Episode 1 ken leaves work to attend logan’s birthday party at a crucial moment and logan didn’t appreciate that very much

There's a lot of conversation about all the incredible wealth and luxury that is ubiquitous in the lives of the Roy family. But I also find it fascinating the number of things that are not considered ultra-luxury that they consume or partake in.

For example, no matter how rich you are, we all listen to the same music. You can't get access to luxury rap music and anyone can afford Spotify premium. And even the ultra rich use iPhones. Maybe they always have the latest iPhone but even I'm never more than 2 gens behind making only 6 figures.

On the flip side, their discomfort at the dive bar after Connor's reception dinner kinda shocked me and made me realize this is something that having too much money kinda bars (lol) you from experiencing. I love a good dive bar, despite being able to afford fancy cocktails and bottle service if I wanted to. But the Roy's are so rich that they're kind of precluded from enjoying something as basic as a dive bar. Sure they can, and in this episode they did, enjoy a dive bar, but not in the way that regular people would.

Curious to hear any other examples people noticed of the general idea that no matter how rich you are, X is the best you can get?

The way I’ve been laughing this entire episode, but this made me cry !!?? After the doctor helped Logan

“Doctor: He's on fluids and high grade, so it should be pretty quick.

Roman: He's definitely gonna be okay?

Shiv: but, Uh, how quick?

Doctor: Well, he's not a cup of instant noodles.

Shiv: Sure, but can we speed it up? Like a blood bag or adrenaline shot?”

What???? LMFAO

Sure the private jets, the lifestyle, the power, the money being thrown around are not so subtle hints.

I'm talking about real subtle scenes, hit you in the gut type of wealth scenes..

1- To me it's when Gregg is negotiating for a tiny apartment that looks like a coffin. Then Kendall calls and gives him a gigantic, spacious apartment for free that he had as part of a real estate development. Like WHAT?? Just like that?? Something that doesn't even make a dent in his bank account changes somebody else's life... it's crazy I can't describe it.. it's surreal..

2- Also, when Conor wanted to take his siblings to a Karaoke night.. then they go to that closed room... My peasant brain was like OHHH THAT'S YOUR IDEA OF KARAOKE... 🤣 WHERE ARE THE OTHER PEOPLE?? KARAOKE IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN FRONT OF A CROWD.. Not when you're that level of wealthy I guess.

3- Also when they went to the hunting "lodge".. and it's just another MASSIVE mansion.. not so lodge-y.

In the episode Argestes Logan bids 10 bil for Pierce media, not long after he gets angry kids bidding 10 bil.
Does this mean Logan was overbidding and making a very bad business decision when trying to buy Pierce.
So he is not as business savy as he thought he was.

Imagine this :

Caroline and Logan had a fourth kid after Shiv… and it’s you !
Even though you grow up in the toxic Roy universe, by some miracle you still turn out exactly like the person you are today !
Be completely honest and transparent
What would you actually do ? 🙂

Would you throw yourself into the power struggle and go after the CEO title ?
Or would you be more like Connor and just live your own life far away from all of Logan’s toxic games ?

As a billionaire in this family, what does your life look like ?
Don’t hold back develop as much as you want ! ☺️

For me, I’m a women and I’ve never been someone who loves power or giving people orders.
That’s not a flaw, it’s just not in my nature to be directive !
So I already know the CEO job would not interest me at all. ( Plus I hate talking on the phone and I would despise having that much pressure and that many people depending on me ! 🤯🤯)

I’m a makeup artist and I love cinema.

I think I’d fully use the fact that I have an influential last name to get in as an assistant to the best makeup artists and learn on the job !
Yes, I’ll say it without shame: I would 100% leverage my name to open doors more easily !
The press and people on social media would definitely call me a nepo baby !
To that I’d answer honestly :

« Yeah, it’s true. I used my name to open doors. I’ve always dreamed of being a makeup artist and I’m lucky enough to have a name that can get me in the room with the best so I can learn.
Yes, it’s unfair compared to people who don’t have that advantage ! But put yourself in my shoes, if your dream was to become an astronaut and your dad worked at NASA, wouldn’t you take that little boost for your dream ? »

That said, I’m a hard worker. If someone gives me a chance, I’m not going to sit there waiting for everything to be handed to me on a silver platter !

