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Tag: succession

  • ‘Succession’ Episode 7: Can Shiv and Tom Come Back From This?

    ‘Succession’ Episode 7: Can Shiv and Tom Come Back From This?

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    It’s election eve on Succession, and everyone’s on edge. In “Tailgate Party,” the seventh episode of Succession’s final season, Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) join forces to throw a preelection soiree at their Manhattan triplex for some of the most influential people in politics. Sparks fly—mostly between the two of them. At first it seems the formerly estranged couple have reconciled, with Tom and Shiv trading sexts during the workday. On this week’s episode of Still Watching, cohost Chris Murphy says Tom’s jokey preelection present to Shiv—a scorpion paperweight—is the worst gift he’s seen on HBO since The White Lotus season two, when Valentina gave her unrequited love, Isabella, a hideous starfish brooch.

    “I think that it was emblematic of Tom’s tragic inability to not see when he’s taken a joke too far, to not be able to read Shiv when she’s not in the mood for the big joke of their relationship,” agrees cohost Richard Lawson. “He’s never supposed to lead the attack.” 

    By nightfall, though, it’s all-out warfare between Tom and Shiv. It may be impossible for them to come back from their patio fight, particularly because Tom tells Shiv that she’d be a terrible mother. Murphy points that out as both proof that Tom still doesn’t know Shiv is pregnant and the potential point of no return for the couple. “The fact of the matter is, we have never seen a single good parent on this show,” says Lawson. “There’s no reason to think that Shiv would be a good parent.”

    Tom and Shiv were not the only couple to hash it out this episode. Kendall (Jeremy Strong) finally gets a visit from his ex-wife, Rava (Natalie Gold), who informs him that their daughter has been the victim of bullying due to his running of “a racist news organization.” Murphy notes that Kendall’s first instinct is to blame Rava for the incident, despite the fact that he hasn’t seen or spoken to his daughter once this entire season. “You’d think that given his relationship with his own father, [Kendall] would maybe want to be a better dad or more attentive, or more caring, or more involved,” says Murphy. “But no. The only lesson that he has learned from Logan’s death is that he wants to be better than Logan. He wants to be bigger than Logan.”

    On his quest to become bigger than his father, Kendall, at the tailgate party, goes head-to-head with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), who he discovers—courtesy of Matsson’s employee and ex-girlfriend, Ebba (Eili Harboe)—has been making up some numbers of his own. Kendall and Matsson’s resulting tête-à-tête, Lawson and Murphy agree, is akin to a middle school shoving match with no winner to be found. Skarsgård drops by the podcast to chat with VF’s Julie Miller about the episode, particularly that gold bomber jacket. “He wears a lot of sweatpants and sneakers, and then this crazy golden jacket that’s probably like a $25,000 Japanese designer jacket,” he said. “It’s a weird combination of super casual and comfortable but also ridiculously expensive and completely over the top, just because he finds it funny.”

    After some shady phone calls with Republican candidate Jeryd Mencken’s (Justin Kirk) team, Roman attempts to convince Connor (Alan Ruck) to drop out of the presidential race, offering him a series of ambassadorships in Mencken’s Cabinet—much to Willa (Justine Lupe) and Connor’s chagrin. But Roman has bigger issues to face than whether Connor wants to be the ambassador to Oman. After Roman tries to bring Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) back into the fold, Gerri flat-out refuses, demanding hundreds of million of dollars in a severance package and threatening to release the “many, many” pictures of Roman’s penis that she has on her phone. 

    Elsewhere in this Still Watching episode, Miller chats with dream team Karl (David Rasche) and Frank (Peter Friedman), who say their characters’ relationship was forged in trauma. “[They] fought wars together,” says Rasche. “The audience doesn’t see it, but we spent all day with Logan every day. Meetings, dinners, trips. We’ve known him for 20, 30 years—a long, long time.”

    As each Roy sibling circles the drain, will any of them be left to run the company by season’s end? Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the seventh episode of the final season of Succession. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 6: Kendall Is Cringe, But Is He Free?

    ‘Succession’ Episode 6: Kendall Is Cringe, But Is He Free?

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    Once again, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) seems to have notched an unlikely win, delivering a cringey yet ultimately effective product launch for Waystar Royco’s latest business venture: the planned community Living+. “When Kendall’s giving his speech and he’s talking about how [Living+] is gonna have discreet security, it’s like, ‘Oh, this is for rich white people who feel terrified that Black Lives Matter is gonna come get them,” notes Richard Lawson on this week’s episode of Still Watching. “But that’s what the Fox News set wants to hear.”

    While Kendall and the gleam in his eye are impressing investors, Roman (Kieran Culkin) is flailing and firing anyone who rubs him the wrong way—from Waystar Studios exec Joy (Annabeth Gish) to Geri (J. Smith Cameron). Still Watching co-host Chris Murphy posits that Geri’s warning to Roman is Shakespearean in scope, something that might foreshadow a tragic end for Roman. “[Roman] was always good at sort of squirming around daddy and courting his favor, and he would always retreat, sucking his thumb back to his lap,” agrees Lawson. “We saw that right before Logan died. And now that he doesn’t have that, he’s a baby with a gun.” 

    Elsewhere in the episode, Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) seem to be reconciling in their own twisted way. The episode’s director Lorene Scafaria dropped by Still Watching and let viewers in on the complicated power dynamic between the somewhat estranged couple. “Bitey was just electrifying to watch,” said Scafaria. “It’s like they’ve already kissed under the bleachers, so now they’re teenagers at a party. Of course their expression of love can’t help but have some violence in it of who can hurt the other.”

    Despite Kendall’s big win, there’s still plenty that can go wrong for the Roy family. Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the sixth episode of the final season of Succession. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • Stephen Root’s Incredible Career of Comedy, Tragedy, and ‘Barry’

    Stephen Root’s Incredible Career of Comedy, Tragedy, and ‘Barry’

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    Welcome to Always Great, a new Awards Insider column in which we speak with Hollywood’s greatest undersung actors in career-spanning conversations. In this entry, Stephen Root reflects on his journey from Broadway to Hollywood—and from silly sitcoms to gritty HBO hits, including Barry and the final season of Succession. 

    HBO has plenty of star power, but on one particular Sunday night this April, the network was ruled by a single character actor. We all expected to see Stephen Root as part of the final-season debut of Barry, in which he stars as the titular antihero’s mentor turned antagonist, Fuches. But an hour before that dark comedy’s season premiere got going, Root reprised another role in another beloved series on its way out, Succession. As political donor Ron Petkus, he returned to eulogize Logan Roy (Brian Cox) in exceedingly flattering terms at the late patriarch’s wake, to the great horror of his children. They’re wildly different roles, and Root, as ever, shines in both. “To be able to do all that in one night was pretty great,” he says with a smile over Zoom. “I think that’s the best it’ll ever get—don’t you?”

    From our vantage point, it’s been pretty great for a while. This may not even be the first time Root has taken over a night of TV in such a manner. (One will have to check the TV Guide archives.) On HBO alone, of late he’s appeared in True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom, All the Way, Veep, and Perry Mason; within that 15-year timespan, he’s also done Fargo, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, Raising Hope, Fringe, Justified, Californication, and many, many more. That’s to say nothing of the independent movie credits he’s racked up, or his beloved voice work on King of the Hill and other animated series. Root has acquired the reputation of a guy who can get just about any kind of job done; he’s proven equally adept and comfortable in the silliest of sitcoms and the gravest of dramas.

    Still, with small roles come specific types on either end of those spectrums. In Barry, for the first time, Root has gotten a chance to use everything he’s got in one package—a layered, funny-scary performance that’s netted him his first (very overdue) Emmy nomination and the sort of character arc too rarely afforded to actors of his profile. “I feel like the luckiest guy ever, at this late in my career, to be able to have something that special,” Root says. Call it the happy result of 35 years of hustle.

    Succession.

    From the Everett Collection.

    After attending college in Florida, Root came to New York in the mid-’80s with stage training, specifically Shakespeare, and an offer to do a whole bunch of plays on the road. He was known for playing the Bard’s clowns and jesters, and wound up touring for nine months with the National Shakespeare Company. After returning to New York, he nabbed back-to-back starring roles on Broadway, in So Long on Lonely Street and All My Sons; he later joined the national tour of Driving Miss Daisy opposite Julie Harris. 

    He moved to LA at the beginning of the ’90s; his mentality had shifted to the screen, to booking as many jobs as possible, given that he had a new child to take care of. In 1991 alone, he amassed eight screen credits, establishing a particular sitcom niche in series like Home Improvement and Davis Rules. “The mash-up of a sitcom, which is audience and camera—I felt comfortable in front of an audience, having done theater forever,” Root says. “I was doing so many auditions for sitcoms that I think all the casting directors around town saw me as a quirky guy. It’s a strength of mine to do quirky guys, but when you get put into that little slot for a year or two, then it becomes sedentary.”

