The season premiere of “Succession” saw a lot of action as the two-time Emmy-winning HBO show began its final flight of episodes, highlighting the ongoing conflict within the Roy family. The power struggle between media tycoon Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and three of his four children – Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) – was at the center of the episode. The strained relationship between them was evident from the start, with Logan’s assistant and girlfriend, Kerry (Zoe Winters), attempting to arrange a birthday call between the trio and their father, only to spark a discussion about whether a simple text message expressing interest in talking would suffice.
Jesse Armstrong, the creator of the series, effortlessly weaves in nods to the excesses of real-life media moguls without veering from his dramatic purpose or the show’s central conflicts. Last season’s speculation about whether Logan and Kerry had actually become a couple, which reflects the epitome of a May-December romance, largely unfolded off-screen in terms of confirmation.
However, the significant developments in the episode revolved around Shiv and her husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen). They had engaged in extramarital flirtations and dalliances and even discussed having an open marriage. Moreover, Tom had betrayed Shiv to win Logan’s favor. After all this, they finally decided to end their marriage.
Tom responded in a childlike manner, saying, “That makes me sad,” when Shiv declared that their relationship was over. Earlier, Tom had even checked with Logan to ensure that he would still be on good terms with him if he were to no longer be his son-in-law.
Logan’s response to Tom’s question about his status with Waystar Royco was cryptic. He was preoccupied with two massive deals that could make or break his company: the sale of the media giant to tech tycoon Lukas Matsson and the acquisition of Pierce Global Media, which resembles Rupert Murdoch’s real-life takeover of the parent company of the Wall Street Journal in 2007. This move put a prestigious institution in the hands of a cutthroat tabloid pirate.
Throughout the episode, Logan was restless and agitated, leaving his own birthday party early and displaying a caged animal-like behavior. Despite referring to themselves as the “new gen Roys,” Kendall and his siblings are once again mismatched in their ongoing battle with their father. However, this doesn’t stop them from believing that they can challenge him, leading to the possibility of a bidding war for Pierce.
The season premiere of “Succession” was packed with developments, but its main purpose was to lay the groundwork for future conflicts and struggles. While the Shiv-Tom relationship drama was the most notable aspect of the episode, there’s still plenty to come. As Logan himself might say, “Succession” is at its best when it’s really good, so viewers should stay tuned.