Succession Season 4 Episode 3 Review: Why are we mourning the reckoning of TV's worst tyrant?

The moment we all knew was coming is finally here. One would assume the emotionally bereft Roy siblings would be suitably equipped for a moment that set things in motion since its pilot episode, but boy were we wrong.

How’s everyone doing? #succession pic.twitter.com/nIIzoKc4yq

— HBO (@HBO) April 10, 2023

Throughout the previous seasons, each of the next-gen Roys has been eager to take over the Waystar Royco empire, but "Connor's Wedding" marks a shift in focus. 

The first season of Succession was primarily about Kendall, who tried to take over the company after his father's stroke. Season two switched focus to Shiv, who was anointed as Logan's successor but ultimately fell out of favour. In season three, Roman stepped into the spotlight, working closely with his father to schmooze a competitor before falling out of favour himself. Throughout it all, Connor has floated on the perimeter, trying to find his place in the family and in the company.

maybe the best line-read in succession history, take a bow alan ruck pic.twitter.com/GMDjEemBD5

— Jack (@jackarking) April 10, 2023

And now, unceremoniously confronted with the suddenness of their abusive father’s passing, the stoic Roy siblings are reduced to a mushy mess - their past altercations put at rest as Logan’s body turns cold. All the bad blood washed away with the siblings finally as one.

The episode is full of evocations of the past, suggesting that the Roy children have been subconsciously preparing for this moment their entire lives. It's a powerful moment, and one that's been building since the show began.

It plays with the idea of withholding information from the characters as well as the viewers, highlighting the confusion and shock of the Roy children as we struggle to make sense of the frenzied rush along with them.

this sequence was sublime. ken anxiously searching for shiv. trying to reach her without drawing attention. the gentlest “shivvy honey” in the world. kendall’s fake smiles to deter watchful eyes. shiv’s painful descent into realization. the panic level rising with every moment. pic.twitter.com/PsMMuCGpxs

— rachel | succession s4 spoilers (@princekendalll) April 10, 2023

One of the most effective choices in the episode is to keep Logan off screen from the minute we hear he is ill. This puts the audience in the position of his children, intensifying the drama as we are left wondering if they’re speaking into a void. The deathbed calls are heart-wrenching, as each of the Roy children struggles to come to terms with their complicated relationship with their father, though the one-sidedness of the situation feels all the more frustrating considering they may all be for naught.

In those final moments, Jesse Armstrong strips away the impassive front that the siblings have learnt to shield themselves with in their dealings with their despicable old man. These final casket-side calls between the unresponsive Logan and his children are powerful and revealing, exposing much about their twisted love-hate relationships with their father.

For Roman, denial kicks in as he desperately reassures “the monster who always wins” that it was going to be okay. Kendall tries to forgive but can't quite get there, telling his father that he loves him anyway, while Shiv reverts to a primal stage as her father’s favourite princess, incapable of processing the moment - “Daddy, not like this.”

Mark Mylod's directions are striking in his use of familiar frames that call back to highlights from previous seasons. From Kendall’s depressive deckside stare into nothingness to a backshot of Shiv addressing a horde of hungry reporters a la “This Is Not For Tears” - Mylod’s compositions draw from the series’s finest moments, seamlessly employing them to elicit the strongest of emotions.

This two-pronged onslaught on our emotions, courtesy Strong and Mylod’s indomitable chemistry, has managed to do what would have previously been deemed laughable - they made us sympathise with the unsympathisable.

As devastating as it is to watch the ensemble's reactions to Logan's passing, each character’s dealings with the news serves as fodder for the episode’s most telling moments. Kendall’s delirious hubris demands the best heart doctor in the world, while Roman remains in perpetual denial even when his father is long gone. Shiv briefly hopes it's their mother who's died before admitting her love for her father, while Connor, always the forgotten child, mourns the fact that he never got a chance to make his father proud.

Tom's venal facade briefly melts away to reveal a human interior, but his brief moment of vulnerability is quickly replaced by his scheming self, as he sends Greg to delete incriminating computer files and tries to position himself as Logan's confidant in his final moments. He laments that he's lost his protector but immediately wants word put out that he was with Logan when he died.

Kerry's bizarre reaction to the news is also noteworthy to say the least, as she is immediately dubbed "Chuckles the Clown" for her wide-eyed grin. It's a testament to the show's incredible writing and direction that even minor characters like Kerry are paid particular attention enough to be well-defined. 

a five second shot of a character who has about six lines made me weep. the power of succession pic.twitter.com/1q9ZySUMTx

— esme (@killbiill) April 10, 2023

Before the credits roll and Nicholas Brittel’s haunting elegy arrests us in place, if there’s one thing that Succession has incessantly chipped away at for the entirety of its four-season run is that even an event as momentous as the passing of the “passionate champion, American Titan and beloved father”, shall be sidelined to accommodate for the inconsolable chasm Logan’s loss has left in the Roy family and Waystar Royco - the inch-wide market plunge on Roman’s phone. 

"Connor's Wedding" is a masterclass in tension-building and character development, as the Roy family faces their most significant crisis yet. The episode skilfully draws on past storylines and character arcs to create a sense of continuity and coherence, while also pushing the narrative forward in unexpected ways, charting new territory, and setting the stage for what promises to be an explosive season finale.

This latest episode of #Succession is the mother of all episodes in the history of episodes pic.twitter.com/cXtyoT5mti

— W (@makvillain) April 10, 2023

With The Last of Us’s “Long, Long Time” and now this. It seems HBO has discovered a newfound proclivity towards punch-in-the-gut third episodes. As the season builds further towards its climax, it's clear that Succession is at the height of its powers and shows no signs of slowing down. The drama series run at this year’s Emmys is set to be a bloodbath; that’s for sure.