    That familiar, complex industry bargain was highlighted most by Root’s breakout turn in NewsRadio, the critical darling that ran from 1995–1999. Root’s chummy, conspiratorial, micromanaging billionaire boss Jimmy James dominates just about every scene he’s in—despite the killer ensemble, including Phil Hartman and Maura Tierney—and cemented him as a comedy pro and a brilliant blowhard. He now cites his favorite episode as “Super Karate Monkey Death Car,” in which James boldly reads from the very poorly translated Japanese rerelease of his memoir at an author event; Root sells every note of the book’s ingenious stupidity, and many critics now regard it as one of one of the great sitcom episodes ever. But the show never had much of a chance to break out. “The NBC programmer hated us for reasons we don’t know,” Root says. “We had seven [schedule] moves in all, so it really didn’t have a chance to become a staple like a regular Thursday night NBC show would’ve been able to do.” Keep in mind, the show aired on the same network as Friends and Seinfeld, in the same years both were on the air.

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    David Canfield

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  • Kieran Culkin On Reuniting With Alexander Skarsgård On ‘Succession’

    Kieran Culkin On Reuniting With Alexander Skarsgård On ‘Succession’

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    By Stacy Lambe‍ , ETOnline.com.
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    During “Succession” season 4, episode five, “Kill List,” written by Jon Brown and Ted Cohen and directed by Andrij Parekh, the Roy siblings — Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) — are summoned to Norway for a team-building retreat by GoJo CEO Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård).

    However, Waystar Royco’s old guard of executives, including Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron), grows increasingly concerned over the trip’s true purpose. And after Matsson makes a play for ATN, the family is forced to reconsider their plans for Logan’s (Brian Cox) crown jewel, the only thing their late father tried to keep for his own.

    While “Succession” continues to drive toward the series’ ultimate conclusion, especially after Logan’s untimely death and how his successors handle the conglomerate’s overall future, the episode marked a welcome opportunity to see Roman and Lukas get to reconnect under very different circumstances.

    Alexander Skarsgård
    — Photo: Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images

    It’s also something that was a delight for Culkin, who opens up to ET about getting to work with Skarsgård again. “Alexander’s pretty freaking excellent,” Culkin says of the actor who first guest-starred in season 3 before being added full time in the series’ final episodes. “The moment he showed up, it was like, ‘Oh, he’s been on the show forever.’”

    Culkin, who was “really pleased” about Skarsgård’s return, adds that ever since the two first filmed together, “I thought he and I had great rapport.”

    And that chemistry continues into season 4 as the Roy siblings (and the company’s many executives) were forced to head overseas to Norway to hash out the final details in an increasingly fragile deal between GoJo and Waystar Royco.

    In one particular emotional moment with Roman and Lukas at the top of a mountain, Culkin recalls that he and Skarsgård “ended up getting really close to each other’s heads, which wasn’t always in [the script].” During that scene, Roman finally comes to terms with his feelings over the death of his father and what he wants out of the business moving forward.

    It was also a full-circle moment for the two characters (and actors) who first connected during Kendall’s birthday party in season 3.

    “The second scene we ever shot was just us sitting across from each other at ‘Too Much Birthday’ thing and it was just a chat,” Culkin recalls, explaining that because Roman knew what he wanted from Lukas, and Lukas knew what his position was, “it was less of a scene and more just like, ‘I was gonna talk to him.’”

    “He said something about his daughter and I said, ‘Oh, you have a daughter? I didn’t know that.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, me neither.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s great. What’s her name?’ And he goes, ‘F**k if I know.’ And then we laughed and then started talking more about business and started talking about family,” Culkin says of them getting to play with each other and going off script in the scene until they “brought it back to the dialogue” that was written.

    He adds, “It was just easy. There was no skip or flub or anything… So, it’s great working with him.”

    As for Skarsgård, he shared that it “was a real treat” getting to work with the cast of Succession again. “Especially coming onto the show after two and a half years… I was really grateful because they’re really sweet themselves. They’re welcoming and hospitable and invited me, and [they were] so generous with their time and energy,” he said.

    He added, “It made my job very easy.”

    As for his take on Lukas, Skarsgård said that his character is driven by competition, even if there are billions of dollars at stake. “I don’t think he’s driven by greed or the need to accumulate more wealth,” the actor offered. “He’s very competitive — just like a game, any other game. It happened to be about a multibillion-dollar company acquisition. But for him, it’s like any other game.”

    And it’s clear in this latest episode, that it was a game that Lukas had “a lot of fun [getting] to play.”

    Despite the opportunity to film on location, Culkin says it was surprisingly difficult at times, especially considering how short the turnaround time was before they wrapped filming on the series.

    “For me, going to Norway, it was hard because you go somewhere to work — and I was there for 11 days and shot for 10 of the days or something and we moved around towns and I think I checked out of eight hotel rooms — and there was something about being somewhere that was so beautiful and not being able to appreciate it,” he says. “That was actually rather hard.”

    Despite that, Culkin did get a chance in between takes during that emotional scene with Skarsgård to go back up to the top of the mountain. “I was told, ‘You have half an hour to set up for the next thing.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what to do with myself.’ And I went, ‘Wait, I’m gonna go back to the top of the mountain and look,’” the actor recalls.

    “I went up there and it was f**king beautiful,” Culkin says of getting to appreciate the real-life moment after “the intensity” of filming that scene. “I got, like, 20 minutes to sit and rock and look [out]. It was kind of beautiful.”

    “Succession” season 4 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.

    MORE FROM ET:

    ‘Succession’ Season 4: The Cast Reacts to That Shocking Death During Connor’s Wedding (Exclusive)

    ‘Succession’ Season 4: Zoe Winters on Kerry’s Relationship With Logan and Her ATN Audition (Exclusive)

    ‘Succession’ Cast Reveals What’s Most at Stake Following the Season 4 Premiere (Exclusive)

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    Sarah Curran

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 5: Are Kendall and Roman Failing Upwards?

    ‘Succession’ Episode 5: Are Kendall and Roman Failing Upwards?

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    CE-Bros Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) notched a huge win for Waystar Royco on paper, but they certainly don’t feel like celebrating. In “Kill List,” the fifth episode of the final season of Succession, the whole Waystar Royco crew travels to Norway at the behest of GoJo CEO Lukas Mattson (Alexander Skaarsgard). Of course, things don’t go as planned when Mattson reveals that he wants to buy the entirety of Waystar Royco—including ATN.

    “My theory is that Matson’s company is maybe kind of a house of cards,” posits Richard Lawson on this week’s episode of Still Watching. “I’m wondering if something is about to collapse at his company and he needs something concrete to hold it up.” 

    While Mattson’s motivation for changing the terms of the deal are somewhat unclear, what is clear is that Kendall and Roman no longer want to the deal to go through. In a power-hungry move, Kendall convinces Roman to join him in his attempt to tank the GoJo deal so that the two of them can remain on the top of the Waystar Royco foodchain. However, the move blows up in their face when an emotional Roman tells off Mattson on the top of a mountain, spilling the beans that the brothers have zero intention of selling the company to him. Roman’s screed against Mattson was honest and fair, notes Still Watching co-host Chris Murphy, but he ultimately shot himself in the foot.

    Elsewhere, the Waystar Royco staff are reeling after Mattson’s team sends a list with names of Waystar employees who will likely not have a position if the deal goes through. Frank (Peter Friedman), Karl (David Rasche), and Hugo (Fisher Stevens) are all on the chopping block, but the women of Waystar Royco, specifically Karolina (Dagmara Dominczyk) and Gerri (J. Smith Cameron), live to fight another day. J. Smith Cameron also drops by Still Watching to discuss Gerri’s rollercoaster of a season at Waystar Royco, as well as the hat that she wore to Connor’s wedding—which started out as an idea from the lighting department. “I think a hat is sort of subliminally a kind of a statusy thing for a woman these days,” she said. “I thought of it a bit like, ‘I’m gonna show up in my finest and bluff this out.’”

    Halfway through the final season of Succession, it’s clear that it’s best to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Roy family. Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the fifth episode of Succession season four. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • Kendall Roy’s New York City Penthouse On ‘Succession’ Is Listed For $29 Million

    Kendall Roy’s New York City Penthouse On ‘Succession’ Is Listed For $29 Million

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    Want to live like a member of the Roy family? As Succession’s Season 4 continues, viewers get an even deeper glimpse into the lives of the ultra-wealthy Roy family, including their homes. While it was only on screen for a few seconds, the Manhattan penthouse of Kendall Roy at the start of Episode 4 showcased his glamorous living quarters.

    The new Waystar Royco CEO’s fictional home is on the market IRL for a cool $29 million. The triplex Manhattan penthouse is located in the swanky Upper East Side residential tower 180 East 88th Street, designed by Joe McMillan’s DDG. The 5,508-square-foot unit has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms. The modern penthouse has high ceilings reaching up to 28 feet, floor-to-ceiling windows encircling each room, and a sculptural spiral staircase that connects the levels. Views stretch far across Manhattan, overlooking Central Park and the city skyline.

    This home is truly fit for a billionaire. The penthouse’s main and lowest level features an airy living room, dining room, and a kitchen outfitted by Molteni and C Dada with Statuario marble countertops and Gaggenau appliances. This floor also has a den that could be used as a studio, personal office, extra bedroom, or library. The second floor houses the bedrooms, including the spacious primary suite with a gas fireplace, loggia terrace overlooking Central Park, a dressing room, and a spa-like bathroom. The bathroom has travertine slabs, mosaic-accented walls and flooring, oak cabinetry, honed Bianco Grigio marble countertops, a rain shower, and cove lighting. The light herringbone floors throughout the home give it a bright, upscale feel.

