Succession Season 4 Episode 5 – Recap (Let’s Kill the Deal)

Spoiler for Succession Season 4 (So Far)

The fifth episode of the brilliant final season of Succession titled ‘Kill List’ is finally here and in this episode, we see the Roy brothers making a plan to tank the Mattson deal behind Shiv’s back.

Episode 5 of Succession’s Final Season titled “Kill List” will leave your heart pumping and your mind absolutely f**ked. The episode begins with Kendall (this scene will remind you of the first time you saw Kendall in the Pilot episode) as he is listening to rap music and going to the WayStar offices to start his first day as Co-CEO. As soon as he gets there Hugo (Fisher Stevens) introduces him to a newly hired staff to help him but Kendall tells them to go away until he needs them.

When Kendall (Jeremy Strong) walks into the bullpen he is welcomed with applause by the whole staff and then he heads into an office where Roman (Kieran Culkin) is discussing a high-budget film Kalispitron that is having production problems. Then Kendall and Roman start discussing the Mattson (Alexander Skarsgård) deal, while Roman tells a staff member to get Shiv (Sarah Snook). Before Shiv gets there Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) and Karl (David Rasche) walk into the office and try to discuss the deal but Roman and Kendall kinda sorta ignore them while reassuring them that they will get the deal. Shiv walks in and asks what the old guard is doing there and the brothers reply that they just walked in. Then everybody gets a message from Mattson’s side that every executive and important member of the WayStar team is required in Norway at Mattson’s company retreat. This throws off Kendall and Roman but they get over it and head to the airport with everybody.

After the credits roll we see Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) discussing why they are heading to Norway and not Sweden (where Mattson’s company is located). Greg suggests in front of Hugo and some other people that they are going to Norway to get Norwegian girls but Tom cuts him off and tells him that they are going there to basically reinterview for their jobs as they could lose it after the deal goes through. Greg then asks Tom if he is worried, while Tom seems a bit worried he tells Greg that he is not worried about Mattson but he is worried about the Roy siblings because they all seem to hate him now.

In the next scene, we see Shiv, Kendall, and Roman on the plane and Shiv asks her siblings if they are worried about the hit pieces on Logan, while Roman and Kendall the high production costs of Kalispitron. When Shiv brings up the subject again Kendall brings Hugo into their compartment and tells him that if anyone is putting out hit pieces on their father he will destroy him (Kendall told Hugo to put out hit pieces on Logan in the last moments of Episode 4). Then Kendall and Roman tell Shiv that they are busy getting the angle on the Mattson deal to which Shiv replies that they are just reading documents. Then Kendall and Roman offer Shiv that they could axe Tom for her, but Shiv doesn’t agree and goes away. Then we see the executives discussing how Mattson’s team is so much younger and better than they are but Gerri says that they are Europeans and that they are soft, while the WayStar executives are tough because they have worked under a barbarian that goes by the name Logan Roy. This gets the whole team pumped for the deal.

In the next scene, we see the gang heading to Mattson’s resort or something. In the car, Roman asks if Kendall is nervous about the deal, and when Kendall replies that Mattson is just some guy and he is not nervous after hearing that Shiv makes fun of Kendall and he admits that he is a bit nervous but it’s all fine and he will get the deal. After getting in the resort we see Kendall getting into his room and then he gets a call from Roman, who says that he can see him from his room but their call is interrupted by Kendall’s secretary who tells him that Mattson wants to meet.

Then we see Kendall, Roman, Shiv, Gerri, and Karl in a gondola where Gerri and Karl try to tell Roman and Kendall that they should go easy in the negotiations and not play hardball but Kendall reassures them on the selling number and tells them not to worry. In the next moment, Roman gets a call from Connor (Alan Ruck) who tells him that Marcia (Hiam Abbass) has been there and she wants to do something odd to his father’s remains (I didn’t understand what they were talking about), Kendall tells Roman that it all just drama and to ignore Connor, but the eldest son hears it and says that their father will look odd and he wants their support if he is going to stop Marcia from doing what she wants to do.

Then we see the team meeting Mattson, who says that they brought the whole team and he himself is alone. To which the Roy brothers that they could negotiate alone if he wants. Then Kendall, Roman, and Mattson head into a room where Mattson gives his condolences to the Roy brothers and tells them how his father died after which the negotiations start out kinda rocky and Kendall and Roman tell Mattson that they like his offer but they need him to bump up the price a bit. Mattson counters with an unusually high number but he wants to buy the whole Waystar RoyCo. empire including ATN (which Logan didn’t want to sell). Roman says that ATN is not for sale but after some more pressure from Mattson, Kendall, and Roman decide that they should discuss this with the old guard and Shiv. Then they head out and tell Gerri and Karl about the offer and they seem to be happy with the offer. When Roman asks about where Shiv is they tell him that she went down.

