Succession Season 4 Episode 2 Review: Killing the kids with karaoke and kindness

In the latest installment of the last season of Succession, Logan Roy yet again manoeuvered his way out of a predicament. And all it took was his mere presence.

Before you continue, be warned: SPOILERS AHEAD

With the sale of Waystar Royco to GoJo just a day away, tensions are high. Logan is stalking around the ATN floor or as Greg puts it - “terrifyingly moseying.. like Jaws, if everyone in Jaws worked for Jaws''.

Brian Cox channels his inner Blackbeard, delivering a heavily impassioned speech that feels just as inspiring as it is condescending and proclaiming that Logan Roy was here to stay (even if it meant that his band of hearty pirates may exhaust themselves from the strains of sending emails).

Meanwhile the “Rebel Alliance” of the Roy siblings are spitballing terrible plans for their Pierce acquisition. Watching Kerry's horrifying ATN audition tape helps them blow off some steam, but with Sandi and Stewie breathing down their necks, trying to convince them to force Logan to renegotiate with the Swedish billionaire, Mattson, the stakes have never been higher.

The Roys take pride in demonstrating their toughness and reject any display of vulnerability. They prefer to hurl obscenities over expressing affection and thrive on engaging in cutthroat business tactics such as breaking deals, bidding against one another, and dismantling their competitors. That said, it is always interesting to witness Logan's reaction when his children manage to gain some leverage over him, and he acknowledges their power (having been bamboozled by Kendall in Season 2’s infamous finale).

This move exposes everyone's real motivations. For Shiv and Kendall, the money is less important than sticking it to their dad and regaining some control. For Logan, it's about gaining more control. But for Roman, the idea of a clean break from the family and the multi-billion dollar business that defines it is alluring.

Kieran Culkin's giveaway expressions are more than suggestive of Roman’s wavering allegiances. At the bar, Kendall and Shiv tear him down, thereby blurring the lines that distinguished them from big, bad Logan himself. 

In this second episode of the final season, Logan meets with the Roy siblings for the first time since he thwarted their attempt to take over his company last season. The summit is unusual, taking place in a karaoke bar instead of the usual sleek office setting, with the gaudy purple karaoke parlour adding to the drama.

Logan acts in an unprecedentedly hesitant manner, his demeanour almost uncomfortably meekish when contrasted with his recent newsroom declamations. As if this wasn’t a shocker enough, when his children demand an apology, he gives one. When they seek clarification, he seems to grant it. Even when he criticises them, he expresses his love for them. Eventually, Logan admits that his only goal is to reunite the family. Could it be possible that the unemotive Logan Roy has finally displayed but a semblance of vulnerability?

Logan plays humble and exposed, offering apologies as though they were line items in a contract. Roman is anxious for reconciliation, Shiv is open and raw, and Kendall is perched above it all, trying to extract pain. But the standout delivery belongs to to Connor's 'superpower'. Having submitted himself to his fate entirely, the oldest Roy sibling admonishes his "needy love sponges" with one of the most devastating lines in the series.

Roman, still vying for his father's approval, eventually breaks and entertains offers of betrayal at Logan's place. “We know what they are like,” chides Logan. One simple, yet crucial piece of dialogue that in one swift stroke alienates Roman from his siblings and aligns him on the other side. An assuring “I need you” seems to be the final blow for Logan’s manipulations to seep their way into the youngest Roy’s skin.

The Roy children's emotional struggles with their patriarch are the series' foundation, a guiding light that invariably leads to its abyss of entrenched dysfunctions. Despite their ability to execute the most brilliant chess moves, he still possesses the board they are playing on and can choose to overturn it at any moment.

And though it's hard to dismiss Logan's claim that his kids aren't serious people, it seems the “human gaslight” has come out on top, yet again.

New episodes of Succession don’t stream every Monday on Disney+Hotstar. Indian viewers know how to find a way.

ALSO READ: Succession Season 4 Episode 1 Review: There is no saving the Roys

ALSO SEE: Succession Season 4 Gets A Dazzling Premiere