    The other bedrooms share a loggia terrace that overlooks the eastern cityscape and bridges. The third floor is where you can find the sprawling rooftop terrace, spanning 2,100 square feet, with panoramic city views and an extra powder room for guests. The terrace hovers 467 feet over the city and is divided into two areas. For added convenience, an elevator services all three floors.

    The building has just 47 condo residences, and there’s a 24-hour doorman, concierge services, and a whopping eight floors of amenities, like a fitness studio, double-height basketball court, soccer pitch, playroom, game room, residents’ lounge with a catering kitchen, wine storage, and bike storage.

    This tower is the highest residential tower north of 72nd Street on the city’s Upper East Side, making this the highest unit in this area as well. Just steps from the tower’s Carnegie Hill location is fabulous shopping and dining, though the area benefits from a safe and quiet residential location between Lexington and 3rd Avenue.

    This isn’t the first time that Succession has depicted swoon-worthy real estate. Last season, the family traveled to Italy for the late Logan Roy’s ex-wife Caroline Collingwood’s wedding. There, the HBO show showcased two spectacular Italian villas, Cetinale and Villa La Cassinella. In addition to the many Hamptons and New York City properties already shown on the show, it’s likely that real estate lovers are in for a treat for the rest of this final season.

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    Emma Reynolds, Senior Contributor

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  • Succession’s Zoe Winters Won’t Say If Kerry Loved Logan

    Succession’s Zoe Winters Won’t Say If Kerry Loved Logan

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    Kerry and her bangs have been through a lot on this season of Succession. From her botched ATN audition to the death of her boss-slash-boyfriend, Logan’s trusted assistant, played to precision by Zoe Winters, has been absolutely put through the wringer. “Until this point, she’s been this impenetrable, indomitable, inscrutable presence,” says Winters. “It’s been really, really satisfying to track her as she unravels in some sense.”

    In episode four of the final season of Succession, we see Kerry reach her breaking point in Logan’s foyer in a showdown with his widow, Marcia (Hiam Abbass). “One of the most painful things is that anything between them was always kept a secret,” says Winters about Kerry and Logan’s relationship. “Now, when she felt like maybe she was on the brink of being able to have more real estate in her relationships, and in her position, and in her security, he dies, and she’s left without anything—and also left without the right to grieve publicly.” Below, Winters opens up  about Kerry’s season four arc, the similarities between Kerry and Marion Davies, and her own tiny apartment. 

    Vanity Fair: How real is the relationship between Kerry and Logan? Does she really love him, or was she in it for the money? 

    Zoe Winters: I think that I definitely have my views of what this relationship is. But for me, it’s been important to leave it up to the audience. Part of why this show is successful is that they don’t do any exposition. They’re not hand-holding the audience in any way. These cameras are just in the room, picking up these interchanges between people that would naturally occur. I think it creates this sense of anxiety, not having all the answers. But the reality of life is that we don’t have all the answers. So I’ve kind of kept my opinion out of it, just so I could give the audience the pleasure of deciphering their own ideas.

    I will say that I think that there’s real feelings there, whether those feelings are on a business level or on an intimate level. He’s the most powerful person in the room, and then the most powerful person in the room looks at you. You feel seen by the most powerful person in the room—what does that do to a person that hasn’t previously had that? I think that she comes from a background where maybe she’s been striving for that, and so she becomes addicted to the power and attention that she gets by his gaze being on her. 

    We talked a lot about Marion Davies, and the fallout that she had from when [William Randolph] Hearst died. He did so much for her career, and maybe also hindered her career. She wrote this letter to Charlie Chaplin’s wife about what it is that she gets from this dynamic. She said something to the point of feeling that being with him gives her worth, that she’s worth something to him. And if somebody this powerful finds worth and value in you, and you’re someone that is in need of that, it’s captivating and intoxicating. I think that that is what has happened to [Kerry] here. 

    With the absence of Logan, Marcia sends a lot of darkness her way. She actually sends Kerry into a taxi to the subway, to her little apartment.

    The thing where I actually relate most to Kerry is the fact that she has a tiny apartment. [Laughs.] So much of this episode is about, I think, landing. Where do people land after the king has fallen? What’s their place, and what’s their value and what’s their worth? Kerry has really lost the sole being that has kept her in the room. And so you can be as mean to Kerry as you want, because she is now rendered powerless.

    It’s such a ferocious line. And Marcia’s had her moments of being humiliated and being betrayed. Everyone has carried the feeling of being broken by him, so then they pass on that torch to someone else. One of the most painful things for me about this episode for Kerry is that whatever the relationship was, she had hoped for some formal arrangements and some agreements and some sort of legalizing that she would have security in her future. [She’s] trying to salvage anything that would promise that.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 4: Shiv and Kendall Face the Future

    ‘Succession’ Episode 4: Shiv and Kendall Face the Future

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    Just when you think the Roys have been through it all, another surprise comes their way. In the opening moments of “Honeymoon States,” episode four of Succession’s fourth season, Shiv (Sarah Snook) takes a call from her doctor the morning after her father’s death, confirming that she’s pregnant. 

    In real life, Snook revealed at the Succession premiere that she’s also expecting a baby—leading Still Watching hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy to wonder whether life merely imitates art, or if Shiv’s pregnancy was by design. But either way, this development works for the show, complicating not only Shiv’s ambitions but also her relationship with Tom (Matthew Macfadyen).

    Shiv’s major news has to take a back seat, though—because, as always on Succession, there’s business to attend to. Most of the action of the episode centers around a single pencil mark on a page, as Frank, Gerri, Karl, and the Roy siblings try to determine whether Logan (Brian Cox) meant to underline that he wanted Kendall (Jeremy Strong) to take over as CEO in the case of his untimely demise, or if he meant to cross Kendall’s name out entirely. “The point is that we’re never gonna know,” notes Lawson. “The point is the ambiguity, which leads to this polite-ish war of the wills in terms of who’s gonna step up.”

    Somewhat miraculously, the two who are chosen by the episode’s end are Kendall and Roman. For all his foibles leading up to this moment, Kendall seems to be shining in the wake of his father’s death, stepping up to the plate in a way that previously seemed impossible for the prodigal son. “Kendall is really clicking in this episode, despite him still seeming very fraught,” Lawson says, though he still thinks something more nefarious might be at play. “I think Kendall is gonna become his father—like, his father’s ghost is gonna possess him,” he adds, pointing to the end of the episode—when Kendall asks Hugo to tarnish his father’s legacy.

    Elsewhere in the Still Watching episode, Lawson and Murphy talk to public relations maven Risa Heller about how she’d advise the fictional Roy family in the aftermath of Logan’s death. “What I would say is, they would have to either say immediately, here’s who’s running the company in the interim, or announce the new governance structure,” she says, noting how bizarre it was that Shiv gave a public statement right after her father died. 

    “That, to me, was an insane thing to do,” Heller says. “Because first of all, practically, if you’re a human and your parent dies, who wants to go stand in front of 20 cameras and microphones to be like, ‘Our father died’? It’s a very weird thing to do, number one. Number two, there was no need for them to actually do that. They could have just put out a statement.” 

    Unfortunately, it looks like the PR foibles are just beginning for the growing Roy family. Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the fourth episode of Succession season four, and how the Roys handled the aftermath of their father’s death. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • My Favorite Ludicrously Capacious Bags

    My Favorite Ludicrously Capacious Bags

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    “Why? Because she’s brought a ludicrously capacious bag. What’s even in there, huh? Flat shoes for the subway? Her lunch pail? I mean, Greg, it’s monstrous. It’s gargantuan. You could take it camping. You could slide it across the floor after a bank job.”

    Ah, Cousin Greg. Succession’s ultimate himbo who just can’t seem to dovetail into the corporate conglomerate world no matter how hard he tries. In Season 4’s debut, Cousin Greg (Nicolas Braun) brings a date to Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) birthday party…big mistake for one half of The Disgusting Brothers.

    The issue Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfayden) has with Greg The Egg’s Tinder date, Bridget, isn’t that he’s jealous…it’s that she’s clearly trying too hard to fit in. Tom delivers the most iconic quip about poor Bridget’s Burberry tote that she probably wore because it was the most expensive thing in her closet. However, anyone sickeningly wealthy could tell you she obviously made the wrong choice.

    The Burberry Vintage Leather Check Satchel Bag may be valued at around $2,900, but we live in a world of Birkins. While Bridget’s tote may have been the talk of the party if she hung out with me, it was an eyesore amongst the likes of the Roy family. Do you think Gerri would be caught dead with a vintage Burberry as opposed to Gucci’s understated Jackie?

    @ikeacanada The OG ludicrously capacious bag. #whatseveninthere#SuccessionHBO#quietluxury#stealthwealth#ludicrouslycapacious#IKEACanada#IKEA#Trend♬ original sound – SSENSE

    To the upper echelons of society, there’s no worse crime than sporting a tote bag to a high society function. What could you possibly need in your bag besides your black card and perhaps a mirror? A clutch certainly would’ve been more suitable.

    But surely Shiv (Sarah Snook) doesn’t carry a bag so large that it could be used to complete a heist during her father’s birthday (if she were to show up). And would Roman (Kiernan Culkin) or Kendall (Jeremy Strong) be caught dead with such a crass woman?

    But let’s be honest here, Tom Wambsgans. There is nothing more satisfying than a Mary Poppins-esque bag. What if my makeup runs midday and I need a touchup? What’s going to hold a towel, a change of clothes, and my water bottle on the beach?

