It has been nearly two years since we last witnessed the highly dysfunctional Roy family verbally spar with one another, but here's some good news — the critically acclaimed HBO series Succession, which has garnered nine Emmys (including Outstanding Drama Series), is set to return this fall. The series was created by Jesse Armstrong and follows the complex and corrupt Roy family as led by its patriarch, Logan Roy, (played by Brian Cox), who grips the reins of the entertainment empire Waystar RoyCo, which owns and operates business ventures ranging from theme parks to news outlets. In addition to vying for their father’s affection, the four Roy siblings, Connor (Alan Ruck), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) are competing for control of the family business.
Let’s break down where we left off at the end of Season 2 and how these new additions to the cast could shake up the already-hectic Roy family.
What Happened in the Season 2 Finale?
[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 2 finale of Succession.]
The Season 2 finale of Succession covered a lot of ground, despite taking place almost entirely on a boat. Aptly titled “This Is Not for Tears,” the episode starts off with a fumbling testimony by Cousin Greg Hirsch (Nicholas Braun) in regard to the latest scandal to plague the family. This sets the tone for an incredibly tense hour, as Logan realizes he must face the cruise ship controversy that has been at the crux of the season. The real question is: Who will fall on their sword and take responsibility on behalf of RoyCo?
In typical Roy fashion, the family discusses the future of the company in style. The crew meets on a luxurious, multi-tiered ship, but despite the amenities, the ensemble is anything but relaxed. Connor and his girlfriend Willa (Justine Lupe) are preoccupied with the lackluster debut of Willa’s play in New York, Tom (Matthew McFadyen) and Shiv try to find ways to bring the romance back into their marriage, and Roman is returning from a meeting-turned-hostage scare. Arguably the most unreliable of the sibling quartet, Kendall, arrives with Naomi Pierce (Annabelle Dexter-Jones), who contributed to his most recent drug relapse.
Despite Logan’s reassurance that, “we’re all friends here,” no one is safe. Throughout the episode, all the characters speculate who will be kicked out of Logan’s entourage and effortlessly hurl insults at each other. Roman, who usually resorts to childish behavior and relies on witty quips to survive, speaks honestly about his reservations about signing with the new shareholders. Tom, feeling the heat himself, attempts to spook Greg by saying that he could in fact be the “head on the spike.”
To the surprise of everyone on board, Logan offers himself up as the “sacrificial lamb.” Perhaps this was just to see how people would react, but after it becomes clear that could not possibly be an option, everyone pulls up a chair to voice their opinion on who should be the next to go. Several options are thrown around: Kendall and Connor for example, initially believe it should be Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), who has proven herself to be a leader in Logan’s inner circle. (It is important to note that Roman, who fans have been excited to see start a secret relationship with Gerri, quickly jumps to her defense.) The conversation intensifies once several of the people — including his wife — suggest that Tom should take the brutal fall for the scandal; after all, he is fresh off butchering his testimony.
Tom and Shiv step away from the madness to have their most raw and honest conversation of the series. Tom reveals to Shiv that he is unhappy in their marriage and airs all of the grievances he has been holding in since their wedding day. As the episode comes to a close, Logan summons Kendall from his treadmill to tell him the painful reality: Kendall will be the one to take the blame.
A teary-eyed Kendall assures the family that he will be fine, and Logan tells Roman that he will be the new solo Chief Operating Officer. The highly anticipated press conference, however, is not what anyone anticipated. Rather than doing as he was told, Kendall went rogue and told the press that his father is a “malignant presence, bully, and a liar” who was well-aware of the cruise ship scandal the entire time. Many viewers have questioned the meaning behind Logan’s faint smirk as he watched his son betray him on television. Did he know that Kendall would turn on him?
Season 3: What We Know So Far
Since its debut in 2018, Succession has had impressive guest stars in Holly Hunter, Harriet Walter, Danny Huston, and Cherry Jones. The talented guest list continues in Season 3, as it was announced that Academy Award Winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist, Peaky Blinders), along with Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, Big Little Lies) would be joining the series.
Brody will play wealthy activist and investor Josh Aaronson, whose presence deepens the wedge between siblings as they argue over who will run Waystar. While he will likely interact with all four of the Roy children, it seems that he is poised to go head-to-head with Kendall in a battle for the crown. Roman’s new promotion as COO, however, could mean it's Roman who is calling the shots.
Most of the season’s conflict could come from Skarsgård’s character Lukas Mattson, who has been described as a highly successful and difficult-to-deal-with tech CEO. Logan is always looking to expand his empire any chance he gets. Branching even further into technology seems like the logical next step. But, Succession fans have been trained to expect the unexpected.
Though HBO remains tight-lipped on the award-winning show ahead of its Season 3 premiere, a recent teaser trailer provided an under-two-minute peek into what audiences can expect — as per usual, the Roy family does not seem to be on the same page. Kendall is riding the high of his game-changing press conference from the Season 2 finale, as he tries to round up his siblings in an attempt to elicit support and orchestrate a coup d'etat. Meanwhile, Shiv appears to be torn, as she wrestles with the pros and cons of supporting her brother or siding with her father. This uncertainty prompts Logan to ask Shiv, “Are you part of this family or not?” If Shiv is going to risk her reputation, she’ll want it all (and we wouldn’t expect anything less). Noticeably absent from the trailer? Newcomers Lukas and Josh, along with fan-favorite Gerri.
In the midst of anticipation leading up to the new season, announcements were recently made pertaining to the official end of the series. Georgia Pritchett, a writer and Emmy award-winning executive producer of Succession, thinks the show will likely run a maximum of five seasons. As the cast and crew approach the end of filming for Season 3, Armstrong could be setting the wheels in motion for the show’s culmination.
While Logan is busy making bread with Kendall’s bones, you can catch up with Seasons 1 and 2 on HBO Max. Season 3 premieres this fall.