‘Succession’: Logan & Kendall (Try to) Put Differences Aside in ‘Lion in the Meadow’ (RECAP)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Succession, Season 3, Episode 4, “Lion in the Meadow.”]

It’s a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to the Roy family’s ongoing war, but sometimes bitter rivalries have to be put aside for a brief moment in order to get business done, and such is the case in Succession‘s latest episode, “Lion in the Meadow.”

Following the FBI’s raid on Waystar, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) relishes seeing his father Logan’s (Brian Cox) house of cards begin to tumble. Little does he know, this situation affects his plans as well. While Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) is being torn in half over both sides, with Logan wanting the bumbling man to take on joint counsel with the rest of Waystar, Kendall can’t help but observe the situation and remind Greg to stick with him.

More desperate than ever, Ken is invited to a conference call with Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), Roman (Kieran Culkin), Shiv (Sarah Snook), Hugo (Fisher Stevens), Frank (Peter Friedman), and more who convey to Kendall just how dire things are. One of Waystar’s biggest shareholders, Josh Aaronson (Adrien Brody), is getting cold feet considering the muddiness of the situation.

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The only thing preventing him from leaving is if Logan and Kendall agree to meet with him together. Initially, Kendall is apprehensive about the optics, and that’s when Logan chimes in to tell his son to “come” to the meeting. After hanging up on the phone, Shiv asks Logan how bad it would be if Kendall didn’t come to the meeting with Josh, but his main focus is putting pressure on the president, fondly referred to as “the raisin.” Logan plans to make news coverage unbearable enough that the investigation into Waystar will disappear.

Meanwhile, Gerri tries to set boundaries with Roman, who questions her when she mentions she’s going on a date. Together, they strategize what their next move could be and he brings up a memory from his youth with Kendall in which they got a homeless man to tattoo Kendall’s initials on his forehead for money. Using this as a potential collateral situation, Roman goes off to try and track down the man to help Waystar continue their smear campaign against Kendall.

At Logan’s, Greg nervously sits down as he’s pressured to take on the joint council, but as he considers the situation, he asks Logan what he can get in return for his loyalty. Noticing the young man’s nerves, Logan tells Greg to think it over and get back to him.

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With Greg somewhat sorted out, Frank gives Kendall a call to set the meeting with Josh up, revealing that the shareholder now wants to meet on his island because his daughter is sick. Agreeing to “make nice” with Logan for the event, the men head for their respective helicopters, but Logan makes a power move by telling Kendall’s team to make him wait as the patriarch takes his son’s readied chopper. The move sparks a metaphorical pissing match as Ken gets on his plane first at their second location before arriving at Josh’s island.

Back at the offices, Shiv relays some information to Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) about Logan wanting pressure on the president, and she asks him to put a word in with ATN’s Ravenhead (Zack Robidas). Despite being indifferent to taking orders to the team from Shiv, Tom’s main concern is his potential prison time considering his tie to cruises. Shiv tells him it’s a “what if” scenario; no need to compare prisons.

Also on the docket for Shiv is a meeting with eldest brother Connor (Alan Ruck) who continues to work on his presidential bid. Deciding to make his official run in four years, he asks for a position within Waystar to help build credibility with his followers. She offers him a gig with their food division for a possible wine tasting show, but as it becomes clear she won’t be handing out an executive position, Connor begins to threaten that he’ll blackmail Waystar, adding that he’d rather not deal with Shiv.

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Once Kendall lands on the island, he’s not willing to convene with Logan on the tarmac and instead heads straight for Josh’s house. The shareholder tests out the waters with his first guest, asking how things are, but Kendall does his best to brush off any negativity, instead offering up ideas for the company and inviting Josh to his upcoming 40th birthday bash.

When Logan does finally show up, Kendall gives his father an awkward hug as the men come face-to-face for the first time in a while. Sitting down to talk and check in as an investor and friend, Josh asks where they’re at and Logan tries to reassure him that nothing is a significant issue. Pushing to get some fresh air, Josh drags Kendall and Logan out on the trails of his island to talk shop. The venture leaves Logan and Kendall alone together for a couple of awkward minutes before Josh rejoins them.

Back at the offices, Roman presents Hugo with the tattoo man he told Gerri about earlier. Speaking with the man and his lawyer, Roman becomes concerned when he notices that the tattoo has been removed. Bribing him for photographic evidence, Roman offers the man a million dollars, which he supposedly accepts as it’s later revealed to Gerri that Roman secured evidence of the tattoo. She advises against using it though, taking into consideration that it could make Roman look bad as well as Kendall.

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Tom visits Greg in the office, announcing himself as “terminal Tom,” because his cancer of a career could soon be over. Greg shares news about his exchange with Logan and how he plans to ask for control in the parks sector of the business in hopes of reaching the kind of customers he’s interested in. Tom thinks it’s ironic considering Greg could be living in a metaphorical castle soon, while he’ll be in the dungeon as a prisoner. The exchange awkwardly dissolves when Tom tries to wrestle Greg and he refuses.

He laments his situation once again to Shiv after revealing that Ravenhead won’t do her bidding, complaining that he won’t be able to get fine wine in prison and that he’s been reading the prison blogs to learn how he can make toilet wine. Tom also worries about when the lights out time would be because he likes to read, acting as though he’s only just learning what the concept of prison is.

On the island, Logan attempts to cut a deal with Josh before their trek becomes too strenuous, but the shareholder wants to hear both him and Kendall out. Josh tells Kendall the easiest thing would be if the accusations against Waystar were rescinded, and it leads to a rough exchange in which Kendall accuses the men of ganging up on him. Logan brings up drug paranoia, only further escalating the situation.

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As the men prepare to sit for lunch, Logan talks to Shiv over the phone and she tells him there’s a line in regards to pushing for negative press about the president. Logan responds by telling his daughter the line is always moving.

Moving to more blunt topics, Josh asks if Kendall wants his father in jail, but the man can’t give a straight answer. “I don’t like betting on blood feuds,” Josh tells them both and questions if they can work through this together. Logan says they can because despite Kendall screwing him over — his son’s a good kid who did what he thought was right.

The nice comment doesn’t sit long as Josh gets up to take a call and Logan tells Kendall that he’d “say anything to get f**ked on the first date.” Kendall doesn’t accept this mindset and tells Logan he needs to retire, but Logan’s just as stubborn and tells Kendall to face facts that he lost the fight.

When Josh returns to the table, the men begin their trek back to his house, but it proves to be a bit much for Logan, who is overcome by the physical activity and ends up having a weak spell. Their attempts to sway Josh prove futile though when it’s revealed the shareholder is meeting with Sandy and Stewy as well.

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Meanwhile, Shiv goes to Ravenhead herself and threatens the man to begin slandering the president on air, and although he counters that he’ll expose her, Shiv says in her family, “we don’t get embarrassed.” Her work ends up doing what’s intended when Logan receives an angry call on his plane from the president. Meanwhile, Roman calls Kendall and accuses him of trying to kill their father while also delivering the low blow that Josh is jumping ship from Waystar.

So, was the temporary truce for nothing? Stay tuned as the season continues to unfold on HBO.

Succession, Season 3, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO