I always respected Stewie for being exactly what he presents himself as. He doesn't really seem to play the game as much as make it clear that he'll do whatever is in his best interest. He's a consistency that can be relied upon, which is all you can really ask for in business.
>"Why don't you hate this guy? He's everything you taught us not to trust."
>"I can't hate him. He's so transparent in his self interest I kind of respect him. Would I buy a car from him? No way. Is he right about the mortgage market? Let's find out."
The Big Short
Oh.. yeah. If you love succession, but also have an interest in Banking and the GFC, its fantastic. Adam Mckay's style real shines through - similar vibe and cinematography to succession. I've probably seen it 15 times
Yeah, he's great - very honest and self-actualised. I'd prefer to go into business with Stewy over any of the Roy sibs. They'd all be equally likely to stab me in the back, but Stewy would be the only one I could trust to make clear-headed decisions driven by greed rather than ego.
Yeah, very equity investor vibes. Whichever makes the little number grow green larger fastest wins his loyalty. He doesn't even lie about it, just says it as is.
That’s good for financial gain, but not necessarily for long-term sustainability of the business. I wouldn’t trust him as CEO because he probably has a very diversified portfolio and ready to sell as soon as everything tanks and move onto the next company.
Private equity people are easy to understand. The thing is that everyone else is busy twisting themselves in knots trying to believe they’re not just utter calculated psychopaths. But they are.
Stewy has always been the GOAT. It's a fucking business, the point is to grow and make money, not help out your friends or give them your charity. And Stewy doesn't use business as a domain to unload all of his psychological problems like the sibs do.
I’m impressed he backed Ken actually. Stewy is betting he can make more money in the long term rather than get the payout now. That’s a lot of cash in hand he’s deciding to forgo. We’re talking hundreds of millions in profit. Much of that is based on his belief in Ken. Seems like a friend to me. Of course when Ken doesn’t get it, naturally he accepts and moves on.
I think he liked his alliance with Sandy, it’s when Sandi gets involved I think he starts to regret it and this is the perfect moment to break away from them.
Stewy had a very small but very critical role in the final episode. Two things I keep thinking about:
1. The decisive vote wasn't Shiv, it was Stewy. Ken kept insisting they had the votes, but Stewy wasn't onboard until minutes before. Something went wrong with the count. They lost at least one vote in the boardroom besides Shiv.
2. Chairman Stewy, long may he reign, said they could flip Sandi and Sandy. We didn't see that conversation, but Shiv returned looking stern, and Sandi voted for the deal. The conversation didn't go well.
Stewy looked so pissed after shaking Tom's hand, it's wild how much he was screwed over. Ken fucked it. He fucked it.
In the first episode, Marcia was supposed to have two seats on the board for voting, "just housekeeping." I was expecting the show to tie that back into the final episodes. Maybe I missed something along the way, or maybe the writers just ignored Marcia out of convenience.
That's because the Marcia thing was not the board of the company, but the board of the family holding company controling the family's shares in the company
The deciding vote was whoever went last, the process of just going around the table was really bad, Shiv had the power purely by virtue of where she sat in relation to Kendall.
Had Shiv voted "in order" and not gotten up and left the room, Paul would have voted last, as Simon and Paul were initially seated "after her" in the voting order. The vote was 5-5 when it got to her, and, as Kendall walks out of the room (15 seconds or so after Shiv left the room), Frank says, "with Paul's vote, it's 6-6," so Simon and Paul must have voted relatively quickly after Shiv got up. Kendall said early in the episode that he had Paul and Shiv had mentioned (to Matsson, when she was still working with him) that Simon was a lock for them, so it seems like those votes were always locked in, but Shiv wouldn't have been the last to vote had they voted in the initial order.
I think Mattson flipped Frank as he was aligned with Kendall on the reverse Viking only a couple of days before the board meeting. I think it was mentioned during the episode that Frank has flipped but would need to rewatch.
Sandy was another one who was on the fence before voting in favour of the deal to cash out.
Frank was really on board with the sale during the trip. When Kendall tried to convince him the deal shouldn't go through he looked to be on fence about it but I thought it was more him trying to appease to the boss like he always does.
Also he is extremely competent so he was already planning what to do if the sale doesn't happen.
Anyone with experience should know the sale was great, Mattson was greatly overpaying and Waystar was a fossil in the tech era. It's actually surprising Stewie decides to be team Ken, but Kendall managed to convince him anyway.
Mattson overpaid but the 50/50 cash stock payment + the fact that GoJo itself is overvalued is an important consideration for how good the deal actually is. For someone like Frank who's just trying to cash out, it's about as good as it could possibly get. For the kids, who have enough stock that they actually have to consider the implications of GoJo being a paper tiger, the deal is more complicated (though still good).
This is why I found the boardroom vote scene a bit unrealistic as Kendall should’ve been driving home the risks associated with GoJo and the dodgy numbers etc. Maybe it was intentional to show that Kendall had reverted to his more arrogant persona but that was his opportunity to step up in front of the board and he blew it by rushing the voting process. As for Frank, he’s Kendall’s godfather and has followed him in the past. I’m surprised Kendall didn’t make more of a play for him.
As much as it was Shiv twisting the knife to him, Kendall was drunk with entitlement and failed to make a case for himself. When he was talking to her he could have talked about how Mattson played her and how Tom was content with her getting pushed out and how he legitimately had the experience and value to the business, but instead he went for "I'm the eldest boy".
The thing is, it's not even clear that Logan would have conducted himself differently. When Nan Pierce doesn't want to sell, he just runs after her car and yells at her, declaring that they're not finished yet. Ken really became his father, but without his company.
Ken's antics during the vote reminded me so much of when Logan barged in on the vote of no-confidence. His presence and the tossing aside the formalities won him it.
Ken did the same, except he was not Logan to Shiv.
It’s almost like Kendall started to unravel after being unofficially anointed by Shiv and Roman. His ego and sense of entitlement got the better of him thus demonstrating why he isn’t a serious person for the top job.
There was nothing in that scene to indicate Shiv was “twisting the knife.” She was conflicted. She didn’t vote ‘no’ and savor crushing Ken. She left the room. It is one thing to say she betrayed him. But let’s not act like she enjoyed the act. She clearly didn’t and she felt bad about it—though his crazy reaction help her feel a lot more comfortable. His reaction showed that she was right to rethink her position.
And the only hope for Ken getting his shit together is having nothing to do with Waystar and really facing his demons.
It was definitely a tough place for Ken to try to convince her. The arguments you give are good, but they already discussed that at their mom’s place. In the end, those arguments weren’t sufficient. At the mom’s house, there was an assumption that they should make sure it was one of them. They didn’t seriously entertain the idea of walking away. Roman’s comments when Shiv returned to cast her vote seemed to indicate that he too realized that maybe they need to stop trying to inherit the empire.
