The Roys are back and better than ever.
The highly anticipated premiere of HBO’s Succession season four is finally here. After a nail-biting cliffhanger at the end of season three and an announcement confirming this upcoming season will be the show’s finale, there is a lot riding on this episode. Many fans (myself included) have been anxiously awaiting the empty Sunday 9 p.m. slot and were eager to see what was in store. Fortunately, the high stakes and ferocious nature of the show were in full effect.
Succession returned to our screens with all the usual fixings: clever wisecracks, convoluted business jargon and a fairly complicated family dynamic. The episode jumps right into its usual intense, quick-paced nature. Kendall, Roman and Siobhan have teamed up together to create their own media company called The Hundred. The Hundred is described as a platform with insight from the 100 top thinkers in major fields, ranging anywhere from politics to food. The trio is passionate about their new project and is in the midst of a negotiation to pitch it to potential investors. That is, until, they hear word that their father, Logan Roy, is planning on acquiring Pierce Global Media, one of Waystar Royco’s news competitors and the subject of season two. Despite efforts to create their own brand, the kids realize that the best (and possibly only) way to get ahead of Logan is to beat him out of his deal and buy the Pierce company. From there, the episode spirals into a bidding war with Nan Pierce at the head of it all.
Meanwhile, audiences catch a glimpse into the world of Logan Roy. In a somewhat depressing turn, we learn that it is his birthday. While Logan may try to keep his cool, it is obvious that the absence of his kids (minus Connor) is devastating for him. He sulks around his birthday party, criticizing party-goers who have merely shown up to eat food. It is an incredibly interesting portrayal of the usually bitter, hot-headed Logan. He is still both of those things, but as he escapes his party, it is obvious that Logan is grieving. While talking with his bodyguard and “best pal,” he questions his mortality and the possibility of the afterlife. The entire conversation is unlike anything we have seen Logan discuss before, and it offers us a lens toward emotions we’ve never seen this character admit: feelings of shame, guilt and maybe even fear. And yet, at the same time, Logan reveals so little. He continues to be guarded, but for just a split second, the audience can see that there is more bubbling to the surface.
Like always, the tension of the show is balanced with its humor, specifically through the iconic friendship between Tom and Greg. Dialogue has always been one of the strongest points in Succession and the banter between these two is a treat. As Greg arrives at Logan’s birthday party with a woman who is immediately ostracized, Tom goes on a tangent about the size of her handbag which is “ludicrously capacious.” If that’s not enough, Greg has coined them as the “disgusting brothers,” a new nickname to commemorate their adventures as single men. The unlikely friendship and the one-liners that have come from it, provide a perfect segue between the Roys’ ongoing feud.
Still, there is an emotional element to Succession that cannot be ignored. This is especially true in the final moments of the episode, where we see Shiv and Tom’s first face-to-face interaction since the betrayal. In a moment that is heart-wrenching yet beautiful, the pair lay down together and acknowledge the future of their relationship. Shiv delivers the news that she thinks the two should separate, while Tom offers to have a “big talk” and really discuss their marriage. In true Shiv fashion, she cuts the conversation short, and Tom backs down. Together, they admit a sort of defeat, and with hands interlaced, they agree that they at least “gave it a go.” It is a moment of reflection for the two, a stretch of the silence of all the things that could have been spoken but which will remain unsaid. It is a scene that is so visually telling—just look at the body language. Shiv and Tom’s marriage has been bumpy (to say the least) and filled with miscommunications. There was no other way this conversation could have gone, and that is probably what makes it so devastating. The performances of Sarah Snook and Matthew McFayden at this moment are especially moving. Their chemistry and ability to portray such a poignant conversation is a feat in itself.
Overall, the Succession premiere has shown great promise. With the Roy children pitted against their father, there is sure to be blood in the water. While it may be too early to speculate about the show’s finale, all I know is that I will surely be missing Succession once it concludes.
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