    @chargers a ludicrously capacious bag
    ♬ original sound – SSENSE

    Ludicrously capacious bags serve both men and women. My gargantuan bag indeed carries my lunch pail, a sweater in case the office gets cold, flat shoes for the subway, and I’d probably store egregious amounts of cash in it if I had the access.

    There’s nothing more satisfying than running errands and having my hands free. If I can make multiple stops only using my gigantic tote bag, then I consider it a success.

    And while a tote bag may not be the most functional “going out bag,” it certainly serves its purpose at all other hours of the day. If you’re in the market for the nightmarish, ludicrously capacious bag, here are some of my favorites:

      1. Beis The Work Tote
      2. Marc Jacobs The Tote Bag
      3. Kate Spade Kitt Large Tote
      4. Free People Sid Slouchy Vegan Tote
      5. Tory Burch Ella Bio Tote

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    Jai Phillips

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  • ‘Succession’ Addicts, Here’s Your Brian Cox Fix

    ‘Succession’ Addicts, Here’s Your Brian Cox Fix

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    The landmark latest episode of Succession this weekend has likely left fans of the HBO series with a Brian Cox-shaped hole in their heart. Without delving into spoilers, it’s sufficient to say that it left many of us wanting more, if not with his aging media tyrant Logan Roy, then with other equally corrosive or combustible characters.

    It’s not that the 76-year-old Cox only plays one type, but his weathered features and dagger-like stare have always led him to be cast as characters of an abrasive nature. Sure, he might look at times like a belligerent Burl Ives, but he has a sense of humor about himself too. And self-awareness.

    He once described his look this way: “I think I’ve got a characterful face; it’s like the map of a small planet,” Cox wrote in The Guardian in 2014. “As I have pockmarked skin, people think I have a villainous face, but I don’t. It can take on a villainous hue: the face just translates the inner being and, if you have to play someone with a dubious personality and you do the work within, then the face changes accordingly.”

    Cox has excelled at using that face for characters who are perpetually exasperated, surly, and savage. His expression seems to be permanently radiate: Give me a fucking break. Here’s a journey back through his filmography.

    1. Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

    After years of work on stage and television, 1971’s Nicholas and Alexander, about the Communist revolution that felled Russia’s last czar and his family, provided the then 24-year-old Cox with his first big-screen role. He played Leon Trotsky, the Marxist ally of Vladimir Lenin, who helped lead the uprising in 1917. 

    In this scene, Trotsky is less of a firebrand and more of a reserved tactician as he, Lenin (Michael Bryant), and others in the Bolshevik leadership plot their future while in hiding. It’s a small but memorable role in the vast ensemble, and Cox recalled feeling intimidated rather than being the intimidator. “I was given these glasses for Trotsky, these very thick pebble glasses. I couldn’t see out of them, but it was my first movie so I didn’t know what to say,” Cox recalled at the Glasgow Film Festival in 2012.  “At one point I had to go out the door, and I couldn’t find the door handle.”

    2. Manhunter (1986)

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    Anthony Breznican

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  • Cameron Frye and Connor Roy: “My Old Man Pushes Me Around” No More!

    Cameron Frye and Connor Roy: “My Old Man Pushes Me Around” No More!

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    Just as it is for the Roy family at large, for many viewers of Succession, Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) is pure background. It hasn’t really been until season four that he’s been permitted his moment to shine. To “take a stand,” as Ruck’s most famous character, Cameron Frye, would say. And it starts with episode two, “Rehearsal,” in which he displays the full extent of his vulnerability during a karaoke session. Not just because he opts to sing Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat” but because, just as he did in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as Cameron, he decides to take a stand and defend it. And yes, singing Leonard Cohen at karaoke (even if only in a room as opposed to a more public stage) definitely counts among the ranks of taking a stand and defending it (regardless of Roman [Kieran Culkin] jibing, “This is Guantanamo-level shit”).

    It’s no coincidence that he should choose that particular song, either. Not with Cohen singing, “I hear that you’re building your little house deep in the desert/You’re living for nothing now, I hope you’re keeping some kind of record.” Lest one needs to be reminded, the early seasons of Succession find Connor living alone in the desert of New Mexico in his palatial palace. A cold place in a hot climate, where he still can’t seem to finagle something akin to love. Not even from his “girlfriend,” Willa (Justine Lupe), a call girl he pays to keep around. Eventually paying enough to make her want to be his full-time girlfriend. But back to the lyrics of “Famous Blue Raincoat,” also fitting for Connor’s sibling situation with the Cain and Abel allusion in the line, “And what can I tell you my brother, my killer?”

    Both Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman have no need of killing their half-bro, however—for he’s so irrelevant to their patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), that wasting any energy on him would be wasting much-needed focus on “securing the position.” CEO of Waystar-Royco. Something that was never going to belong to “hapless” Connor, who spent three years of his childhood without seeing his father at all. “Attachment” isn’t exactly a thing between him and Logan, nor is it between Cameron and Morris, who never appears once in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—merely looms large as a source of fear. Especially after Ferris (Matthew Broderick) gets Cam (“Con” also has a shortened version of his name) to take his dad’s Ferrari out for the day.

    Not one to be disagreeable, Cameron ultimately concedes to loaning out the car after several half-hearted attempts at protesting. Lying in bed genuinely sick (even if only in the head) as opposed to Ferris’ fake-out version of sickness, it’s clear Cam’s family doesn’t need to be played to in order for him to get out of school. They’re never around anyway. Least of all his father, off being the “provider” of the family, therefore excused from anything like involvement. Yes, it sounds a lot like Logan Roy. And Cameron, like Con, leads a privileged existence with the trade-off of never experiencing any emotional attachment or care whatsoever. With regard to “Con,” there’s one in every family, to be sure. Someone who never gets quite the same amount of attention or consideration. Whether because their personality is more demure or they don’t seem “special” enough to warrant as much care. Connor falls into both categories, with Shiv (Sarah Snook) in the Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) role and Kendall and Roman trading off on being the overly arrogant Ferris Bueller (Roman obviously being more Ferris-y than Ken). A scene of Cameron stuffed in the back of the Ferrari that Ferris and Sloane are effectively using him for speaks volumes vis-à-vis this dynamic. The only time anyone bothers with Con is when they need him for something…so basically they never much bother with him.

    Sure, he’s there for “ceremonious” events like birthdays and family vacations, but, by and large, he’s out of the fold. Until season four rolls around and, suddenly, the “Rebel Alliance” that is Shiv, Kendall and Roman ends up prompting Con to say, “This is how it is, huh? The battle royale? Me and dad on one side, you guys on the other.” This after Willa has walked out on their wedding rehearsal dinner, leaving Con with no one to “turn to” for “comfort” but his so-called family. The trio of his siblings (all of whom show up late because Logan cut off their helicopter access) amounts to one giant Ferris Bueller, the narcissist in the dynamic constantly taking up space and demanding more from the Cameron/Connor of the outfit. Meanwhile, all Connor is asking for is a round of karaoke at Maru, one of many overpriced options within the parameters of Koreatown’s 32nd Street.

    Upon arriving to said location (under duress for most of them), Connor is quick to admit that he told Logan where they are, and he’s coming over to “talk things out”—presumably the deal that Shiv, Kendall and Roman want to fuck by asking for more money of Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) in exchange for merging his streaming company, GoJo, with Waystar. In defense of himself, Connor replies to the sibling backlash, “My life isn’t filled with secrets like some people. And I want my father to be at my wedding.”

    To everyone’s surprise, though, Logan wants to make an “apology.” Or the closest he can get to one. But with all the hemming and hawing, Kendall is quick to redirect his father’s messaging by demanding, “What are you sorry for, Dad? Fucking ignoring Connor his whole life?” He later adds, “Having Connor’s mother locked up?” This being why Connor refers to the cake at his wedding as “loony cake.” A type of dessert he apparently associates with Victoria sponge cake and doesn’t care for at all because it was what was fed to him for a week after his mother was institutionalized. So yeah, even Kendall can take a moment here and there to stand up for his older brother and acknowledge that Con might have had a more emotionally bankrupt childhood than all of them.

    In that regard, his bid for normalcy is earnest when he declares to his brothers and sister, “I would like to sing one fucking song at karaoke because I’ve seen it in the movies and nobody ever wants to go.” Perhaps he saw it in a certain form in the movie that he co-starred in with Broderick, as the latter plays the titular character lip-syncing to Wayne Newton’s “Danke Schoen” and The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” on a parade float in the middle of Chicago. Something Cameron nor Connor would ever do. Possibly because attention-seeking is a type of love-seeking. And that’s never been either character’s “game.” Though both slowly start to realize that maybe it should be. Even as Connor notes something as heart-wrenching to his siblings as, “The good thing about having a family that doesn’t love you is you learn to live without it… You’re all chasin’ after Dad saying, ‘Oh love me, please love me. I need love, I need attention.’ You’re needy love sponges, and I’m a plant that grows on rocks and lives off insects that die inside of me. If Willa doesn’t come back, that’s fine. ‘Cause I don’t need love. It’s like a superpower.”

