Tom WambsgansHey, Mark. Great to see you. Come on in. I caught the show this morning.
MRMark Ravenhead
Oh, great. Thanks. Uh, where's Cyd?
Tom Wambsgans
She's out on a thing, but she's-- she thought it would be great for us to check in, and I'm su-- I'm a big fan.
MRMark Ravenhead
Thank you. Thanks. Uh, so Karyn tells me, uh, you want the full colonoscopy, huh?
Tom Wambsgans
Oh, dude. No, no. We both know, I think, how dumb these things are. You know how it is. It's just due diligence with all the turbulence, and, can I just-- just need to check a few boxes.
MRMark Ravenhead
Sure, sure. Thank you for the show of faith.
Tom Wambsgans
No, no. No-- No problem. Okay, right. [inhales] Okay, so this is embarrassing, but, um, just for the record, and just so we have it, um... You are not, and have never been a member of the Nazi Party of the United States, have you?
MRMark Ravenhead
Come on, Tom. You serious?
[Tom gestures to the manila folder with an awkward expression]
Tom Wambsgans
Thank you. Sorry to have to even ask. Uh, bu-bu-bu-bu-bah... And-- Oh, yes, the Hitler dog thing?
MRMark Ravenhead
Okay, the dog thing's bullshit.
Tom Wambsgans
Great. Great. I thought so.
MRMark Ravenhead
Different spelling.
Tom Wambsgans
Okay. Different spelling?
Tom Wambsgans
Okay. Uh, and this other one that came up, just to fend this off, have you ever read Mein Kampf?
MRMark Ravenhead
Uh... Yeah, couple of times, I guess.
Tom Wambsgans
Couple times? Are there Easter eggs in there you didn't get the first time? [laughs]
MRMark Ravenhead
[laughs] Look, I'm-- I'm just-- I'm interested in that period of history, Tom. Okay? I skimmed it.
Tom Wambsgans
Skimmed. Yeah. Thank you. And, um-- And what, specifically, do you find interesting about that period of history?
MRMark Ravenhead
The scale. The tragedy.
Tom Wambsgans
Hell yeah. Yeah. Which tragedy, sp-- specifically?
MRMark Ravenhead
Europe decimated. [scoffs] Seven million Germans, twenty million Russians, five million Poles.
Tom Wambsgans
Yeah. Just-- Just checking the till here, Mark, and it seems you're short a few million.
Tom Wambsgans
You know, uh, Greg... I know that, um... it wasn't cool, you know. The bottles, the attack.
[sighs] No, it didn't feel great.
Tom Wambsgans
I don't always like who I am, Greg.
Yeah, I-- I get that. But don't you think it might be just the right time for me to make a move?
Tom Wambsgans
Seriously, Greg? You're smart, you're ambitious, you're loyal. Why would I let you go? Come on.
Okay, wait. I have a thing, but I-- I'm reluctant to say.
Tom Wambsgans
What do you mean?
[sighs] I-- I just-- I have some leverage, but I'm reluctant to use it. You know, in case it sours things for us.
Tom Wambsgans
What leverage, Greg?
I just-- Um... Well, I'm not bringing this up as any form of threat, but... [sighs] So, you know when you had me destroy those documents at Cruises?
Tom Wambsgans
No.
[indistinct chatter from passersby]
I kept a few... o-- of them. Just in case I got in trouble, and 'cause I was worried that maybe I was destroying evidence of criminality.
Tom Wambsgans
Did you now?
So, like, I don't know. Would it be... I don't wanna bring anything up to you in a way that feels, like, horrible, but would it be bad for me to, like, mention those to you now?
Tom Wambsgans
Are you asking if you can blackmail me?
No, I'm not-- I would-- I would hate that. I like you, it's just, you know, context.
Tom Wambsgans
Very well. I accept your blackmail.
No, I'm not blackmailing you Tom--
Tom Wambsgans
But you are...
Tom Wambsgans
...you piece of shit.
