two are not allowed.
Bored out of his mind, Lukas is forced to have a conversation with Kendall, who tells him about his siblings' plans. Honestly, Lukas doesn't care. He knows what he wants and doesn't care about the rest. Kendall then goes up to his ex-wife Rava, who tells him that the kids had sent him a present that he could not find later, leading to another classic Kendall breakdown. He also takes out his frustration on Greg, who just wants to ask Comfry out on a date.
Roman manages to sneak into the treehouse and convinces Lukas to work with Waystar by telling him that he won't ever have to deal with the old man. Lukas, being a straightforward guy, asks Roman, 'When will your father die? … His death would clear space, with due respect.' They end up sealing the deal at the end of the night, and now it's time for egoistic Roman to rub his success in his siblings' faces. Of course, that didn't go well as he got into an argument with Shiv and then a sappy Kendall, also pushing him as he was leaving.
The episode of Succession, Too Much Birthday ends with Roman leaving a voicemail to his dad about winning over Lukas and Kendall feeling defeated on Naomi's lap. Perhaps it really was too much of a birthday for Kenny, but in the end, it's all about Succession.
Review
This episode of Succession is probably the most chaotic one but in a good way. From Kendall's birthday bash to Roman's ego, the episode felt wholesome in a very Roy way. It was fun to see Kendall trying his hand again at rapping but not actually performing. Shiv's crazy dancing because all that stress from stupid brother Roman needs to find its way out. Connor's sensitive self is hurt over the magazine poster, and Roman isis again a useful kid.
This episode of Succession also feels a bit relatable as Kendall's overconfidence sometimes messes with his head, like a normal person. Looking at all his grand plans and how they failed throughout Succession: his manslaughter cover-up in Season 1 when he was trying to take down Logan, his big betrayal in Season 2 when he was sent to sacrifice himself for Waystar, and then him backing out of Sophie Iwobi’s after Shiv's press release at the beginning of Season 3, things never really go Kendall's way. These incidents show that even an excessively wealthy man can get kicked around a lot by his own family. He sure can pay for crazy parties, but he can't escape the abuse of his family.
Directed by Lorene Scafaria, Too Much Birthday is indeed a marvelous blend of imagination and character arcs. Kendall's party itself is a sight to behold:
- The canal entrance.
- Sippy cup cocktails.
- Future newspaper exhibits.
- The compliment tunnel.
- Recreations of Kendall's childhood treehouse.
It's as if Kendall's wildest fantasies come together in one place. Perhaps the episode might have been a bit too much for the Roys, but it's definitely not too much for the viewers.
The brilliance of Succession lies in the Roys wanting to compete and see who wins the race or perhaps daddy's heart. It's all about fighting to be the favorite child in Logan's eyes and worthy too. Instead of reuniting the Roy kids, the epic party ended up dividing them more than ever. Season 3 of Succession is about to come to an end, and at this point, anything can happen in the final two episodes.
The upcoming episode of Succession, Chiantishire, premiering on December 6, will focus on the confrontation everyone has been waiting for - Kendall and Logan coming face to face. But for now, fans can stream the latest episode, Too Much Birthday, on HBO Max, with previous seasons of Succession also available on the platform.
