I like this video a lot but I think you miss something integral to Greg’s character arc: he is homeless in the first episode, giving his last $20 to Shiv and sleeping in the hospital chapel. He says in the later episodes that he’s staying in a youth hostel. And in all of this, he goes to his uncle Logan and not his grandpa Ewan for help. His grandpa is incredibly rich but Greg is homeless in the first episode. I don’t think Greg is purely driven by these Machiavellian tendencies, rather a need for survival. His grandpa didn’t help him when he was broke and homeless, why should he trust that he would get his inheritance (something you don’t even get until after the person dies, which means Greg would need a way to make money until then). Even in copying the documents, he repeatedly states that they are his insurance policy in case he gets in trouble, i.e. gets fired and is homeless again. Yes he wants to climb the ladder but I think it’s less about getting to the top than it is about trying to stay far away from the bottom. Greg started the show with practically nothing and I think he never wants to end up there again. Thanks for a thought-provoking video!!
i always read it as that Ewan has set up his daughter’s family comfortably but not lavishly bc he’s Ewan and that Greg was living at his mom’s smoking away his earnings from being a mascot at the park and so his mom cut him off as she is likely somewhat well-taken care of by Ewan and Greg just didn’t have much drive because of the security (he knew that Ewan had written him into his will) , and once he got into the room he saw how big the pie really was and his hunger grew and he just couldn’t walk out (“what am i gonna do with a soul anyway?”) .. that’s how i pieced it together at least
Yes, he is slowly becoming ambicious but i feel his main motivation is surviving. His fear is to lose the little independence and stability he’s got. It’s funny what you said about staying away from the bottom, it reminds me of a Tom’s line asking him if he wanted to get to the “bottom of the top” 😂😂😂
Greg's humility and awkwardness allow him to do something that the other Roys cannot do, namely, take advice, use criticism, pay attention to how things work, and above all, learn and execute. From the very first episodes we see that Kendall doesn't listen, Shiv doesn't understand that when you ask someone to do something, they want something in return, and while Roman has mastered these two concepts, he lacks humility. Roman's arrogance earns his father's disrespect, and ultimately what leads to the the events of the season 3 finale.
Completely agree. Ewan also underestimates his grandson and wants Greg to 'paddle his canoe' as long as it is towards Ewan's moral compass, but without any support or respect from that quarter. Greg has done an excellent job of allowing all the Roys to believe he is their puppet thanks to that adaptability.
I feel that Logan see’s in Greg what his kids were supposed to be…the ambition and drive without the delusions like Kendall, willing to listen and learn unlike Shiv, and humility (or the ability to display it) unlike Roman…and he’s not entitled…Logan realized raising his children wealthy was an error…Greg wasn’t raised that way!
@@HeatherHolt I understand why someone would feel that way, but Logan strikes me as the card-counting type who's paying far more attention to things no one else can or does pay attention to. Logan's such a manipulative bastard, I usually imagine him as constantly scheming to stay a few steps ahead--no matter the cost--in his "I never lose" mentality.
It would be extremely poetic and ironic though. Tom crashing and burning from not following the very first piece of advice that he taught to Greg, to the very man that would destroy him. Very Shakespearean.
Greg definitely IS smarter than he looks. The whole cruises scandal, the leak to the press, that was all HIM. He's playing a long con. It's always the ones you least expect.
Greg social awkwardness made him this unnoticed person since Logan’s family have this perception on what a threatening person is like and it’s no way someone like Greg. Also, Greg is unaware that his awkwardness is powerful and that’s another reason why his presence is interesting.
I hadn't considered that Greg now holds more power/leverage than even Tom given that Tom has grown dependent on him. Brilliant analysis on my (and the internet's) favorite character! 💯
Could you explain how this is the case? I'm not trying to contradict you at all just curious what leverage Greg has over Tom. Do you mean because of the documents and destruction of evidence?
@@aarontoohey8993 It’s more so that Tom thinks he can trust and confide in Greg seeing as how he doesn’t have Shiv anymore. Greg is always playing his cards with Tom. He ratted Tom out to Gerri about the press conference back in season 1. Greg is looking out for himself and himself only but Tom isn’t aware of that. He thinks he can trust Greg and moving foward he might slip up and Greg will use it against him. Essentially Greg has Toms trust and in the world of succession that’s a big mistake
@@Nothanku_ He had the documents but Tom made him burn them and the ones that Greg managed to save ended up being worthless. At this very moment he doesn’t have anything on Tom.
@@nalapala_ He *did* attempt to record Tom destroying evidence, but only he admitted to it. I still think Tom will try to work out his marriage with Shiv and has shown well into season 3, a neurotic instinct for self preservation. I think it’s more likely cruises pops back up, Greg looks fucked, but Tom takes the fall to get out of the family.
Sueing Greenpeace, being lifted up high by fascists and neglecting his crush because of some royalty title pretty much prove that this once naive boy has finally become a real member of the Roy family. Great summary as always!
I totally disagree with the idea that Ewen is such a morally sound guy- he tried to use Greg as a pawn in his grand scheme to expose the horrors of capitalism or something
And also hes a complete hypocrite; he continuously critiques his brother for the terrible things waystar has done for media and society, yet his fortunes still come from his stake in the company
@@bootsncatsndawgs but does he? He’s not hurting for money but does he live a luxurious life style? Im not sure if the show has showed it or not. With that being said, he’s a hypocrite.
Yet he’s still a billionaire who keeps his seat at the company and accepts the money from them. Ewan is the worst of them all, because everyone else at least has a semblance of introspection and can see they’re not good people. Ewan thinks he’s a saint, while still leeching off of Logan while seemingly having done nothing. He also pretends to be moral by giving his money to charitable institutions, but only after his death.
@@DefenestrateYourself Omg lol, I read his comment again and I actually laughed out loud🤣 Greg is NOTHING like Walter fucking White LOL! Never in a million years. And he isn't "evil" or "smart" at all. He's pretty much the stupidest person in the entire show! Like, seriously? You can't argue for that at all.
I think the point of Greg’s character is to caution the audience against the “but if I had all that money I’d be one of the good ones” line of thinking. No matter what your morals are that level of wealth _will_ corrupt you and, in fact, just logistically you can’t even really achieve that level of wealth without at least somewhat sacrificing your morals anyway. Greg more than any other character shows that I think.
Greg and Tom's relationship is so fascinating. I really hope that they don't betray each other, but I think that it's the logical next move for Greg. However, thinking about the Nero/Sporus comparison. Nero was adopted and was given the empire, but ended up burning it to the ground. Sporus was there when Nero killed himself and later on, Sporus committed suicide instead of being paraded around as a lapdog again. I don't see it ending well for either of them, especially with the possible foreshadowing of Shiv being pregnant.
we all know that Logan is watching Gregs growth and progression...along with how he uses his "Killer" instinct. It is impressive. Greg also has the benefit of having been poor and learning the lessons that come with being poor.
Tom is someone who needs to be needed, and the fact he lacks this and instead finds himself the submissive relier in all his relationships is why he becomes so obsessed with Greg. This is a toxic male environment, and it can be argued he feels emasculated by Shiv, and Greg, with his seemingly meek and bendable demeanour makes him feel more like a man. Someone in control. With Greg, I think he takes advantage of this, seen perfectly when he asks Tom to take the fall for him for prison. His eyes seem wider and more doe-like when asking, and then subtly shift back when he gets what he wants. Greg likes the finer things in life and Tom gives it to him, he was literally being paid $200k due to Tom, essentially to provide emotional support to his boss and company. His pay reduction may be less now, but he's in the inner circle of Tom, now CEO, so I doubt that will last long. Tom was always going to keep Greg, especially now his marriage is essentially nothing. He gets to enjoy it all and all he had to do was metaphorically have some affair with this touched-starved boss. He's way smarter than he portrays himself as and honestly good for him. The corporate queen consort.
Imagine trying to get with a contessa the entire weekend while also still technically dating a girl who everyone says is “out of you league” and still dropping everything for your boss that is a walking HR nightmare and weirdly obsessed with you. Do I think there will be some betrayal next season? Yes. Do I think these two dudes are hopelessly in love with each other in multiple ways? Hell yes. Their dynamic is so interesting I love them.
So at the end of the final episode of season 4, when Tom gets the job, and Greg walks up to him congratulating him and Tom says “mattsen hates you, you’re FUCKKKEED!….but I got you!” And how it mirrored Tom previously saying that to Greg. Got me pretty damn emotional. Their toxic relationship had many ups and downs, and it was such a ride.