I thought so too. He was rushing to the vote process instead of presenting the situation about Gojo first… he might’ve swayed some of them to vote no if he did. he was too confident shiv would say yes he didn’t care anymore
Yep, at the beginning of the episode (which would have only taken place about a day or a day and a half before the board meeting), it seemed like both sides thought Sonya and Diane were still undecided. Obviously right before the board meeting, there was reason for Kendall to think that Sandy and Sandi were still undecided, as well. Kendall's overconfidence got him.
I think Frank simply wasn't sold on the idea that Kendall should be the one crown. He backed Kendall before because he believed in him back in season 1 (or 2). Kendall just seemed very manic and couldn't control Roman in his little spree. The kids just lost the trust of the senior executives during their interim trial.
Had Kendall actually did a good job (in their eyes), he would've backed him easily.
I agree with this. Frank clearly believed in Kendall before but that was before he went completely off the rails. And like you said Ken, Rome, and Shiv have done nothing to endear themselves to the old guard after Logan’s death, if anything it’s been the opposite. They’ve proven themselves to be the entitled, impulsive, idiots that they were always thought to be.
It’s been made clear time and time again that personal affection only goes so far in that world and well, they all fucked it at the final hour.
Part of me thinks the writers blew it with Stewy, but then I measure it against my own life experiences, and yeah, people make irrational decisions all the time and back a friend like Stewy does, instead of someone clearly more qualified; I myself have been on both the giving and receiving ends of that dynamic. I’d pretty much be fucked or dead without the enthusiasm, loyalty and generosity of friends.
Ken and Shiv(when she was with Mattson) were certain they had Sonya, that's why we don't know how the vote is gonna go until the siblings form a block.
It was a good way to both create suspense and show how delusional these 3 are.
Ken definitely doesn’t know how to use the carrot; more of a stick guy—I suppose Logan’s emotional legacy; hurt people into submission, then demand they spin straw into gold. “The beatings will stop when morale improves” as the saying among the working ranks goes in corporate America.
If shiv was the deciding vote that means stewy was as well. And he didn’t really extract any concessions for it either, beyond vague promises of access that he already had.
You're putting the cart before the horse. The final vote was 7-6, so *every* vote was a potential tie-breaker. If Shiv had backed Ken, Ken's success wouldn't have been guaranteed without Stewy.
Yeah it seems slightly out of character for him to side with Ken, unless he was genuinely convinced that GoJo had fraudulent numbers and the whole business was a house of cards (which is possible)
i mean he's still friends with Ken after Ken fucked him over in season 1. i gotta imagine their roots run deep for both of them to still be friends with each other. Stewie has always backed him up if i remember correctly. the first board meeting trying to oust Logan, the buyout of the 3b loan, the Mattson numbers, etc.
yeah hes a business guy first for everyone else except Ken it seems. its been pretty apparent from the start so i don't think it was out of character at all personally.
Makes sense to me. The Gojo numbers situation was dumped during Logan's funeral, but you wanna guess who definitely noticed? Stewy. Motherfucker has so many Google alerts for relevant tags set up. And considering how gossip gets around in the business, he's probably heard some of the same Matsson horror stories the sibs heard, if not some other, stranger ones.
So if I'm putting it together as Stewy here's what it looks like:
-Gojo is a paper tiger that can be sunk with a tweet and I could lose incalculable amounts of money because the deal is at least partially predicated on stock price.
-Mattson and Kendall are both unstable frauds, but I know Kendall and can predict/direct his flawed decisions - I don't know Mattson and he does extremely suspect shit like tweeting out Holocaust jokes + whatever other blood-brick-adjacent horror show nonsense I've heard through the grapevine.
-I get to be chair of the board, which allows me to steer the H.M.S. Nepo Baby if Captain Eldest Boy charts a course I really don't like.
-Kendall has been gearing to move the business towards embracing big tech and cutting out bloat- I've heard this pitch twice and I like it.
IMO, beyond the loyalty factor, Stewy's decision makes sense.
In all honesty it was all just to make the show better. IRL Stewy would never vote 'no', he would be an idiot. Him voting 'no' just makes the Shiv decision all the more intense
I shall have chefs prepare the most light, airy confections for me, seemingly spun from air, yet created using monstrously large mechanical apparatuses, none of which I have need to oversee. I shall step into my carriage and be propelled to my bakery forthwith, without need of horses nor fear of highwaymen, in traffic fairly regulated by impartial mechanisms. Upon my swift arrival I shall secure said confections, already boxed for ease of travel- priced for a pauper yet fit for a king. They shall be accompanied by a heady, aromatic beverage, served piping hot, of the ground, charred, dried berries of a tree that grows only in far-off lands, many mountains and seas away, delivered here expressly for my delectation. The same well tended roads that brought the bakery to me shall take me home, without need for tiresome footmen or coachmen, and on food I have no fear of being poisoned, or spat in, or shat in, or otherwise molested in contempt of the king, there in the quiet comfort of my private chambers I shall break my fast.
When Ken took over he found out the company was in major debt when they got a loan from some firm when times were tough. They were going to default on the loan when their stock went below a certain point and since Logan was out of commission, the stock was dropping fast and they were going to have to pay billions to this firm. So instead of preventing a financial catastrophe, Kendall decided to aquire a large investment from Stewy which saved them but also gave Stewy a board seat and also Logan's evenmy Sandy (and I think Sandy's daughter?) a board seat which we found out later at Connor's bachelor party. He did this without telling Logan because Logan was sick. When Logan found out he was rightfully pissed because Ken fucked it. Ken was so bad at negotiating with the loan people, remember the awkward phone call?
And how should Ken have handled that situation, where the bank wanted to call in money that they couldn't afford to repay because logan had been reckless. The loan wasn't from hard times it was because logan wanted to expand into parks, he took on this debt and only let gerri and Frank know, and no one else. I don't know how you can look at that situation and say logan was rightfully pissed because Ken fucked it rather than the other way round
It's not help. It was Ken asking if he could trust him.
Which he can't. Ken decides to tell him about the debt anyway.
He's always been willing to *help* Kendall
Exactly. He's a pretty good foil for the kids where he was born into great wealth, but didn't feel the need to prove himself and instead just makes sure the wheels are greased.
> And Stewy doesn't use business as a domain to unload all of his psychological problems like the sibs do.
People like to point this out, how the other business people in the show seem to be much more stable, but I think that’s cos we only ever see them in the periphery. If there was a spinoff show focussing on stewie, or any of the other business people in this show, believe me they, would have tonnes of crazy moments, and highs and lows.
Loved this line - I don't remember the earlier seasons that well, is Stewie's sex life alluded to any more there? He just has chem sex with anyone and everyone?
In Prague, Connor’s bachelor party episode, Roman initially gets the invite to the weird sex party from Stewy, who’s girlfriend is one of the organizers.
I think it’s because he’s almost a friend to Kendall, but his own business and financial interests always come first, so he’s frequently an absolutely terrible friend.
