Editor's note: The below contains major spoilers for the Succession series finale.A finite amount of shows garners as much anticipation toward its series finale as Succession did. After four seasons, showrunner Jesse Armstrong and his team decided to go out on top rather than linger on with underwhelming late seasons. Season 4 of Succession has been a roller coaster, containing pivotal business negotiations, corporate turnover, a calamitous presidential election, and the death of Waystar Royco CEO and family patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox). The recent series finale ultimately lived up to its lofty expectations. While many are talking about the corrosion of Kendall's (Jeremy Strong) soul and the ascension of Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) to the Waystar throne, one emotionally resonant scene is worth examining, as it delicately exemplifies the heart of the series.
In the Season 4 and series finale, "With Open Eyes," all parties engage in a head-on race for power and the fate of Waystar, as Kendall, Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Shiv (Sarah Snook) make their last-ditch efforts to secure their interests in the Gojo deal. Kendall is determined to take full control of the company and carry the torch of his father's legacy. As his thirst for power heightens, Roman and Shiv hold their respective doubts about their brother's capabilities as CEO, with Kendall's heritage of his father unveiling itself in the worst ways.
What Is Logan Doing in the Virtual Dinner Video?
Removed from the drama of business politics as usual, the elder Roy sibling, Connor (Alan Ruck), is coordinating a meticulous family auction at Logan's estate. He shows Kendall, Roman, and Shiv, once they return to New York for the Gojo vote, a video he captured of their late father at dinner, coining it a "virtual dinner." Recorded weeks before his passing, The video is positioned as if the viewer was sitting at the table with Logan, Connor, Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), Karl (David Rasche), Frank (Peter Friedman), and Kerry (Zoe Winters). This was not a tense, business negotiation or belittlement of anyone's character. The only time Logan's iconic "fuck off" is heard is when Connor performs a humorous impression of his father. Instead, he is showing off his trivial knowledge of naming every presidential election loser and enjoying the company of his colleagues and family, and in this case, the guests at the table resemble genuine friends. Connor and Gerri cite forms of poetry (if you can call it that), and the whole group sings a song together.
The Virtual Dinner Depicts an Alternate, Benevolent Side of Logan Roy
The revelation of this virtual dinner is like something out of a dream. This calm and warm behavior from these people, especially the vicious and cutthroat Logan Roy, could only exist as part of an alternate universe in the Succession timeline. Never has Logan appeared as humane and hospitable as he does in this video throughout the series. It is jarring to witness Logan without any desire to unleash his killer instinct or even wholesomely smile. The video was taken only a few weeks ago amid a corporate stand-off between him and his children. The man seen on screen, as the Roy kids watch in fondness, holds no ounce of vitriol towards anyone, nor does he seem dead-set on taking vengeance on any enemies. He seems like a happily retired, elderly man. The video exists in an uncanny valley.
For Kendall, Roman, Shiv, and Connor, this standing as the last footage of their father is quite touching. A wave of positive memories is presumed to be flooding in, as the room is mostly silent as they gather to watch the virtual dinner. Shiv quickly recognizes Logan's election loser soliloquy of sorts. The jubilation on Shiv's face suggests that she was resigned to remembering her father as a mean antagonist. "I can't believe he can still do that," she remarks on his ability to recite his election bit, but this might as well apply to the surprise of learning that he still has a heart. As the video progresses, the emotional vulnerability of Kendall and Roman opens up. The three kneel on the ground and watch Logan take on the likeness of a lovable and affectionate father. Each of them is holding tears in their eyes. Not saying a word, they take comfort in seeing Logan in such a jolly state. He may be gone, but his untapped benevolence remains in spirit, through a virtual dinner and the memories of his children.
The Video Has Tragic Implications for the Roy Siblings
The reveal of the virtual dinner is not merely a sequence to supplement the tight bond between the Roys with a strong emotional connection. While brief, this scene is demonstrative of the pathos among the Roy kids and their complicated and often fraught relationship with their father. Secretly, the most poignant observation about this virtual dinner is that Kendall, Roman, and Shiv were not present. How ironic, a moment designed to manufacture closure between Logan and his kids does not feature all the parties. This realization instantaneously leaves this heartwarming moment with a bad aftertaste — purposefully so in exhibiting the toxicity that permeated the family.
The truth of it all is that Logan was incapable of being anything other than a ruthless, capitalist tycoon in the presence of his kids. Kendall, Roman, and Shiv were not his children. They were his competitors. The siblings reciprocated as products of being raised as cutthroat business executives. Learning of the harsh reality that Logan restricted himself from basic humanity around his kids further cements the lingering issue that would have surrounded the Roy siblings if they were at the helm of Waystar. All of them were desperate for their father's affection and approval. As Roman's breakdown at Logan's funeral in the penultimate episode indicated, there is an emotional wound left unresolved among the siblings. At this moment when Connor reveals to his brothers and sister this neat time capsule of Logan Roy, the immeasurable distance from ever having a loving father grows exponentially.
The continuation of family legacy lies at the core theme of Succession since its premiere episode. For the three Roy siblings, as much as temptations of differing lifestyles and trepidations of running a media empire linger in the air, destiny forces them to carry their father's honor. They have no choice because they were raised like wolves —to be free of sentimentality and affection. As the following events in the finale episode demonstrate, the siblings will cause irreversible damage to familial relationships to be like their father. The virtual dinner scene, which is a triumph of brilliant character work, is the sobering confrontation of the tragic Roy family dynamic for the audience and the series' central figures. The sequence relies solely on emotions, choosing to evoke quiet sadness rather than create explicit drama through dialogue. In the end, Kendall, Roman, and Shiv will be trapped under the menacing shadow of Logan Roy, but will never experience the benign comfort of that virtual dinner.