Then Kendall and Roman go to see Shiv, where she tells them that Jeryd Mencken (A presidential candidate with loose morals who Logan was planning on supporting) is getting even more support from ATN after Logan’s passing. Then Kendall says that it’s wrong but they need to talk about the big picture and tells her that Mattson wants to buy ATN and Shiv is okay with it Roman still resists the idea of selling ATN because it was the last thing Logan wanted to do.

In the next scene, we see Tom and Greg discussing Mattson, and Greg tells Tom that Mattson is a bit aloof and ignores random people and then he also adds that there is a “kill list” (a list of people who will lose their job after the deal goes through). Tom then heads to meet Mattson and his team who are having brunch, and Greg goes to meet the Roy siblings. Then we see Tom talking with Mattson and his team and they make Tom and after some time also Gregg feel like an idiot. Kendall steps in and Mattson tells him that they are just passing time until they come back with a counter. Then Kendall asks Mattson if he wants to do the deal out here. Mattson, Shiv, Kendall, and Roman start discussing the deal and Kendall tells Mattson that he doesn’t understand the product he is buying and that if he screws up after the deal, half of their money will be in stocks which could cost them a large sum to which Mattson replies that its, not a trusted brand, it has its advantages and nice parts but the overall brand is pretty bad. Then Mattson stands still on his offer and tells the siblings that it is what it is.

Then we see Mattson, Shiv, and Ebba (Mattson’s PR head). After an uncomfortable conversation, Ebba walks away and Mattson asks Shiv if there is a deal to be done or not and if there is what is the number. Shiv says the company line that there is potentially a deal. In the next scene, we see Kendall and Roman standing far in the wood from the party. While talking about the deal Roman says that he doesn’t understand his own feelings about selling and that’s when Kendall tells Roman that he wants to blow up the deal because he thinks Mattson is a bad fit for Waystar and when Roman asks if he wants to discuss this with Shiv. Kendall replies that Shiv is ready for this. To which Roman replies that she is not and while initially resistant to the idea, Roman eventually agrees about blowing up the deal.

In the next scene, we see Shiv and Mattson sitting alone, where he asks her about her marriage with Tom and Shiv replies that they both screwed up. After hearing that Mattson tells Shiv a personal story about a girl he was dating and how he continuously sent a brick of half a liter of his blood to her as a joke, which shocks Shiv a bit but she seems okay with it. Mattson later reveals that the girl was Ebba, after hearing that Shiv tells him that she is his PR head and who is advising him on this matter and if the US media finds out about this there will be an economic impact on his company. After talking it out Mattson tells Shiv that he likes her and she is a bit like her father.

In the next scene, we see Kendall meeting Greg, who hands him a phone and tells him that someone will call on this and tell them that the negotiations are not going great and nobody is getting along, and then Kendall asks his assistant to set up a screening for Kalispitron for Mattson and his team in the morning. In the morning we see Mattson’s team watching the movie and then outside we see Shiv asking Kendal and Roman about the article about the negotiations going bad Greg interrupts the conversation and says that it’s probably Mattson to get some more juice in the negotiations. Then Kendall gathers everyone and tells them they are okay with selling ATN but the rate will have to go up. Then we see Tom and Shiv insulting each other but in a flirtatious way.

Then we see Kendall and Roman in a Gondola again, and Roman gets an image from Connor on his phone. It’s apparently Logan’s photo after seeing that Roman feels a bit disturbed. Then they go to Mattson who asks them if they are trying to tank the deal to which Roman and Kendall reply that they are just sharing the problems to be completely honest. Mattson says that he preferred doing the deal with their father because at least he knew what he wanted to do. While Kendall remains calm, Roman goes into a fit of rage and tells Mattson that he can try his hardest but the deal is not happening because they will tank it and if he tells the board about anything he says, he will just say that it was just a negotiating tactic.

In the final scene, we see everybody heading back to the United States on the plane, where Frank gets a call from Mattson, who tells him his revised offer which is even better than the last one. After hearing the number everybody seems happy, Shiv tells Tom about the deal and also that she wants to fire someone from ATN, and Tom initially thinks that it’s him but Shiv soon says that it’s Cyd (Jeannie Berlin) she wants to fire and she wants Tom to do it. Shiv also asks Tom if he wants to get dinner when they get back but the conversation gets interrupted by a call from Mattson who asks Shiv to take a picture of her brothers and send it to him and Shiv complies. We also see the Waystar getting their hands on the kill list and except for Tom, Karolina, and Gerri, everybody will be fired after the deal goes through.

What Happens Next?

Check out the trailer for next week’s episode titled “Living+”: