Elsbeth Recap: Let My Cameron Go

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From the series ‘Succession’, we’ve understood that immense wealth doesn’t inherently guarantee happiness. Instead, it frequently corrodes the souls of those who acquire it, turning them into ruthless individuals obsessed with accumulating more wealth, even if it threatens American democracy. Disgusting! However, my excitement upon recognizing Alan Ruck, a familiar face from ‘Succession’, in a double role in this week’s episode of ‘Elsbeth‘, is immeasurable!

This week, I’ve found myself in the shoes of Peter Hepson and Bill Hepson, two relentless corporate raiders from the Roy family. While Peter continues his high-stakes game without a second thought, my twin brother, Bill, has had an unexpected change of heart after a brush with death on his private jet. He reassessed his values and decided to step down from our thriving venture capital firm, Hepson Capital, to donate most of his wealth to charitable causes instead. Unfortunately, this selfless act was met with a tragic end – Bill was killed by none other than his own twin. It’s safe to say that sibling rivalries can escalate, but this seems like an extreme response.

After spending a week and $3.6 billion, Peter impressively manages multiple tasks: he swaps his tailored Brioni suit for an outfit resembling Bill’s relaxed, hippie-style attire; he marches purposefully through Queens and ascends to Bill’s fifth-floor apartment, forcefully ejecting his brother from the hallway window onto the street below. All this time, he continues a call-in interview on a significant business cable network. Quite chilling.

Peter’s relentless determination could be likened to a dog persistently guarding its prize – once he sets his sights on something, whether it’s buying a company or seeking revenge against his brother, he pursues it with unwavering focus and resolve. This man is driven almost entirely by the desire to triumph at any cost. In his distorted perspective, eliminating Bill (I assure you, I’m keeping quiet!) serves multiple purposes: enhancing his own public image and reputation, as well as offering a means of retaliation for being overshadowed by Bill, who was their mother’s favorite among them.

Regarding Mrs. Hepson, a dedicated single mother who nurtured her sons in Queens and instilled the importance of money’s value in them, Peter still adheres to her enduring principle, maybe dreaming of being her most cherished one. However, the past is behind us, Peter, and if you had been somewhat more like Bill, you might have understood that. Sadly, instead, Peter discovers and keeps an envelope filled with cash from Bill’s body, giving the scene a vague appearance of a botched burglary or robbery.

It’s not shocking to find everyone in the neighborhood mourning Bill’s death. He had only recently moved in, but managed to win over some of the local tough guys by generously handing out $100 bills to each one. Even Duncan from Duncan’s Donuts appreciated him for his friendliness and generous tipping habits. It was peculiar that he walked past Duncan that morning without acknowledging him, seemingly unaware of their previous interactions. That’s quite unusual.

In my humble opinion as a movie reviewer, Elsbeth notices an unsettling vibe from Peter that’s hard to shake off. However, his alibi appears solid, asserting he phoned Ava Mournier’s talk show from his Manhattan office to challenge the statements made by a CEO who had been ousted following Hepson’s acquisition of the company’s controlling stake. Interestingly, Ava labels Peter as an “activist investor,” which, in essence, implies an investor manipulating the market for their investments’ gains – a theme that unfolds intriguingly over the entire season if you choose to follow it, reminiscent of the daring investment strategies and insider trading depicted in Industry’s second season.

Elsbeth spends time examining Peter’s previous appearances on Ava’s program and finds several similarities: he tends to talk incessantly, often interrupting Ava. He never poses questions, instead using the platform to grandstand. Typically, these characteristics make for an extremely persuasive demeanor, but there’s an exception – the day of Bill’s murder. On that occasion, Peter actually asked Ava a question and allowed her to speak for approximately 30 seconds. Additionally, he seemed somewhat out of breath, which seems unusual if he was calling from his Manhattan office.

Could it be possible that he was indeed calling from his Manhattan office, or could he have been using a VPN to disguise his location? His assistant took the effort to contact Captain Wagner about Peter’s alibi, and the phone records suggest a call from Manhattan. However, what if Peter decided to try out their newly acquired VPN service, for either innocent or malicious purposes? If this is the case, it could strengthen his alibi, but it doesn’t rule out the possibility that he could have called Ava, asked a question, and in the time it took her to respond, killed Bill. Peter’s alibi appears solid, but there are potential loopholes, and Elsbeth, known for her relentless investigations, is as determined as Peter is misguided (as per their biography, “The Hepson Way,” Peter dislikes inflation, DEI, and CEOs. It’s reminiscent of Project 25 and Luigi Mangione in some way).