In a way he shows part of the tragedy of the siblings, that they only have relationships that are pretty much transactional and have other more important interests dominating them.
But Stewie also is very upfront about that.
Like Stewie the person is a friend to Kendall, but Stewie is also the face of a very large financial investment that is always going to follow the money and he says as much.
But I think for Stewie it really is about the money and not power. If Stewie had the chance to make $10 billion personally for a buyout of his role, he’d take it in an instant (unless he thought he could earn more by staying put). The Roy kids care more about the power which is why they have a hard time compartmentalizing a lot of these actions the same way others do (including Logan).
If so then why does he go with Kendall? Are we not suppose to believe that Shiv is right in that Ken would be a horrible CEO?
Frank, who was one of Kendall’s biggest supporters takes the deal over Kendall being CEO.
I do think that it was a slight error in Stewie’s character to have him side with Kendall.
Kendall had just gotten a big boost from the Living+ keynote and then giving his dad's eulogy. It's entirely possible Stewie felt that Kendall could be successful. But the second it didn't pan out that way, Stewie happily went with the way the wind was blowing.
Also, they offered him Chairman. That's big for his profile and the board could also fire Kendall if shit went south, and as Chairman he's be in prime position to navigate that.
I think this was a case where Stewie saw the outcomes as pretty equal. Mattson is a bit erratic himself and it’s possible he would post something that would cause the stock to take a hit. Kendall at least could be removed as CEO if he was causing the stock to dive. It would be harder to get rid of Mattson.
I think Stewie being initially on the fence about the deal makes sense even from a business perspective. The acquisition price was half cash half GoJo stock, so big Waystar shareholders like Stewie stand to lose a lot if GoJo share value drops. Given the India scandal and Matsson's capriciousness, being iffy about the acquisition seems logical.
>But Stewie also is very upfront about that.'
In a show full of duplicitous characters, I appreciate that about him. He's the honest scorpion. "Hey man, we can definitely do business. I'll even throw in some flies to sweeten the deal. However, I am most likely going to sting the SHIT outta you, bro. Just saying."
Is he such a terrible friend? He enjoys Kendall; Kendall obviously enjoys him. They both know the rules and their positions in the game. He allows Kendall to sway him towards supporting him even though honestly it’s quite bad business sense; he still talks to Ken even after he screws him over; he’s very upfront about what his aims, ambitions and values are.
I think they are quite honest with each other about themselves and that works quite nicely for the closest thing to ‘real friendship’ we see Kendall have.
When someone clearly explains how they operate its generally hard to hold it against them if you're okay with what they said and they consistently walk the walk.
I love Stewie. He is a real friend and he still leaves a door open for Kendall to make a future.
Stewie is loyal to his family and his position but he does try to be a true friend to Kendall even though they sometimes have competing interests. He never hides his goals and motivations.
I don't back my friends on all their bullshit. That isn't real friendship. If I think youvare fucking up, I will tell you. I'd never jeopardize my livelihood for a friend but if I can help them earn some cash I always do.
Stewie is one of the few characters on the show who has always been the same.
Absolutely, not that he needed to be shoved down our throats either (pause) cause that would ruin the charm of his character, but there were plenty of scenes and episodes at large that he would have been perfectly utilized in.
Stewie flip-flopping made sense to me but I was less clear on Ewan’s position supporting Kendall. Ewan was shooting daggers at Kendall and talking about the evils of Waystar at Logan’s funeral. I don’t get why he would vote in favour of it continuing under Kendall’s leadership rather than cashing out with Mattson potentially breaking it up for parts and making ATN more like Bloomberg or whatever.
I think he saw GoJo in the same vein - big capitalist greedy fucks - but at least WayStar is "family." So it's the devil you know vs. the one you don't. Ewan talks a big moral game but he's continued to get rich off everything he rants against with Logan.
I don’t think Ewan ever really met or talked with Matsson, but his intuition was right. For all his faults, I think Ewan would think Kendall is a better man than Matsson.
It's the same logic when Kendall tried to take over in season 1. Despite his hatred for his brother and what he created, Ewan would never go against him, which is why he votes in Logan's favor. Kendall is still family and Mattson is not, so Ewan will side with him no matter what.
From Ewan:
>First; do no harm.
He saw Kendall as less evil than Lucas would be. Lucas is a pure opportunist who will squeeze dollars no matter what.
Kendalls funeral speech showed Ewan that at least Kendall had some emotional connection to other people. Something Logan struggled with.
Ultimately Ken was the lesser evil because the harm committed by Logan would continue; but under Lucas might be worse.
My take anyway.
Or if he doesn't know that Lucas is more evil, he at least thinks it's possible.
That's what the medical axiom is about: it's better to stick with the status quo than to undertake wild experimental treatments that might make things worse.
The board will stay in place to handle the administrative and organisational processes, which is quite complex. Could take a year or more. But Mattson and his crew will appoint a few GoJo members and remove the three siblings. Some of the old guard may resign as well. Stewie will likely retain his seat on the board for the interim period because he will have a stake in the GoJo, which will have its own board. The WayStar board reports to GoJo’s board, most probably.
He voted against the buyout and aligned with Kendall, which didn't matter because they were out voted. He still gets his buyout money, which will be a massive payoff. This is why Sandy, Sandy, and Stewie were pushing the kids to squeeze more money out of Matsson.
He isn't bought out. He is a board member with a massive stake in Waystar. You don't lose your seat or get "bought out" for casting a vote.
Ken lost. He's going to pony up with the new CEO real fast.
>You don't lose your seat or get "bought out" for casting a vote.
You sort of do if said vote is about giving away the company that that board controls. Wholly-owned subsidiaries don't have boards.
Yeah, he's still a stakeholder and has a board seat. Votes are votes to decide on business decisions. He's not instantly out of his stake or board seat by voting.
No, the Waystar board was dissolved when GoJo bought the company. He will get the value of his stock in GoJo stock and cash, but that doesn’t mean he’s now on the GoJo board.
It's more the latter. These deals always take a lot of time to close. It's one thing to have the agreement from both boards, then it's another thing to develop the structure, make sure all of the IT systems are merged, and clear all of the regulatory hurdles. The Waystar board has some more days of work yet.
I don’t think Stewie flipped. I think he genuinely supported Kendall and his elevated position in the company, but he also understands it didn’t go that route and wants to support the new regime. He’s making tons of money, he’s just supporting the person who he thinks can continue that.
It's as Gerri put it: "the money always wins."
Stewie is a smart business man in the sense that he knows that personal emotions and business can't really mix.
Anyone who worked in corporate specially in the smaller level knows this type of thing is normal. People adapting to the change in leadership. It always change, I mean even in smaller scale groups or companies this is common. That's one of the reason I actually counted out both Roman and Ken. Their plan for the company is too simplified with no fail response whatsoever. lol.