    Cameron Frye knows that’s not entirely true. It’s also a curse that causes severe anxiety and depression, finally pushing him toward the revelation, “I’m bullshit. I put up with everything. My old man pushes me around…I never say anything! Well he’s not the problem, I’m the problem [cue a lawsuit against Taylor Swift]. I gotta take a stand. I gotta take a stand against him. I am not gonna sit on my ass as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I’m gonna take a stand. I’m gonna defend it. Right or wrong, I’m gonna defend it.” Something Connor must decide to do in “Connor’s Wedding,” easily the most landmark episode of Succession ever aired. And yet, as usual, just because his name is in the title doesn’t mean he gets the theoretical spotlight. No, this is all about his father. Just as it always is. The same geos for Cameron and Morris, inciting the former to finally lose it and kick the shit out of the Ferrari as he screams, “I’m so sick of his shit. I can’t stand him and I hate this goddamn car! Who do ya love? Who do ya love? You love a car!”

    To this, Logan Roy might placate, “I love you…but you are not serious people.” These are his final sentiments directed at his children. Though no one is aware of it until the next day, when Logan’s heart fails (ironically appropriate) while on a private jet to negotiate the deal again with Matsson…thanks to his own kids painting him in a corner to do so. It was the previous night at karaoke that Logan understood the scope of his disgust with them. For here he is, the affluent, distant father figure (like Cameron’s) being unclear what more his children could “take” or want from him after everything he’s already given. Back out on the street with his latest “right-hand woman,” Kerry (Zoe Winters), he clocks a homeless man digging through the trash and seethes, “Look at this prick. They should get out here. Some cunt doing the tin cans for his supper, take a sip of that medicine. This city…the rats are as fat as skunks. They hardly care to run anymore.” Obviously taking a swipe at his lazy, greedy children. Except for Con, who really just wants it all to be over. Unfortunately, it’s only just getting started now that Logan is dead. And as usual, Con is the last to know about it, gently informed by Kendall only to instantly reply, “Oh man, he never even liked me,” trying to smooth that statement over with, “I never got the chance to make him proud of me.”

    Of course, that was never going to happen. Because there is no “pleasing” a man like Logan or Morris. And Connor always getting the short end of the stick from his father reaches a poetic peak with him dying on Connor’s wedding day, casting a dark, attention-stealing pall over the event. All Con can finally assess about it to Willa is: “My father’s dead and I feel old.” Cameron probably would have said the same thing. And he, too, probably would have soon after carried out his intended plans for the day. After all, he’s not one to let his old man push him around anymore, especially not now that he’s dead. He’s going to take a stand (for “love”) and defend it. Right or wrong.

    That’s why, in the end, he goes through with the wedding, not bothering to join his three half-siblings as they go to deal with their father’s body and make a statement to the press. In this sense, Connor has always been the freest, learning long ago not to bother chasing down the love of a patriarch who was incapable of it. Perhaps learning that from the person he was in another life: Cameron Frye. Meanwhile, Connor’s siblings will continue to volley for Logan’s invisible favor in not-so-subtle ways even after he’s gone.

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    Genna Rivieccio

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 3: Logan Roy Has Left the Building

    ‘Succession’ Episode 3: Logan Roy Has Left the Building

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    The unimaginable has finally occurred. Logan Roy, the unblinking, ferocious patriarch of the Roy family masterfully played by Brian Cox, drops dead at the beginning of the third episode of the final season of Succession.  

    On this week’s episode of Vanity Fair’s television-analysis podcast, Still Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy process what Logan’s death means for the Roy family, Waystar RoyCo, and the series as a whole. “It’s HBO’s playbook. We’ve seen the Red Wedding. We know that they like to sort of pull the rug out from under us when we least expect it with major character deaths,” Murphy notes. “But for Logan to die [during] episode three of a 10-episode final season? I was not emotionally prepared for it to happen.” 

    Logan’s death was both rather quick and undignified, with his heart stopping on the toilet of his private jet. “What I love about this episode artistically is the choice that Jesse Armstrong, who wrote the episode, made to have this death so unceremonial, so off-camera,” says Lawson. “That’s how it is for a lot of people in life. You get a phone call while you’re distracted by something else.”

    That something else happened to be Connor’s yacht wedding to Willa, played by Justine Lupe. Lupe dropped by Still Watching to chat with Vanity Fair Hollywood correspondent Julie Miller about Willa’s big day, her cold feet, and shooting the final season of Succession. “I just thought that it was incredibly sweet, and loved that they were kind of alone [for the actual wedding],” Lupe said. “It felt intimate. I root for them.”

    While Connor experienced some modicum of joy on that fateful boat ride, his siblings were reeling processing the death of their father, each in their own way. “For each of the siblings, the biggest person in their lives is Logan, right? The towering monster-daddy figure,” says Murphy. “To burst that bubble with [Logan’s] death…they all sort of didn’t think that was ever gonna happen, even though it was always going to happen. That’s the thing about our human emotions and our brains—we can hold these two things to be true that are contrasting and conflicting. Of course he was gonna die, but he was also never going to die.”

    In any case, it’s clear that the Roy family will never be the same after the events that transpired around “Connor’s Wedding.” Listen to Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the third episode of Succession season four and what’s to become of the Roy family. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 3 Recap: No, We Are Not OK After That Shocking Death

    ‘Succession’ Episode 3 Recap: No, We Are Not OK After That Shocking Death

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    I found the episode darkly hilarious because neither the siblings nor the extended folks in Logan’s camp know what to do with themselves without him. For the siblings particularly, hating their dad — and simultaneously wanting to impress their dad — was their entire personality. — Candice

    It’s a testament to the brilliance of the show that I found myself laughing. Of course, they would find a way to make this funny, like when the siblings are all debating whether the big man is in fact dead.

    Few shows have this level of precision in the acting, the writing, the camera angles, the attention to detail in the way each and every shot is framed, what’s said, what isn’t said, what’s shown, what isn’t shown, everything! I cannot stop marveling at the consistency and specificity of, for instance, how each sibling’s reaction to the news is exactly what you’d expect, as you said, Candice. Also, in their responses and the way they talk to Logan at the very end, we see how emotions and vulnerability remain, as ever, so foreign to them. When they say the words, it’s like they’re trying on something that doesn’t fit and quickly taking it off. — Marina

    I found that especially to be true about Roman, who cannot cope. And Kieran Culkin was such a standout in this episode. — Candice

    Yes, incredible work! When he’s on the phone with Logan at the end, it seems like he might actually say the words: “I love you.” But he doesn’t even attempt to get it out, and then throws the phone down. “No, sorry, I don’t know how to do that!” Just an incredible performance.

    As always, none of the Roy siblings “know how to do” emotions, and each of those actors just plays that so brilliantly in their own specific ways. — Marina

    When Kendall says, “I can’t forgive you,” I lost it. The emotion in that moment for me was so much. And then I think he says I love you at some point. By this time, I was like, Y’ALL NEED TO GO GET SHIV. And then I was like, oh, and I guess Connor too. Damn, even I forget about the eldest son. — Erin

    Connor is extremely forgettable. — Candice

    I also thought Matthew Macfadyen gave an incredible performance in the episode. He somehow managed to keep calm amid the chaos, which I feel like we often see Tom railing on Greg or being flustered going at it with Shiv, so this was a nice side to see of him. — Erin

    Though, he does still manage to make fun of Cousin Greg (and then apologizes quietly).

    “What’s at the bottom of your stocking, Greg, huh? An old guy who fucking hated you!”

    “Tom, man. Easy, dude!” — Marina

    The moment when Shiv kind of lets her head fall on Tom’s chest was really interesting to me. Then, seconds later, she pulls away. — Candice

    When Shiv asked Tom, “Are you just being nice to me?” I knew it was serious. Like…these people are not poster children for altruism in the slightest. And when Connor said, “He never even liked me,” my heart lowkey shattered. Lest we forget Roman’s last words to his father being, “Are you a cunt?” That would haunt me forever.

    Then, when he expressed to Gerri that he was sad — a first for him — she was basically unaffected, because they fired her mere minutes before. The writers, cast and crew did an excellent job of conveying the sheer mayhem and grief that transpires when you receive that type of call regarding a loved one.

    Seeing each sibling process their grief and trauma in that moment was heart-wrenching. It’s episodes like this that are the reason I’m a TV gal over a film gal. (Sorry not sorry.) In a mere hour, they’ve managed to convey more emotion and tell a compelling story better than some of these ridiculous 3-hour films. I couldn’t look away. — Ruth

    Also, I highly recommend everybody go watch that post-episode feature on HBO Max. The director of this episode, Mark Mylod, explains how they pulled off you-know-what sequence in the middle, and it’s absolutely astonishing. Kieran Culkin describes it as, like, “a one-act play on a boat,” and it truly is. — Marina

    I’m kind of in the minority here that I don’t feel any substantial empathy or grief for any of these characters, because I don’t think it’s real in the way that people normally grieve — at the loss of somebody. So, when Connor said that his dad never really liked him, I immediately thought, “Yes, finally, the truth. That is a true thing he said, and I wish all the siblings would come to this realization.” — Candice

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  • Logan Roy Convinced Us He Could Not Fall

    Logan Roy Convinced Us He Could Not Fall

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    Spoilers below.

