The penultimate episode of Succession has arrived, setting up a series finale for the ages.
As ATN's early election call for Republican candidate Jeryd Mencken sparks showdowns on the streets of Manhattan, the Roys take refuge in the city's most elaborate cathedral to say goodbye to the man who started it all.
Knowing that in addition to his pink cards in the palm of his hand, he also has the president-elect in his pocket, showman Roman was as ready as he's ever been thanks to his "overregret".
But parting ways with Logan Roy was never going to be easy.
We need to talk about Kendall giving the eulogy because Roman couldn't
Despite a sweaty Greg doing anything but "pulling his legs out", there was nothing stopping Uncle Ewan from interrupting the order of service and giving an impromptu eulogy.
"What kind of people would stop their brother from speaking because of the stock price?" he says, berating his family's protests as he steps into the pulpit, adding, "It's not for me to judge my brother. History will tell that story."
Logan's estranged brother explains how the pair were shipped from Scotland during World War II, but not before their ship's engines failed, leaving them floating in mid-air and threatened with death if they dared to move an inch.
It gets worse.
We learn the most we've ever known about Logan's abusive upbringing and how he blamed himself for his younger sister's death, believing he brought polio into their home after returning from boarding school.
"I don't even know if that's true. But our aunt and uncle certainly didn't do anything to dissuade him from that idea," Ewan says, confirming that the scars on Logan's back came from the hands of his family.
"I loved him, I suppose. And I suppose some of you did too, in whatever way he let us. But I can't help but say he did the most terrible things."
Finally, after a speech full of light and a lot of shade, it's Roman's turn.
And it immediately falls apart.
Romulus — who told Greg to get him one of Logan's sweaters when he was in the hospital in season one so he would have something that smelled like him — can't go on.
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"Is he in there?" he asks between sobs, pointing to his father's coffin as his siblings console him. "Can we get him out?"
So then it all comes down to Kendall, and that patricidal glee in his eyes that has driven him for so long finally hardens into something different as he almost embodies his father.
"Yes, he had a terrible strength in him and a fierce ambition that could push you aside… that magnificent, terrible strength of his. But my God, I hope it's in me."
“There was no room, from the largest cabin where they sought his advice to the lowest house where his news was played, where he could not walk and where he was not comfortable.
"He was comfortable with this world and he knew it. And he liked it. And I say, amen to that."
After a stuttering start, Shiv goes last with an anecdote about how, as children, they used to play outside their father's office in an attempt to get his hard-won attention.
"He kept us out. But he kept everyone out. When he let you in, when the sun was shining, it was warm. It was warm in the light," she says.
"But it was hard to be his daughter. He was hard on women. He couldn't fit a whole woman in his head," she adds, and you can practically hear his employees, wives and lovers saying "Amen."
We can't help but talk about Shiv and Matsson working with Mencken
With the hardest part of the day over, the Roys waste no time in using the funeral reception to play a war game for the upcoming board meeting.
It's "Supermom" Shiv who tells Lukas Matsson that the president-elect would likely approve GoJ's acquisition of Waystar if they appointed an American CEO - who happens to be named Siobhan Roy. Shiv has worked in politics before and knows that this would be portrayed in the media as a victory for Mencken.
When the pair corner Mencken at the vigil, he initially rejects the Swede before their suggestion of a "meatball hamburger" piques Jeryd's interest.
"My feelings are irrelevant. Our audience loves Jeryd, I respect our audience," excuses Shiv.
"And I love your audience," Mencken replies.
As always, Mencken remains vague, and Matsson later told Shiva: "They think they're interested, and I think I can make the American CEO work."
Before the chairs at the memorial can even be packed away, Kendall is already rallying his troops, later berating Roman at the vigil for allowing Shiva to form an alliance with their "friend" Mencken.
"We don't have much influence at the moment, we may have to make some moves," he claims.
"If we don't want to lose Waystar, we have to get serious and fight Shiv at the plate."
Let's talk about the power scale
The end is near, and Logan's funeral has drawn old friends and new enemies.
Logan
It's hard to know what Logan Roy would say about his funeral. Speak, red roses, Greg replaced Tom as one of the pall bearers. But Kendall was right when he said there wasn't a room his father didn't feel comfortable in. He was the planet at the center of his children's orbit, and his presence in death became even more terrifying. The Roys were flying blind, chasing the company off the cliff without his guidance. Now that he has received an official send-off, he will open his eyes to his greatest battle.
Mencken
The man of the moment was mobbed by the Roys at Logan's funeral, and who can blame them? He is the leader of the free world and has their future in the palm of his hand. Will he side with the Roy boy and block the deal, or will he complete it with Shiv spinning it as a victory? One thing is certain: never believe anything he says.
