"What it Takes"
In the wake of the president's announcement that he will not be running for reelection, the Roys arrive at a secretive political conference in Virginia to discuss the party's new candidate. The White House's preference is the current vice-president, Boyer, who is aware that Logan is something of a kingmaker and tries to kiss up to him throughout the episode. Shiv takes a liking to Salgado, a more centrist candidate who promises benefits for her (and imprisonment for Logan) if she gets him the Oval Office. To her disgust, Roman likes Mencken, a Neo-Fascist populist; Shiv is further appalled when Logan is seemingly intrigued by him by episode's end.
Back in New York, the DOJ is seemingly unimpressed with Kendall's papers. Lisa tells him that he needs more ammunition and to reconsider his strategy; he fires her.
In addition, Kendall, Shiv, and Roman's mother Caroline is remarrying, a fact none of them were aware of. Connor is still running for president himself, but socializes with the candidates (to Willa's disgust). Tom is increasingly anxious about his upcoming prison sentence and his failing marriage, and invites Greg out for a bland meal at a nearby diner to talk it out. Greg asks him if he'd be willing to take the fall for him as well, to which Tom agrees. Kendall clandestinely meets with Tom and tries to convince him to switch sides; Tom refuses.
Tropes in this episode:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Logan is more amused than annoyed by Roman's relentless heckling when Shiv argues why she outright rejects Mencken.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Shiv may be a daughter of her cutthroat capitalist family through and through, but when her family gets behind endorsing literal Neo-Nazi Jeryd Mencken, she's furious.
- Everyone Has Standards: Greg eventually manages to stand up for himself enough in the family meeting to state that he thinks Connor Roy as President would be bad for the nation. Granted, he says it after the conversation has already moved past Connor, but he clearly put a lot of thought into it.
- In Love with Your Carnage: A verbal example. Roman is indifferent about Mencken's fascist tendencies, but his blunt edgelord mannerisms at the fundraiser win him over.
- Invincible Villain: Tom's reasoning for why he can't see himself siding with Kendall over Logan. Kendall's gotten screwed over a lot over the course of the show, while Logan always comes out on top.Tom: 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.
- Nice Mean And In Between: The three presidentiables the Roys consider (Connor notwithstanding) have these public images. Salgado, a RINO-type who is publicly appalled at the party's more extremist tendencies, is the Nice; Mencken, a charismatic populist with Neo-Nazi leanings, is the Mean; and Boyer, the unremarkable but manipulable vice president, is the In-Between.
- Sleeping with the Boss: Roman is convinced Logan and his young aide, Kerry, are having sex. The ending suggests he's correct.
- Those Wacky Nazis: Mencken tries to sugarcoat that he'll borrow from whatever ideology he desires, but his political positions clearly show he's a nativist and a racist.
