Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 4 of Succession. In Season 4 of Succession, we finally saw the inevitable materialize: the death of ruthless patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox). With Season 4 being its last, many theorized Logan's death would be necessary to wrap up the show in a meaningful way, but to pull the trigger in the third episode and during Connor's (Alan Ruck) wedding was certainly an unexpected move (which made for excellent television).
The Roy family is one characterized by emotional repression, where showing vulnerability is seen as a weakness. While we're used to seeing Kendall (Jeremy Strong) in various states of emotional distress, we've yet to see all three siblings express such visceral feelings before. Though we saw Logan break them down in the Season 3 finale, this pales in comparison to the pain and heartbreak they experience at the news of the death of their father, despite how much they may resent him.
How the Roy Siblings Cope With Logan’s Unexpected Death
Throughout the series, we've watched Logan abuse his children verbally, physically, and psychologically. The previous episode "Rehearsal" showed the Roy siblings finally confronting him for all the harm he's caused them, which makes the events of "Connor's Wedding" all the more tragic. Roman (Kieran Culkin) is the first to pick up the phone call from Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) with the news, and immediately struggles to cope with his emotions. Considering he was already upset after his father instructed him to fire Gerri (J. Smith Cameron), this news sends him into a tailspin marked with intense denial. Kendall tries to take control of the situation, demanding to speak to the pilot and contact the best doctors in the world, but it's ultimately pointless. Shiv (Sarah Snook) is the most visibly upset. She's flustered, has trouble putting words together, and her voice goes up an octave as she musters up her last words to her father over the phone. While Connor grieves like the rest of them, it's very telling that his gut reaction to hearing the news was "he never even liked me," and that he can't bring himself to say goodbye on the phone.
Roman, Kendall, and Shiv's last words to Logan are also very revealing in their feelings toward him at the time of his death. Though Roman has been secretly in contact with Logan, based on the way Kendall and Shiv spoke to him in "Rehearsal," you might think they had written their dad out of their lives even with Logan's lackluster apology. Roman reassures him he was a good dad and that he's a winner, but forgets to say "I love you." Kendall says he loves him, but in a noteworthy moment of character development, says he can't forgive him. Shiv says something similar, begging him not to go, but there's also a brief flash of anger when she starts to say “there are no excuses for the..." leading us to believe she meant to echo Kendall's sentiments but couldn't get the words out.
Logan’s Death Reminds Us That Grief Is a Universal Experience
There's not much about a family of ruthless, cruel billionaires that's relatable, but anyone who's ever experienced a sudden or unexpected death in their family can see themselves in the Roy siblings in this episode. The frantic phone calls trying to get more information even when there's nothing to report, explaining the situation time and time again as you share the news with others, trying to find solutions where there are none. All of these things come with the shock and panic of finding out a loved one has died, especially when you're physically separated from that person by a large distance. The pain of losing a parent, especially so suddenly, is a gut punch even if you have complicated feelings towards them, and especially if your last words were in anger.
Logan's death doesn't particularly come as a surprise, considering he's had a health scare in every season leading up to this, though the timing of his death was rather surprising. But knowing the sagacity of showrunner Jesse Armstrong and director Mark Mylod, it shouldn't be. In an interview with The New Yorker just days before the episode aired, Armstrong said “Part of making it embedded in the show was not putting it at Episode 9, because then we’re creating a narrative whereby death is somehow the thing that happens as the bitter cherry on the cake of the show, and I think that wouldn’t be quite right, because that’s not how the shape of life is.”
Despite knowing how horrible the Roys are as people, it's difficult not to feel for them in this episode. Logan has put each of his children through so much trauma, but they still love him, and are shattered at the news of his death. In grieving Logan, the Roy siblings seem to revert to a childlike state, clinging to each other for solace. They've never been the most physically affectionate family, but in this episode, we see them in need of physical comfort. This is especially the case for Roman, who tries to hug each of his siblings desperately and quite awkwardly. When Kendall pulls Shiv aside to inform her of the situation, he calls her "Shivvy honey," and they reach for each other's hands as they approach Connor to break the news like two lost children looking for their older brother. After Shiv announces Logan's death to the press, the episode culminates with a heart-wrenching group hug between Kendall, Roman, and Shiv.
If the past four seasons of Succession have shown us anything, it's that growing up wealthy does not necessarily spare you from parental neglect, abuse, and manipulation, and "Connor's Wedding" proves that likewise, no amount of money will spare you the pain of losing a loved one. The death of a family member, especially one as monumental as Logan, can bring those who survive them together through their grief, and considering all the family infighting we've seen throughout the series, we can only hope this may be the case for the Roys. But Roman is still hiding from his siblings that he's been in contact with Logan, and their sense of trust in each other has always been shaky, so it's likely to cause greater friction in the wake of their father's death.