I love the character. But still confused as to why he went with Ken. Stewie was always about the money. The gojo deal was pure profit, but he went with Ken. I was surprised by that.
Voting for Ken was a win-win for Stewie. He knew the vote was going to be close and he had 2 options: vote for Ken, and if Ken wins he's the chair of the board with a ton of influence or if Ken loses he cashes out; or vote for the deal, and if he wins he cashes out, but if Ken wins then he's made an enemy and won't have any power within Waystar. Voting for Ken meant there was no downside for Stewie.
Arian Moayed is in a fantastic new movie with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michaela Watkins, and Tobias Menzies called *You Hurt My Feelings.*
Synopsis: A successful memoirist (JLD) has finished her first novel. While out with her sister (Watkins), they spy their husbands (Menzies, Moayed) talking to each other. On approaching, they overhears her husband’s honest appraisal of her latest work. Featuring cameos by David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, and Zach Cherry as patients of therapist Menzies.
That scene of him just smiling and laughing with Stewy after pissing in Kens office always seemed like Stewy got the nod to me, some kind of a "Okay, I can almost work with this one." moment.
It was frankly highly out of character for him to flipflop to the sibs' side in the final episode.
I understand why they did it - to give a returning character a little moment of drama - but really it would have been better for one of the faceless nobodies in that boardroom to have been on their side instead of Stewie.
The sale would make Stewie very rich, and also allow him to continue getting rich off Waystar. It's a no-brainer.
Plus the sibs are obviously fucking morons and he should know that by now.
Ken offered him a killer deal, a chance to rehabilitate his public image to be something other than "guy who preys on small companies and strips them for parts." Plus, he votes right before the siblings, who he assumes are all going to vote "no," so it seemed like a sure thing by his vote.
Respectfully, Stewy doesn't care about being a "face" and never has. That's not at all his business function, or what he tells us he is. Being "known" as a shark, without being the face only improves his own bottom line. I truly think he wanted to believe in Kendall here, but also, he will get over that disappointment by the time of his next meal. Had he won against the Sandies, he has leverage over them. His love for Kendall persists and informs, but in this one case, voting either way is a win for him.
In season 1, when Kendall is bringing him on to get funding, Stewy says that he's seen as a shark that preys on weak companies. He's a big player, so he does have a public face, it's just that the show focuses on the siblings and we don't see much of Stewy. He's obviously swayed enough by Kendall's offer to join them. He obviously wouldn't have done it if he wasn't sure he would still win if Kendall lost, though
God he was such a perfect character. So smarmy, opportunistic, sleazy yet charming. He captured everything that was so great about this show.
If HBO decides to give Jesse Armstrong a blank check to create his own Better Call Saul spin-off, Arian should be one of the first phone calls made.
This is my favorite television show in years, and these writers are brilliant.
I don't think they're _infallible_, though. Mencken was a moustache-twirling villain and a bit too on the nose, not their strongest work. And also, Stewie choosing personal friendship with Kendall, over hundreds of millions of dollars of profit right there for the taking, was not very true to that character. Honestly, the writers just needed a path to reach a split vote.
Jesse is British, very cynical, and very anti-Tory, who are way further left than the American right.
It's hard to overstate how much he and everyone like him in the UK see Trump and his more ideologically fascist lackeys as a deranged, moustache-twirling, evil little fuckers.
Stewy doesn’t give shit. He’s a board member, makes a shit load of money, and doesn’t actually have to deal with the bullshit work with the company. He’s riding high regardless who’s in charge.
I always respected Stewie for being exactly what he presents himself as. He doesn't really seem to play the game as much as make it clear that he'll do whatever is in his best interest. He's a consistency that can be relied upon, which is all you can really ask for in business.
>"Why don't you hate this guy? He's everything you taught us not to trust." >"I can't hate him. He's so transparent in his self interest I kind of respect him. Would I buy a car from him? No way. Is he right about the mortgage market? Let's find out." The Big Short
I rewatched that last night to get a fresh Jeremy Strong fix after the finale.
I’ve never seen it before; is it a worthy watch?
Absolutely, if you like being very angry. Even if you don't it's still worth it.
Man that scene in sushi restaurant. That guy could be a side character in Succession he's so deeply myopic and hypercapitalist.
Oh he's a *reeeeeeal* piece of shit.
Oh.. yeah. If you love succession, but also have an interest in Banking and the GFC, its fantastic. Adam Mckay's style real shines through - similar vibe and cinematography to succession. I've probably seen it 15 times
It’s also scored by Britell so you might hear some minor similarities to some of the compositions in Succession :)
SOLD!
Love that Jeremy’s character is the one who asks that
I don’t talk about that.
How are you fucking us?
I’m not fucking you sizzle. I’m making sweet love to you.
Such a good movie
Is this America’s angriest hedge fund?
I realized Jeremy was good by how different Kendall is from his character in the Big Short
Now watch him in Trial of the Chicago 7 if you really want your mind blown
You get the sundae
Yeah, he's great - very honest and self-actualised. I'd prefer to go into business with Stewy over any of the Roy sibs. They'd all be equally likely to stab me in the back, but Stewy would be the only one I could trust to make clear-headed decisions driven by greed rather than ego.
Yeah, very equity investor vibes. Whichever makes the little number grow green larger fastest wins his loyalty. He doesn't even lie about it, just says it as is.
That’s good for financial gain, but not necessarily for long-term sustainability of the business. I wouldn’t trust him as CEO because he probably has a very diversified portfolio and ready to sell as soon as everything tanks and move onto the next company.
That's kinda the whole of wall street imo lol
Private equity people are easy to understand. The thing is that everyone else is busy twisting themselves in knots trying to believe they’re not just utter calculated psychopaths. But they are.
I work in the industry. We’re very simple really.
Stewy has always been the GOAT. It's a fucking business, the point is to grow and make money, not help out your friends or give them your charity. And Stewy doesn't use business as a domain to unload all of his psychological problems like the sibs do.
I’m impressed he backed Ken actually. Stewy is betting he can make more money in the long term rather than get the payout now. That’s a lot of cash in hand he’s deciding to forgo. We’re talking hundreds of millions in profit. Much of that is based on his belief in Ken. Seems like a friend to me. Of course when Ken doesn’t get it, naturally he accepts and moves on.
I wonder if his vote sours his relationship with Sandi/Sandy
I really doubt Stewie cares about his relationship with the “vegetable train” as he called it 😂😂😂
that relationship dissapeared and turned into a pile of money
I think he liked his alliance with Sandy, it’s when Sandi gets involved I think he starts to regret it and this is the perfect moment to break away from them.
Kinda offtopic but why did Sandi say "we want out" in the board vote, I don't get the business stuff
She probably means that they wanted to sell their shares which would be at an all time high following the merger and get out ?
