The number crunching of Succession Season 4 Episode 7 is probably the least captivating moments amid all the high drama of the Roy-Wambsgans pre-election night party (step forward Tom and Shiv, and that almighty row), but it’s vital to understanding the GoJo deal, and how it could all end up tanked.
If it went over your head, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re here to translate what went down…
Double crossing
Shiv has happily been playing the double agent between her brothers and Matsson: after being sidelined in Episode 4, she’s hoping that Matsson will ditch them and place her in a high up position when the buy-out goes through. But the goings-on at the party prove that she’s also now backed herself into a tricky position.
Matsson, who has come along to prove he’s a reliable presence, once more manages to piss off his head of comms, Ebba. You may recall that Matsson and Ebba were once an item, and after they broke up, the former sent the latter frozen bricks of blood. On the balcony, over a cigarette, Ebba lets slip to Kendall that there’s an even bigger scandal being covered up: India.
Funky numbers
We learn a few murky truths about Matsson. “He’s not even a real coder,” Ebba says, adding that it was their team who developed GoJo’s product and Matsson just took it to market. But most importantly for the Roys and the acquisition is that “his numbers are funky”: there are screwy subscriber metrics in India.
As Matsson himself admits when confronted by Shiv: “There’s a little issue with subscriber numbers being bullshit, well, not bullshit, but a little bit bullshit.” There has apparently been a “metrics error” and GoJo has been claiming double the amount of subscribers in India.
This means the GoJo-Waystar deal has gone through on false numbers, and Waystar would be well within their rights to pull out from the deal as they have been fraudulently misled. However, Matsson asks Shiv to let it slide, push the deal through and this illegal move would be lost in the “deal dazzle”. They’d probably make the numbers for real in the next quarter, Matsson argues. “It’s funny, right?” he quips. Maybe it’s funnier with subtitles.
Number one boy plan
This info plays right into Kendall’s new plan. Kendall is already hot on Matsson’s heels, and, as we know, still wants to kill the deal as some sort of deluded power move. His plan earlier in the episode is to get the regulatory authorities involved - the DOJ, FTC etc - as “they might just stop it…just the threat is a ton more risk for Matsson, kicks the deal down the line.”
That’s why Kendall asks Shiv’s ex-boyfriend and political strategist, Nate Sofrelli, if he can raise the issue with his current boss, Daniel, in exchange for a sneaky backhander of positive coverage for his political party in Waystar Royco media like ATN. However, Nate is not into this at all, and says that his party is not even happy with him mingling with the Roys - and leaves, meaning Kendall has failed at trying to illegally lobby a political advisor.
After Kendall’s plan is nixed, his next move is to hint out loud in the party with “40 of the most important people in the country” that Matsson’s numbers have been massaged. Er, Kendall, are you forgetting you literally asked your finance bods to double their predictions for Living+ a day ago? Pot, kettle, black. Matsson then offensively - and weirdly - fires back that Kendall’s numbers are “gay”, and we’re once again back in the playground for a war of words between these two man-babies. “Love the deal!” they both end up shouting at each other.
Reverse Viking Move
Finally, Kendall has a whispered conversation with Frank in the cloakroom (now I know where to hide for all the best gossip the next time I’m invited to a one-percenter soirée). Because of the subs scam, he wants to “reverse Viking” and “pillage their village”. With this new information, he thinks Waystar could buy GoJo, thus allowing him to become “bigger than dad ever was”. Sigh. Listen, if you kids can’t sort this deal out among yourselves, I’m coming down there to take it over the line myself. Anything to never have this conversation again!
Succession continues weekly on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
Laura Martin is a freelance journalist specializing in pop culture.
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