    It’s a bird—no, it’s a plane…and it’s Superman, falling. The shocking epicenter of Succession season 4, episode 3, “Connor’s Wedding,” is perhaps the greatest trick creator Jesse Armstrong could pull in the show’s fourth and final season, though, of course, killing off the ever-looming patriarch in a series called Succession is no trick at all. It’s right there in plain text. Armstrong and his collaborators have been teasing this inevitability—and yes, it was always inevitable—for multiple seasons. Logan Roy had health issues. Logan Roy was 84. Logan Roy could not escape the slow creep of mortality; even he knew that, given the “fucking suspicions” about the afterlife he expressed to “best pal” Colin earlier in the season. The brilliance of Succession is that it convinced the audience not of what Logan himself thought, but of what his children believed: The man was superhuman. He was invincible. When “Connor’s Wedding” delivered the news of Logan’s death without so much as a long, lingering close-up on Brian Cox’s face, every viewer at home felt as unmoored and bamboozled as his kids.

    We know what we expect from the episode as it begins: Logan skips out on his eldest son’s wedding and jets off to Sweden to smooth over Matsson’s ruffled feathers, leaving Roman to drop a stink bomb in Gerri’s purse. Roman—still in a psychosexual spell over Gerri he refuses to sort out in therapy—very much does not want to do this. But he does, because he wants to be the “serious person” his father does not believe him to be. He wants to be the Chosen One. So he tells Gerri that Logan’s cutting her loose, that the Waystar RoyCo family will soon no longer be hers. It’s a betrayal, such an ugly one that even when Roman practically begs for her sympathy later, after Logan’s death, all Gerri can manage is a taut “Okay” and “The room’s all yours.”

     

    j smith cameron and kieran culkin in episode 403 of succession

    Macall B. Polay/HBO

    Even after this uncomfortable conversation, the episode remains light on its feet, tossing in classic Succession barbs about Connor’s aversion to Victoria sponge cake (a.k.a “looney cake”) and Greg’s attempts at flirtation (“journalism, taking quotes and kicking asses!”). Then the floor shatters beneath it. The descent begins.

    Roman answers a call from Tom, who wastes no time changing everything: “Your dad is very sick.” Logan has suffered some sort of cardiac arrest while in the airport bathroom (an incident with, in reality, a less than 50 percent recovery rate and a much lower long-term survival rate). Roman and Kendall drop into immediate emergency mode, but when have they ever had to handle a real emergency? They flail and stutter for what feels like hours as the seconds creep by, too absorbed in their panic to recognize that neither their sister nor their eldest brother is with them as their father’s heart stops. Tom hovers the phone near Logan’s ear as the flight attendant attempts chest compressions, but Roman has absolutely no foundation for the emotional maturity this requires. “You did a good job,” he tells his dying dad, only to violently flinch from the sound of his own voice. “No, I don’t—I’m sorry, I don’t know how to do that,” he says, volleying the phone to Kendall like it’s a live bomb. To his credit, Kendall maintains his honesty: “I don’t know. I can’t—I can’t forgive you. But it’s, uh, it’s okay. And—and I love you.”

    Kendall runs off to find Shiv, who doesn’t grasp the gravity of what’s happening until Roman reveals, “They think he’s gone.” In between sobbing, shaky breaths, she tries to convince herself that Logan might be listening to her voice, but she can’t ignore the suspicion she’s being hoodwinked, as always, by Logan’s specter. “Are you just being nice to me?” she asks her estranged husband, practically whispering now. “Is he gone?” She attempts her own final words, even calling Logan “Daddy” in one of several gut-wrenching line deliveries the episode so perfectly squeezes from its cast.

    Finally, Kendall and Shiv link hands and bring Connor into the fray. He’s no more equipped to handle it than they are. (“He never even liked me,” are his first words, followed by the admission that he never made his father proud.) The kids, truly united for perhaps the final time, try to offload and deny and settle as Logan’s team, still in the air, start “coordinating a response.” Logan’s death is not just a family incident; it’s a market one. Karl, Karolina, Frank, and Tom—minus Kerry, apparently clawing to the last vestiges of her sanity—make plans to draft a statement. Tom gets Greg on the phone to execute one last grunt job, which includes deleting a computer folder labeled “Logistics.”

    fisher stevens, kieran culkin, jeremy strong, and sarah snook sit during a scene from episode 403 of succession

    Macall B. Polay/HBO

    When the kids catch wind of the statement, they’re forced to swallow reality like a chunk of ice. They can’t take any time to breathe, or they’ll be left unguarded. The war for Waystar has started already, and the optics matter. They can’t ask for the plane to circle while they sort out what to do next. As Kendall observes, “What we do today will always be what we did the day our father died. So, let’s grieve and whatever, but—” his eyes flash to Roman, “—not do anything that restricts our future freedom of movement.”

    Both Connor’s wedding boat and Logan’s plane make a U-turn, and the groups converge on the airstrip. Karolina gets out a statement. Shiv delivers one to the press through a low monotone, almost a growl. She leaves the airport with Tom; Roman walks with his father’s corpse to the ambulance; Kendall watches, weeping, from afar. Only Connor gets a reprieve from this cataclysm, having shared a conversation with his bride in which they’re finally upfront about what they need to be happy together. They’re married in front of a tiny group of family and friends, a singular moment of joy in an otherwise devastating episode.

    Meanwhile, Logan will haunt the remaining story like a black hole, sucking all that remains into its center. Succession convinced us that Logan would not, could not, lose—at least not until the final moments of such an acclaimed series. That’s what the typical order of television form instructs us: This death should be the climax, and the climax doesn’t happen in a season’s third episode. But that’s where we, like the kids, were wrong. Logan could always fall, at any time and in any manner. But the “American titan” doesn’t need to be present to be felt. That’s his real power, and the genius of Armstrong’s creative endeavor here: Logan was neither invincible nor omnipotent, but he was everywhere. Exorcising him, not defeating him, will be the hardest thing his children ever attempt to do.

    Read last week’s recap

    Headshot of Lauren Puckett-Pope

    Culture Writer

    Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE. 

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 2: What Is Logan Roy Sorry For, Really?

    ‘Succession’ Episode 2: What Is Logan Roy Sorry For, Really?

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    Are Shiv (Sarah Snook), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) playing hardball with the GoJo deal? Or are they potentially ruining everything out of spite for Logan (Brian Cox)? That’s the major question at the end of Succession season four, episode two, as the Roy children join forces with Sandi (Hope Davis) and Stewy (Arian Moayed) in a bid to drive their father back to the bargaining table with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) the day before the GoJo deal is supposed to go through. It also happens to be the day before Connor’s (Alan Ruck) wedding to Willa (Justine Lupe), who appears to be getting cold feet—although the Roy siblings barely have the capacity to pretend to care about Connor’s impending nuptials.

    On the latest episode of Still Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy try to suss out who on the show, if anyone, might have the purest intentions. “If anything, I trust Matsson more than anyone involved in the GoJo deal right now,” says Murphy. “He seems like, as Roman said last episode, a 4chan weirdo, but he does not seem like a liar.”

    Matsson makes it very clear to Kendall on the phone that if they try to renegotiate the terms of the sale, he’s going to walk. And yet, the Roy siblings—particularly Kendall and Shiv—seem more than happy to take that risk if it means they can squeeze a few more dollars out of him and hurt their father in the process. “I think the kids think they have him figured out better than Logan does,” says Lawson. “But I just don’t know that.”

    More surprising than Shiv and Kendall’s potentially reteaming with Sandi and Stewy to mess with their dad is the family’s heart-to-heart, and the location in which it transpires. In a private room at Maru, a swanky karaoke spot in New York’s Koreatown, Logan comes face-to-face with his children for the first time this season—and a lot of Logan’s bravado, demonstrated earlier in the episode on the floor of ATN, falls by the wayside. “We have seen some moments of emotional vulnerability on this show before—and in this season, maybe especially. But that scene felt like something new, where [Logan’s] walk-and-talk bluster is kind of gone,” notes Lawson. 

    In his own way, Logan tries to make amends with his kids. “There’s no amount of words that he could possibly say to apologize for everything that he’s put his kids through,” Murphy notes. “But they’re able to get at least a kernel of an apology.” Time will tell if it’s enough to keep them from blowing up his GoJo deal, but he seems to have made inroads with Roman at least. 

    But is Roman entertaining his father’s dangling ATN in front of him for the right reasons? Lawson isn’t so sure. “Maybe [Roman’s] just trying to hold the family together out of pure business
    interest,” Lawson notes. “I think these people are all capable of love, or finding it, but they have absolutely no idea what to do with the faintest shred of a sincere sentiment.”

    Joined by Vanity Fair political correspondent Bess Levin, Lawson and Murphy also delve into the real-life inspiration for the dysfunctional Roys—the Murdoch family—and the stark similarities between that media dynasty and its fictional counterpart. “There are so, so, so many similarities between these two families,” Levin says. “At the basic center of it, you have this patriarch running a global media empire. Rupert Murdoch has a child from his first marriage, Prudence,
    who has never worked for the business—a similarity to Connor Roy. And then from his
    second marriage, he has three children, Lachlan, Elizabeth, and James, who have all
    worked for him over the years and jockeyed for the top job in a very similar fashion to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman.”

    And as with the Roys, the interpersonal relationships between the Murdoch family members are decidedly messy. “I believe, at this point, the relationship between James and
    Lachlan is said to be pretty nonexistent,” Levin shares. “I believe somebody said that Prudence—the oldest one, the Connor of them all—she’s Switzerland.”