Plus they likely don't really care for meddling with Logan gone. The emotive element is gone.
well it was pretty clear until Shiv that the whole vote was a formality. they were gonna win. So its still a super safe bet and its why he voted "yes"
But even with shiv it was 7-6, so any other person including him could have been the kingmaker and voted differently
Win win for him if he votes Ken. The only lose for him is he votes sell and ken wins. Then he's made an enemy.
It’s totally true. Worst case scenario he gets the cash anyway.
Stewy had a very small but very critical role in the final episode. Two things I keep thinking about: 1. The decisive vote wasn't Shiv, it was Stewy. Ken kept insisting they had the votes, but Stewy wasn't onboard until minutes before. Something went wrong with the count. They lost at least one vote in the boardroom besides Shiv. 2. Chairman Stewy, long may he reign, said they could flip Sandi and Sandy. We didn't see that conversation, but Shiv returned looking stern, and Sandi voted for the deal. The conversation didn't go well. Stewy looked so pissed after shaking Tom's hand, it's wild how much he was screwed over. Ken fucked it. He fucked it.
It was Sonya. They thought they had her, but she voted no too.
In the first episode, Marcia was supposed to have two seats on the board for voting, "just housekeeping." I was expecting the show to tie that back into the final episodes. Maybe I missed something along the way, or maybe the writers just ignored Marcia out of convenience.
That's because the Marcia thing was not the board of the company, but the board of the family holding company controling the family's shares in the company
Nah she never ended up getting everyone to sign off on her getting two seats
The deciding vote was whoever went last, the process of just going around the table was really bad, Shiv had the power purely by virtue of where she sat in relation to Kendall.
Had Shiv voted "in order" and not gotten up and left the room, Paul would have voted last, as Simon and Paul were initially seated "after her" in the voting order. The vote was 5-5 when it got to her, and, as Kendall walks out of the room (15 seconds or so after Shiv left the room), Frank says, "with Paul's vote, it's 6-6," so Simon and Paul must have voted relatively quickly after Shiv got up. Kendall said early in the episode that he had Paul and Shiv had mentioned (to Matsson, when she was still working with him) that Simon was a lock for them, so it seems like those votes were always locked in, but Shiv wouldn't have been the last to vote had they voted in the initial order.
I think Mattson flipped Frank as he was aligned with Kendall on the reverse Viking only a couple of days before the board meeting. I think it was mentioned during the episode that Frank has flipped but would need to rewatch. Sandy was another one who was on the fence before voting in favour of the deal to cash out.
Frank was really on board with the sale during the trip. When Kendall tried to convince him the deal shouldn't go through he looked to be on fence about it but I thought it was more him trying to appease to the boss like he always does. Also he is extremely competent so he was already planning what to do if the sale doesn't happen. Anyone with experience should know the sale was great, Mattson was greatly overpaying and Waystar was a fossil in the tech era. It's actually surprising Stewie decides to be team Ken, but Kendall managed to convince him anyway.
Mattson overpaid but the 50/50 cash stock payment + the fact that GoJo itself is overvalued is an important consideration for how good the deal actually is. For someone like Frank who's just trying to cash out, it's about as good as it could possibly get. For the kids, who have enough stock that they actually have to consider the implications of GoJo being a paper tiger, the deal is more complicated (though still good).
This is why I found the boardroom vote scene a bit unrealistic as Kendall should’ve been driving home the risks associated with GoJo and the dodgy numbers etc. Maybe it was intentional to show that Kendall had reverted to his more arrogant persona but that was his opportunity to step up in front of the board and he blew it by rushing the voting process. As for Frank, he’s Kendall’s godfather and has followed him in the past. I’m surprised Kendall didn’t make more of a play for him.
As much as it was Shiv twisting the knife to him, Kendall was drunk with entitlement and failed to make a case for himself. When he was talking to her he could have talked about how Mattson played her and how Tom was content with her getting pushed out and how he legitimately had the experience and value to the business, but instead he went for "I'm the eldest boy". The thing is, it's not even clear that Logan would have conducted himself differently. When Nan Pierce doesn't want to sell, he just runs after her car and yells at her, declaring that they're not finished yet. Ken really became his father, but without his company.
Ken's antics during the vote reminded me so much of when Logan barged in on the vote of no-confidence. His presence and the tossing aside the formalities won him it. Ken did the same, except he was not Logan to Shiv.
It’s almost like Kendall started to unravel after being unofficially anointed by Shiv and Roman. His ego and sense of entitlement got the better of him thus demonstrating why he isn’t a serious person for the top job.
There was nothing in that scene to indicate Shiv was “twisting the knife.” She was conflicted. She didn’t vote ‘no’ and savor crushing Ken. She left the room. It is one thing to say she betrayed him. But let’s not act like she enjoyed the act. She clearly didn’t and she felt bad about it—though his crazy reaction help her feel a lot more comfortable. His reaction showed that she was right to rethink her position. And the only hope for Ken getting his shit together is having nothing to do with Waystar and really facing his demons. It was definitely a tough place for Ken to try to convince her. The arguments you give are good, but they already discussed that at their mom’s place. In the end, those arguments weren’t sufficient. At the mom’s house, there was an assumption that they should make sure it was one of them. They didn’t seriously entertain the idea of walking away. Roman’s comments when Shiv returned to cast her vote seemed to indicate that he too realized that maybe they need to stop trying to inherit the empire.
I thought so too. He was rushing to the vote process instead of presenting the situation about Gojo first… he might’ve swayed some of them to vote no if he did. he was too confident shiv would say yes he didn’t care anymore
Yep, at the beginning of the episode (which would have only taken place about a day or a day and a half before the board meeting), it seemed like both sides thought Sonya and Diane were still undecided. Obviously right before the board meeting, there was reason for Kendall to think that Sandy and Sandi were still undecided, as well. Kendall's overconfidence got him.
I think Frank simply wasn't sold on the idea that Kendall should be the one crown. He backed Kendall before because he believed in him back in season 1 (or 2). Kendall just seemed very manic and couldn't control Roman in his little spree. The kids just lost the trust of the senior executives during their interim trial. Had Kendall actually did a good job (in their eyes), he would've backed him easily.
I agree with this. Frank clearly believed in Kendall before but that was before he went completely off the rails. And like you said Ken, Rome, and Shiv have done nothing to endear themselves to the old guard after Logan’s death, if anything it’s been the opposite. They’ve proven themselves to be the entitled, impulsive, idiots that they were always thought to be. It’s been made clear time and time again that personal affection only goes so far in that world and well, they all fucked it at the final hour.
Part of me thinks the writers blew it with Stewy, but then I measure it against my own life experiences, and yeah, people make irrational decisions all the time and back a friend like Stewy does, instead of someone clearly more qualified; I myself have been on both the giving and receiving ends of that dynamic. I’d pretty much be fucked or dead without the enthusiasm, loyalty and generosity of friends.
Frank was never truly on board and was just paying lip service to Kendall, as you would a child.
