The current best show on “TV” is one minute and 20 seconds long (including credits).
The Succession teaser is here and I know you’ve watched, but let’s watch again:
What we are seeing here, again, is Kendall as a man on the precipice of power. Kendall hyping himself in the mirror reminds me of season one, when he was preparing to peacefully takeover Waystar Royco, before Logan stubbornly decided not to retire and blindsided Kendall with the announcement. Kendall did manage to kind of take over when Logan had a medical emergency, only for his father to wrest back control when he was barely able to use the washroom on his own. Then there was Kendall, running in late and out of breath at the board meeting, short on votes. There was also Kendall at Shiv’s wedding, all hyped up on coke and adrenaline, preparing for a “bear hug” hostile takeover of the company. Two seasons and several attempts from Ken to succeed his father, all have failed. Will season three be different for him?
Power is always the center for the Roy family, even beyond money. Money is a symbol and a reward for their power but at this point in their lives, it is not the motivation. Their wealth is established but their place in the world (as a dying star media conglomerate) and as a family (as adult children who desperately need the validation of their father) is always shifting. That’s what struck me so much about this tease: the shifts in tone – there’s anger and mocking and sarcasm and fear. There’s Kendall going through it all but also Logan, defiant and ready for the fight. Logan has raised his children for this. By the way he’s treated them, it seems as if this is what he’s actively wanted the whole time: for one of them to “nut up” and TAKE what is his, because he was never going to give it up with a smile and a pat on the back. He wanted a killer. He got one.
Shiv is also sticking to her playbook, playing all sides, which was disastrous for her in season two (with her father toying with her career). Tom and Greg are periphery characters and what they want or need is never really in play because they are pawns, they are tools for the family to use. Greg willingly helped Kendall, but that leaves him in grave danger not just from Logan, but that if the takeover happens, he will be discarded when power is exchanged.
Tom has no chance of being in charge and the fact that he genuinely believed he did is a bit sad and a bit naïve but also a bit greedy of him, too. That is Tom: a jumbled ball of desperation and enthusiasm. At the end of season two, Shiv and Tom were in crisis but their marriage revolves around the family business, so will that bring them back together? There isn’t a hint of any personal stuff in the teaser but because their marriage is an extension of the Roys’ dynamic, Tom’s feelings on an open relationship are probably even less of a priority to her than they were before the “I’m not a hippie, Shiv!” beach talk.
And Roman is there, still secretly in love (or something like it?) with Gerri. Speaking of – where the f-ck is Gerri? Not even a peek?! I noticed Frank in the background and Fischer Stevens (who played the publicist for cruises) and maybe her elbow was in that scene, but considering she is the head of legal, she could be dealing with that or Logan temporarily pushed her out in misdirected rage. (J. Smith Cameron has been actively posting photos from Italy with the cast, so she is definitely filming.)
Logan, with the guttural laughter of a madman, taunting and threatening his best boy, is the moment. In season two, Logan told Kendall he would be the one taking the fall for cruises because according to Logan’s twisted logic, he loves his son so much that he is the only worthy sacrifice. It was an order that was dressed up to seem like an honour.
Logan is so dysfunctional that on some level he truly believes that throwing Kendall into the volcano is an act of fatherly love and duty. What Logan doesn’t see is that his kids love him – they genuinely love him – and in giving up his dad, it is Ken who actually made the greatest sacrifice. He gave up his sun, the person he revolves around, to try to save not just himself but his father’s work. In saving himself he might also be saving the thing his dad values most – the continuation of Waystar Royco.
This is just a teaser, not even a full trailer and we have good reason to be excited. For a hit show that is so analyzed, it’s a relief to see they haven’t done anything gross, like try to make characters “likable” or “relatable.” The Roys are the worst and I hope they never change.