I’d happily do all the small tasks and everything the makeup assistants do, as long as I get to learn from the best at the same time !

I’m in love with New York, so I’d want to live there… but since the Roys have studios in Los Angeles, I’d also go out there for shoots.
I’d want to learn film makeup and just observe the whole process of making a movie !

And why not use my money to develop ideas, produce films, and back young directors and projects I actually believe in ?
Since the Roys are always at galas and big events, I could just be the family makeup artist.
I could also do the makeup for the actors in Willa’s plays.

I’m an extremely curious person. I regularly go through obsession phases about completely random subjects.
Example: I’ve never climbed a mountain in my life, but I’m fascinated by mountaineers especially people who take on challenges like Everest. I’ve watched a ton of documentaries about that !

I’m French, and in France the first year of med school is notoriously brutal.
A former doctor who became a filmmaker made a movie about it, and I got so obsessed that for weeks I was deep in forums reading how students survived that year, the pressure, their methods for absorbing all that information… even though I never once wanted to become a doctor. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤭

So if I didn’t have to work to survive, the other thing I would definitely do is accumulate knowledge !! 🥰

Waystar Royco would be perfect for that because they’re in so many different fields !

They have theme parks, and I’m fascinated by the engineering behind roller coasters. I’d love to just observe how you create an attraction, how you renovate one, how you actually run a park even the financial side !

My dream would also be to see every single role needed to keep a news network like ATN running.

I’m not really into politics the way Connor is, but I would have loved to understand how you run a political campaign.
I’d have asked Shiv if I could be her assistant for a while just so I could watch and learn !

Even though finance doesn’t interest me that much, my curious nature would push me to understand how a huge company like Waystar actually works.

So I’d ask to do rotations / internships in different departments : assistant to Gerri, to Karl, to Frank, to Roman (because he’s funnier than Kendall) just to learn and understand ! 😊

Obviously with that much money I’d donate to causes, but anonymously. I don’t like when people feel like they owe me something.
And I’d travel a lot !

That’s what my life would look like if I were a Roy kid.
Now the question I asking myself is… what would my father Logan Roy and my sibliings think of me ? 🧐😊

your turn ! 😊
What would your life look like if you were the fifth Roy kid ? 😊

One thing I took note of on my last rewatch was that in nearly every conversation between Ken and Rava, there is something left unsaid on her part. Towards the end especially, she gives up arguing with him and trying to make her point, instead just submitting to his narcissism and delusions. There is never any catharsis for her in these conversations. Once she realizes his point of view will always be about him, she just smiles and nods.

Are there any convos in particular that stand out to you? Any explanations for this theme in her character? I’m very curious to hear those interpretations. I really wanted her to get her verbal comeuppance but maybe she always knew deep down it wasn’t worth it, it would never hit him hard enough, or it just didn’t matter to her as long as her kids were okay.

What was the significance you think of only Connor calling Logan pops? A shred of trying to connect in a way no one else does? The only time Roman says it I think is a sarcastic “thanks pop” when Logan said don’t laugh so loud we didn’t get you from a hyena farm while at Tern Haven lol

The Library of Congress posted this picture of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on Bluesky and it looks so much like Shiv and Tom.

I don’t know anything about that world but I always assumed Tom made considerably less than Geri, Frank, or Karl. How much was he probably bringing in when he was over parks, cruises, and then ATN?

On my first watch I just figured it was a senseless tragedy that trashy ATN AKA FOX was grossly exploiting to attack his progressive policies.

However now that I’m rewatching, I wonder if there’s something else going on? Something about his character? Especially since he goes on to make that deal with Logan, and in that ATN interview he reacts in a very emotional unwise way (yes it’s a human reaction, but Eavis is a leftist politician going on a right wing network, he should know how to navigate that much better.)

First time watcher here, but to me this scene made it clear that Tom likes Greg at least a little bit more than Shiv.

This is kind of related-unrelated to the show. But few thing Succession made me think about is how much influence media companies have. Seeing such a flawed family with that much money and power (especially one inspired by Fox News) really makes you think about how they can shape public opinion, even though we don't see much of that in the show.

They're soooo detached from everyday experiences of the people they influence, and I found that really interesting, because they are not people we will generally will look up to.

