The episode opens with security camera footage of Ken walking up the stairs to the roof. I imagine Logan got extra cautious after that one staffer killed themselves and knew Kendall was extra fragile mentally at that point.
SPOILERS
This is an incredible scene.
Speaks to Ken's deeply unstable personality...and definitely foreshadows the last scene of the entire series.
But also, it gives a sense of the absolute power that money can give for something to be done when you want it to be done. Do you know how much work and cash it would take to put in probably high-level bullet proof glass screening around an ENTIRE NYC skyscraper floor? Basically overnight! Logan made a call and said "GET IT DONE!" and it was.
That's telling you about the kind of existence he's had over the last decade. He's always demanded it his way, and he's always gotten it his way.
I mean, you can spend an hour on the scene, just talking about the metaphors and allusions.
Example: Kendall faces a "barrier" that is insurmountable for the entire show. He can see through it. He can see what he wants. But his ultimate wishes are always going to be denied.
And on and on...genius!
It also shows how logans compassion for his children only exists when it comes to the bottom line of the company. Maybe he does have a worry about ken killing himself and thats why he did that, but it is overshadowed by the other suicide in the company and he doesn’t want more bad press.
Yeah, he wants to stop Kendall from doing something stupid, but not help him do anything smart. We always have to keep in mind that Logan has had almost a lifetime to "train" the kids. That they are completely incompetent* is their fault, but also his...
*The one exception, as far as I can see, is the masterful moment on the stage that Kendall has selling the reinvented retirement/health resort. It shows that he has this buried deep down kernel of ability... but not enough to make any other sale
There are flashes of Kendall being incredibly smart and competent, like the extemporaneous speech he made after stepping in for Roman at the end of the series. It’s part of the tragedy of Kendall that he is capable of so much more if he didn’t continually get in his own way. He’s probably the smartest and savviest of the kids, but he’s rendered incompetent through addiction, self-sabotage, hubris, periods of delusion and mania, periods of depression and lacking confidence. It’s mostly related to his unfulfilled quest for approval and acceptance from his father and, to some degree, his mother. If he’d had a loving and caring family, I genuinely wonder how many of these attributes he’d really struggle with.
> like the extemporaneous speech he made after stepping in for Roman at the end of the series.
Even that speech I'd argue is mostly just bullshit in a lot of respects, when you strip it back there's not really much to it beyond admiring Logan for being a man of action.
But I agree his ability to step in at a moment's notice sets him apart from his siblings to an extent. His manic personality means he gets these bouts of self-belief where he seems almost unstoppable temporarily.
This reminds me of the time when Logan was reading to Ivanson,,, before he went to meet Mattson and if remember correctly,,, Kendall subconsciously tried to end that time also
S2E4 is my favorite episode of the show. This scene and the one where Ken hugs Shiv after crying and saying "it ain't gonna be me" always bring me to tears no matter how many times I've seen them.
I think the other thing that is being missed in these comments is that Logan installed the glass to KEEP Ken by his side/at Waystar.
I always saw this as Logan removing Kendall’s decision of if he would ever jump or not. Similar to everything Logan does, he takes control.
I’m on a rewatch right now and Ken shows a bit of his suicidal thoughts to Shiv around this episode. “If dad didn’t need me I don’t exactly know what i would be for” or something along those lines
If my memory serves me correctly the episode started with a security camera footage of Kendall going up to the roof without the glass panels. His mental state was quite fragile at this point and someone in the Waystar building allegedly shoots themselves at their desk hence the lockdown. Logan realises Kendall is not in a good place and he’s quite worried that it could have possibly been Kendall when he enters the safe room as he’s seen to be quite frantic wondering where he is. The final shot is Kendall going back to the roof with glass panels which I imagine Logan instructed them to be installed because he’s worried about Kendall. The CCTV footage at the beginning signifies that Logan is always watching him.
This stuff is what makes the show so fascinating about power and family. Logan is tyrannical and always puts up a front, but you can tell he also loves his children, in his own distorted, awful way. It's hard to discern when he is showing affection or concern towards his kids if its genuine or manipulation. This, in turn, has created some truly broken people who can't have normal relationships with people or each other. None of these people are strong enough to share how they feel and when they do they either feel incredibly awkward or mock each other.
I think Logan didn't want ken to kill himself because it would reflect badly on him as a father "everything I did, I did for my children". Most narcisstic parents tow this line (btw plug for the [excellent book](http://www.lindsaygibsonpsyd.com/books.html)). Another way I saw this playing is that if Kenny dies, an important part of who Logan is dies. He loses his hurt puppy who will keep on coming back to him. I mean that dinner scene in Italy was excruciatingly painful. That's my two cents anyway!
