I recently read something on how there’s too many billionaires on TV and that it whitewashes the harm of hoarding wealth. (Loot was mentioned, as was Succession.)
Succession isn’t a satire and no one is getting lifestyle envy from watching this show. They are incalculably rich and go from one non-descript room to another, wearing their boring clothes. (The only one who even tries to dabble in art or style, Kendall, looks foolish when he does so.) Even if the yacht is docked in the Mediterranean and they are being waited on hand and foot with the best food and drink, nothing is enjoyed. There’s so much emptiness.
The first look at season four is a really hefty teaser – there’s a lot going on here and almost every relationship is touched upon.
The Three Roys of the Apocalypse really gave it their all in the season three finale and it ended in literal tears and the destruction of their collective dream by both their mother and father. I love that the writers went with the most nuclear option – Logan giving up control to another company and CEO, played with just the right amount of sexy unhinged weirdness by Alexander Skarsgård. Logan’s company is his child and his kids are his business. He’s talked over the years about making grand sacrifices, but what if he wasn’t talking about Kendall or Shiv or Roman? What if his ultimate sacrifice is giving up the company because he doesn’t trust it will survive his children? He’s throwing it into the volcano (with the merger) because he loves it so much.
Logan never gets f-cked. His latest win came with an assist from Tom, who has now rendered himself completely useless. If he can’t spy on Shiv for Logan, who is coming down from the high of a huge deal, what use does he serve now? He torpedoed his marriage for a literal pat on the back from his father-in-law but in his defense, the marriage was in trouble. When the bride unilaterally decides on an open relationship on her wedding night, it’s not great. Tom chose the winning side because the only other option was to be at Shiv’s mercy. The question is, does Logan need another Frank or Karl?
There was also another romantically-tinged betrayal when Geri left Roman on his knees after the two were in a secret alliance. In the trailer, Geri very passionately says that Roman was not making the right move and Logan would destroy them. She has always been pragmatic and sees the problems without the baggage of family or emotion. Yes, she betrayed Roman in the moment but could it have possibly been her way of trying to save him? Roman also meets with Lukas Matsson (Skarsgård), who he had developed a slightly flirtatious relationship with.
Roman and Shiv are in a lot of turmoil and it is Ken, who has struggled so much, who seems calm and focused. Could this be the year Kendall starts to grow into the person he thinks he is? Roman might not do meetings or numbers or email but he can charm people, so maybe this is where he can excel, by working that handshake side of a deal. Shiv is great with optics and negotiating details under pressure. Ken is good with data and innovation and reading the market. If they are going to finally work together, they need to understand their value, not constantly try to out-Logan Logan. (Yes, I’m business coaching the Roys.)
As for the Wives of House of Roy, there’s no word on Marcia, Caroline or Rava (but it looks like she filmed this season, going by her Instagram posts). Also no sighting of fan-favourite Stewy, but this is just a teaser.
One final trailer note: there’s a wedding that happens and those typically end in disaster for the Roy children. Will Willa and Connor break this curse? (Prediction: no.)
Only three more months till Sunday night Succession.