Just so you’re aware, Machiavelli never said the “ends justify the means,” that’s actually a myth. In fact in his writings he’d disagree with this and admit that one can go too far; there’s a lot more nuance to his work and ideas though they definitely are still ruthless Cool video, btw
HARD disagree on Ewan - he is just as bad as the other Roys. He is a total jerk to everyone around him. He thinks of himself as better then everyone else WHILE still benefiting from all of the Roy money. He reminds me of a mix of the ousted Kendall who tries to pretend like he's better than his father and Connor who does nothing with his life.
I appreciate your criticism! You make some good points. I believe that Ewan is ultimately driven by his moral beliefs but he does use it as a point of superiority over the rest of his family-especially Logan.
Like he gets all his money from the brother he hates so much why not give up your own shares of the company but no he takes away his grandson’s inheritance to spite his brother. He gives it away to charity only out of pure virtual signaling he’s also not a good man
@@fat025 u could make the argument that it is blood money and he should give it all away now but giving it away when he's dead is brtter than not giving it away at all
If you go back to Season 1 every character Greg has used to his current position of “Bottom of the Top” has acknowledged in some way Gregs prowess. Greg is a master of the Laws of Power. His ability to play all sides to his advantage, to be in some of the most powerful rooms in the industry unseen, his usefulness and ability to ensure others they are superior to him, his seduction prowess, etc etc etc….. Jerry, Kendall, Tom, all have seen his moves and have accepted his place in the circle. He has played to all of these characters’ insecurities and used each to turn the wheel of Greg. He even made congress think he was too stupid to commit a crime that WE all saw him cleverly maneuver by copying pages and taping conversations… Greg is the master work that Logan wishes was his son. As he has stated, he would love to see his children come from the bottom of something and RISE instead of being given something. This is an ability Greg has long since mastered. Greg turned down millions of dollars for… Power… because in the end he believes the Power will get him the money back. Greg will not be stopped by anyone or bottled by would be loyalties. Tom still hasnt realized that he is only a Roy by marriage. Greg has a more superior position. When Greg wins and kills the Roy family and speaks in his inner monologue voice with confidence as he tells them all to F&$k off this show will end in utter PERFECTION
He’s a chameleon. I think Greg just feels like he should be entitled to all the things the Roy children have and once he gets a small taste of power, he wants that, too. I think Greg is just as bad if not worse than any of them. Like what he does with Kendall’s assistant and the contessa while sitting right next to each of them lolol go Greg and Tom tho I’m here for it!
Honestly, I've always thought Greg isn't even close to being as stupid as he seems. In fact, I think there's a strong possibility that his whole persona is a careful calculated act. He's the kind of person that no one sees coming until he's there.
I would dislike that. Greg just putting on a persona the entire time would be a really unsatisfying twist. What makes Greg's arc so compelling is that he's an excessively earnest person trust into an excessively un-earnest environment. It's about how that environment awakens parts of him he wasn't aware even existed. It's a literarily perverse journey of self-actualization. Revealing that he was an un-earnest psychopath all along would remove an absolutely vital aspect of the character.
the pilot of the first season begins with the designated successor to the role of CEO who starts to lose and, on the other hand, with a literal nobody who starts to win. think about it!
Greg has always been smart and been a hustler. Even when other people are seeking to abuse him or put him down or interrogate him you will see he almost always pushes back. He might stutter through the whole fucking thing, but he doesn't just put up with the bullshit. he takes a moment and questions the authority that is in front of him. Greg is the man!
Man I guess we'll come back to this video in a year an see where he goes but im not gonna lie I really would cry if he betrayed Tom but I can't help to feel like that's where this is going
Well you ended up being spot on with the Greg/Tom relationship. Even after Greg betrays Tom (what did you write the fourth season or something? lol), and Tom ceases victory, he can’t let go of his dependency on Greg
I think that, on the contrary, Greg is the worst of them all. He seems nice & harmless, but has always harboured an ambition that is as big has his "clumsiness". No matter what, he thinks only of himself.
The fact that Logan has given Greg advice on how to succeed and has made sure Greg stays at the company even tho he his position isn’t really that important gives me the impression that Greg is going to end up ceo.
@@theorderofthebees7308 well first the job even when logan asked him to make his brother beg for it knowing it was impossible but still greg played logan well to get the job and then after the s2 greg get a promotion and become second to tom after his negociation with logan to betray kendall
Greg on the bike is the clearest metaphor. He found the quickest way to the top using the lowest means. His rise therefore mirrors Logan's; Greg starts with nothing and moves to the top by by the last man standing.