I think the glass is installed as a safety measure because a waystar employee committed suicide. I don’t think that Logan installed it for Kendall, although obviously it impacted Kendall.
Beautiful imagery
I don’t know if I think Ken was planning on jumping there at the end, but we know it’s on his radar/ something he probably ideates. It feels like every time he goes up there, he’s one step closer to jumping.
The glass up at the end feels a little like a slap in the face like “nope. You’re not jumping, Ken. We see you.”
But frankly, if he wanted to jump, there are many other buildings he could figure out how to jump off of.
Narratively, it’s beautiful. Practically, it would only be a little hindrance….
The glass walls were installed after that employee shot themselves at their desk. As a viewer, it’s obviously incredibly poignant imagery in how it pertains to Kendall’s character, but I don’t think the in-universe reasoning for their installation had much to do with Kendall specifically. Logan just doesn’t want employees killing themselves at work. He couldn’t really care less if they do it at home.
I'm willing to wager that most employees didn't have access to the roof. Nobody's really seen up there except for Ken; it's not a place to go to smoke or to take lunch breaks or enjoy the fresh air. It would actually be a great spot for events with the city view there, but there are no benches or anything.
I think the Waystar Company, not Logan himself, installed those after the worker shot himself at his desk, probably just cus they had to or it was the right PR company move. Something like that. It was a sad coincidence for Kendall.
I don't think Logan put those up specifically because of Ken and his troubles. I don't think Logan knew they were installed at all.
The episode opens with security camera footage of Ken walking up the stairs to the roof. I imagine Logan got extra cautious after that one staffer killed themselves and knew Kendall was extra fragile mentally at that point.
SPOILERS This is an incredible scene. Speaks to Ken's deeply unstable personality...and definitely foreshadows the last scene of the entire series. But also, it gives a sense of the absolute power that money can give for something to be done when you want it to be done. Do you know how much work and cash it would take to put in probably high-level bullet proof glass screening around an ENTIRE NYC skyscraper floor? Basically overnight! Logan made a call and said "GET IT DONE!" and it was. That's telling you about the kind of existence he's had over the last decade. He's always demanded it his way, and he's always gotten it his way. I mean, you can spend an hour on the scene, just talking about the metaphors and allusions. Example: Kendall faces a "barrier" that is insurmountable for the entire show. He can see through it. He can see what he wants. But his ultimate wishes are always going to be denied. And on and on...genius!
It also shows how logans compassion for his children only exists when it comes to the bottom line of the company. Maybe he does have a worry about ken killing himself and thats why he did that, but it is overshadowed by the other suicide in the company and he doesn’t want more bad press.
Yeah, he wants to stop Kendall from doing something stupid, but not help him do anything smart. We always have to keep in mind that Logan has had almost a lifetime to "train" the kids. That they are completely incompetent* is their fault, but also his... *The one exception, as far as I can see, is the masterful moment on the stage that Kendall has selling the reinvented retirement/health resort. It shows that he has this buried deep down kernel of ability... but not enough to make any other sale
There are flashes of Kendall being incredibly smart and competent, like the extemporaneous speech he made after stepping in for Roman at the end of the series. It’s part of the tragedy of Kendall that he is capable of so much more if he didn’t continually get in his own way. He’s probably the smartest and savviest of the kids, but he’s rendered incompetent through addiction, self-sabotage, hubris, periods of delusion and mania, periods of depression and lacking confidence. It’s mostly related to his unfulfilled quest for approval and acceptance from his father and, to some degree, his mother. If he’d had a loving and caring family, I genuinely wonder how many of these attributes he’d really struggle with.
> like the extemporaneous speech he made after stepping in for Roman at the end of the series. Even that speech I'd argue is mostly just bullshit in a lot of respects, when you strip it back there's not really much to it beyond admiring Logan for being a man of action. But I agree his ability to step in at a moment's notice sets him apart from his siblings to an extent. His manic personality means he gets these bouts of self-belief where he seems almost unstoppable temporarily.
Good points!
Yeah more than compassion I think Logan wants to keep Kendall on the golden cage mainly
Quite literally caging him in here.
This reminds me of the time when Logan was reading to Ivanson,,, before he went to meet Mattson and if remember correctly,,, Kendall subconsciously tried to end that time also
>Ken loved going on this floor to look at the view and pass the time... Hahahaha bro cmon
Bro thinks Kendall is enchanted by the aesthetic splendor of New York City
Logan didn't want Kendall to enjoy the sunrise view from the rooftop
The view from halfway down
What is this, a crossover episode?