The crux of the matter is revealed as cobalt, a crucial component for items such as smartphone batteries, by Ava. However, mining this essential element poses significant ecological issues. Bill’s charity had been researching alternative battery technology, but without continued funding, it appears that cobalt will continue to be used extensively in batteries, possibly contributing to its recent price surge. The day preceding Bill’s demise was intriguing, as Hepson Capital made a substantial investment in cobalt on that very day. One might wonder if manipulating commodity prices based on prior knowledge of someone’s unforeseen death could be considered securities fraud?

In a restaurant where Ava previously shared lunch with Peter, she provides a tutorial about cobalt and insider trading. Their conversation turned sour, leading to an unsuccessful attempt at extortion, and Peter eventually departed, only leaving behind a $5 bill to cover their $300 meal expense. Thanks to Elsbeth’s keen observation, this petty action, revealing his miserly character, ultimately implicates him in the murder of his brother. That five-dollar bill was taken from Bill’s collection of unique currency – not just old bills from the 1800s, but modern ones with peculiar printing mistakes or, as in this instance, unusual serial numbers.

During his process of selling off his belongings and making charitable donations, Bill planned to auction his collection. He went to the bank to arrange these sales, carrying an envelope of cash which Peter had previously stolen from his deceased brother’s body. Unable to resist his lifelong tendency to save every penny, Peter found himself in a predicament when he was arrested and cried out, “I deny everything! You think I’m going down for this?” Typically, suspects like Peter Hepson admit guilt more readily, so I find myself hopeful that we may encounter him again in the upcoming season. Keep your fingers crossed!

Let’s focus on the predicament Elsbeth finds herself in due to working for Mark Van Ness. Getting her out of this tricky situation largely depends on discovering a way to bypass the attorney-client privilege, which is currently stopping her from discussing publicly about a police report that was suppressed, detailing another member of Van Ness’s team’s history of physical violence towards his first wife, Amber. This incident left Elsbeth deeply distraught and vowed never to work on projects where she can’t follow her moral compass.

As a devoted cinephile, I found myself engrossed in the unfolding drama between Elsbeth and Van Ness. With my large noise-cancelling headphones on, I accidentally overheard Elsbeth discussing the ongoing situation. It seems to me that there’s a strong argument for Elsbeth defending herself against the accusations being thrown her way. The stakes escalated when Carter, who initially implicated Elsbeth in his menacing SUV during the season premiere, dropped by the precinct to warn her about an upcoming press release that would undoubtedly pin the incident on her.

Elsbeth, not one to back down easily, offered her immediate resignation, but Captain Wagner and Lieutenant Connor urged patience and resilience. They believed they could uncover the truth given some time and investigation. True to their word, Elsbeth confronted Van Ness on the street, surrounded by his legal entourage. With her clever tactics, she successfully provoked him into threatening her with police harassment and doxing, which was witnessed by Kaya. This led to Van Ness’s immediate arrest for the misdemeanor, effectively terminating his attorney-client relationship with Elsbeth.

Van Ness is an extraordinary breed of client, as even Carter, who initially set the ball rolling with his ominous warning about the press release, gave Elsbeth an approving nod when she handled the situation so skillfully.

Afterward, confidential police informants (undoubtedly Lieutenant Connor, consistently demonstrating his exceptional professionalism and camaraderie) disclose Amber Van Ness’s report to the media, exonerating Elsbeth. Both Kaya and Elsbeth feel a sense of relief, but upon gazing at Judge Crawford’s photo, they concur: there are still tasks ahead. Let’s get moving!

In This Week’s Tote Bag

Elsbeth was certain she’d locate Ava at her go-to restaurant, as she’d discovered from an interview in the magazine Dress-Up that this is where she usually holds professional gatherings. I always appreciate a hint combined with some investigative work!

To any youth who might be observing Elsbeth or following these recaps, I highly recommend you watch a timeless movie titled “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off“. In this film, Alan Ruck delivers an outstanding early performance as the worried best friend/conscience of Ferris Bueller, a character named Cameron Fry.

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2025-02-07 07:54