They're not 'unlikeable', they're simply a more realistic depiction of human beings than TV normally dare show us. In the 50's they wouldn't show a pregnant woman on network TV. It's been a long road towards a kind of partial realism.
2:15 Funny, I was just reading a Jesse Armstrong interview that addresses this topic. I don't think its characters are flat - Jesse mentions that Succession challenges the notion that after turmoil, a character becomes a different and better person, which is what we consider as development. We just see these mfkers devolve into moral degeneracy and outright worse people. Every single character becomes a worse version of themselves (except for Connor, who I believe is the only real winner in Succession).
people say greg will betray tom, but i think it could be interesting if tom betrays greg, losing his protege, friend, confidant would eat tom up inside
Great video. I've always loved Greg and from the start assumed he'd do an "I, Claudius". Btw, minor detail but someone might find joy in knowing- at 06:24. Machiavelli never actually said "The ends justify the means". But it's certainly a quote that goes fairly hand-in-hand with his ideas.
I think that one of the things that leverage Greg will have over Tom is that he is blood-related. If Tom and Shiv split, Tom's position is at risk. Tom's position is always at risk because he married in and wasn't born in. I could see Greg continuing to move up while Tom may remain stagnant in the company or removed.
What did Greg do that was Machiavelli apart from the blackmail about the shredded documents. I agree the demon is growing but mostly I think he is growing to power because others don't see him as a threat
Greg was pure, but endlessly abused by Tom. He never weezled or connived for enjoyment. He learned that it could be his only survival tool while working in that environment where he was constantly being pummeled. Greg was not a snake, certainly not by nature.
oh I like that! Tom as the one who enables Greg's corruption ark and him becoming a "monster" Tom won't be able to control forever. And the notion of course that it is Greg that is gonna be the end of Tom
series ending. greg, in charge of Royco(now called Hirshco after the merger), and on the throne of Italy, with a copy of the Prince. He closes the book and it is revealled he is reading it to his young son before he goes to bed, repeating the scheming and backstabbing cycle...
I always thought that Greg was/is an undercover agent of some kind, he has FBI vibes also! He is so ambiguous, that for me something is off. Also if we think, on the first scenes we are introduced to him, he is dressed as character from the theme park, is “covered”in what I find it kind of curious goofy character. Something of a hint? Maybe is not as goofy as he seems, being or showing to the Roy family to be something of a goofball it’s his undercover persona. Or he is a writer who wants to tell the Roys story. I hope it to be, because the story needs someone with a moral compass.
Then how do you explain the scenes between him and his mom? Or with Ewan? Even without any of the Roys or Waystar personell in his vicinity, Greg is a goofy dude.
He plays into his aloofness perfectly but has a endgame. However, definitely not as kind as portrayed...perhaos because he has a play he usually wants to use to his advantage.
Unless Greg suddenly displays an entirely different personality there's no way he'd become CEO - maybe 20 years later after he remained at Waystar / Royco aka Wayco - after blackmailing others to stay employed.
Cut to Kendall’s name being possibly crossed out and Greg’s name with a question Mark...also gonna point out the underling was also in pencil like Greg’s name.
I think a parallel to Greg can be found in The Thick of It (a British show with writing credits from Armstrong). Comment contains spoilers for The Thick of It The character of Ollie is introduced as a young, bumbling neophyte in the world of politics and seemingly an audience surrogate in a world of sharks, but we quickly rise that his nebbish exterior masks a ruthless and arrogant ambition, that ultimately leads him to the hollow victory of getting Malcolm Tucker's job in the finale
Ewing likable?! Ewing is a sour old man driven by jealousy. He is every bit as manipulative as any other character. He doesn’t care one bit about his daughter (letting her live in relative poverty despite his multimillions) and when Greg needs a lawyer, gets him one who says that Greg’s legal interests are worth sacrificing for the broader good - I.e., Ewing’s objectives. He is more Dudley Smith than Farmer Hoggart. At least Ewing sides with Logan over Kendall, recognizing Kendall’s move as totally self-serving.
I couldn't agree with you more in the season end Tom asks to Greg will you be my sporus we all know this is a roman empire reference here Tom is referred as nero emperor of the roman empire but Nero was not a good emperor he was carzy emperor he was one of the reasons for the collapse of the roman empire even if tom gets the power he wanted for so long the next question for long will he be able to hold it and Greg seeing both weakness and strengths of Tom might take advantage of this in the end roman senate declared nero a public enemy. Greg is slowly emerging from the darkness.
