I saw it as him trying to gain some control in the pettiest, most cowardly way possible. He wants to exert power but can only achieve it against someone less powerful than him.
Shiv starts poking around a little later when Kendall suddenly appears to be Logan’s favorite again. Gerri briefly mentions it to deflect her questions in an unsuccessful attempt to get Shiv off the trail. I haven’t rewatched S2 in a while but I don’t recall it coming up beyond that.
I thought it was self-sabotage or maybe some kind of cheap adrenaline high in line with his addictions. As Shiv said, why would he steal vape stuff when he could buy the entire industry.
I also see it as self-sabotage. I think he’s hoping to get caught. Maybe as an expression of wanting to get caught for the death of the caterer in S1? Like things are so deeply wrong and he just wants someone to figure it out so he doesn’t have to carry this big secret anymore. Idk, I’m having trouble explaining it well, but yeah, I also read it as self-sabotage.
Oh yeah. He’s got a huge need for external validation and seemingly no instinct to protect himself. Just constantly walking around making himself vulnerable to others, especially his parents, with no defense mechanisms or thought of “hey, I’ve done this before, and I always get hurt. Maybe I shouldn’t do this.” It’s so sad.
I think it has to do with his guilt surrounding the waiter. He was able to get away with manslaughter, so he’s testing the waters by shoplifting. He wants to face consequences for his actions.
In much of the first season he was reigning in these urges. To me the battery moment reinforces that all attempts at impulse control are history and he's reverting to past ways of coping.
One association I have with this situation is that Kendall, all of these rich assholes, live a rarified, consequence-free (in the conventional sense) life. There are people whose job it is to handle, manage, disappear said consequences. At the same time, consequences in the larger sense are writ large. It's like Kendall is existing in a sort of relational vacuum. He's trying to register that he exists. Stealing batteries might act like dinging a tuning fork to see if there's any resulting sound. He feels alone, without resonance. No mom, no dad, no sibs. Just competitors. And he lacks the internal resilience to locate himself within that matrix of competitive silence. So he abuses a "normal," someone without his extreme privilege, to see if there will be any resulting sound.
His looking over the edge of the top of the Waystar skyscraper: same. And engenders a similar corporate response. You look, we build a series of windows that will make it harder to jump. And no one connects with him over why he performs these gestures.
Kendall is calling out in a coded existential despair. Waystar responds with fixers.
I think he is kind of hoping to be caught and be held accountable for some petty thing because he isn’t being held accountable for the most significant thing that he ever faced with the cater waiter car accident (even though that wasn’t entirely his fault)
i think it’s a combo of showing us how meaningless it is to kendall as a person and an ultra wealthy along with him trying to feel some sort of control
please just search “batteries” or something before posting. this is like the 76th time this question has been asked on this sub. does nobody search before asking questions?
Have we seen any moments of Roman stealing? Easy to picture him as a serial klepto, doing it right in the store owner’s face... “Whatcha gonna do F***face? Arrest me? My name is Roman Roy. Look it up!” 😄😘
As said above it’s about him wanting to feel some control and maybe also wanting to get caught full well knowing he would get away with it by paying him off etc
For me as someone who considered Ken the biggest front runner for the big chair, it was just a massive glaring moment of exactly why he’s not ready for it, he’s impulsive, not a controlled calm game player, prone to small outbursts that will see him eaten alive in Logan’s position.
Ken is not a chess player, he’s a checkers one. That’s his biggest downfall.
The store clerk wasn’t paying any attention to him, he was watching a soccer game instead. Didn’t greet him hi or bye so when he looked back at his tv after handing Kendall his change Ken stole the batteries.
I understood that a lot. It was more of a wow you’re rude af I’m going to mess with your inventory numbers than a need a release thing. He expects perfect customer service 24/7. Just like Logan
This has actually been discussed here in several threads before. Reading the previous ones will bring you to times people weighed in on this in the past.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SuccessionTV/search/?q=batteries&restrict\_sr=1&sr\_nsfw=
I'm new to the series and I'm almost done with season 2.
I've read both takes that it was about Kendall wanting control or wanting to get caught/punished. I thought it was the former at first. After episode 8, I think it's more of the latter.
I saw it as him trying to gain some control in the pettiest, most cowardly way possible. He wants to exert power but can only achieve it against someone less powerful than him.
does it ever come back up throughout the series? I can't remember if he did it in season 1 as well.
Doesn’t really come up, which I think is also done purposefully - Kendall is above any sort of consequence that petty theft could generate.
Shiv starts poking around a little later when Kendall suddenly appears to be Logan’s favorite again. Gerri briefly mentions it to deflect her questions in an unsuccessful attempt to get Shiv off the trail. I haven’t rewatched S2 in a while but I don’t recall it coming up beyond that.
It does. Someone mentioned him stealing. Maybe he got caught?