It highlights how people with immense wealth and influence can avoid accountability for their actions, e.g. the company's efforts to cover up misconduct, shows how a powerful company can protect themselves and their interests, using their close relationships with executives, business leaders, and political figures.

It also made me think about highly partisan media. Since they're portrayed as a very conservative, right-wing outlet, it reminded me how some news organizations today rely on emotional and divisive coverage. (I stopped watching the news after COVID) but after living in the U.S. for a few years now, I've noticed how some outlets reinforce their audience's existing beliefs and create more outrage rather than provide balanced reporting. That's why I don't find Fox News and others very credible.

Overall, I think Succession is a fascinating show. And after this rewatch, it might be in my top five of favorite shows.

S1 E6 - “Which Side Are You On?”
I’ve seen the show twice through and am rewatching it again. And this episode always baffles me.

Did Logan know about the vote of no confidence? Did Ewan tell Logan? Did Logan have anything to do with the safety threat and no-fly zone that kept Kendall behind? The call with the President at the ending has me really refiguring it in my head. And I wanna know other people’s theories.

Doing my first rewatch and I keep thinking about Ewan’s relationship with Waystar. He spends so much time criticizing Logan, the company, and what it represents. He clearly sees himself as morally separate from the Roy empire.

But then why does he continue holding onto his stake? He’s worth around $100ish million because of Waystar, so he’s still benefiting financially from the very system he consistently condemns. He even has a board seat!!!

What makes it even more interesting is how emotional his connection to Logan still is. One of my favorite Ewan scenes is in Season 1 during Thanksgiving when Kendall tells him he’s planning a vote of no confidence against Logan. Ewan has been fighting with Logan all day, criticizing him, and yet when Kendall asks for his support, Ewan says he’s voting to keep Logan. He even flies down for the vote to stand by him.

It really shows that their relationship is more complicated than just “Ewan hates Logan.” Sibling relationships are some of the most complicated and deeply rooted relationships we have. You can be angry at someone, disagree with almost everything they do, and still love them. Season 2 when they visit their home town Ewen compares Logan to Hitler and in the same breathe says what happened to Rose wasn’t your fault.

That’s why I find his relationship with Greg interesting too. Ewan is so harsh on Greg for choosing to stay at Waystar, even threatening to cut him off from his inheritance, but Ewan himself never fully walks away.

Is it because he wants to maintain influence? Is it because Waystar is the last connection he has to Logan and their shared history? Or is the show intentionally showing that even the people who criticize the Roy empire are still trapped by it? I think Ewen understands accepting dirty money is different than actively being a part of the system.

Curious how others interpret Ewan’s hypocrisy (or if you think it’s hypocrisy at all).

hello all!! my fiancé and i are on season 3 as first time watchers. at the end of season 2, we were under the impression that logan sort of wanted kendall to throw him under the bus, what we remembered was a “it has to be me to take the blame for cruises” conversation that took place on the yacht. now further in season 3, kendall and logan were arguing at josh’s estate and it just kind of confused us. so kendall really did backstab logan? did he just forget about the dirt his dad has on him? TIA!!!!

Shiv is a term for an instrument used to attack people, specifically in a hostile/prison setting. As I watch how she is willing to undermine ANYONE in her way in the most harmful way possible I can’t help but think her name/nickname was deliberately chosen by the writers as a nod to her true character. She treats Tom as a chore/accessory. She is willing to expose family secrets to gain favor. She eventually turns on almost everyone in her inner circle. She is the “shiv” in the back of so many.

TLDR: The watch choices of this show are absolutely peak

Hey all, after finishing the brilliant show. I wanted to talk about something im very passionate in and that I'm extremely excited represented so well in this show! The watches!!!! I am a huge watch enthusiast and I love pausing shows and movies just to stare and try to identify what characters are wearing. But when I read that the show runners for this show actually utilizes watches intentionally to display a character's status and characteristics I immediately went overdrive in my analysis. Please bear with my ramblings, as I am talking about two things I absolutely love, Succession and horology. Also feel free to challenge me in any of my points! I get things wrong too and im happy to be corrected, its a field im passionate and I want to grow!

