The first two episodes of SuccessionThe final season of made it seem as if things could be the same, as if the HBO series had actually been comfortable leaving Logan Roy and his children to languish in the same Shakespearean holding pattern that defined their story for the entire series. Even with Kendall, Shiv, and Roman seemingly on the same page and working together for the first time, he still felt like Succession he didn’t want to stray too far from his core power dynamic for fear of having to really push himself into new territory.
But “Connor’s Wedding”, the last episode of the series, has given way to one of SuccessionThe most significant and unexpected changes: the first one that really makes this season look like it could stop the landing.
Major spoilers for the third episode of the fourth season of Succession.
Concerns about Logan Roy’s health loomed large. Succession since its very first episode, as it introduced us to all the power players vying for a shot at controlling Waystar Royco. Throughout the first season, you could get the idea that Logan, an octogenarian curmudgeon who didn’t exactly live the healthiest lifestyle, could just rise and die and create a power vacuum. But that possibility seemed to fall by the wayside as the series continued, illustrating how the Roy brothers’ adult dysfunctions stemmed from being caught up in decades of family drama from which it seemed they would never escape.
Logan always beating his kids no matter how they conspired against him felt like an essential part of Succession‘s, and as a power dynamic that the series never planned to let go. But in a truly shocking turn of events, “Connor’s Wedding,” written by no-nonsense creator Jesse Armstrong and directed by Mark Mylod, changed all that by unceremoniously killing Logan Roy and throwing everyone in his orbit. to deep space.
Of all the possible ways Logan Roy could have bitten the bullet, there are few that would have felt as poetic as him having a heart attack thousands of feet in the air while traveling to finalize the GoJo acquisition deal that would have effectively turned Kendall into Roman. , and Shiv persona non grata on Waystar. More than just another sneaky deal, GoJo’s deal and Logan’s desire to follow through on it spoke of his willingness to truly steer his children away from the glory, power, and validation each of them desperately wanted.
Succession being the kind of show that it is, it always felt like there was some sort of secret scheme going on in Logan’s interest in GoJo. But “Connor’s Wedding” makes it abundantly clear that, planned or not, Logan’s death changes everything in ways that even he couldn’t fully explain or somehow try to play into his favor from beyond the pale. grave.
Although much of “Connor’s Wedding” focuses on the chaos that begins to ensue as news of Logan’s death spreads, what really makes the episode shine is the way it illustrates how most people Logan’s close associates were also under the greatest emotional and psychological pressure to perform for him. Looking Succession, it’s always been weird to get the sense that either of the Roys are especially in touch with their emotions: Logan by choice and his children by necessity to survive growing up with their father. But in this episode, we finally, genuinely, got the sense that, in different ways, each of the kids is untethered by Logan’s sudden death, not necessarily just because they’re sad, but because of the antagonistic presence they all have. were defined in relation to just gone.
The events of “Connor’s Wedding” make the tenuous alliance between the Roy brothers that much more interesting as they are now joined by grief and a desire to reject their plans for Waystar. But something very similar also occurs with Logan’s surviving advisers Karolina, Frank, Carl and Tom, who become different people after witnessing the death of their former boss.
Just as Logan’s death sends the brothers into an emotional loop and spiral, it galvanizes Logan’s advisors, who understand that Waystar’s story, and their own, will continue without him. “Connor’s Wedding” is careful not to dive too deep into that right now, but in the episode, you can already see how Logan’s death has empowered or given some people a sense of freedom that could drive them forward. Succession into new and interesting territory.
The idea of the Roy brothers coming together just to be raised by their father once more wasn’t such a compelling prospect at first glance, and it didn’t exactly feel like the sort of thing that would make for a memorable final season. However, now that Logan is gone, you can clearly see how the Roys and the Waystar board will have to take on each other, and might finally pull it off. Succession Viewers have always longed for: an ending.
