Why Did Tom Eat Logan’s Chicken in the Succession Finale? Exploring a Pivotal and Memeworthy Moment

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

Throughout Succession season 2 Tom suffers repeated mistreatment and disrespect from various members of the Roy family despite his devotion to Waystar Royco. His wife Shiv repeatedly tricks or manipulates Tom, Logan sidelines Tom professionally, and most of the Roy siblings see Tom as a punchline.

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.

As Tom tells Shiv earlier in the episode during an explosive argument, he believes he would be happier without her and the rest of the family constantly belittling him. The chicken theft is Tom embracing that defiant attitude.

The Chicken Moment Reflects Tom’s Childishness

While the chicken scene represents Tom’s bitterness, it also demonstrates his immaturity. Digging into your father-in-law’s dinner like a spoiled child is not rational adult behavior. But throughout Succession, Tom displays a juvenile way of lashing out when angry or insecure.

Whether he is cruelly mocking Greg or catastrophizing over his prenup, Tom often acts less like a grown man and more like a petulant, entitled teen. The chicken scene captures Tom’s blended spite and silliness – he wants to provoke Logan but does so by acting like a bratty 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.

In the “Succession” season 3 finale, Tom betrays Shiv by informing Logan about her and her siblings’ plan to thwart his sale of Waystar RoyCo. 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.

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.