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2 March 26 - April 1, 2023 | Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media S ince 2018, the designer- clad, private-jet-setting Roy family has graced HBO with its particular brand of sardonic humor and drama. Now, after five years of media mayhem, Jes- se Armstrong's ("Peep Show") witty business masterpiece re- turns for a fourth and final sea- son. "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 Pickle," 2020) and Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," 2010) have been os- cillating between union and divi- sion in the name of (you guessed it) succession since the very first episode. There is also, as viewers know, one more Roy child who often 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 presi- dency. Despite his dream of run- ning the country rather than his father's empire, Connor still of- ten manages to complicate mat- ters for his family on the way to the top of the political sphere. Amid the turmoil, scandal, politics and petty familial affairs, Logan is still running the show heading into Season 4 — some- thing that somewhat shocked actor Cox, considering the origi- nal 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] re- alized that Logan is the centrifu- gal force of the piece. Everything has to spin off him, and the kids' vices are all about their father." That said, come Season 4, anything could happen. Regard- less, series creator Armstrong has stated his intention to deliv- er 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 Statesman that there would be "a very definite moment when [the] story is over," leading to much speculation that Logan will finally take his last breath, if not in life then certainly in busi- ness, by the series finale. The question then re- mains: who will ascend to the Roy family throne? As any "Succession" fan can attest, the dynamics have changed quite a bit among the show's key players since the pi- lot. By the end of Season 3 (spoil- ers ahead for those not yet caught up), the siblings and oth- er main employees had chosen to back either Kendall, the for- mer golden boy once poised to inherit the Roy empire, or Logan, the stubborn patriarch and ruth- less 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 "antiquated" Waystar Royco. This buyout, 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 fi- nancial, strategic or spite-fueled, however, remains to be seen in its entirety. It doesn't exactly take a keen observer to notice Logan got more power-hungry and domi- neering than ever in the Season 3 finale, though. After having cut his children off from the media empire in one final, detrimental blow, Logan stands more alone than ever in his corner. Shiv and Roman, meanwhile, appear to have joined Kendall in his long- standing Shakespearean quest to overthrow his father. And while the official HBO trailer seems to signal Logan's rivals, Stewy Hosse- ini (Arian Moayed, "Inventing Anna") and the Furnesses, Sandy (Larry Pine, "The French Dispatch," 2021) and Sandi (Hope Davis, "Captain America: Civil War," 2016), join- ing the siblings to overthrow the patriarch, Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, "How to Be Single," 2016) and Shiv's husband, Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfady- en, "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 "existen- tial angst and familial division among the Roys as they antici- pate what their lives will look like once the deal [with Matsson] is completed." Armstrong further set the stage for the "bumpy ride" to- ward the series finale when he told Town & Country that there is sure to be "a lot of hard render- ing and conflict" ahead. "Succession," which also stars J. Smith-Cameron ("Search Party"), Peter Friedman ("The Path"), David Rasche ("Impas- tor") and Fisher Stevens ("The Blacklist") as Waystar Royco ex- ecutives Gerri, Frank, Karl and Hugo, respectively, launches Sea- son 4 Sunday, March 26. Each of the final season's 10 episodes will release weekly on HBO. Cowan's Drugs 1 x 3" Next in 'Succession' Backstabbing, banter and business continue in final season Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin in "Succession" Plane A commercial airliner and its passengers are caught in the ride for their lives, literally, as unlikely allies must come to- gether to safeguard a plane and ensure everyone returns home safely. Commercial pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) is having a standard flight while discreetly transporting inter- national homicide suspect Louis Gaspare (Colter). Caught in a horrific tropical storm, the plane is forced to make an emergency landing – and that's only the start of the danger. Can a reluctant hero and a wanted fugitive survive the elements, armed militias and each other? Director: Jean-François Richet. Stars : Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yo- son An, Tony Goldwyn, Daniel- la Pineda. Paul Ben-Victor. 107 mins. 2023. Action Missing The mother (Long) of a young woman goes missing while on vacation in South America with her new boyfriend. Fear- ing the worst, daughter June (Reid) must take action and confront a deeper plot, all while being thousands of miles away. Blocked by the slow progress of international agencies, June is left to her own actions. With time run- ning out and the dangers to her remaining family escalat- ing, June must utilize every re- source at her disposal — wit, bravado and the powers of smartphone technology — to help unravel an international plot and save her family. Directors: Nicholas D. John- son, Will Merrick. Stars: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Tim Griffin, Amy Landecker, Nia Long, Daniel Henney, Megan Suri. 111 mins. 2023. Thriller. The Son Peter Miller (Jackman) has be- gun a new chapter of his life, having recently married his second wife, Beth (Kirby). Suddenly, without notice, Miller's teenage son, Nicholas (McGrath), who is battling de- pression, arrives at his door. Peter must navigate the deli- cate balance of fatherhood and marriage while coming to terms with his own strained family history, tied to Nicho- las's controlling grandfather (Hopkins). Various genera- tions of the family must adapt and confront the history and decisions that bind them. Can Peter overcome his family trauma so he and his son can move forward? Director: Florian Zeller. Stars: Hugh Jackman, Zen McGrath, Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Quarshie. 123 mins. 2022. Drama Videoreleases Gerard Butler in "Plane"

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