The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace
Season	2
Episode	1
Overall	11
Release date	August 11, 2019
Length	66 minutes
Director(s)	Mark Mylod
Writer(s)	Jesse Armstrong
Previous	"Nobody Is Ever Missing"
Next	"Vaulter"

"The Summer Palace" is the first episode of the second season of Succession and eleventh of the series overall. It premiered on August 11, 2019 on HBO. It was written by Jesse Armstrong and directed by Mark Mylod.

Premise

Kendall tries to make amends with his dad for his takeover attempt betrayal. Logan receives some unvarnished advice from his banker about the next best move for Waystar Royco. As Tom maneuvers for a new position in the company, Shiv tries to determine whether Logan is playing mind games regarding his successor.

Plot synopsis

Kendall in rehab

Kendall is whisked away from rehab to appear on television and publicly withdraw from the takeover attempt. Karolina prepares a disoriented Kendall for the interview, giving him the go-to line: "I saw their plan, but my dad's plan was better."

Kendall on television

Shiv and Tom watch the interview while honeymooning on the family's yacht. Roman watches with Gerri from a hospital in Japan, where they've been visiting patients involved in the shuttle explosion. Logan observes from Waystar's headquarters.

Kendall returns to New York and meets with his father for his debriefing. He confesses that he shared with Stewy and Sandy information about Logan's decline in health and recent erratic behavior. He attempts to apologize, but Logan dismisses him and sends him off to his new office. Kendall asks that Karolina reach out to Jess, who usually supplies drugs to him.

Logan has a private dinner with his financial adviser Jamie Laird, who recommends that Logan sell the company; otherwise, the fight could persist for months or even years, and with the decline in use of traditional news media, Waystar likely wouldn't survive. Meanwhile, in Japan, Roman makes a press appearance regarding the satellite explosion. News breaks that Logan has decided to sell, shocking his children and associates. Shiv and Tom must unfortunately abort their honeymoon. Kendall tasks Greg with acquiring cocaine for him.

Logan invites his family and closest associates to the Roy family's summer home in the Hamptons. Kendall is the first to arrive, immediately noticing a horrible stench. The others arrive and comment on the smell as well, which is later identified as a bag of dead raccoons rotting in the fireplace. Colin privately informs Kendall that he's successfully been absolved of any involvement in the death of Andrew Dodds. Roman and Shiv, unaware of what truly happened with Dodds, berate Kendall for his recent behavior.

Shiv accepts the position of CEO

At lunch, with everyone gathered around the table, Logan prompts discussion on whether he should continue the fight or sell the company. Several people share their opinions, while Shiv and Roman request to speak to Logan privately. Shiv is brought into Logan's office and taken aback when he asks that she become the next CEO. He claims that if she declines the offer, he will sell the company. She eagerly accepts, and they agree not to inform the others of the offer, at least until the details are sorted. Tom corners her as she exits, but she reveals only that her father appointed him Chair of Global Broadcast News at ATN.

Logan confronts his renovation contractor and accuses him of planting the raccoons in retaliation for being underpaid. Logan offers him $100,000 instead of the $300,000 that he owes, and the man objects. Logan then leaves without paying him at all.

While at dinner that evening, Logan announces that he will not be selling the company, and Kendall and Roman will as co-COOs temporarily. He and Kendall then leave for New York to meet with Sandy and Stewy; however, on arrival, Logan abandons the meeting and leaves Kendall in charge. Stewy confronts Kendall and asks why he backed out of their deal, to which Kendall responds with the line given to him earlier by Karolina. He then asks Sandy if there's any possibility of the two sides coming together with Logan still in control, but he's assured that there isn't. Before he leaves, Kendall promises Sandy that Logan will have his life destroyed.

Cast

Starring Brian Cox as Logan Roy Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy Dagmara Dominczyk as Karolina Novotney Peter Friedman as Frank Vernon (credit only) Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini Alan Ruck as Connor Roy J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy Rob Yang as Lawrence Yee (credit only)

Recurring Danny Huston as Jamie Laird Justine Lupe as Willa Ferreyra David Rasche as Karl Larry Pine as Sandy Furness Scott Nicholson as Colin

Quotes

• Shiv Roy: Rome, I think you're a super talented superstar, and I... I love you.
  Roman Roy: Oh you're such a f**king b*tch.
• Shiv Roy: Dad, you beat Roman with a f**king slipper in Gustav till he cried for ordering lobster, remember? And Kendall tries to kill you and he's five minutes out in the cold?
  Roman Roy: It is not polite to order the most expensive item on the menu when you're not paying, Siobhan.
• Kendall Roy: You're gonna bleed cash and [Logan] is gonna bleed cash. It will never end. And maybe you'll kill him but if you don't he will aim to kill you. He will go bankrupt or go to jail before he lets you beat him. He will beat you in the business and if that doesn't work he will send people around. He will send men to kill your pets and fuck your wives and it will never be over.
  Sandy Furness: Good, well let's move ahead with that process shall we?

Trivia

• Scenes involving the Roy family's summer home were shot in or around Henry Ford II's 1960 estate, which was chosen to reflect Logan's sense of style.
• Sarah Snook submitted the episode to support her nomination at the Primetime Emmy Awards.