Matthew Macfadyen says he hasn’t had a chance to watch the Succession finale yet when he talks on the phone about it. He’s calling from London, where it’s currently bleak and rainy, and he promises he’s going to watch “once the children are back in school and safely ensconced their bedrooms or whatever. Still, he loves talking about filming the twisty, sun-drenched ending on a big yacht off the coast of Croatia. He got to wear nice linens, slide off a waterslide, and film long scenes with actors he looks up to.
Macfayden’s experience on the yacht, it must be said, was a lot better than his character’s: Tom Wambsgans spends most of the finale fearing for his job after a disastrous congressional hearing, or getting increasingly fed up with his wife, Shiv (Sarah Snook), who insists on extending their open marriage into having a threesome. At last, Tom loses it. He tells Shiv that he thinks he’d be happier without her, then he starts taking Logan’s chicken off his plate. In advance of his own viewing of the finale, Macfadyen broke it all down for us.
Tom goes through a lot in the finale, but I want to start by asking about the moment where he takes a piece of chicken from Logan and says, “Thank you for the chicken.” What do you remember about that scene? The first time I did it, I grabbed a really big bit of breast of the chicken off Brian’s plate and I almost choked. We managed for about two and a half seconds and then we just cracked up. He rarely giggles, so if he goes, that’s it. Game’s over. I had to really concentrate, and I took a smaller bite of the leg. I ended up with a drumstick, but I had quite a lot of chicken. It’s so batty and odd and so Succession, that moment. Tom’s really at a low ebb. He thinks, Fuck it, you know?
Tom reaches a point where he can’t take it anymore, with Shiv and with the whole family. Did you talk much beforehand about what would finally push him over the edge? The less talking about those things the better, unless there’s confusion or if there’s anything that’s really opaque. Most of the time, Sarah and I can’t wait to shoot the scene. Then, in the shooting of it with Mark Mylod, the director, things occur to you in the moment.
It must be fun to shoot a breakup scene on a lovely beach in the Mediterranean. Were there any moments with Sarah in the shooting of that scene that changed your performance? I just love acting with her. She’s wonderful. It’s such a treat that we have these great big family scenes, and often they’re very long scenes. The big one on the yacht was almost ten minutes — it was a whole magazine of film that we used. It’s really exciting working with such brilliant actors, ’cause you’re forced to pay attention. We have maybe three or four cameras, and they’re so skillful at picking up bits and pieces and moving around. You never really know how much you’re featuring in that take of that scene. It makes you concentrate.
When I watched the episode, I initially thought, Good for Tom, finally standing up for himself! But then I got worried. Would Shiv and Tom really get divorced? What might happen to him if he’s on the Roys’ bad side? Have you thought about where things might go next season? No, I really don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m pretty passive about it. They must be tucked into the writers’ room now, but I don’t mind where they decide to go.
You don’t worry about what might happen? Because there’s nothing I can do. He’s not my baby. It’s not my character. It’s Jesse Armstrong’s and the writers’. When the script’s coming home, then my job starts. Till then, it’s out of my hands.
There was a lot of speculation about who the “blood sacrifice” would be in the finale. Were you and the cast invested in that? [Laughs.] Yeah, there was muffled chat about it throughout the preceding episodes. Someone would say, “Oh, I’ve heard it’s this person.” Someone else would say, “Well, it’s definitely not going to be them, it may be you.” We didn’t really know until the read-through.
What was your reaction to the twist ending, when you learned that Kendall would sell out Logan? I thought it was really clever. You go, “Kendall’s gonna take the hit,” and then that wonderful final twist. It’s a very satisfying conclusion.
It makes the company much more unstable, which must hard for a company man like Tom. He just wishes he was in a nice, stable, multibillion-pound-a-year company. Not one that’s so on the waves. It’s an interesting dynamic because it looks like Greg has perhaps gone onto Team Kendall now. My only selfish worry would be not seeing more of my friend Greg. [Laughs.] My special friend Gregory.