Tom Wambsgans
Greg... I'm gonna accelerate you. Okay? New title. Ton more money, nice new office. You're moving up, you can throw away the training bra. Seat at the big table. You like that?
[Greg smiles and nods]
Tom Wambsgans
Yeah? [chuckles]
Tom Wambsgans
You fucki-- Look at you. Where are they, those papers?
Tom Wambsgans
[laughs] You're a fuckin' slime ball!
Tom Wambsgans
[slaps Gregs arms] Attaboy!
KGKatherine Gilliard
Senator Eavis, you have five minutes for questions.
Mr. Wambsgans, I hope I'm saying that correctly.
[Tom gives a thumbs-up and mouths a "Yeah"]
Just some background. Mr. Lester McClintock. You accept he offered jobs to young women who would sleep with him?
Tom Wambsgans
Uh... That does seem to be the case. Um... But the-- the company, uh, wasn't aware, and obviously, that was some time before my time, um... However, Bill... uh, Lockheart, my--
Tom Wambsgans
predecessor--
But within the upper echelons of the firm and the family, Lester was commonly known as "Mo," is that correct?
Tom Wambsgans
I... I don't... I don't... I-- I'm a relative n-- newcomer.
This email, you call Lester McClintock "Mo." Why?
Tom Wambsgans
I-- I guess I think it was just a nickname.
Mm-hm. You call him "Mo" over 30 times in emails to family and colleagues, but you never use it in the items of correspondence sent to him privately, for instance, during his illness. Why not?
Tom Wambsgans
Senator, I don't know.
You don't know? He was called Mo, but always behind his back.
Tom Wambsgans
Um... Uh... I'd-- I'd have to look at the, uh, emails, uh, I never thought about it.
Lester's nickname was Mo. Mo Lester. Molester. That never came up?
Tom Wambsgans
Senator, I think, uh... [chuckles] I guess maybe perhaps he was, uh, a little creepy-seeming perhaps.
Well, you were right there.
Tom Wambsgans
But just because we-- he was called, um, Mo Lester, doesn't-- didn't mean... It was just a-- [chuckles] It's just an off-color joke. You know?
That was 100 percent based on truth. But of all the many, many people who called this molester... "Mo Lester," not one of them had the slightest idea that he was actually a molester. I mean, you could see how that stretches out our credulity.
Tom Wambsgans
Yes, Senator, I can see that. I think he just seemed a bit like one, maybe. But we didn't know anything.
Well, if he seemed a little bit like one, don't you think it behooved the people in charge to find out if he was one...
...before you sent him out on ships full of young women and vulnerable old and young guests?
Tom Wambsgans
Greg, what do you know about, um... Nero and Sporus?
Tom Wambsgans
Sporus.
Tom Wambsgans
Greg, yeah. Sporus was a young slave boy. He was Nero's favorite. And, uh... you know what Nero did to him?
N-Nero and Sporus. I don't-- this is not IP I'm familiar with.
Tom Wambsgans
Well, Nero... pushed his wife... down the stairs. And uh... and then he had Sporus castrated and he married him instead. And he gave him a ring. And he made him dress up like his dead wife.
Wow! Plot twist! Didn't see that coming.
Tom Wambsgans
Yeah, I bought a book on the Romans to read in prison. It's a big book.
Tom Wambsgans
It's a decent book, yeah. I'd castrate you and marry you in a heartbeat.
Tom Wambsgans
Let me think.
Yeah, take your time. I see it's tough for you.
Tom Wambsgans
Yeah.
You know... my dad seems powerful, Shiv seems safe, but, uh... I don't know, you think she'll still be there? Waiting for you after prison?
Tom Wambsgans
How exactly does it work if I-- if I do come over to you? I mean, how-- how is it better... for me when I tell my wife, whom I love, and this family, that I'm turning against them? How?
She'll respect you. Tell her what's she doing, bring her over, Logan goes down, Shiv knows who the fuckin man is. Come on man.
