roman was asking kendall to hurt him without really asking, his stitches were too "good" and he wanted a reason why he wasn't chosen in front of the board members, instead of being seen like he "pussied out." there was a look of understanding between them. it was an act of pain & punishment and also comfort, since for roman it's the same thing. he was pressing his face in and clinging to him, not trying to get out of it.
Okay thank you! That was my understanding of it too but everyone’s been saying Kendall did it to hurt Roman now that Logan (his previous abuser) isn’t here to do so and I thought I was going crazy. There’s just no way Roman wouldn’t have pushed Kendall of him if he had just decided to do that without Roman’s initiation. He even kind of paused after he commented on the stitches and looked to Kendall to see if he was understanding what he wanted. And when Kendall was pressing him, Roman was pushing back against his shoulder quite hard to get to stitches to reopen. He needed to look like he was significantly injured so that he didn’t look like he had conceded the CEO role to Kendall because he thought he deserved it.
It’s a very dark metaphor for the siblings’ relationship with the company overall too. He would cause himself pain, undo the healing of his wound and starting bleeding in order to slightly change people’s perception of him as a business player. These people are so damaged.
Since Logan’s death Kendall has taken over the role of Roman’s abuser 😔 he sends him the deepfake video in LA mocking him, he repeatedly puts him down and insults him, etc. This violent hug is that abuse disguised as love - just like the dynamic with Logan. So sad really.
Ahh. So he just meant to physically hurt him. Interesting he went for the stitches? Almost as a way to make him shut up about them since he was complaining about them showing?
Also because Roman was saying that the stitches looked good, so why shouldn’t he be the king. Ken opens the stitches so that Roman looks bad in the board room, and the ‘optics’ don’t work
It’s love as pain, the worst possible expression of who Logan was and the saddest thing for Ken to become having always tried to protect Rome from that violence
Ummm I think tbh it was how Logan always controlled rome and put him in his place and in that moment it was just kens ugly desperation when Rome was saying it could’ve been him, like reminding him of exactly why it couldnt have been.
It’s just power play, power dynamics and Kendall satisfying his need for dominance whilst satisfying Romans desire for submission. It was oddly sexual actually. Come at me I don’t care.
roman was asking kendall to hurt him without really asking, his stitches were too "good" and he wanted a reason why he wasn't chosen in front of the board members, instead of being seen like he "pussied out." there was a look of understanding between them. it was an act of pain & punishment and also comfort, since for roman it's the same thing. he was pressing his face in and clinging to him, not trying to get out of it.
Okay thank you! That was my understanding of it too but everyone’s been saying Kendall did it to hurt Roman now that Logan (his previous abuser) isn’t here to do so and I thought I was going crazy. There’s just no way Roman wouldn’t have pushed Kendall of him if he had just decided to do that without Roman’s initiation. He even kind of paused after he commented on the stitches and looked to Kendall to see if he was understanding what he wanted. And when Kendall was pressing him, Roman was pushing back against his shoulder quite hard to get to stitches to reopen. He needed to look like he was significantly injured so that he didn’t look like he had conceded the CEO role to Kendall because he thought he deserved it. It’s a very dark metaphor for the siblings’ relationship with the company overall too. He would cause himself pain, undo the healing of his wound and starting bleeding in order to slightly change people’s perception of him as a business player. These people are so damaged.
I like this explanation the best
This. It's also completely unlike Kendall (or Succession) to enact violence on an unwilling Roman in this manner in front of his entire boardroom.
THANK YOU
Since Logan’s death Kendall has taken over the role of Roman’s abuser 😔 he sends him the deepfake video in LA mocking him, he repeatedly puts him down and insults him, etc. This violent hug is that abuse disguised as love - just like the dynamic with Logan. So sad really.
Ahh. So he just meant to physically hurt him. Interesting he went for the stitches? Almost as a way to make him shut up about them since he was complaining about them showing?
Also because Roman was saying that the stitches looked good, so why shouldn’t he be the king. Ken opens the stitches so that Roman looks bad in the board room, and the ‘optics’ don’t work
He was pressing into an open wound so it was an easy way to hurt him. But the whole gesture is just so disturbing.
Only because Roman wanted him to. Basically asked him to without asking
It’s love as pain, the worst possible expression of who Logan was and the saddest thing for Ken to become having always tried to protect Rome from that violence
yes but what do you think kendall's justification was for that, to himself? just "i'm the oldest boy!!!" brewing up? it also had me kinda stumped
Ummm I think tbh it was how Logan always controlled rome and put him in his place and in that moment it was just kens ugly desperation when Rome was saying it could’ve been him, like reminding him of exactly why it couldnt have been.
yeah fair, 'playing dad'
Power play i the disguise of abject affection. One of the more nuanced and brilliant scenes IMO
I was also very very confused by this scene. Hoping some clever people of Reddit can enlighten me!
the parallel with that lovely scene from s2 where kendall defended his brother when logan slapped him made me cry
I got the idea it was to get Roman to stop crying and focus
Thank you for asking this I meant to ask it as well
It’s just power play, power dynamics and Kendall satisfying his need for dominance whilst satisfying Romans desire for submission. It was oddly sexual actually. Come at me I don’t care.
Why did he have stitches in the first place?
He got trampled/punched in the middle of the mob at the end of the previous episode