Also feeling insane about how Tom and Shiv both want to go back to the points in their relationship where each of them had power over the other.
Tom goes to Shiv on the stairs of her dead father's home and reminds her of when she was vulnerable and fell in love with and relied on him. He hearkens back to a time in their relationship where she was going through a hard time and he supported her, because that's what he wants again. Being the rock supporting Shiv through a storm gives him irreplaceable power there, even if he's nothing but good to her in the process.
Meanwhile, when they had the divorce talk in 4x1, one of the reasons that Shiv cut things off so quickly was that she wanted Tom to reach out and ask for her. If she said "it's over" and Tom tried to fight for her, then it would have been him begging her and her making the decision. It would have given her power over him again.
But I think Shiv recognizes Tom's ploy at the wake, and she pushes him away rather than fall on him, and Tom doesn't let himself beg when she tells him it's over. Tom wants to be her rock again and Shiv wants to be in control of someone subservient, but Tom's sick of subservience and Shiv refuses to be weak or reliant on him. So they're both just grasping at what the other one won't let them have.
succession captured the mundane, bizarre, chaotic, inexplicable details of death so perfectly. the denial of roman refusing to admit logan was dead until they stopped giving CPR, the immediacy of the team moving forward with logistics before the kids had even processed it, shiv blurting out non sequiturs, roman stressing over if he said the right words and wanting to see him, all of them grasping for control through making the statement.
the writers were SO genius for having his happen on episode 3 of the season, only a quarter way into the episode, after they’d already established the episode plotlines. it was sudden, unpredictable, and it blew everything else (the mattsson deal, connor’s wedding drama, roman firing gerri) to ashes. that’s how death is. it has no logic, no narrative symmetry. and by not showing anything until tom made the call, the viewers are put in the sibling’s shoes. we’re as shocked as they are.
i didnt realize ppl genuinely wanted shiv to ascend to ceo djsjks as @romanfag said this is the DREAM ending for her......on some level getting ceo even of a burning building will never ring hollow for shiv its the ultimate proof of all she believes about herself and is tired of others not seeing it doesn't really follow through on the show's satirical commentary about sexual violence and misogyny inherent to the politics being sustained by capitalism.....not to mention its an unsatisfactory ending for her as a character bc it doesnt really reflect the tone of the story's thoroughline as it relates to her (anti) hero's journey. what better displays the horror of the echoey ghosts of the haunted house than the two brothers being locked out of it forever by the sister locking herself in with her empty suit of a husband who's bleeding her dry :)
within the roy family itself, the roy siblings always seem to be more reasonable than their dad, fighting against the forces of the company and clinging to some sense of a conscience, even outsmarting him. but outside of it, in the public eye, they are just a reflection of him -- they are wholly unembarrassed of their obvious prejudice, they suffer from no imposter syndrome. to an outsider they appear condescending and overwhelming and insane, just as their father must appear to them. but in those moments outside their family, they become vulnerable, too, because outsiders actually see the things that are truly awful about them, just like us, the audience, instead of the things logan considers to be awful about them, which are not true (or at least, are not things that actually matter)
hey look its all of them because im really nice (but actually its YOU ALL who are really nice. you guys are being enormously kind about fandom baby ily)
important 2 me that hibs was formula-fed by tom or primarily a rotating staff of nannies but every time tom fed hibs he would anxiously, rapidly murmur about how formula feeding has observable adverse effects on a child's development and health. if shiv is there she gets on her phone because she just cannot listen to that
here's a shiv diary section that makes me want to scream
Thinking of Shiv telling Kendall it triggers her when he acts like dad, and he reacts to her wobbling by begging, screaming and getting violent with her.
ooof @ Kendall immediately thinking about how best to insulate Sophie as a form of protection that does NOTHING to address her emotional needs and only seeks to make him feel like he’s DOING something about a problem that he either can’t or won’t try to understand.
and extra ooof @ the way it mirrors how Logan also insulated Shiv as a means of control masquerading as protection.
and DOUBLE EXTRA OOF @ KENDALL LEARNING THAT’S HOW BEST TO PROTECT A DAUGHTER.
BECAUSE HE SAW LOGAN DO IT TO SHIV.
BUT HE’S CONVINCED HIMSELF HIS WAY IS LESS DAMAGING BECAUSE HE HAS GOOD INTENTIONS AND LOGAN DID NOT BUT WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE ROAD TO HELL AND GOOD INTENTIONS AND ALL THAT