We’re splitting heirs as Succession finds new life after death

Gone is the planet round which these characters orbit, and we discover everybody in a state of flux. Roman is faking being fantastic, Kendall appears unmoored regardless of having “the very best grief man,” whereas Shiv is coping with one other seismic life change: she’s pregnant. When one door closes…

A crowd is gathered at Logan’s home below the guise of grief, and loads of unfamiliar faces are in attendance – Sorry, who’s Penny? And who the hell is Mark?

Fortunately, there’s somebody we do recognise! Marcia is again from Milan wanting each inch a Grieving Widow.

“We had intimate calls each night,” she informs Kendall. Naturally, the siblings are suspicious of her intentions: Marcia isn’t right here to mourn what she misplaced however to guard what she stands to achieve.

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Nevertheless, it quickly turns into clear that Marcia shouldn’t be alone in her performative mourning, battle strains are being drawn, and very similar to final week, the scramble for energy overshadows any sombre reflection of what a world with out Logan Roy appears like.

“For a few of us, it’s a tragic day,” says Shiv. “For others, it’s a coronation demolition derby.”

This rush for management is fuelled by a board assembly scheduled that very same day to resolve the interim CEO of the corporate, and so we discover ourselves break up into two camps.

In a single room, among the many fantastic china, are the Greybeards: Frank, Gerri and Karl, and subsequent door, we’ve got the youngsters, decided to not cede management to those “Keystone f—ks.”

Tom is pin balling between the 2 teams, noticeably conscious that his place, after Logan’s loss of life, is now oh-so-precarious. His makes an attempt to woo the siblings are promptly shut down by Roman, who calls him “Tightrope Tommy” for “using his delicate cycle throughout Niagara Falls.”

It’s even worse when he pitches himself to Karl, who delivers a dressing down that may make Logan proud. “You’re a slipshod interloper, and nobody trusts you. The one man pulling for you is lifeless. And now you’re simply married to the ex-bosses daughter, and he or she doesn’t even such as you. And you’re honest and squarely f—ed.”

Between all of the backwards and forwards, this episode reminds us simply how massive a loss the loss of life of Logan Roy is. When folks die, it’s pure to mythologise them to a sure extent; one thing Succession pokes enjoyable at with one of many episodes’ few laugh-out-loud moments

Locked away of their struggle room, the youngsters scan numerous obits of their father, and so they can’t assist however learn between the strains. “An advanced man” (Kendall: “Threw telephones at employees.“); “a pointy reader of the nationwide temper” (Roman: “He’s a bit racist.); “He was very a lot a person of his period.” (Kendall: “Once more, racist. Additionally, relaxed about sexual assault.”

However it’s no exaggeration to say that regardless of this being the primary episode to not characteristic Logan Roy, his presence was extra palpable than ever. Even in loss of life, he can’t assist however management the lives of everybody round him, and finally, it’s as soon as on Logan to ship the episode’s most dramatic second.

Frank calls a truce between the 2 teams, so he can share some new data: a doc has been present in a personal secure detailing Logan’s needs for WayStar within the occasion of his loss of life, and it names Kendall Roy as his successor.

And with that, we lastly have Succession’s successor! Thanks for taking part in, guys!

Alas, this isn’t a world the place issues get wrapped up neatly, and it’s identified there’s a pencil mark below Kendall’s title.

Is it underlined? Is it crossed out? When did Logan mark this doc? Does it even matter now that he’s lifeless?

The crossed-out-or-underlined hand grenade immediately begins to splinter the lately reunited Roy siblings. Shiv believes it’s moot given the paradox of the pencil line, and Roman is unconvinced, arguing Kendall has “tried to place him in jail, like, 12 instances since then.”

However for Kendall, the doc confirms a future he has dreamed about since day one. It was at all times meant to be him, wasn’t it?

Time and time once more, Succession has reminded us that on this world, the reality and what you can also make folks imagine are two various things. For Kendall, the intention behind the pencil mark is irrelevant; notion trumps actuality.

As his father as soon as famously stated, “You make your personal actuality. And when you’ve executed it, apparently, everybody’s of the opinion it was all so f—ing apparent.”

With that in thoughts, Kendall units about stacking the deck in his favour. Utilizing Logan’s “dying want” as leverage, he convinces Stewie and Sandi that they need to again him on the assembly earlier than going to work on Shiv and Roman.

They’re a more durable promote, however Kendall is on a roll, and he is aware of tips on how to hit the suitable beats and make them bend. “All I’m suggesting is that I swing it for us,” he says in full salesmen mode.

The dialog shortly develops right into a two-man present, Kendall and Roman doubling as much as pitch themselves as a management duo. Kendall cites the piece of paper as his ticket, whereas Roman believes that as COO, he helps sweeten the deal.

Regardless of their one-in-all-in strategy, there is no such thing as a room for Shiv as a result of it’ll make them look flaky. “Two is cool, however three is wonky,” explains Kendall.

Shiv reluctantly agrees on the situation she is “on the within” earlier than tapping into their grief as a form of pinky promise that they’re on the identical staff: “It is a Dad promise, on yesterday.”

Even by Succession requirements, it is a rollover of dizzying pace, and within the moments after Roman and Kendall are accredited, there’s a realisation from Shiv {that a} mistake has been made. You don’t should be an professional in symbolism to clock what it means when she takes a tumble down the steps following the board assembly.

For somebody who thrives on being in management, Shiv’s world is crumbling: her father is gone, her marriage is over, there’s a child on the way in which, and he or she’s on the outer.

Because it seems, she was proper to fret about Kendall as a result of it takes him two minutes to backflip on the sibling’s “Dad promise” and go rogue.

The episode ends with Roman and Kendall receiving a backroom pitch from Hugo and Karolina: to assist enhance confidence within the new-look management staff, they’ll trash Logan’s fame, air his dirtiest laundry and paint him as an incompetent figurehead.

“We may go so far as you want,” affords Hugo. “We may go to Connor’s mum, the bodily and verbal abuse, the Kerry scenario.”

Contemplating Logan’s physique isn’t even chilly but, each brothers shut down “Operation S–t on Dad”, however there’s a sparkle in Kendall’s eye. Moments later, he pulls out his cellphone and examines the picture of his underlined (or is it crossed out?) title on the doc.

Privately he instructs Hugo to motion the Dangerous Dad plan, however “softly, no prints.” It’s calculating and chilly, however finally, it’s, as Kendall reminds us: “What Logan would do.”

Killers aren’t born. They’re made and raised.

Succession is dropping new episodes each Monday on Foxtel and Binge.