    Many questions loom heading into the third episode: Will the GoJo deal fall apart? Will Connor’s wedding? Listen below to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the second episode of Succession season four and debate who won this week at Waystar Royco (as well as what songs the Roys would sing at karaoke). For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Isn’t Really an American Drama—It’s a British Comedy

    ‘Succession’ Isn’t Really an American Drama—It’s a British Comedy

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    Life is comedy for the rich and tragedy for the poor, according to the old adage. But some storytellers would rather not choose between the two. See, for instance,  everyone’s favorite (or favourite, if you will) HBO hit, Succession. Though the show’s a two-time winner of the best drama series Emmy, it isn’t just about backstabbing, maneuvering and usurping. It’s the show’s focus on the inanity of billionaire life that makes it tick—and makes clear that at its heart, Succession is really more of a farce.

    Need proof? Season four of Succession kicked off last week with a premiere that was more joke-filled than a Saturday Night Live segment. While the Roy kids engaged once again in a witty tête-à-tête as they orchestrated yet another takedown of the father that really should disown them at this point, Tom Wambsgan loosed a takedown of Greg’s date that would have made even Joan Rivers clutch her pearls, and has certainly left us gleefully reveling in his savagery.

    If Succession were truly an American drama—the sort of post-Sopranos show we used to call “prestige TV”—its writers may have felt obliged to craft a plot line involving Greg’s date using her ludicrously capacious bag to smuggle confidential Waystar Royco information and jeopardize the PGM deal. Instead, creator Jesse Armstrong (a Brit) and his cadre of British and American writers allowed her and her accessory to exist  purely as vehicles for jokes – an enormous faux-pas that Tom eviscerates with a flourish. Greg may indeed never go to the opera again, and Burberry totes may never recover from Tom’s scathing stinger. 

    This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s familiar with Armstrong’s previous work. A native of Shropshire, England, he’s also a graduate of the University of Manchester, where he met his writing partner, Sam Bain. Together, Armstrong and Bain rose through the ranks of children’s comedy and sketch comedy such as Smack the Pony before creating Peep Show, a darkly comedic sitcom about Mark and Jez—two unlikely best friends living together in South Croydon—in 2003. 

    Right off the bat, Peep Show stood out for its use of point-of-view shots and inner monologues that would not just heighten awkward moments, but immerse viewers right into them. Whether we watched Mark trying to hide from the youths terrorizing him outside his flat or saw Jez’s sexcapades in the stark light of day, Armstrong and Bain didn’t shy away from making viewers sit in their discomfort, cringing even as they laughed.

    British comedy often revels in discomforting moments that feel all too real. And while a flat in South Croydon might seem many worlds away from the helicopters and penthouses of New York, Armstrong’s penchant for heightening cringe is woven through each episode of Succession as well. Watching Roman accidentally sext his father a photo of his genitals instead of Gerri is right up there with Peep Show’s Mark bumping into Sophie after their catastrophic wedding, sporting ejaculate on his trousers from a quick tryst with a new colleague. Kendall’s “L to the OG” rap at Logan’s birthday induces the same can’t-watch-but-can’t-not-watch squirms of Jez sucking jam from Sophie’s mum’s fingers. And watching Logan piss all over his office harkens back to Mark pissing all over his colleague’s desk. While Succession’s characters are not comparable to those in Armstrong’s other shows, watching Succession sends the familiar physical cringe of Peep Show shuddering up my spine.

    British comedy has rarely been given the opportunity to stand on its own with US audiences. Rather than being imported wholesale, British formats and sensibilities more often get a friendlier American makeover (a la the two versions of The Office), or are woven into American stories, such as Armando Iannucci’s Veep. Over 14 episodes of the original British Office, David Brent falls further into his tragedy, an emblem for the foibles of man. His stateside equivalent, Michael Scott, gets 150+ episodes to transform from loathed to loved, ending his arc living the American Dream—and most importantly, as an American sitcom hero. 

    It’s rarer still to find a British comedy that becomes the lens for an American family saga. Every episode of Succession has delivered laugh-out-loud moments, whether through acerbic one-liners or goofy Greg or even Logan’s savage outbursts. They’re all effortlessly woven with the show’s intense stakes, life-or-death moments and emotional reckonings. And then there’s Tom’s odyssey: an outsider with a soft-spoken, upper class Midwestern accent has enjoyed a Dickensian ascension to become a Machiavellian manipulator. He’s also perhaps the show’s funniest single character. Throw in Adam McKay directing the pilot, and it becomes even more clear that comedy was always the key to this shrewd, biting dissection of the media landscape.

    As Armstrong well knows, real life doesn’t have a laugh track or an epic score. The drama of the Roys can only truly be explored by sitting in the discomfort and absurdity of their wealth, entitlement, and ambition. Whether we’re watching Peep Show’s El Dude brothers or Succession’s The Disgusting Brothers, in Armstrong’s world, comedy will always be king.

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    Piya Sinha-Roy

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  • ‘Succession’ Season Premiere Features Return Of Shadowy Dr. Succession Character

    ‘Succession’ Season Premiere Features Return Of Shadowy Dr. Succession Character

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    NEW YORK—In a dramatic twist that shocked viewers who had waited more than a year for a new episode of the HBO drama, Sunday’s season premiere of Succession featured an unexpected reappearance of the show’s shadowy Dr. Succession character. “Longtime fans of the series were appalled and delighted when its powerful but seldom-seen antagonist, the nefarious Dr. Succession, stepped out of the darkness in the warehouse to which he had lured the Roy family and let out one of his trademark cackles,” said TV critic Emily Barnes, who argued that the eponymous villain’s return had been subtly foreshadowed ever since Siobhan Roy pushed him into a volcano at the end of season two, leading her family to believe he had finally been vanquished. “The reemergence of the menacing psychologist and inventor who swore to wreak terrible vengeance on the Roys after their media empire inadvertently killed his wife is a welcome development for the new season. From the moment Dr. Succession revealed that he was Logan Roy’s evil twin brother as they did battle in their mech suits atop Waystar Royco headquarters, viewers have appreciated the Shakespearean dimensions of this nuanced character. In the early seasons, audiences tuned into Succession to see if the Roys could put aside their differences and harness the power of love to stop Dr. Succession when he strapped a bomb to the president of the United States or turned back time, causing Manhattan to be overrun with dinosaurs. One can only hope the show’s final season is a return to form in which Kendall, Shiv, Roman, and the rest of the crew face off against this chilling puppet master who seeks to rule the world with a bionic fist.” In a sneak peak of the season’s second episode, Dr. Succession is seen laughing hysterically as he tells the Roy family, “Now, my friends, it is you who will fuck off!”

    EPA Closes Down After Running Out Of Salvageable Environment To Protect

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  • Return of the Roys: Succession is Back and Better Than Ever

    Return of the Roys: Succession is Back and Better Than Ever

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    They’re back: our favorite toxic, turbulent family. The Roys returned on March 26 in Succession Season 4, the HBO Max dramedy’s suspense-filled final season.

    SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN SEASON 4, EPISODE 1 YET, TURN BACK NOW

    Like Season 1, the sunset season begins on Logan’s birthday. And like Season 1, Logan is not happy. “The Munsters,” he calls the crowd surrounding him — referencing the 1960s sitcom about a family of monsters. Not an auspicious start, but certainly a hilarious one.

    But since Season 1, tectonic plates have shifted. After the Season 3 finale — one of the most dramatic episodes of television I’ve ever seen, barring maybe the penultimate episode of White Lotus Season 2 — the family is ruptured. But this time, it’s not just the internal strife or Kendall being on the outs while all the others are on the inside. There’s a clear line. Logan vs the kids. And they say you can’t put a price on family, but the bidding war on this one starts at $10 billion dollars.

    Recap: What’s going on?

    The highlights of this episode are clear: the kids are trying to screw over their father by overbidding on the Pierce deal. Well, they certainly did that. As culture writer Hunter Harris put it in her Succession Power Rankings: “Ten billion dollars just to get a call from Daddy… pathetic.”

    But the emotions undergirding this conflict are what makes it intriguing — and different than past seasons. Yes, the Roy kids are always either sucking up to or attempting to spite their father. Too bad they lack — as Logan said — their own ideas. After insisting that they were going to strike out on their own and build something themselves, they do what they always do: go after their father’s scraps. Their euphoria at the Pierce deal is in contrast to Logan’s isolation during his birthday party. His lonely stroll through Central Park? Add a Lana Del Rey soundtrack and that’s me at 16 — having an existential crisis, wondering about the world and the meaning of it all.

    Logan’s reflectiveness is new for us, and for him. We see it in his conversations with Kerry, his sad diner dinner, and even in his drawing room pleas for everyone to “roast” him and “tell a joke.” Anything to feel something. For Logan, things are going well. Yet he can’t shake the feeling that something is missing.

    It’s Greg who comes out and says it: “Where’re all your kids, Uncle Logan?”

    And indeed, the first time we see Logan back to his usual self is when he’s yelling at his kids on the phone. And as we gear up for the rest of the season, it seems clear that this battle will bring the Roys together — even if it’s just in their usual, toxic ways.

    Who are the major players this season?

    The lines are clearly drawn this season. But it wouldn’t be HBO’s Succession without the cast’s internal strife in all camps.

    Though Shiv and Kendall pretty much bullied Roman into a $10 billion deal — younger siblings can relate — previews hint that Roman might be the one to flip-flop back to his father’s side. He sent him a birthday text, after all. Gasp.