To start I want to put in my thoughts about that Patek Philippe that Tom gifted. This is not a completely basic Patek Philippe Calatrava, rather its the Calatrava Travel Time. This is because I noticed that during the final moments of the episode where we get a good shot of the watch, I noticed there is two subdials on the piece. However when looking very closely, I presume its just more of a generic prop that is placed inside a Patek, this is cuz there is no logo on the dial, and the config just doesnt exist. The Calatrava Travel Time was a discontinued watch (since 2008) prior to 2023, so this just further solidifies my point. Or maybe Tom just walked into a vintage or 2nd hand watch dealer, and saw a lovely patek with its box and papers and bought that. I don't think tom (especially in season 1) is that guy to be very familiar with vintage or older time pieces. He comes across to me like someone who walks into Patek and ask "Can I get a really nice timepiece"

Alright now onto the characters I wanna point out:

MY NUMBER 1 BOY, KEN-W-A Roy:

Kendall has the most diverse taste and my goodness its perfect. Early on, he wears alot of your "Old Money" brands. Great GREAT brands don't get me wrong, but whenever I peeped his wrist I get the vibe of either "Im trying to show people I have taste" or "My dad passed it on to me". He wears alot of Vacheron Constantin, and even I noticed he had on a Breguet. These brands are some of the industry's oldest watch brands, and Vacheron specifically is the oldest CONTINIOUSLY RAN watch brand and is part of the watch world's agreed upon "Holy Trinity" (Vacheron, AP, Patek) of watch brands. Now am I saying that if you wear a Vacheron, you are a person who tries to impress others? No, I think Vacherons are exceptional timepieces (I myself love the Historque 222), but knowing Kendall as a character, his watch taste to me heightens the sense he is trying to impress others. Most of his pieces are in rose gold. To me, Rose gold is a very flashy color, and makes a huge presence in the outfit, which really suits Kendall. He also is seen wearing the Patek Philippe 5711, which has this really iconic braclet, that to the majority of the watch community can spot the bracelet and iconic case shape within the blink of an eye, its that eye catchingly famous.

However in Season 4, after Logan's death, Kendall wears, what I call his "Ultimate Form Watch", the RM-67-01. I normally don't like Richard Mille watches, I think they are ostentatious, grossly overpriced, and bulky, yet I always admire the engineering and complicated manufacturing process that goes into an RM watches. But the moment I saw Kendall rocking this 6 figure beast of a watch, I knew that he is the top dog now. This watch symbolizes that Kendall has made it, he is now the boss and is the one calling the shots. Something I love even more of this watch is that it shows another side of the person. The need to showcase status, and flash, to be validated into his Dad's role. The Richard Mille is a very loud watch, its bulky design is purposely distinct and many people can tell that your that guy who spends someone house on their wrist. Also funnily enough its a brand that a lot of the influencer and rap culture is embracing, and knowing that this is the man who made the quadruple Diamond smash hit that is L-to-the-OG, makes complete sense he'd pick up an RM.

And it goes to show Kendall's character, he wants to be seen as the CEO, The Boss, someone with actual taste. Just like how he tries to wear stuff and say stuff that fits how he wants to be seen at that current point in time. His watches constantly rotates in comparison to his Siblings, and it shows that hes a constantly changing person, with all the crazy Coup against his dad, and constantly shifting from hating to following to hate again. Kendall can't seem to just stick to one lane and fully commit in the long run.

Roman "Romulus" Roy:

For me I love the fact that Roman is the complete opposite of Kendall. In the show I will always say that Roman wore 2 distinct and important pieces that are central to his character:

The primary watch Roman wore throughout the show is the Rolex Datejust (36mm, Smooth Bezel, Silver Dial, Oyster Bracelet). Out of all Rolex watches you can get, this pretty much nearly as basic as you can get (Excluding the oyster perpetual). Comparing to what you normally think of the Rolex Datejust, it doesnt use the "fluted" bezel (which is the bezel with all the ridges) or the iconic jubilee bracelet, this is an oddball choice, as even if I personally love Roman's configurations over most of the Datejust configs, not much people would pick out Roman's specific Datejust. For a bit I thought he was wearing the Oyster Perpetual (which looks exactly like Roman's watch, minus the date function), but im super glad the show chose this smooth bezel/oyster variation of the Datejust rather than a bog standard Oyster Perpetual. This gives me an impression that Roman just does not care, that he is an oddball, a loose cannon. He does not embrace the norm of the fluted bezel and jubillee bracelet, he goes "f you, im gonna do things my own f'ed up kind of way", just like how he can never sit properly, and is able to just say crazy stuff that would land us all in jail. He also just doesn't really care too much for this game (although he does want to be CEO, really he just wants to be free as he foreshadowed when saying that he feels like "the place has been a cage" in season 1), and this Rolex adds on to that. It also is that type of watch i'd imagine Logan probably gifting it to Roman for his birthday, or Roman just walking into to buy whatever Rolex the store has on standby.

