Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Succession Season 4 Episode 8. Here's something not many people had on their Succession bingo card: "Connor Roy hangs out with his dad's corpse." And yet… Connor truly outdid his oddity in Season 3, Episode 4, when he confessed that he's been visiting Logan's (Brian Cox) dead body. Quite naturally, the confession summoned confused looks and snarky remarks from his siblings, but Connor was unfazed and aloof as ever. It's not the first time Connor has displayed a bewildering lack of self-awareness. Even in a family as dysfunctional and out there as the Roys, Connor stands out like an un-decanted wine. He goes around collecting rotten historical penises, he fires a flock of kitchen staff over cold butter, he starts the family therapy claiming he never molested his younger brother, and he strikes up conversations with girls at exclusive pubs with, "Where were you on 9/11?" It's true that Connor is as odd as they come, but there is much more depth and intrigue to this cartoonish figure than meets the eye.
Connor's Unique Relationship With His Dad
Connor is the only Roy sibling from a different mother, making him a half-brother to Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Shiv (Sarah Snook). Though not much has been revealed about Connor's mother, it's hinted that she was mentally unstable and admitted to an institution when he was little. This left Connor without a proper parental figure growing up, as Logan was too busy tending to his favorite child — Waystar. At times, he has lamented the lack of a father figure in his life, and it's implied that Connor was the most neglected kid. And this goes to inform the peculiar relationship he has with his dad. All of Connor's siblings, one way or another, view Logan as not just their dad but also their competition, someone they need to outdo. They constantly strive to gain Logan's validation by trying to be an equal. Connor, however, is utterly uninterested in this regard and has a childlike aloofness to him during his interaction with his dad. As old as he is, Connor still isn't shy of asking his dad for a couple of million dollars like his pocket money. At times like these, Connor comes off as a child in a man's body, only playing at being an adult. Logan, for his part, acts the kindest with Connor, handling him with kid gloves, and rarely ever engages in mind games with him in the way he does with the other kids. However, this also goes to show that Logan has little love and respect for Connor and is doing his bare minimum to play the role of a father.
There can be arguments as to whom Logan considers his favorite, but all heads nod in consensus as to who the least loved child is. Logan is a tough, grizzled old man who values power and ruthlessness over anything else. For him, every interaction is an opportunity to establish and grow power, but Connor is useless in this regard. Kendal may not be a killer, but Connor is a toothless puppy in comparison. While Logan's interactions with Shiv, Ken, and Roman are extremely toxic, they at least get routine contact with their father, which is much more than Conner could ever hope for. Early on, Connor realized that he could never win playing Logan's game, so he decided to stay away from the cutthroat corporate life that's Logan's world and isolate himself at a ranch in New Mexico pursuing his eccentric hobbies. Connor is the farthest from Logan's orbit of influence, but for that reason, he's also the least loved. And this has made Connor a scarecrow of sorts for his siblings, one that warns of a fate destined for irrelevancy and unlovability should the siblings stray too far from Logan's shadow.
Conner's Happy With Bare Minimum
Connor's upbringing has blessed (or cursed) him with the ability to find a semblance of happiness, though it has come at the cost of non-existent ambitions. He doesn't need love, he claims, he's the plant that survives off insects that die inside him. All Conner needs is bare minimums, for happiness and for life. His relationship with Willa is a prime example of this. Connor is aware that Willa is much younger than him and, by all accounts except financials, way out of his league. He has admitted that he's afraid of her walking out and even asked her if she's with him only for his money, and Willa answers honestly that money does come into factor, but she's still happy with Connor. In the end, Willa does agree to marry Connor, and after a morbid joke, the two launch into a distinct laugh that is peculiar to people who have embraced an ill fate. Connor understands that Willa's feelings towards him may not be a hundred percent genuine, but it doesn't matter as long as he is assured that he has someone to love and won't abandon him as his father did.
Admittedly, wanting to become the president without ever holding a job might not scream the bare minimum, but Connor is not really in it for the win. All he wants is to become a part and a topic of the conversation. Connor doesn't harbor any illusions about living in the White House. He's just tired of being sidelined by his siblings and perhaps also scared of the absence of a legacy. For Connor, candidature for the most powerful position in the world is just a ticket to staying relevant. He constantly obsesses over poll results, and though they are far from triumphant he finds joy in his 1 percent, and he desperately clings on to it. In a way, that 1 percent has defined the majority of Connor's life and relationships. From his father, siblings, and Willa, that's all he really needs to be happy, one percent.
Connor Is More Than Just A Punchline
Shows about wealthy families often feature an archetypal dim son whose immaturity and limited intellect are a recurring motif. Arrested Development has Buster, Schitt's Creek has David, and Succession has Connor. Connor has largely been treated as an afterthought, a joke even, by his dad, his siblings, the audience, and even the show itself. How ironic is it that the episode named after him ("Connor's Wedding") is a highlight for another character? And how pitiful it is that he has to remind his siblings, and even the audience, that he is the eldest son, not Kendal. But there are crucial moments where Connor subverts his rich man-child archetype by demonstrating a heightened sense of self-awareness and emotional maturity. While he might be out of touch with the reality of the outer world, he is incredibly aware of the dynamics of the Roy family and his place within it. The powerful speech he delivered in Season 4, Episode 2 is a testament to this.
He's also one of the only characters in the show who speaks with little to no hint of irony. The rest of the characters often feel the need to veil their sincerity behind a veneer of sarcasm lest they appear weak. But Connor isn't ashamed of his eccentric passions and mushy feelings. In fact, he's the only character whose confessions of love are unsullied by ulterior motives and backed by considerate actions. When Logan's celebrating his birthday in the very first episode of the show, Connor gifts him a sourdough starter, reminiscent of how it was made in Logan's home country of Scotland. There were real feelings and thoughts attached to the gift, though it was dismally dismissed and ridiculed. And it's subtly implied throughout the show that Connor has been more of a father figure to Ken and Roman than Logan ever was. When Roman is asked to recount his fondest memory with his dad for an article, he couldn't think of any. So, he recited the memory of a fishing trip with Connor instead. In another instance, he took out both Ken and Roman on a camping trip because Logan was never available. And his relationship with Willa is perhaps the most romantic subplot in the show. It's unabashedly honest but also extremely intimate and affectionate, and even somewhat uncharacteristic for a show as cynical as Succession. In many ways, Connor is the most significant driver of pathos in Succession.