Tom Wambsgans
But ha-- and I don't mean to be insulting but, having been around a bit, my hunch... is that you're going to get fucked. Because I've seen you get fucked a lot. And I've never seen Logan get fucked once.
[After Kerry just left the room after exhibiting a nervous breakdown]
Tom Wambsgans
[softly] What the fuck?
I think she's freaking out, Tom.
Tom Wambsgans
Oh, yeah?
Tom Wambsgans
Judging by her grin, it looks like she caught a foul ball at Yankee Stadium.
Tom Wambsgans
I mean...
Here is the list of names. I think we divide up as soon as we get the-- Well, not the-- not the all clear but... once those 30 minutes are up--
Tom Wambsgans
Some of those it's-- it's small for-- Y'know, I think we should get Kerry to do them.
Oh, now you want Kerry to do it?
Chuckles the Clown? I think not.
Tom Wambsgans
I would just like to say...
Tom Wambsgans
...to this senior group of very respected greybeards that all I have ever personally asked is the chance to serve. I mean, I'm sick with grief.
Oh. You're sick with grief?
Tom Wambsgans
But I--
Well, you might wanna put down that fish taco. You're getting your melancholy everywhere.
Tom Wambsgans
Very funny, but... were the opportunity to arise, all I would say is that if there's a ring, my hat's in, respectfully.
Well, I would just say, um, if we were to recommend you to the board...
Tom Wambsgans
Mm-hmm.
...the question they might ask, would-- [stammers] Can-- can-- Can I frame the question for you? But as a friend.
Tom Wambsgans
Sure.
Tom Wambsgans
Sure.
...be prepared. The negative case would go... [clicks tongue] ...you're a clumsy interloper and no one trusts you. The only guy pulling for you is dead. And now, you're just married to the ex-boss' daughter. [chuckles] And she doesn't even like you. And you are fair and squarely fucked.
[pause, Tom looks around in astonishment]
Tom Wambsgans
Jesus, Karl.
Tom Wambsgans
Hey, Ken.
Tom Wambsgans
Hey, um...
Tom Wambsgans
...Ken, I just wanted to say, you know, I know there's a lot of water under the bridge, a lot of history. But as far as I am concerned, the-- the b-- big man passing cleaned the slate. So, yeah. I just-- yeah. I just wanna say that and you know, I wish, maybe, there's some things...
Tom Wambsgans
I could maybe take back, some words. And I'm sorry for your loss. But I want you to know that I'm-- that I'm here to serve. Right here.
I like you, Tom. Good luck.
RPRon Petkus
Logan Roy was such a giant. He was a man of humility, grace, dignity.
Tom Wambsgans
[whispers] Who died fishing his iPhone from a clogged toilet.
RPRon Petkus
In public, he was a great communicator.
[Tom softly nods his head]
RPRon Petkus
A powerful man.
Tom Wambsgans
[whispers] So they say. Karl blocked it.
Tom Wambsgans
[whispers] The man lives on Wonder Bread and steak frites. He hadn't had a shit for 20 years.
Tom Wambsgans
I think... I think I want you. I think I would like this back.
Well then, you... shouldn't have betrayed me. Phony.
Tom Wambsgans
If I try to say it. If I try to say the truth... It's that when I met you, all my life... I've been thinking a little bit about money... and how to get money, and how to... keep money. And you didn't ask me in. Shiv, you kept me out. And I always agreed to all the compartments but it seemed to me that I was gonna be caught between you... and your dad. And I really, really, really love my... career and my money. And, you know, the suits, and my watches, and...
Tom Wambsgans
Yeah. Sure, I know. I like nice things, I do. And if you think that's shallow why don't you throw out all your stuff for love. Throw out all your necklaces and your jewels for a date at a three-star Italian. Yeah? Come and live with me in a trailer park. Yeah? Are you coming?
Well, I'd follow you anywhere for love, Tom Wambsgans.
Tom Wambsgans
[laughs]
[Tom and Shiv laugh together]
Succession · 117 quotes