@@jimzimmer2048 well he is ken can't predict what he can do he is kind of like a rebel he doesn't like being told what to do you can see in season 3 even though when his lawyer keeps telling him just do what I told you and then Kendall fired his best lawyer.
I think your assessment of Ewan is completely wrong. He is the biggest hypocrite in the entire series. He’s the stereotypical Uber rich, white liberal. Condemns and looks down on people that live a certain lifestyle or do a certain line of work but gladly financially benefits from that lifestyle/line of work. He got all of his money from the work that Logan put in.
Greg lied to his mom from the get go in first ep. Tom told Greg he is a prick in the beginning too, also not to trust anyone. Greg is definitely betraying Tom later. The irony. No one is the hero. Just different type of villains. When if I hv to pick, I’ll always choose our no. 1 boy.
Great video! Much like the "Jar Jar is an evil Sith Lord" theory, I believe Greg the Egg will win the Game of Thrones.... err I mean Succession by the end of the series.
Maybe Waystar will go down in flames. And Greg, having shifted alliances, will give key info to help the Roy's competitors gut the company and feed on the wreckage...
There is an enormous amount of bollocks talked about Succession, and Greg is the subject of most of it. Greg is a Shakespearian clown, comic relief, and he's going to stay comic relief because his job is to satirise the drama and solemnity of the story with bumbling ignorance and folksy charm. This isn't one of those network shows with a dozen series where the writers grind out every possible arrangement of characters to make more money from ad revenue, nor is it wrestling where everyone eventually has a face or heel turn. Greg's dramatic logic is cartoonishly stupid from beginning to end, he does not belong in the same universe as the other characters, he works according to different rules, with the writers engineering VERY unrealistic holes in the drama, and WILDLY illogical blank spots in supposedly clever character's plans, for Greg to stumble through in order to keep the comedy going. Turning him into a serious player would be like Wil E Coyote running through the painted tunnel after Road Runner, it's simply not how the format works.
I'm scared of him... He's so aware of his position and acts accordingly, whenever he gets leverage, power he schemingly uses it to further himself. The others are perfectly honest about them being powerworshippers, but Greg fools everyone into believing he's loyal etc.
this anal(lol)ysis is pretty accurate! However, the whole thing about Ewan seems grossly inaccurate given what happens in the show, Ewan seems to be obviously just as terrible as Logan and cares little for his family and only seems to care for the things that feed his ego, him and his bro seem to be different sides of the same coin, Logan cares only for his business success while Ewan care only for some obnoxiously egotistical desire to make the world better or something like that, but one difference is that Logan doesn't seem to really care about harming his brother while Ewan is expressly interested in harming Logan, e.g., in the first season, Ewan appears at the board meeting to vote *against* removing Logan because Kendall convinces him that Logan is incapacitated and bad for the company, and Ewan obviously sees this as an opportunity to ensure that Logan stays on to destroy the thing he loves the most, namely his company. Furthermore, Ewan hires an attorney for Greg who doesn't seem to represent Greg's interests at all and only sees it as opportunity for mischief re Logan's company which doesn't necessarily protect Greg. Finally, Ewan holds his money over Greg and doesn't seem to have just expected that his grandson will turn out in some way that he finds good and adequate or w/e without ever giving him any guidance.
Sorry, but Ewan is not as poetic and abstract as you are making him sound. There was no deep meaning to "paddle your own canoe." He meant exactly what he said, "Paddle your own canoe." Don't be a follower, take charge of your situation and don't trust these people to save you. He was telling him, that just bc they are family, you are still on your own and responsible for your own outcome. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR SHIP. And all this talk about so-called character arcs. None of these people have "character arcs" they are all terrible and only become more terrible. Gregs 1st episode he is lying, scheming and plotting. So what is his arc? He goes from being slimy to soulless. Please dont ruin this show with the expectations of "characters arcing"...
I disagree with the idea that most Succession characters have flat arcs. I also disagree with your definition of character arcs. They don’t have to lead to “storybook endings” or radical shifts in attitude or behavior. They just have to change. I think, most S characters are going through a process of change. Also, Greg can be a closeted Machiavellian character. Kendall calls him Machiavellian and Greg uses M tactics like blackmail openly and rally without hesitation. Everyone suspects Greg. Not really a new idea here.
