I can only think of it as "comedy" or "entertainment" – for my mental equilibrium. It's a joke, it's fiction, laughable crap.
Of course I know they're actually "deadly serious" and I am somewhat denying their humanity. But it's their fault that I do this.
There still could have been that deal, decided long before the tarmac meeting, even before AS's death. And the tarmac meeting could have been to discuss how to manage current developments or even a different topic.
Or, they bumped off AS and had a variety of candidates to fill the open slot. This was LL's interview for the position which everyone was eyeing.