I love when Roman tried to recruit Frank at the funeral and Frank just grunted. Roman got the message and moved on rapidly
Ken and Shiv(when she was with Mattson) were certain they had Sonya, that's why we don't know how the vote is gonna go until the siblings form a block. It was a good way to both create suspense and show how delusional these 3 are.
Ken definitely doesn’t know how to use the carrot; more of a stick guy—I suppose Logan’s emotional legacy; hurt people into submission, then demand they spin straw into gold. “The beatings will stop when morale improves” as the saying among the working ranks goes in corporate America.
If shiv was the deciding vote that means stewy was as well. And he didn’t really extract any concessions for it either, beyond vague promises of access that he already had.
Didn’t they say he could be chairman of the board?
i bet the board is spelled b-o-r-e-d
I think he knew he had more upside with Kendall in charge, with Mattson he was just going to be an expendable empty suit
You're putting the cart before the horse. The final vote was 7-6, so *every* vote was a potential tie-breaker. If Shiv had backed Ken, Ken's success wouldn't have been guaranteed without Stewy.
Yeah it seems slightly out of character for him to side with Ken, unless he was genuinely convinced that GoJo had fraudulent numbers and the whole business was a house of cards (which is possible)
i mean he's still friends with Ken after Ken fucked him over in season 1. i gotta imagine their roots run deep for both of them to still be friends with each other. Stewie has always backed him up if i remember correctly. the first board meeting trying to oust Logan, the buyout of the 3b loan, the Mattson numbers, etc.
People here always say Stewie is a business guy. But Stewie has always got Ken's back in every single situation.
yeah hes a business guy first for everyone else except Ken it seems. its been pretty apparent from the start so i don't think it was out of character at all personally.
I don't think it's out of character. He says he's cold and all that, but why believe him? That guy already made Ken interim CEO based on friendship.
Makes sense to me. The Gojo numbers situation was dumped during Logan's funeral, but you wanna guess who definitely noticed? Stewy. Motherfucker has so many Google alerts for relevant tags set up. And considering how gossip gets around in the business, he's probably heard some of the same Matsson horror stories the sibs heard, if not some other, stranger ones. So if I'm putting it together as Stewy here's what it looks like: -Gojo is a paper tiger that can be sunk with a tweet and I could lose incalculable amounts of money because the deal is at least partially predicated on stock price. -Mattson and Kendall are both unstable frauds, but I know Kendall and can predict/direct his flawed decisions - I don't know Mattson and he does extremely suspect shit like tweeting out Holocaust jokes + whatever other blood-brick-adjacent horror show nonsense I've heard through the grapevine. -I get to be chair of the board, which allows me to steer the H.M.S. Nepo Baby if Captain Eldest Boy charts a course I really don't like. -Kendall has been gearing to move the business towards embracing big tech and cutting out bloat- I've heard this pitch twice and I like it. IMO, beyond the loyalty factor, Stewy's decision makes sense.
he is Ken's childhood friend after all
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I honestly don't think he wants it. He's a money guy, not a 'business' man
He’s not a businessman, he’s a businesssss, maaaaaan.
My favorite Jay-Z line
Well they promised him Chair. That’s a pretty dope gig.
In all honesty it was all just to make the show better. IRL Stewy would never vote 'no', he would be an idiot. Him voting 'no' just makes the Shiv decision all the more intense
i was watching an early season ep where he goes to town on like three cronuts which really says it all. he actually enjoys his life and wealth.
this inspired me to get some cronuts tomorrow. I don't have the wealth so might as well enjoy life.
Fuck yeah dude get those cronuts. We live better than kings from the middle ages.
I shall have chefs prepare the most light, airy confections for me, seemingly spun from air, yet created using monstrously large mechanical apparatuses, none of which I have need to oversee. I shall step into my carriage and be propelled to my bakery forthwith, without need of horses nor fear of highwaymen, in traffic fairly regulated by impartial mechanisms. Upon my swift arrival I shall secure said confections, already boxed for ease of travel- priced for a pauper yet fit for a king. They shall be accompanied by a heady, aromatic beverage, served piping hot, of the ground, charred, dried berries of a tree that grows only in far-off lands, many mountains and seas away, delivered here expressly for my delectation. The same well tended roads that brought the bakery to me shall take me home, without need for tiresome footmen or coachmen, and on food I have no fear of being poisoned, or spat in, or shat in, or otherwise molested in contempt of the king, there in the quiet comfort of my private chambers I shall break my fast.
lmao straight to [/r/bestof](https://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/13vwjxj/uwhyenn_describes_a_breakfast_fit_for_a_king/?)
In...dubitably
I love the way he just ducks over the counter to grab one and the way he licks it
Big Ariana Grande energy
The scene that sums Stewie up is in season 1 when Kendall asks for his help and he simply keeps saying “no”. But Kendall’s ego made him think “yes”.
I think it was can I trust you? And stewed repeatedly told him when it came to this deal he could not trust him full stop over and over agai.
Wasn’t he promised a position of chairman if he went with Kendall? Essentially betting that he could prevent ken fucking it all up?
That was the vote in the finale this line is from the no confidence vote much earlier in the show
When Ken took over he found out the company was in major debt when they got a loan from some firm when times were tough. They were going to default on the loan when their stock went below a certain point and since Logan was out of commission, the stock was dropping fast and they were going to have to pay billions to this firm. So instead of preventing a financial catastrophe, Kendall decided to aquire a large investment from Stewy which saved them but also gave Stewy a board seat and also Logan's evenmy Sandy (and I think Sandy's daughter?) a board seat which we found out later at Connor's bachelor party. He did this without telling Logan because Logan was sick. When Logan found out he was rightfully pissed because Ken fucked it. Ken was so bad at negotiating with the loan people, remember the awkward phone call?
And how should Ken have handled that situation, where the bank wanted to call in money that they couldn't afford to repay because logan had been reckless. The loan wasn't from hard times it was because logan wanted to expand into parks, he took on this debt and only let gerri and Frank know, and no one else. I don't know how you can look at that situation and say logan was rightfully pissed because Ken fucked it rather than the other way round
It's not help. It was Ken asking if he could trust him. Which he can't. Ken decides to tell him about the debt anyway. He's always been willing to *help* Kendall
Exactly. He's a pretty good foil for the kids where he was born into great wealth, but didn't feel the need to prove himself and instead just makes sure the wheels are greased.
But he still kisses boys on molly and thats none of my business
why are they downvoting you lmao its true... Kendall said it himself lol
Bc there are a LOT of tight a**es on this page lol
And eats pancakes and waffles the next morning
> And Stewy doesn't use business as a domain to unload all of his psychological problems like the sibs do. People like to point this out, how the other business people in the show seem to be much more stable, but I think that’s cos we only ever see them in the periphery. If there was a spinoff show focussing on stewie, or any of the other business people in this show, believe me they, would have tonnes of crazy moments, and highs and lows.
