Tern Haven
Marcia makes comments suggesting that she is resentful of how Logan treats her, and Tom feels pressured when the liberal Pierces repeatedly insult him over his position at ATN.
Meanwhile, Kendall and Naomi, who had immediately bonded over their common struggle with addiction, sneak off to do cocaine together, and later get drunk and have sex inside the Roys' helicopter.
Naomi admits to Kendall that she despises the Roys for running tabloids on her during the peak of her substance abuse, and that she is only here to ensure that an acquisition deal fails.
[5] Writing for The New Yorker, Rachel Syme described the Pierce family aesthetic as "shabby chic," indicating dynastic wealth, as opposed to the sleeker, arriviste fashion choices of the Roys.
[8] Given the series' tight production schedule, the episode's dinner scene was shot in only two days, with each individual moment filmed concurrently.
Additionally, Mylod had the camera crew gradually move closer to the actors in order to make the audience feel "intimately connected" to the scene, particularly during Shiv's outburst.
[9] "Tern Haven" received critical acclaim, with particular praise directed at Tracy's script, the performances, and the dynamic between the Roys and Pierces.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has a rating of 94% based on 17 reviews, with the critics' consensus stating, "Cultural and political differences collide when the elder Roy struggles to convince the Pierce family to hand over their crown jewels in the highly fascinating, intensely devastating 'Tern Haven.
[5] Vox considered "Tern Haven" to be the best episode of Succession to date, pointing out the Shakespearian influence over the Roy-Pierce dynamic and also singling out the scenes between Kendall and Naomi for praise.
"[11] Vulture's Scott Tobias rated the episode 5 out of 5 stars, praising the dialogue and remarking on the added depth given to Shiv and Tom's relationship.
[12] Joanna Robinson, writing for Vanity Fair, noted the episode's focus on "female ambition" and the goals of the women in the cast, heightened by the introduction of the "matriarchal Pierce family".
