- While Logan is in the hospital, tensions rise when backup plans should be made by the family.
- The episode opens on a busy New York City street at night. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) and his Personal Assistant, Jess Jordan (Juliana Canfield) are being driven to the hospital. Ken is on the phone talking to his soon to be ex-wife, Rava. A medical team is working on Logan Roy (Brian Cox). Standing off to the side is his third wife, Marcia (Hiam Abbass), when Kendall and his older brother, Connor (Alan Ruck) approach. Closely behind the pair are Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) and Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin). The Roy children question the medical staff. The doctor escorts them out of the ICU, while Marcia apologizes to the doctor for the ill manners of her step children.
[Credits Roll]
Ken demands answers from the medical staff and gets the brush off. Logan's Bodyguard/Fixer, Colin (Scott Nicholson), enters and informs the children there is an area prepared for them to wait. Ken asks Roman exactly what precipitated the stroke. Roman suggests Shiv's hardball tactics on the trust played a major part. Ken is trying to take charge, but is facing sibling resistance. Connor is obsessing over cryogenically preserving Logan. In another part of the hospital, Greg (Nicholas Braun) is talking to his mother on the phone. Marianne Hirsh (Mary Birdsong), Greg's mother is at home. Greg is not sure if he has a job or not, but his mother reminds him that he will get no more money from her. Shiv takes his last $20 for the vending machine. Ken is watching a draft broadcast of his father's obituary from ATN. Jess brings in a rather sad looking fruit basket and informs Ken that it is from Lawrence Yee at Vaulter. Ken is not amused.
The company attorney, Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron) and Karl (David Rasche) arrive and express concerns over company succession. They pull Ken aside to discuss the board's concern over the situation with Logan. The company execs have talked to the hospital trustees and have obtained space to set up a "war room". The IT staff is setting up computers and the company PR executive, Karolina (Dagmara Dominczyk) is already on site. On a conference call, Ken is informed that he has been selected as acting CEO, and Frank (whom Logan fired earlier in the day) stays on as COO. It is a surprise to Ken that Frank was fired by Logan and Roman was promoted to COO. Ken directs the staff to behave as if nothing that Logan did during the day happened. Roman pulls Shiv aside to talk, but the only place available is an empty auditorium. Roman is feeling guilty and asks Shiv to sign the trust papers as their father wanted. Shiv declines the offer and a slap fest and roll on the ground tussle ensues.
In the waiting area Marcia asks Greg to go to the apartment and retrieve some bed things and slippers. Shiv reminds her step mother that Colin or the driver can manage this little task. Marcia then reveals her real intention, "I don't need this fly buzzing in my face." Roman adds the trust paperwork to Greg's errand. Connor returns with his steady whore/girlfriend, Willa (Justine Lupe). Ken informs Roman and Shiv that he and Frank will take over, per the board, but Shiv refuses to even discuss the matter while Logan is still alive. Greg takes a cab to Logan's apartment. When he arrives he has no money to pay for the cab and Logan's doorman doesn't recognize him. Fortunately, Marcia calls the doorman and Greg is allowed to go up and collect the slippers. Greg finds the trust documents.
Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) brings Marcia a cup of coffee as she waits by Logan's bedside. Tom discusses his intention to marry Shiv and explains that he wanted Logan's permission. The doctor explains to Marcia and the children that Logan has had a hemorrhagic stroke and that at his age surgery is contraindicated. They will wait and observe. Shiv is not in favor of this approach and suggests moving him to NYU, but Marcia as spouse is clear, and sets Shiv straight. "No. He stays here. He gets better here," she states. Then she reminds Shiv who makes the decisions for Logan, "No. No discussion. I am his next of kin. I am his proxy. I am in charge. Thank you." On the street outside the hospital, Frank Vernon (Peter Friedman) meets with Ken. Ken asks Frank to stay on as COO, but to Ken's surprise, Frank declines. He tells Ken there is a huge mess to be cleaned up but Ken can do it.
Roman makes a final appeal to Shiv to sign the trust papers Greg will pick up and return to the hospital. Shiv calls Greg and tells him NOT to bring the trust papers back to the hospital. When Ken returns from his meeting with Frank, he approves of the Greenberg suite for his father's recovery. Ken again brings up succession with Roman and Shiv with the same lack of agreement. Karolina is consulted on a statement regarding Logan. Greg decides to call his mother and ask for advice. It is now very late night or early morning, and Ken calls Lawrence Yee of Vaulter. Lawrence (Rob Yang) is in bed on his iPad with his sleeping companion/lover Tatsuya (Jake Choi) when the phone rings. "Hey. What's up, Kendall? You mix me up with your sponsor?" Ken tells Yee to keep a lid on reporting about Logan's condition, but Lawrence reminds Ken of the editorial independence clause on the contract. He is very annoyed at Ken's marching orders and decides a full frontal attack is in order. He immediately calls a contact at Vaulter and suggests we, "run something about Logan Roy and the Roy family s**tshow." Shiv and Roman decide that Ken is an unacceptable CEO and ask Gerri to consider stepping up. Roman says, "For me and Shiv, the whole Kendall thing doesn't work. So we were thinking, general counsel, you know where the bodies are buried. You probably buried them yourself. So, you would have the family's support to step in and take the reins." Gerri declines the very generous offer.
Ken receives a text message. News from Vaulter and the headline reads, "S**t Show at the F**k Factory." He again meets with his siblings, then finally concludes, "Look, the board are offering this to me. I don't actually needs your backing." Shiv mentions something about a court action, and Ken leaves the waiting room. Roman calls Greg at the apartment to remind him about the trust papers. It is now 4:00 a.m. and Rava Roy (Natalie Gold) shows up at the hospital to see Ken. Ken summarizes the day's events and his disagreements with Shiv and Roman. Rava sums up her observation of the Roy family, "Oh, your family is so f**ked. I'm sorry, but ... wow." She comforts her soon to be ex. Tom picks the worst possible time to propose marriage to Siobhan. Greg returns to the hospital with the slippers. He talks to Tom and is assured Tom will help him. Ken and Roman come to an understanding, CEO and COO and Shiv remains out. Ken and Roman present their agreement to Shiv and Connor. The four then meet with Gerri and Karl in the War Room. It is now dawn and Gerri pulls Ken outside to the rooftop to officially brief him on a serious financial matter. "There's a huge debt problem. Three billion dollars," she explains. "In 1985, Logan needed cash badly for the expansion into Parks, so he took out a loan through the family holding company ... And then he added that loan to the company's already considerable debt." She then goes on to explain that the debt is secured against Waystar's stock and when the stock hits 130, they [the Lender] can pursue repayment in full." Then as an aside and a joke, Gerri tells Ken not to jump off the building.
The hospital war room is packed up and emptied. The doctor briefs the family and assures them that while Logan has shown no improvement, he is in stable condition. The family disperses, but Marcia waits in a chair by Logan's bedside. The scene closes with a close-up of Logan barely opening his eyes.
[End Credits Roll]
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