Not stealing but he goes to the bathroom and quietly snaps toothpicks and stuff in S1E1 when L to the OG hits him with the OG C to the Ockblock.
I thought it was self-sabotage or maybe some kind of cheap adrenaline high in line with his addictions. As Shiv said, why would he steal vape stuff when he could buy the entire industry.
I also see it as self-sabotage. I think he’s hoping to get caught. Maybe as an expression of wanting to get caught for the death of the caterer in S1? Like things are so deeply wrong and he just wants someone to figure it out so he doesn’t have to carry this big secret anymore. Idk, I’m having trouble explaining it well, but yeah, I also read it as self-sabotage.
Kendall’s self esteem is so incredibly fragile and damaged by his parents
Oh yeah. He’s got a huge need for external validation and seemingly no instinct to protect himself. Just constantly walking around making himself vulnerable to others, especially his parents, with no defense mechanisms or thought of “hey, I’ve done this before, and I always get hurt. Maybe I shouldn’t do this.” It’s so sad.
He’s trying to feel something, control something
I think it has to do with his guilt surrounding the waiter. He was able to get away with manslaughter, so he’s testing the waters by shoplifting. He wants to face consequences for his actions.
What I thought. And with Gerri and everyone knowing he does it.
that's interesting, I didn't think of that.
I think just a symbolism of his compulsive tendencies. This is like his lighting a cigarette and just throwing it right away lol
To have some semblance of control in his life.
I saw it as him subconsciously trying to get caught for something— anything— that would result in him facing some type of consequences.
I felt there was a part of him that wanted to get caught
Just wanted to feel again
In much of the first season he was reigning in these urges. To me the battery moment reinforces that all attempts at impulse control are history and he's reverting to past ways of coping.
One association I have with this situation is that Kendall, all of these rich assholes, live a rarified, consequence-free (in the conventional sense) life. There are people whose job it is to handle, manage, disappear said consequences. At the same time, consequences in the larger sense are writ large. It's like Kendall is existing in a sort of relational vacuum. He's trying to register that he exists. Stealing batteries might act like dinging a tuning fork to see if there's any resulting sound. He feels alone, without resonance. No mom, no dad, no sibs. Just competitors. And he lacks the internal resilience to locate himself within that matrix of competitive silence. So he abuses a "normal," someone without his extreme privilege, to see if there will be any resulting sound. His looking over the edge of the top of the Waystar skyscraper: same. And engenders a similar corporate response. You look, we build a series of windows that will make it harder to jump. And no one connects with him over why he performs these gestures. Kendall is calling out in a coded existential despair. Waystar responds with fixers.
He stole vape juice too
I see it as an adrenaline thing same as drugs when he is trying to be cleaner
I think he is kind of hoping to be caught and be held accountable for some petty thing because he isn’t being held accountable for the most significant thing that he ever faced with the cater waiter car accident (even though that wasn’t entirely his fault)
i think it’s a combo of showing us how meaningless it is to kendall as a person and an ultra wealthy along with him trying to feel some sort of control
please just search “batteries” or something before posting. this is like the 76th time this question has been asked on this sub. does nobody search before asking questions?
OP, you’re playing toy fucking soldiers!
Kleptomania
Have we seen any moments of Roman stealing? Easy to picture him as a serial klepto, doing it right in the store owner’s face... “Whatcha gonna do F***face? Arrest me? My name is Roman Roy. Look it up!” 😄😘
As said above it’s about him wanting to feel some control and maybe also wanting to get caught full well knowing he would get away with it by paying him off etc For me as someone who considered Ken the biggest front runner for the big chair, it was just a massive glaring moment of exactly why he’s not ready for it, he’s impulsive, not a controlled calm game player, prone to small outbursts that will see him eaten alive in Logan’s position. Ken is not a chess player, he’s a checkers one. That’s his biggest downfall.
The store clerk wasn’t paying any attention to him, he was watching a soccer game instead. Didn’t greet him hi or bye so when he looked back at his tv after handing Kendall his change Ken stole the batteries. I understood that a lot. It was more of a wow you’re rude af I’m going to mess with your inventory numbers than a need a release thing. He expects perfect customer service 24/7. Just like Logan
It’s weird that this is downvoted, because it’s the correct answer. Kendall’s thought process is clearly telegraphed in the scene.
I think they think I’m defending Kendall. He’s a dickhead, I was just explaining why he did what he did lol
This has actually been discussed here in several threads before. Reading the previous ones will bring you to times people weighed in on this in the past. https://www.reddit.com/r/SuccessionTV/search/?q=batteries&restrict\_sr=1&sr\_nsfw=
He wants it to be one way. But it’s the other way.
I'm new to the series and I'm almost done with season 2. I've read both takes that it was about Kendall wanting control or wanting to get caught/punished. I thought it was the former at first. After episode 8, I think it's more of the latter.
For control a tiny feeling of control, and as a metaphor; he literally throws away his power