At the end of Season 3 of “Succession” on HBO Max, one question fans had when Josh Aaronson (Adrien Brody) walked with Logan Roy, the CEO of Waystar Royco, a global media and entertainment conglomerate (the awesome Bryan Cox) was whether Josh intended for Logan to have a heart attack due to the walk.
“Succession” tells the story of the Roy family and the machinations of Logan’s three children, the attention loving Kendall (Jeremy Strong), the sardonic Roman (Kieran Culkin) Logan’s favorite, who is facing a sex scandal and Siobhan (Sarah Snook), Logan’s only daughter, aptly called “Shiv.” Cox is magnificent as Logan, a brash, intimidating and cutthroat patriarch, and each child tries to get in his good graces and be named his successor.
Well-written and acted, “Succession,” like “Billions” on Showtime and “House of Cards” on Netflix, takes viewers behind the scenes of the rich and powerful. People love those shows because of the power struggles, as they try to predict who will come out on top and who will fall to the bottom.
In the trailers for Season 4, Greg (Matthew Macfayden, excellent as Tom Wambsgans, Shiv’s husband) is a man with a penchant for sticking his foot in his mouth, especially during government hearings. It’s a trait shared by Greg Hirsch, Logan’s anxious grandnephew, played by Nicholas Braun.
As comic relief, Tom often tries to warn or teach Greg, even though Tom often doesn’t know what he is talking about. He’s trying to figure out if he should try to hitch his ride to the woman he married, Logan’s daughter, or Logan himself. Last season, Shiv and her brothers tried to take down their father. It might have worked had Logan not been warned in advance by Tom.
In the trailer, Tom and Greg are discussing what would appear to be strategy: Whether or not to align with Logan or a venture by the three children. “This is a chessboard and every move is crucial,” Tom tells Greg. “Like Israel and Palestine, Greg, but harder and much more important.” (In the Season 3 finale, there was talk of an Israeli A.I. operation.)
Neither trusts the other, and it may be impossible to come to any agreement that would be beneficial to both. We’re not sure if he tells Greg this to help or trip him up. Tom also worries if his position would be affected if he and Shiv divorce. Fans are already speculating about what moves the children could potentially make. In the finale to last season, Tom asks Greg to be his attack dog. “What am I gonna do with a soul anyway?” Greg responds. “Souls are boring.”
The relationship between the Logan children and their father is so strained that they negotiate about something as simple as a phone call.
When the fourth season premieres Sunday, March 26 on HBO Max, viewers will once again be treated to one of the best shows on television. Logan, in poor health, is still able to outmaneuver his children, mostly due to a traitor who tipped him off.
Will the three children be able to be stay afloat with a new company or will they be destroyed? After not being consulted regarding a merger with a tech company, where their positions would be in doubt, will their aggressive response lead to a loss in fortune?
Strong is superb as a man possibly having a mental breakdown, while Culkin consistently provides comic relief. Snook shines as the woman who assumes she has the brains because she is more cerebral than her brothers.
They’ve lost the battle, but it’s unclear if they have lost the war.
The new season, which series creator Jesse Armstrong recently said will be the last, will reveal whether the brothers and sister can find some new ammunition to fire. They’ve lost the battle, but it’s unclear if they have lost the war.