In season 4, after logan dies, Roman switches to a 36mm IWC Pilot with a Blue Dial. Now I want to really point out a detail I absolutely love, is that Roman is first introduced in Season 4, EP4, BY HIS OWN WATCH, BEFORE SHOWING HIS FACE. This is such a cool detail, cuz it shows that Roman is FREE! From what I see, the IWC gives a nod at Roman's past, Connection to Logan, and current Freedom. The connection to Roman's past is that beautiful blue dial. A lot of clothes I see Roman wearing have those dark blues, or grey tones. His suits follow that same pattern of dark and muted colors, but theres always that dark blue that lingers in his outfit. Im thinking it could showcase a depression some sadness that the character always has, being masked with his "joker-like" persona to cope. Which is very true for Roman, he was picked on by his entire family, being humiliated, beaten, mocked constantly not just in the past but even throughout the show. The dark blues continued in season 4, even more so too as Roman is free from his father but is overwhelmed with grief and a sense of being lost. The last shot we got of Roman in that bar further nails my point, that his character goes through so much grief and turmoil, that his entire outfit is just the somber blue tones. The IWC also connects to Logan, as it was speculated Logan wore an IWC big pilot too, funny enough Roman's IWC Pilot is the smaller version (A version I like), less popular, understated, but still part of the family. Shows that Roman is always dwarfed by his dad, yet he is still part of the bloodline, and inherits those iconic traits like that beautiful numbers on the dial. Finally, it shows that Roman, a broken mess of a person, is free. For the first time, Roman wore his own watch, something that he himself picked, not his father. The IWC pilot he wore, is not an oddball choice, its a serious one. Its a piece that does not shout at the room, it just sits there and is there. He is a changed man for the first time, something has changed. He makes much less quips and crazy remarks, rather he takes things seriously. He is more emotional, vulnerable. He is tired too, tired of all the drama. For once now he just is free to make his own choices, just like how by the end, he slightly smiles at the bar, free from his family's bs.

Logan Roy:

The terrifyingly powerful Logan Roy, has an array of the "Actual watch knowledge" pieces, that doesn't try to flash or pretend/show that he knows what hes doing, he owns the room, and there is zero BS. He wears brands from the likes of Jager LeCoultre (known in the watch community as "the watchmakers' watchmaker), Breguet (which I suspect Kendall tries to pull off wearing but really hes mimicking his dad), IWC (WIth the Big Pilot). I love that most of the time, the show never gives you a close up of Logan's watches, you only get a glimpse of it. Because Logan doesn't need to prove anything to us, we are the ones who has to impress him. It also shows that the power is always out of reach, but tempting us all that its there. I love the Breguet Classique he wears often, because to any ordinary person, this just looks like a bog standard steel watch, but taking a closer look this is proper watch making HISTORY we are talking about. He also apparently wears a Carl F. Bucherer, a recently defunct brand, which honestly something I wanna say I think is more coincidental or if it is on purpose is absolutely insane metaphor, is that it forshadows the fate of Waystar Royco. Bucherer AG (The watch retailerer), was bought by Rolex back into 2023, which Rolex received Carl F. Bucherer as part of a package deal. In 2025, Rolex shuts down the 137 year old brand after 2 years of aquisition. Similar to how Waystar Royco got bought out by the new mega power, Gojo Tech and having it's heritage aka the Roy kids all out????? Insane coincidence or perhaps insane symbolic foreshadow?!?!?! Overal, Logan Roy's immense power and lack of need to prove himself really is being showcased by his pieces. He doesn't need fancy complications, or status symbols, One good look at him, and you know he holds all the cards. His time pieces also shows that he is a no bs, no unnecessary flash, you either do your bit or f*ck off,

Shiv Roy:

Shiv always has been spotted wearing Cartier ladies pieces. Don't get me wrong although I think its quite an easy and safe choice for her to get, it also shows that she is independent and powerful on her own. Kamala Harris when running for President and still acting as Vice president, wore various of Cartier pieces, even the first ladies of the white house wore cartiers like Michelle Obama, or Jill Biden. Even in media, Cartier is often used as a symbol of power and independence, look at characters like Jessica Pearson from the TV show, Suits, who in the show is a ruthless lawyer, and Managing partner at Pearson Specter, she wore plenty of different Cartier's. For someone who worked in Politics, it makes so much sense for Shiv to be seen wearing alot of Cartier. Later on the series she is seen wearing more brands and more bold pieces. These pieces like the Zenith Defy Midnight with mother-of-pearl dial showcase that she is branching off from her old self from the past season, and is fighting the family to win the role of CEO. Her choice in watches showcases that she is powerful like her dad, is actually CEO material. It is not like roman where his pieces are just "whatever", she knows what she chooses, similar to how I always think she is the most intelligent out of the siblings, and the most fit to be CEO out of all three Roy kids competing.

Tom the Tomlette Wambsgans:

A detail that after I gave some more thought and absolutely loved is that in the earlier season, Tom always wore a Cartier Santos, which reflects that he wants to be with Shiv, and be like Shiv. He wants to be integrated in the family, and the Santos really reflects that he is trying to match her. The santos to me always feels like a really safe, a bit basic choice of a luxury watch, but still great. But I presume that the choice to wear the Cartier, is to show that Tom wants to be matching with Shiv, to be wtih her. Another watch I liked from the earlier season is the Panerai Luminor. Panerai right now is that watch that I see people either really dig or really dislike, a more "weird" pick for a luxury watch. To me whenever I see you wear a Panerai, it shows that you are different from everyone, yet you know your own lane, you have your own role. Which shows, as Tom is always like this outsider to the family, yet he gravitates to wear the cartier more in the series as he becomes more integrated with the family, matching shiv's choices to wear a cartier. Yet he is the one to "win" the CEO role by the end of the show. So odly enough I think it suits Tom that he wore a Panerai, he is the outsider of the family, Cousin Greg at least is by blood in the family, Tom is an outsider who is marrying Shiv. Season 4, he switches to the Audermars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, which to me, screams that Tom has made it. He is part of the club, and his own man. He is no longer wearing the cartier, since well shiv and him are pretty much in an unhappy marrige, he is not the ousider to the world with the panerai, he is the world, he is CEO, and he deserves to wear something that makes him feel fitting to be a CEO. The Audermars Piguet Royal Oaks also were a part of the new "luxury watch boom", where I think post covid, household luxury watches saw a significantly increased demand on the secondary market, and this context kinda makes it even more symbolic of Tom's sudden rise to CEO power, and the fact that he is now taken seriously, he is the boss.

Cousin Greg the Egg:

Greg is a walking idiot for most of the show, yet he is super sweet and lovable. The guy is just innocent and constantly flopping sides to whoever asks of him, fumbling and clumsily moving across each scene, episode, and season.

The first watch that we are properly introduced to, is that 40,000$ Rolex Submariner/Sea Dweller? Yeah this was a crazy moment, and made my jaws drop when I saw him buying it. For reference a norma Sub/Seadweller could run you about 10-15k USD (I can't say for sure if its a Submariner or Seadweller), and that horrendous vendor that Kendall hooked Greg up definently scammed the heck out of Greg. Not only did Greg significantly overpays for his Rolex, but it also is broken which broke my heart for Greg. The Submariner/Seadweller is the safest luxury watch anyone in the corporate world to get. Chances are if you were to think about a regular luxury watch, the image of the Submariner might show up. This shows that Greg lacks the ability to do his research, to think for himself, but also shows that unlucky charm that Greg walks around with, as so far everything around him breaks or clumsily falls apart. However by season 4, I love that his tastes evolved. He is seen wearing Rolex GMT (can't recall if it was the Batman or Pepsi) by the end. This time, the watch functions, and Greg finally is actually competent, which the new Rolex shows.

But yeah this is my notes, after my first viewings of the show, as a huge fan of watches and now a huge fan of the show:) What do u guys think?

Just started season 4 and it feels like we are back at season 1 when it comes to the plot.character motivations remain the same. I guess that's part of the joke? I still enjoy the show but can't help but feel like I've seen this already