I was jealous that you all got to spend time on this big yacht and wear linen clothing and everything. Did you actually stay onboard? We asked, obviously. It was brilliant because we’d jump on a speedboat and have a 20-minute ride to the set — which was the yacht, every day. It was a joke. The next time I’m filming in the rain, or in a city environment, or in the filthy gray back countryside, I’ll remember that. I’d almost say it was no imagination required because you’re aboard this enormous floating palace. It’s very easy to think, Oh, this is where I vacation. It has ruined any kind of yacht experience for anybody who was there for the rest of their lives.
You also had to go off the inflatable slide down the side of the yacht, which is a pretty funny acting challenge. How do you look sad while going off the side of a yacht in the Mediterranean? I did a couple of takes! [Laughs.] Such fun, just a silly, silly day of work.
In the congressional hearings, we learn that Tom has routinely harassed Greg by sending him emails that say, “You can’t make a Tomelette without breaking some Greggs.” I was wondering if you knew how Tom spelled “omelette”; was it British or American spelling? I think it was a European spelling, like with the E-double-T. I think properly it was a nod to the British contingent in the writing room.
Before Tom snaps, he’s dopily trying to go along with everything the Roys suggest on the yacht. What was it like playing that? He really tries to please. He tries to be a good guy and wants to be popular and wants to be useful. He likes the trappings of wealth and status and all the rest of it, but it’s a scary environment.
There are these moments earlier in the season, like when they’re in their room at the Pierce estate, where you can see a bit of tenderness between Shiv and Tom. But when they’re actively playing the game, she switches that tenderness off. It’s a gift for an actor, those wonderful big swerves of tone. Slightly unhinged, but it’s wonderful.
Speaking of those swerves, there’s a debate in our office about whether Succession is a drama or a comedy. What side do you fall on? Well, the actor’s job is to play everything dead straight. Truthfully. The situation is funny, but life is funny. Life is ridiculous. Life is a farce. Look at the clown in the White House. You couldn’t make it up. So I would always err on the side of saying it’s a drama with jokes. Life is inherently preposterous and scary.
When I talked to your wife, Keeley Hawes, last year, she said she might be the only person rooting for Tom. Is that still the case? She’s a good wife, very loyal! She has been working her socks off, so she hasn’t been watching. I think she’s seen the first episode, so she’s a little behind, so hopefully she’ll be rooting for me this season.
The second season finale of HBO’s acclaimed drama Succession contained one of the most shocking, unexpected and instantly memeworthy moments of the entire series – the scene where Tom Wambsgans, played by Matthew Macfadyen, casually takes food off Logan Roy’s plate without asking.
Specifically, Tom grabs a piece of chicken off Logan’s dinner plate, takes a bite of it, and then casually says “Thank you for the chicken” to Logan. This highly odd, darkly comedic moment perfectly encapsulated Tom’s deteriorating mental state and growing disdain for the Roy family.
But why did Tom commit this rather shocking act of impropriety? What motivated him to throw etiquette and politeness aside and dig into Logan’s dinner unprompted? Let’s explore the context and significance behind the chicken scene
Tom Was Fed Up With the Roy Family’s Mistreatment
In Succession season 2, different members of the Roy family treat Tom badly and disrespectfully over and over again, even though he loves Waystar Royco. Tom’s wife Shiv tricks or controls him over and over again, Logan avoids working with Tom, and most of Tom’s siblings see him as a joke.
By the finale, Tom has reached a breaking point. The chicken incident is a physical embodiment of his growing hatred, resentment and desire to defy the Roy family. After being trod upon for so long, Tom seizes Logan’s food as a way to take power back and symbolically defy the man who has denied him the respect and status Tom feels he deserves.
Tom tells Shiv earlier in the episode, during a heated argument, that he thinks he would be happier without her and the rest of his family making fun of him all the time. The chicken theft is Tom embracing that defiant attitude.
The Chicken Moment Reflects Tom’s Childishness
The chicken scene shows how angry Tom is, but it also shows how young he is. As an adult, you shouldn’t eat your father-in-law’s dinner like a child who has been spoiled. But throughout Succession, Tom acts out in a childish way when he is upset or scared.
Tom often acts less like an adult and more like a spoiled teenager, like when he makes fun of Greg or gets too upset about his prenup. The chicken scene shows how mean and silly Tom is at the same time. He wants to get Logan’s attention but acts like a spoiled 10-year-old.