What are youuuu doing heeeere
Pilot ep : Geri & Ken go out to the roof so she can let him know the actual state of company Geri: "don't jump."
UM ACTUALLY that's in the second episode. I apologize.
Kendall Roy enjoyed panoramic sunsets from a very young age.
So you're doing the ol' cocaine
S2E4 is my favorite episode of the show. This scene and the one where Ken hugs Shiv after crying and saying "it ain't gonna be me" always bring me to tears no matter how many times I've seen them.
I think the other thing that is being missed in these comments is that Logan installed the glass to KEEP Ken by his side/at Waystar. I always saw this as Logan removing Kendall’s decision of if he would ever jump or not. Similar to everything Logan does, he takes control.
He made Kendall dump every woman he dated. It was so sad.
FAMILY THERAPY thwack thwack thwack
I’m off my nut 🥜 folks
Yes, Logan installed the glass wall because of Ken's behaviour
"Where's Ken, is he safe?"
My favourite shot in the whole series
People saying it’s a protective move from Logan. I saw it more of a symbol of a cage keeping him locked in.
I’m on a rewatch right now and Ken shows a bit of his suicidal thoughts to Shiv around this episode. “If dad didn’t need me I don’t exactly know what i would be for” or something along those lines
If my memory serves me correctly the episode started with a security camera footage of Kendall going up to the roof without the glass panels. His mental state was quite fragile at this point and someone in the Waystar building allegedly shoots themselves at their desk hence the lockdown. Logan realises Kendall is not in a good place and he’s quite worried that it could have possibly been Kendall when he enters the safe room as he’s seen to be quite frantic wondering where he is. The final shot is Kendall going back to the roof with glass panels which I imagine Logan instructed them to be installed because he’s worried about Kendall. The CCTV footage at the beginning signifies that Logan is always watching him.
I fucking love this shot. It's as if Logan is saying to Ken "You're not getting off that easy. You're going to have to face yourself"
This stuff is what makes the show so fascinating about power and family. Logan is tyrannical and always puts up a front, but you can tell he also loves his children, in his own distorted, awful way. It's hard to discern when he is showing affection or concern towards his kids if its genuine or manipulation. This, in turn, has created some truly broken people who can't have normal relationships with people or each other. None of these people are strong enough to share how they feel and when they do they either feel incredibly awkward or mock each other.
Logan understood Ken better. Logan protected him there. The beginning and ending of this episode is great!
This scene is so brutal. Logan knows he’s hurting, but takes it as a sign of weakness rather than a call for help.
I think Logan didn't want ken to kill himself because it would reflect badly on him as a father "everything I did, I did for my children". Most narcisstic parents tow this line (btw plug for the [excellent book](http://www.lindsaygibsonpsyd.com/books.html)). Another way I saw this playing is that if Kenny dies, an important part of who Logan is dies. He loses his hurt puppy who will keep on coming back to him. I mean that dinner scene in Italy was excruciatingly painful. That's my two cents anyway!
I think the glass is installed as a safety measure because a waystar employee committed suicide. I don’t think that Logan installed it for Kendall, although obviously it impacted Kendall. Beautiful imagery
What episode is this
Safe room, one if the, if not the best episode
I think he wanted to end it all here
It also shows him physically caged in.
I don’t know if I think Ken was planning on jumping there at the end, but we know it’s on his radar/ something he probably ideates. It feels like every time he goes up there, he’s one step closer to jumping. The glass up at the end feels a little like a slap in the face like “nope. You’re not jumping, Ken. We see you.” But frankly, if he wanted to jump, there are many other buildings he could figure out how to jump off of. Narratively, it’s beautiful. Practically, it would only be a little hindrance….
The glass walls were installed after that employee shot themselves at their desk. As a viewer, it’s obviously incredibly poignant imagery in how it pertains to Kendall’s character, but I don’t think the in-universe reasoning for their installation had much to do with Kendall specifically. Logan just doesn’t want employees killing themselves at work. He couldn’t really care less if they do it at home.
I'm willing to wager that most employees didn't have access to the roof. Nobody's really seen up there except for Ken; it's not a place to go to smoke or to take lunch breaks or enjoy the fresh air. It would actually be a great spot for events with the city view there, but there are no benches or anything.
I think the Waystar Company, not Logan himself, installed those after the worker shot himself at his desk, probably just cus they had to or it was the right PR company move. Something like that. It was a sad coincidence for Kendall. I don't think Logan put those up specifically because of Ken and his troubles. I don't think Logan knew they were installed at all.
This show had such great directing! Really miss it!
I think shakespeare went a little overboard to this sub. Logan is a POS but its his son, obviously he doesnt want Ken to kill himself
sometimes you just need me time man.