HBO’s Succession maps out the Roy media dynasty and the war being fought between patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) and his son, Kendall (Jeremy Strong). The other siblings have all been jockeying for power too, but Kendall’s the one who’s emerged front of the pack. At one point Kendall seemed down and out, but then key events unfolded that made him rush the throne and deal a huge blow to his dad. This is the setup for the upcoming third season of the show, so before the show returns let’s break down what broke Kendall and reignited the feud.
Kendall represents a new era, wanting Waystar RoyCo to focus more on digital and innovative media than traditional. Logan’s empire requires retooling, but to do so, Kendall needed the old blood out. It’s why he launched his first coup, thinking his dad was mentally unfit for the job. Granted, a lot of it had to do with Logan’s knack for physical and mental abuse. Still, whether Kendall was selfish or not, it felt like the proper solution as his dad wanted to use political connections and breach antitrust laws to basically become the only news source in America.
Sadly, Logan intimidated voters in the no-confidence meeting, including his other son, Roman, and was able to fire Kendall and the rebel board members. Things got even more interesting for Logan when Kendall partnered with Stewy and Sandy Furness, his dad’s biggest rivals, to launch a hostile takeover. They came close to succeeding, but Kendall made a cocaine run that killed a waiter at his sister’s wedding, with his dad finding out and then covering it up in the Season 1 finale.
A grateful and indebted hostage, Kendall switched sides, working under Logan once more to stop the bid. This was the main focus of Season 2, but as Logan felt pressure and cracks started emerging once more, he tried to flex his muscle. This led him to take Kendall into the waiter’s home for a PR op, which in turn shattered Kendall, throwing him further into guilt, drugs and depression. Kendall then tried to get in contact with his mother, but Caroline’s frustrations about Logan led her to avoid Kendall.
This was the lowest moment for Kendall. He’d never felt so alone, with no parents to rely on. He couldn’t even trust his siblings, as they’d use the conspiracy as leverage. He also had no friends to rely on. Then came the straw that broke the camel’s back, via a sex scandal on the family’s cruise line.
Logan needed to offer a scapegoat to the U.S. Senate, and he, of course, picked Kendall, who’d face jail time but come out with billions after. However, Kendall would get the upper hand, by using evidence with Logan’s signature to pin blame on his dad. He knew this would spook shareholders, turn the feds’ screws on Logan and leave an opening he could exploit as CEO.
Kendall’s realization that legacy didn’t mean a thing and that he didn’t need to be the sacrificial lamb, led him to show the killer instinct his father always said he didn’t posses. There’s a little of ego in this decision, but also a lot of karma, as Logan is despicable, manipulative, narcissistic and sociopathic. Ironically, Logan’s reaction wasn’t negative. Instead, he smiled, because despite the fact that Kendall gained immense ground in the battle for the business throne, Logan got what he wanted. His son turned into the beast he’d always wanted to see.
Season 3 of Succession will premiere on HBO this October.
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