Tom Hopes to Bond With Logan
In the moments leading up to the chicken scene, Tom makes repeated attempts to connect with Logan. Shiv has forced Tom into an awkward threesome with her and another man, leaving Tom feeling emasculated and desirous of a father figure.
In Logan, Tom sees an authoritative, powerful man’s man. When his efforts to bond with Logan fail, Tom attempts to provoke Logan by stealing his food. He wants validation from the man he wishes was his strong, commanding father-in-law. The chicken scene is Tom trying desperately to form a connection.
Matthew Macfadyen’s Thoughts on Why Tom Did It
Matthew Macfadyen himself agrees the chicken moment was a physical embodiment of Tom finally snapping under the disrespect of the Roy family. In an interview, he explained that Tom stealing Logan’s food represents his mindset of “F**k it, you know?” after being repeatedly undermined by Shiv and the others.
Macfadyen felt Tom was at such a low point that normal etiquette no longer mattered, so violating social norms by stealing Logan’s meal made sense. It was Tom hitting rock bottom and no longer caring about acting properly, a sentiment Macfadyen captured perfectly in Tom’s flippant “Thank you for the chicken” remark.
The Comedic Impact of the Scene
While the chicken scene held deeper character meaning, it also worked brilliantly as an unexpected comedic moment. Tom casually stealing food like an impish child, oblivious to how strange and ridiculous he appears, is dark humor at its finest.
Macfadyen’s deadpan delivery of “Thank you for the chicken” heightens the absurdity. The scene encapsulates Succession’s blend of drama and warped comedy. Tom’s actions are inappropriate and even disturbing, yet the flippancy makes it silly and laugh-out-loud funny.
The Meme-ification of the Scene
Thanks to Macfadyen’s performance and the sheer randomness of Tom’s chicken theft, the scene instantly became an iconic meme. Out-of-context images of Tom snatching Logan’s food or saying the “chicken” line flooded social media after the finale aired.
The memes usually involve joking about stealing things without permission or acting politely pretentious in uncomfortable situations. The scene was perfectly suited for viral internet humor given Tom’s petty defiance of social norms.
The chicken memes demonstrate how the scene encapsulated the zeitgeist and spoke to people’s frustrations with propriety and hollow politeness. Tom’s profane yet absurd rebellion struck a chord with audiences.
While brief, the scene of Tom taking Logan’s chicken in the Succession finale was one of the most meaningful, impactful and enduring moments of the entire show. It represented Tom finally shedding his deference toward the Roy family and embracing defiance. It also demonstrated his immaturity and desperate need for Logan’s approval.
Thanks to Matthew Macfadyen’s performance and the bizarre hilarity of the moment, the chicken scene also became an instant pop culture meme. For all these reasons, Tom grabbing Logan’s dinner is one of the most pivotal, cleverly written and darkly hilarious scenes in Succession’s run. It encapsulates everything fans love about the show’s blend of biting satire, emotional drama and warped comedy.
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Tom Eats Logan’s Chicken | Succession
FAQ
Why did Tom betray Shiv?
In the last episode of season 3 of “Succession,” Tom betrays Shiv by telling Logan about her plan to stop him from selling Waystar RoyCo with her siblings. This decision stems from Tom’s calculation that loyalty to Logan, his father-in-law and the company’s powerful owner, is more beneficial to his own ambitions than loyalty to Shiv. He felt increasingly disconnected from Shiv, who often disregarded him and his career aspirations.
Did Tom snitch to Logan?
Last season, he stuck the knife into Shiv and the Roy siblings by squealing secret plans to Logan. After that treachery to his wife, Tom became Logan’s right hand. But when Logan died, Tom had no allies and a toxic marriage.
Did Tom tell Logan about the coup?
Yes, in the Succession season 3 finale, Tom Wambsgans does betray Shiv and her siblings by informing Logan about their plan to block the GoJo deal. This revelation allows Logan to foil their coup attempt and solidify his control.
Why did Tom become CEO in Succession?
Mencken wanted an American CEO, and Matsson wants an empty figurehead who’ll keep things running while he does his thing and do what he says. That’s how Tom earned the job.