Shiv
First of all, kudos to Shiva for overcoming the most awkward encounter with his mother regarding her pregnancy. Let's not forget that Caroline looked her straight in the eye in season three and said, "Some people just aren't cut out to be mothers." Jeesh. But back to the business end of things. Shiv may be the most democratic of her siblings, but she still wants to win, and if that means being "flexible" with a fascist, then so be it. But while she "glows" at the thought of becoming an executive director, she made her first mistake by trusting Mencken.
Matsson
Shiv might be flattering Lukas Matsson by saying she's his puppet, but this week the tables have turned. Now Matsson must rely on Shiv to please Mencken to complete the GoJo purchase. But if the election has taught us anything, it's that Succession is a man's world, and the two could make their own deal and leave the Roys out in the cold.
Kendall
Kendall had his fair share of bad moments throughout the show, but it was harrowing to watch physically trying to stop his terrified wife and kids from fleeing the city due to the mayhem. "You're online too much, you've lost context," Kendall tells Ravi. Add to that the way he treated Jess after he forced her to admit that she was abandoning her role as his assistant, and he's just as bad as Logan when it comes to women. After punching his little brother, he's more alone than ever as he prepares to deal with his sister.
Marcia and Kerry (tie)
Of course, Caroline, wearing that little beret, would gather all of Logan's ex-wives and lovers so they could sit together in the front row at his funeral. What a camp! Instead of Marcia vs Kerry 2.0, we got a heartwarming moment where Marcia extended an olive branch to a tearful Kerry by placing her hand on top of hers. If we never see either of these two iconic women again, at least their last scene was kind.
Connor
If there's one thing Connor Roy loves (besides Willa) it's real estate, and Logan's Mausoleum is no different. "I was crazy about cryogenics, but I wouldn't say no to the top bunk," he admits as Roman is too freaked out to even set foot inside. After Connor's quick and easy concession speech the night before, he still hopes Mencken will secure him an ambassadorship to
Slovenia with a "macro travel budget". Of course, Con.
Greg
Greg is slippery! Did ATN let the chaos into the media? Everyone is factored into that timeline except him because of his microscopic role, but it's a role nonetheless. Greg defeating the Roys feels all too predictable, but he's in a rare position where he has no responsibilities, no loyalties, and no debts to pay.
Frank and Karl (tied)
Krank is at it again. They are the closest thing Roy's children have to father figures in their lives, and part of that new role is to protect them from reality. "How bad was it dad?" Shiv asks them both. "He was a sweet dog, but he was a good egg," says Frank. "What you saw is what you got," Karl adds, before the two share a look that means anything but.
waist
"How glad are you?" Gerri asks Frank, Karl and Karolina at the funeral, further cementing her status as the little queen when she doesn't pray for Logan during the service. She's still furious about how things turned out and seeing Roman break down in front of everyone would be traumatic. She knows A LOT about Waystar, so she has plenty of time to get her hands dirty in the finale.
Roman
I'm asking someone to check on the welfare of Roman Roy. After Kendall tells him that Shiv's alliance with Mencken is entirely his fault, he backs off, but not before Frank realizes that Shiv's meltdown at the funeral was filmed by GoJo's Ray and posted online. The novel, emotionally and now physically damaged after walking into the wave of protesters outside, is in pieces — and we're running out of time to put it back together.
Tom
"I would never have dared not come to his funeral while he was alive," Shiv tells Tom at the vigil when he manages to sneak out of the office for 20 minutes. But the fire in the ATN container was just an excuse. In reality, Tom was too depressed to leave after being on the plane with Logan that fateful day. "I was the first one in there with him after he died. So I said goodbye to him." Tom and Shiv finally talk about the pregnancy, and it's not constructive, but something has definitely shifted between them.
Hugo
Big H! Literally no one has ever called Hugo that in their life, but if anyone can it's Kendall Roy. He is the droid that Kendall was looking for and will continue to be blackmailed into being his servant by leaking to the media. "You can come, but it won't be a collaboration, you'll be my dog, but the scraps from the table will be millions. Happy?" Kendall asks. All Hugo can say in response is, "Whoa, whoa."
Series Finale Notes and Predictions
- No one mentioned the fact that Kendall committed manslaughter in the first season. Anyone saving it for the series finale? Will it be Shiv? Or Roman?
- Speaking of... Logan was the only one who called Roman "Romulus". If you're not familiar with Roman mythology, Romulus killed his twin brother Remus to be the sole founder of Rome. It could be nothing, but it could be something.
- We have to start preparing for the finale because even Succession executive producer Adam McKay (who also directed the pilot) says he had to "recover emotionally" after watching it. He told Variety: "I knew what was coming. And still! Oh, my God. Wow."
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