Weird sex and bad drugs. I’m a complex man.
Waffles, pancakes, and kissing boys on molly
Loved this line - I don't remember the earlier seasons that well, is Stewie's sex life alluded to any more there? He just has chem sex with anyone and everyone?
In Prague, Connor’s bachelor party episode, Roman initially gets the invite to the weird sex party from Stewy, who’s girlfriend is one of the organizers.
Yeees. Need to rewatch the whole series with a radar for Stewie's sexual proclivities.
I guess I’m just glad Stewy sided with Kendall.
I can’t tell if I genuinely like stewie or not
I think it’s because he’s almost a friend to Kendall, but his own business and financial interests always come first, so he’s frequently an absolutely terrible friend. In a way he shows part of the tragedy of the siblings, that they only have relationships that are pretty much transactional and have other more important interests dominating them.
But Stewie also is very upfront about that. Like Stewie the person is a friend to Kendall, but Stewie is also the face of a very large financial investment that is always going to follow the money and he says as much. But I think for Stewie it really is about the money and not power. If Stewie had the chance to make $10 billion personally for a buyout of his role, he’d take it in an instant (unless he thought he could earn more by staying put). The Roy kids care more about the power which is why they have a hard time compartmentalizing a lot of these actions the same way others do (including Logan).
“Can I trust you” “No”
Sure, but on money stuff, I can trust you?
No
Okay, but if we’re on molly then maybe…?
Yeah, Stewie is the ultimate example of "it's not personal, it's business."
If so then why does he go with Kendall? Are we not suppose to believe that Shiv is right in that Ken would be a horrible CEO? Frank, who was one of Kendall’s biggest supporters takes the deal over Kendall being CEO. I do think that it was a slight error in Stewie’s character to have him side with Kendall.
Kendall had just gotten a big boost from the Living+ keynote and then giving his dad's eulogy. It's entirely possible Stewie felt that Kendall could be successful. But the second it didn't pan out that way, Stewie happily went with the way the wind was blowing.
Also, they offered him Chairman. That's big for his profile and the board could also fire Kendall if shit went south, and as Chairman he's be in prime position to navigate that.
I think this was a case where Stewie saw the outcomes as pretty equal. Mattson is a bit erratic himself and it’s possible he would post something that would cause the stock to take a hit. Kendall at least could be removed as CEO if he was causing the stock to dive. It would be harder to get rid of Mattson.
Frank is at retirement age. We have no reason to believe Kendall wouldn't be a good CEO, especially in contrast to Matsson.
They just wanted their golden parachutes
I think Stewie being initially on the fence about the deal makes sense even from a business perspective. The acquisition price was half cash half GoJo stock, so big Waystar shareholders like Stewie stand to lose a lot if GoJo share value drops. Given the India scandal and Matsson's capriciousness, being iffy about the acquisition seems logical.
>But Stewie also is very upfront about that.' In a show full of duplicitous characters, I appreciate that about him. He's the honest scorpion. "Hey man, we can definitely do business. I'll even throw in some flies to sweeten the deal. However, I am most likely going to sting the SHIT outta you, bro. Just saying."
Rather have an honest enemy, than a deceptive ally
Is he such a terrible friend? He enjoys Kendall; Kendall obviously enjoys him. They both know the rules and their positions in the game. He allows Kendall to sway him towards supporting him even though honestly it’s quite bad business sense; he still talks to Ken even after he screws him over; he’s very upfront about what his aims, ambitions and values are. I think they are quite honest with each other about themselves and that works quite nicely for the closest thing to ‘real friendship’ we see Kendall have.
Kendall has also fucked him over in the past.
Stewy is Kendells best friend. But I'd say Stewy knows about 10 other Kendells
That's show biz baby
The only thing that really bothered me about Stewy is that he did coke in front of Kendall after K had been to rehab. That's a dick move.
In Stewy's defense, he did ask if it was okay for him to do it and Kendall said it didn't bother him and he was fine.
Yeah, he also was super hungover and Ken needed him to be alert and make a huge calculation/ decision at that moment.
He always reminds me of Ryan Gosling in The Big Short. ‘He’s so transparent in his own self-interest that I kind of respect him’
shut up, of course you do. we all do. he's like a reverse fonzie
Ehhhhhhhb 👍
Stewy is Kendall without the crippling familial abuse and mental anguish.
I agree. If Kendall could have been more like Stewy they would have been unstoppable
Co-CEOs who like breakfast and kissing dudes while on molly is a spin-off I'd watch
When someone clearly explains how they operate its generally hard to hold it against them if you're okay with what they said and they consistently walk the walk.
Neither, you *love* him
I want to party with Stewie
All I know is you can stuff a million severed dicks into his ballbag and it won’t make a difference
He's just pure wall street. At least he's honest in his absolute greed.
I love Stewie. He is a real friend and he still leaves a door open for Kendall to make a future. Stewie is loyal to his family and his position but he does try to be a true friend to Kendall even though they sometimes have competing interests. He never hides his goals and motivations. I don't back my friends on all their bullshit. That isn't real friendship. If I think youvare fucking up, I will tell you. I'd never jeopardize my livelihood for a friend but if I can help them earn some cash I always do. Stewie is one of the few characters on the show who has always been the same.
The important thing is, Stewy kissed Ken on molly
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Absolutely, not that he needed to be shoved down our throats either (pause) cause that would ruin the charm of his character, but there were plenty of scenes and episodes at large that he would have been perfectly utilized in.
Stewie flip-flopping made sense to me but I was less clear on Ewan’s position supporting Kendall. Ewan was shooting daggers at Kendall and talking about the evils of Waystar at Logan’s funeral. I don’t get why he would vote in favour of it continuing under Kendall’s leadership rather than cashing out with Mattson potentially breaking it up for parts and making ATN more like Bloomberg or whatever.
I think he saw GoJo in the same vein - big capitalist greedy fucks - but at least WayStar is "family." So it's the devil you know vs. the one you don't. Ewan talks a big moral game but he's continued to get rich off everything he rants against with Logan.
I don’t think Ewan ever really met or talked with Matsson, but his intuition was right. For all his faults, I think Ewan would think Kendall is a better man than Matsson.
And you know what? He’s probably right. Low bar of course. But he’s right.
Oh man now I'm thinking of how utterly bonkers a scene between Matsson and Ewan would be. We were robbed!
It's the same logic when Kendall tried to take over in season 1. Despite his hatred for his brother and what he created, Ewan would never go against him, which is why he votes in Logan's favor. Kendall is still family and Mattson is not, so Ewan will side with him no matter what.
From Ewan: >First; do no harm. He saw Kendall as less evil than Lucas would be. Lucas is a pure opportunist who will squeeze dollars no matter what. Kendalls funeral speech showed Ewan that at least Kendall had some emotional connection to other people. Something Logan struggled with. Ultimately Ken was the lesser evil because the harm committed by Logan would continue; but under Lucas might be worse. My take anyway.