    And on Logan’s side, everyone, as usual, has their own agenda. Tom posits what his life will look like if he and Shiv divorce, namely his current place in Logan’s proverbial lap. Kerry’s climbing up the ladder and feels comfortably perched at the top, on Logan’s right-hand side, but how long will that last? And Greg is having “a rummage” in the Roy house. Cue all the finance bros renaming their groupchats to: “the disgusting brothers.”

    But from what reports foretell, this season will conclude with a successor being named. So, one of the Roys will inherit the keys to the kingdom. At this point, I honestly can’t imagine who. All I know is the road there will be full of hidden agendas, witty one-liners, and buckets and buckets of wasted money.

    What’s coming up?

    • The Pierce Battle: Is this the end? Or will it blow up in the kids’ faces?
    • The GoJo Deal: The world’s convinced this is set in stone. In fact, it’s the source of all the money the kids are betting their futures on. So, it seems ripe for an implosion. And I can’t wait to see more of Alex Skarsgard as a typical tech mogul.
    • Logan’s Life: We saw the man experience emotions for the first time. Now what’s he going to do with them?
    • Speaking of Emotions – Shiv and Tom: Is this the end for TV’s most malignant couple? They were barely together when they were together. But we saw that hand-holding! And we’re intrigued!
    • There’s a Presidential Election: Connor certainly isn’t going to win. But the kids and Logan seem on the opposite end of this battle, too. Will it be a harbinger of how things turn out with the Roys?
    • Oh, Greggy — have we lost our clueless, bumbling boy for good?

    That’s all for week one of Succession’s final season. And it looks like it’s going to be a good one.

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    LKC

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  • ‘Succession’ Cast Reveals What’s Most At Stake Following The Season 4 Premiere (Exclusive)

    ‘Succession’ Cast Reveals What’s Most At Stake Following The Season 4 Premiere (Exclusive)

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    By Corey Atad.
    Published:

    Warning: Spoilers for “Succession” season 4 episode, “The Munsters,” written by creator Jesse Armstrong and directed by Mark Mylod. Alan Ruck, Kieran Culkin and more from the cast talk to ET as they break down what’s at stake for members of the Roy family and tease the shifting dynamics that will follow the first episode. 

    The Emmy-winning family saga, “Succession”, is finally back with new episodes, as the HBO series comes to a close with its fourth and final season. According to the cast, the final installment promises to be as “surprising” as ever, with the “gloves coming off.”

    “It’s thrilling to watch,” Alan Ruck teases, with Nicholas Braun adding that “this season is just ratcheted up. It’s kind of just madness. And the intensity of it all is another level than we’ve had in the last three seasons.”

    Taking place just a few months after the shocking season 3 finale, the premiere picks up with three of the Roy siblings — Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) — striking out on their own, as they prepare to launch a “revolutionary new media brand” to compete with their father Logan’s (Brian Cox) aging conglomerate, Waystar Royco.

    “They’re sort of forging their own path together,” Culkin says of their plan, despite lingering doubts. “It’s a good idea, but there’s a couple reasons to hesitate… Like, going toe to toe with Dad is scary because historically, anytime anyone does that, they lose.”

    Elsewhere, Logan is celebrating his birthday with his cohort of longtime executives, including Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron), and the remaining family members who’ve sided with him, son Connor (Ruck) and his fiancée, Willa (Justine Lupe), Shiv’s estranged husband, Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), and cousin, Greg (Braun).

    The episode then sees the two sides of the family get into a bidding war over Pierce Global Media, which is run by matriarch Nan Pierce (Cherry Jones), with Kendall, Shiv and Roman ultimately beating out their father — and securing an early win in their ongoing personal and professional war.

    (Although Jones’ return in the final season is “quite small,” she says she enjoyed the part she had in it. “The few times I got to play with the gang, it was just heaven on a stick.”)

    “I think what they actually want to do is get rid of Dad. They want to fight him and beat him. They wanna make him feel bad,” Culkin says of Roman and his siblings’ continued efforts to take down Logan. The actor says Roman is “justifying it by saying, ‘It’s a good business decision.’ But that’s not why you’re doing it.”

    However, for Roman, despite what may look good on paper, there’s a faltering need to keep going at it with his family. “Sure, that’s good business, but I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to do that anymore. We’ve done that so much,” Culkin says.

    While a strong opening to the season, the episode just gives a taste of the stakes at hand and how things have dramatically shifted for many of the show’s other core relationships.

    For Tom, who learns that Shiv wants a divorce, and Greg, who continues to rise within the ranks of ATN, that means a big change in how the two interact moving forward. “There are some shifts. There are some unexpected, aggressive turns in their relationship season,” Braun says. “Their relationship gets weirder and Tom is probably meaner than ever. Loyalty is tested for sure.”

    When it comes to Gerri and Roman, in particular, things ended in “a very abrupt way,” Cameron says, describing the end of their relationship as a “cold and awful breakup.”

    Culkin, however, suggests there’s no hard feelings between the two, at least not on Roman’s end. “It’s a couple months later and I feel there’s probably not really any bad blood,” he says. Despite ending season 3 on opposite sides of the attempted coup, “she made the right business decision in that moment for her and he knows that.”

    But there still may be some fiery encounters to come, with Cameron teasing that there are still “some pretty heavy dynamics going on between them.”

    For Connor, who mainly has sided with his father to keep bankrolling his presidential campaign, “his political ambitions” are his main focus, Ruck says. “It’s not an easy path but he’s determined to try to the best of his ability to make this thing move forward.”

    And as teased in the previews for the upcoming episodes, there will be a wedding for Connor after he finally proposed to Willa during season 3. “Things seem to be moving forward with Willa. It seems like the marriage is on,” Ruck says, before adding, “Without spoiling things, there might be some bumps in the road. But we’ll see.”

    But as we know from previous seasons, weddings on Succession are never drama-free.

    “Succession” season 4 airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.

    Reporting by Stacy Lambe and Rachel Smith

    RELATED CONTENT:

    ‘Succession’: What to Know About the Fourth and Final Season

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    ‘Succession’ Star Nicholas Braun Reveals How the Cast Feels About the Series Ending (Exclusive)

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    Corey Atad

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  • ‘Succession’ Premiere: The Roy Children Finally Notch A Win Against Logan

    ‘Succession’ Premiere: The Roy Children Finally Notch A Win Against Logan

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    The Roy children are here to play ball. The first episode of Succession season four sees Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) aligned in their quest to take down Logan (Brian Cox), delivering the one-two punch of skipping Logan’s birthday party and scooping Pierce Media Group up under his very nose. On this week’s episode of Vanity Fair‘s television podcast Still Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy break down the unification of the Roy children, the end of Tom and Shiv’s marriage, and what exactly happened to Anne Pierce in Maine.  

    Before they can take on Papa Logan, the Roy children have to come up with—and dispense—their maybe terrible idea, The Hundred.  “Rather than deal with any of the way more pressing issues in their lives, they’re like ‘Oh, let’s start a made-up, fake, bullshit company that has no way of going anywhere,” notes Murphy. 

    But The Hundred, the Roy children’s new media venture—described as “Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker”—is dead on arrival. “It fails ten minutes into the episode,” Lawson notes, while pointing out it’s shrewd satire of recent real-life media ventures like Semafor and CNN+. 

    The abandoned business also servers as table setting for the rest of the season. “It was eerily familiar,” says Lawson. “I think that it’s such a good characterization of exactly this kind of heir: not heir to just a static fortune, but heir to a business.” At first, the kids want to try to build something new. Then “they abandoned this kind of dumb rich kid idea, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re rich kids. Let’s just buy this show’s version of the New York Times.”

    Enter Nan Pierce, the owner of Pierce Media Group. Due to a tipoff from Tom, the Roy children learn that Logan is angling to buy it, and decide to get in the game. Played by Tony-winner Cherry Jones, Nan Pierce is diametrically opposed to Logan in her negotiation style, revealing something very true about a certain type of wealthy person . “It’s such a rich people thing to be like, ‘Oh, I don’t care about money. It’s beneath me.’ And it’s like, no, you’re lying,” Murphy notes. “That’s maybe all that you care about, actually.” 

    The Roy kids ultimately go head-to-head with their father for Pierce Media Group—and win with a bid of $10 billion. But will their high bid end up biting them in the ass?  Either way, it seems Nan Pierce needs the money if only to help cover “Anne’s disaster in Maine”—whatever that may be. “What was the disaster in Maine?” wonders Lawson. “Did she run over one of the Bushes in Kennebunkport on her wood-sided motor boat?” 

    In non-business dealings, Tom and Shiv seem to be at the end of the road when it comes to their marriage. Lawson appreciated the scene in which they appear to call it quits. “I thought that was pretty striking. I don’t think these are good people, just cause they had a moment of weakness and connection,” he says.“Throughout this episode there were moments that were careful to remind us that these are, at the end of the day, flesh and blood people—who, like Roman says, should probably be buying snowmobiles and sushi. Should just be enjoying themselves, but they can’t.” 

    But will the end of Tom and Shiv’s union affect Tom’s standing with Logan? If he is legally not married to Shiv any more, if there is no formal bond between them, what is Tom’s position at ATN? We’ll have to wait and see. 

    Listen below to hear Lawson and Murphy unpack the season premiere of Succession, and debate who will take over Waystar Royco by series end. For your own questions, comments, and final season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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