This Is Not for Tears

Greg is called to testify before the Senate regarding the sexual misconduct on Brightstar Cruises. He fumbles his way through questioning from Senator Gil Eavis. Logan watches the testimony in a car with Hugo as they debate who should be the company's public scapegoat for the scandal. Logan receives a call from a powerful shareholder on Waystar's board, who suggests that Logan take responsibility for the crimes.

After the testimony, the Roys spend a holiday on a large yacht in the Mediterranean. Connor and Willa are the first to arrive, and Willa is upset to hear that her recently opened play has been panned by critics. Shiv tells Tom she wants to have a threesome with he and a yacht employee on one of the nearby islands, though Tom is clearly apprehensive. The two get into an argument while scouting islands, and Tom confesses to Shiv that he is unhappy with their marriage.

Roman, Karl and Laird return from Turkey, having been released by the anti-corruption militia on account of being foreigners. Laird claims to Logan that the deal to secure financing from Eduard Asgarov's family was successful and will allow Waystar to go private, but Roman admits the agreement is likely spurious. Laird, realizing that there will be legal consequences if Waystar remains public, decides to leave the yacht for the others to resolve the dispute amongst themselves. Connor asks Logan for money to continue funding Willa's play as well as numerous other expenses; Logan agrees so long as Connor suspend his presidential campaign. Logan asks Kendall to have Naomi leave the yacht; before departing, she tells Kendall that Logan only favors him in his broken state.

At breakfast the next day, Logan announces that someone must be placed responsible for the cruises incident. Tom's name is suggested by several members including Shiv, as he oversaw the handling of the relevant documents, though the discussion is inconclusive amidst arguments. Logan and Kendall travel to a Greek island in an attempt to enlist aid from Stewy, but he turns them down. Shiv and Logan have a private conversation where she implores him not to sacrifice Tom.

Logan approaches Kendall during a workout and persuades him to take the fall for the crimes. Kendall, despondent, suggests that he deserves the punishment for the death of Andrew Dodds, though Logan dismisses that incident as a "No Real Person Involved" case. Kendall asks Logan if he ever saw him fit to run the company, but Logan tells his son that he doesn't see him as a "killer." Logan announces his choice at dinner, which shocks the other family members.

The following morning, Kendall and Greg are flown back to New York to give a press conference, which Logan and Shiv watch on TV while on the yacht. Kendall begins by saying he has been chosen to accept blame for the company's handling of the cruises incidents, but suddenly deviates from his prepared remarks by blaming Logan, calling his father a "malignant presence, a bully and a liar" and stating that he was personally responsible for approving the legal settlements covering up the misconduct. Additionally, he informs the reporters that he has brought documents proving his father's guilt, which Greg has on hand. The speech shocks the reporters and the rest of the Roy family except for Logan, who begins to smile.

"This Is Not For Tears" was written by Succession showrunner Jesse Armstrong and directed by Mark Mylod in his eighth episode for the series. According to Noel Murray of The New York Times, the title of the episode derives from a poem in John Berryman's The Dream Songs.[1]

Armstrong stated in an interview that the decision to film the episode on a yacht mirrored the real-life history of media moguls like Robert Maxwell conducting important meetings on family yachts. The yacht scenes were filmed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Croatia.[2]

According to series star Brian Cox, the ending of the episode is meant to serve as a culmination of Logan's relationship with his children, particularly Kendall. In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, Cox said, "these are entitled children who've had everything done for them, and they need to be schooled on the harsh realities of business... [Logan]'s testing his children to see if they have the mettle in them, and for a lot of the episodes, the mettle is not clear. Logan does love his children, but at the same time, it’s all about their worth in terms of the company."[3] Armstrong has stated that he left the ending open to interpretation.[2]

• "This Is Not for Tears" at HBO
• "This Is Not for Tears" on IMDb