Kokomo Tribune Entertainment NOW
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Entertainment Now | March 25 - 31, 2023 By Dana Simpson TV Media S ince 2018, the designer- clad, private-jet-setting Roy family has graced HBO with its particular brand of sar- donic humor and drama. Now, af- ter five years of media mayhem, Jesse Armstrong's ("Peep Show") witty business masterpiece re- turns for a fourth and final season. "Succession" premieres its closing installment Sunday, March 26, on HBO. The highly acclaimed series, which was nominated for 25 awards at the 2022 Emmys and took home a win for Outstanding Drama Series, follows the Roy family as its potential heirs wage a semi-private battle for the posi- tion of Waystar Royco CEO. All children of media magnate Logan Roy (Brian Cox, "Troy," 2004) — a Rupert Murdoch-type businessman — Kendall (Jeremy Strong, "The Trial of the Chicago 7," 2020), Siobhan, a.k.a. Shiv (Sarah Snook, "An American Pick- le," 2020) and Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," 2010) have been oscillat- ing between union and division in the name of (you guessed it) suc- cession since the very first epi- sode. There is also, as viewers know, one more Roy child who of- ten goes overlooked. Connor Roy (Alan Ruck, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," 1986), Logan's eldest and the only child from his first marriage, flits in and out of family affairs while chasing his main goal: the American presiden- cy. Despite his dream of running the country rather than his father's empire, Connor still often manag- es to complicate matters for his family on the way to the top of the political sphere. Amid the turmoil, scandal, poli- tics and petty familial affairs, Lo- gan is still running the show head- ing into Season 4 — something that somewhat shocked actor Cox, considering the original plan for the series. "I was supposed to die at the end of the first series," Cox said of the show's inaugural season. "But I think they [the writers] realized that Logan is the centrifugal force of the piece. Everything has to spin off him, and the kids' vices are all about their father." That said, come Season 4, any- thing could happen. Regardless, series creator Armstrong has stat- ed his intention to deliver on the promise set out in the show's title. "There's a promise in the title of 'Succession,' Armstrong con- firmed in February 2023. "The end has always been kind of present in my mind." Armstrong did, however, hint in an interview with The New States- man that there would be "a very definite moment when [the] story is over," leading to much specula- tion that Logan will finally take his last breath, if not in life then cer- tainly in business, by the series fi- nale. The question then remains: who will ascend to the Roy family throne? As any "Succession" fan can at- test, the dynamics have changed quite a bit among the show's key players since the pilot. By the end of Season 3 (spoilers ahead for those not yet caught up), the sib- lings and other main employees had chosen to back either Kendall, the former golden boy once poised to inherit the Roy empire, or Logan, the stubborn patriarch and ruthless company king. Last season also ushered in a new pawn-turned-power player: GoJo CEO and tech genius Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård, "The Northman," 2022), who has been putting the moves on Logan in hopes of buying out the "anti- quated" Waystar Royco. This buy- out, which once seemed unlikely due to Logan's instinct to shut down every potential deal with a glare and a cutting F-bomb, now appears to be a go. Whether his change of heart is financial, strate- gic or spite-fueled, however, re- mains to be seen in its entirety. It doesn't exactly take a keen observer to notice Logan got more power-hungry and domineering than ever in the Season 3 finale, though. After having cut his chil- dren off from the media empire in one final, detrimental blow, Logan stands more alone than ever in his corner. Shiv and Roman, mean- while, appear to have joined Ken- dall in his longstanding Shake- spearean quest to overthrow his father. And while the official HBO trail- er seems to signal Logan's rivals, Stewy Hosseini (Arian Moayed, "Inventing Anna") and the Fur- nesses, Sandy (Larry Pine, "The French Dispatch," 2021) and San- di (Hope Davis, "Captain America: Civil War," 2016), joining the sib- lings to overthrow the patriarch, Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, "How to Be Single," 2016) and Shiv's husband, Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, "Pride & Prejudice," 2005) — a deadly duo in their own right — have been cooking up their own plan, one featuring "attack dogs" and all. Though the sheer number of people against Logan may seem like a promising plan to oust him once and for all, it's important to remember how quickly things can change in "Succession." In fact, HBO indicated that nothing is truly certain except "existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal [with Matsson] is completed." Armstrong further set the stage for the "bumpy ride" toward the series finale when he told Town & Country that there is sure to be "a lot of hard rendering and conflict" ahead. "Succession," which also stars J. Smith-Cameron ("Search Par- ty"), Peter Friedman ("The Path"), David Rasche ("Impastor") and Fisher Stevens ("The Blacklist") as Waystar Royco executives Gerri, Frank, Karl and Hugo, respectively, launches Season 4 Sunday, March 26. Next in 'Succession': Backstabbing, banter and business continue in final season 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"