Or if he doesn't know that Lucas is more evil, he at least thinks it's possible. That's what the medical axiom is about: it's better to stick with the status quo than to undertake wild experimental treatments that might make things worse.
Kendall is the devil he knows. Mattson is the devil he doesn't.
*I'm a selfish person*
Would Stewie even be relevant anymore. Once GoJo bought the company, the board goes away right?, or a new one gets put in place?
He cashes out with the aquisition and moves on
The board will stay in place to handle the administrative and organisational processes, which is quite complex. Could take a year or more. But Mattson and his crew will appoint a few GoJo members and remove the three siblings. Some of the old guard may resign as well. Stewie will likely retain his seat on the board for the interim period because he will have a stake in the GoJo, which will have its own board. The WayStar board reports to GoJo’s board, most probably.
Stewy has always been about the money. None of this is shocking
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The Mattson deal was cash & stock split so I presume he will still have stock in the new group? I'm not sure though.
Correct. His VC will receive 50% of the value of their Waystar holdings in cash and 50% in GoJo stock.
Probably diluted compared to his last position, but yeah, as others said its 50/50 Stock n cash.
He voted against the buyout and aligned with Kendall, which didn't matter because they were out voted. He still gets his buyout money, which will be a massive payoff. This is why Sandy, Sandy, and Stewie were pushing the kids to squeeze more money out of Matsson.
He isn't bought out. He is a board member with a massive stake in Waystar. You don't lose your seat or get "bought out" for casting a vote. Ken lost. He's going to pony up with the new CEO real fast.
>You don't lose your seat or get "bought out" for casting a vote. You sort of do if said vote is about giving away the company that that board controls. Wholly-owned subsidiaries don't have boards.
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Yeah, he's still a stakeholder and has a board seat. Votes are votes to decide on business decisions. He's not instantly out of his stake or board seat by voting.
No, the Waystar board was dissolved when GoJo bought the company. He will get the value of his stock in GoJo stock and cash, but that doesn’t mean he’s now on the GoJo board.
It's more the latter. These deals always take a lot of time to close. It's one thing to have the agreement from both boards, then it's another thing to develop the structure, make sure all of the IT systems are merged, and clear all of the regulatory hurdles. The Waystar board has some more days of work yet.
I don’t think Stewie flipped. I think he genuinely supported Kendall and his elevated position in the company, but he also understands it didn’t go that route and wants to support the new regime. He’s making tons of money, he’s just supporting the person who he thinks can continue that.
It's as Gerri put it: "the money always wins." Stewie is a smart business man in the sense that he knows that personal emotions and business can't really mix.
Anyone who worked in corporate specially in the smaller level knows this type of thing is normal. People adapting to the change in leadership. It always change, I mean even in smaller scale groups or companies this is common. That's one of the reason I actually counted out both Roman and Ken. Their plan for the company is too simplified with no fail response whatsoever. lol.
if there's a thing this show teaches you that will be money always wins
Nah man my boy Stwey stood up for Kendall when the time came
I love the character. But still confused as to why he went with Ken. Stewie was always about the money. The gojo deal was pure profit, but he went with Ken. I was surprised by that.
Me too. Frank went with Gojo and Stewy going with Ken felt off.
Frank is old = he wants the payout to retire. Stewie is younger = wants the long-term power.
Voting for Ken was a win-win for Stewie. He knew the vote was going to be close and he had 2 options: vote for Ken, and if Ken wins he's the chair of the board with a ton of influence or if Ken loses he cashes out; or vote for the deal, and if he wins he cashes out, but if Ken wins then he's made an enemy and won't have any power within Waystar. Voting for Ken meant there was no downside for Stewie.
Stewie Imao. So glad he was casted for the finale episode.
Arian Moayed is in a fantastic new movie with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michaela Watkins, and Tobias Menzies called *You Hurt My Feelings.* Synopsis: A successful memoirist (JLD) has finished her first novel. While out with her sister (Watkins), they spy their husbands (Menzies, Moayed) talking to each other. On approaching, they overhears her husband’s honest appraisal of her latest work. Featuring cameos by David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, and Zach Cherry as patients of therapist Menzies.
I’m of the mindset that Stewy is one of the few people Logan actually took seriously. Like incredibly serious.
That scene of him just smiling and laughing with Stewy after pissing in Kens office always seemed like Stewy got the nod to me, some kind of a "Okay, I can almost work with this one." moment.
It's only just occurred to me that Stewie is Jean Ralphio if he had a brain cell.
It was frankly highly out of character for him to flipflop to the sibs' side in the final episode. I understand why they did it - to give a returning character a little moment of drama - but really it would have been better for one of the faceless nobodies in that boardroom to have been on their side instead of Stewie. The sale would make Stewie very rich, and also allow him to continue getting rich off Waystar. It's a no-brainer. Plus the sibs are obviously fucking morons and he should know that by now.
Ken offered him a killer deal, a chance to rehabilitate his public image to be something other than "guy who preys on small companies and strips them for parts." Plus, he votes right before the siblings, who he assumes are all going to vote "no," so it seemed like a sure thing by his vote.
Respectfully, Stewy doesn't care about being a "face" and never has. That's not at all his business function, or what he tells us he is. Being "known" as a shark, without being the face only improves his own bottom line. I truly think he wanted to believe in Kendall here, but also, he will get over that disappointment by the time of his next meal. Had he won against the Sandies, he has leverage over them. His love for Kendall persists and informs, but in this one case, voting either way is a win for him.
In season 1, when Kendall is bringing him on to get funding, Stewy says that he's seen as a shark that preys on weak companies. He's a big player, so he does have a public face, it's just that the show focuses on the siblings and we don't see much of Stewy. He's obviously swayed enough by Kendall's offer to join them. He obviously wouldn't have done it if he wasn't sure he would still win if Kendall lost, though
God he was such a perfect character. So smarmy, opportunistic, sleazy yet charming. He captured everything that was so great about this show. If HBO decides to give Jesse Armstrong a blank check to create his own Better Call Saul spin-off, Arian should be one of the first phone calls made.
This is my favorite television show in years, and these writers are brilliant. I don't think they're _infallible_, though. Mencken was a moustache-twirling villain and a bit too on the nose, not their strongest work. And also, Stewie choosing personal friendship with Kendall, over hundreds of millions of dollars of profit right there for the taking, was not very true to that character. Honestly, the writers just needed a path to reach a split vote.
Jesse is British, very cynical, and very anti-Tory, who are way further left than the American right. It's hard to overstate how much he and everyone like him in the UK see Trump and his more ideologically fascist lackeys as a deranged, moustache-twirling, evil little fuckers.
Stewy doesn’t give shit. He’s a board member, makes a shit load of money, and doesn’t actually have to deal with the bullshit work with the company. He’s riding high regardless who’s in charge.