I meant to say Greg cannot be closeted. He can’t because other characters call him Machiavellian and because he’s consistently and explicitly scheming with hopes of becoming more powerful.
@@andrewdorie Of course. I don't think Greg hides his nature at all. Of course he uses keeps secrets but that is part of the job description which Greg is learning along the way. I think that when Tom and Greg are talking, Tom openly assumes that Greg aims to climb the ladder and Greg never contradicts Tom on that. Same with Kendell and Greg. The video pointed out that Greg's awkwardness is part of Greg's habitual nature, not and act, and I agree with that. Greg is a good learner and impressionable but I don't think he hides that he is a good learner. In fact I think Greg openly enjoys learning the Roy's methods almost as much as he enjoys the success itself.
Just love the depth of this video. I remember commenting on one of your previous videos about the same. Greg even though on the surface portrays the character of a friendly fuckeroo. He is definitely slying his way up. Pure psychopath. What seems to be hilarious to me is even if he does reach the pinnacle of it all, would anyone even take him seriously? And to top that, even if he does climb the ladder, no one from the family(core) would accept of that and call outs. Eventually Greg being just another Logan Roy, lonely in the lust of power. The last scene could just be Greg physically replacing him in whatever that is happening rn. Lonely and unapologetic, seeing his own growth leading to the destruction of his new found empire.
Doesn’t paddle your own canoe mean be your own person? Steer your own course. Meaning, Greg shouldn’t follow Logan and follow Logan’s path. Greg should find his own way in life. I don’t understand your interpretation of paddle your own canoe. It has nothing to do with morality vs wealth.
greg spilling the tea to kendall about Shiv/Mattson and then walking across the frame with an EVIL smirk toward shiv in the election episode … that boy is up to somethin
Tom on the top with Greg as his right hand man could be another dark horse outcome. But the end will probably surprise us more than that, I hope. Ewan as Logan points out...doesn't he Live Off the Company money and then call his little brother Hitler and refuse to engage with him? A little hypothetical... And he took Greg to a Lawyer who, no offense to Marcuse, probably still thinks that Herbert Marcuse is the cutting edge and looks like Jerry Garcia. (Of course he's really our beloved...Boon? Yeah Boon from Animal House in a fun cameo.) That Marxist Lawyer meeting is meant to make Ewan look too self involved to be helpful, priggish, and hopelessly out of touch. I'm 54 and even I can see that. He's the kind of...Boomer generation person... who's probably never seen Star Wars. He's too moral to mingle with common Humans and their silly enjoyments. Lovable actor. NOT very likable character I think. Logan is almost Satan himself, but he probably--and perhaps demonstrably--seems to understand Marxism better than his too good for the world, denying his own wealth and involvement big brother.
He's more or less the "viewer"; he isn't traumatized to the extend of the others, he has actually a lovin' and caring Mother which yet is uncapable due to some reasons (illness etc) to still take care of him like she probably did in his youth, he's kinda "lazy" but also impressed by the lifestyle of the Roys. The richess he never completly knew, the influence, the power. While he first justified his "unwillingness to do what it takes to become successfull" with his "ideals" like "Bad cooperations! >:( I'm rebelling against oppression!" and so on - it becomes obviously that those were mere excuses. We also have to consider that while he make smart moves in the Show itself, he never really "creats something" on his own. His moral becomes obsolete as soon as he see's the benefits of not havin' one. He sells other out, he lies, he cheats - for the quick way to wealth. He sells his soul, quite literally, while probably still defending himself in his mind like "I just do what others would do too!". Therefore he represents "us" - the billions of people which don't have the "One Billion Dollar Idea", the "One in a Billion Talent" in something, which don't work their ass' off like some others to get their PhD's or even win Nobel Prizes; "us" isn't dumb. "Us" is maybe even to some extend driven but "us" doesn't know in which direction and get normally distracted - yet "us" uses "Ideals", "Morals" and "Ethnics" often just as shallow excuses for the reality that "we just don't know what to do with our lives".
Tom DESERVES to be betrayed. I doubt Tom has any real feelings for Greg, although maybe he fools himself into thinking he does (they ALL love living in fantasy land). The only thing Tom sees in Greg is the fact that Greg is even a weaker link than he is. He thinks he can manipulate him. That is the foundation of their relationship. A master/slave kind of thing. Because he feels the need to exert power on someone as he feels castrated. So... I would say betrayal is his not so distant future.
