Did ‘Succession’ Writers Make Alexander Skarsgard Nod to His ‘True Blood’ Days This Week?

Alexander Skarsgard‘s Lukas Matsson makes a most unusual confession to Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) in Succession Season 4 Episode 5 “Kill List.” After explaining that he has a habit of overstepping boundaries, particularly with women, he admits that he got into the practice of sending an ex half liter bricks of his own blood. It was a joke, then it wasn’t a joke, then it was a joke again, and now it’s a problem for the head of GoJo. Shiv takes this info — along with the reveal that the ex in question is none other than GoJo comms officer Ebba — in stride, using it to earn the Swede’s trust. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking it was very funny that Alexander Skarsgard once again had a blood fetish on a hit HBO show.

For those of us who first noticed Skarsgard* as Eric Northman in HBO’s True Blood, Matsson’s little blood valentine felt like a bizarre call back. Was it an inside joke? Or have we reached the part of Succession-viewing where tin foil hats and corkboards are starting to come out?

Succession Season 4 Episode 5 “Kill List” forces Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) surviving children to clean up the mess that was made earlier in the season. Basically, some members of the board, including the kids, want to push Matsson for more money in the upcoming GoJo deal. Logan literally died en route to Europe to calm the Swede down before the deal fell apart. In last night’s episode, Matsson calls upon Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and a huge group of Waystar RoyCo head honchos to fly to Norway to take part in the GoJo retreat. It’s part culture check-in, part last chance to secure or tank the deal.

By the end of the episode, Kendall and Roman decide to tank the deal, but they are unable to pull this act of sabotage off. That’s because Shiv has been hanging out with Matsson behind their back. Shiv is literally the only member of the Waystar entourage who isn’t overwhelmed by nerves on the trip, which means she’s able to confidently roll with the punches Matsson throws her way. So much so, Matsson not only compares Shiv’s demeanor to her father’s, but reveals, yes, he sent his own blood to an employee he was in a relationship with.

Shiv sagely doesn’t spit this back in Matsson’s face, nor does she use it as blackmail. Instead, she calmly offers guidance. This wins Matsson to her side. So in the end, when Shiv’s brothers offend him, the Swedish tycoon delivers on Shiv’s request to sweeten the GoJo deal a bit more. It’s a move that undermines the Roy brothers’ control over their own company and aligns Shiv and Matsson.

Okay, that’s all well and good, but blood?!?! Succession just decided to give Alexander Skarsgard a blood fetish? There’s no way this can’t be some kind of cheeky inside joke about the fact that most HBO watchers first fell for the actor when he played the sexy Norse vampire Eric Northman on True Blood. I refuse to believe this is anything other than a fun nod to HBO’s wider fictional universe! You can’t tell me I’m wrong!!!

Anyway, we’ll have to wait to see if this new alliance blows up in Shiv’s face or if she’ll be the next recipient of Matsson’s blood…

*Yes, technically Skarsgard’s appearances in Zoolander and the HBO limited series Generation Kill preceded True Blood, but it’s largely considered his first breakthrough English language role.