Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers from Season 4 Episode 1 of Succession.In the past, most Succession fans likely would have thought of Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as one of the last people on earth we’d expect to request a roast of themselves. Consequently, in the first Episode of Season 4, ‘The Munsters,’ when Logan asked those around him for exactly that, it was easy to wonder what exactly has happened to the Logan Roy viewers have come to know. Going into season 4, we knew that we'd see the Roy siblings working together against their father, but most of us didn't imagine that Logan would take this as a defeat. Yet, this episode showed a version of Logan that is beginning to crack under the pressure of having his children out of his life. There were plenty of moments that illustrated this, but one scene, in particular, was vital in showing where Logan stands and how desperate he is to feel something and reckon with his unfamiliar emotions.
All's Fair in a Roast of Logan Roy
The central storyline of the Season 4 premiere is a bidding war among the Roy family for Pierce Global Media. As Logan and his team await word from Nan Pierce (Cherry Jones) in the heat of negotiations against his kids, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) Siobhan (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Keiran Culkin) it’s clear that Logan is getting frustrated, and yet, he seems slightly out of sync with the whole process. It's then that he declares, “Nobody tells jokes anymore; do they?” This is certainly out of character, especially when his explanation for requesting jokes from those around him is, “it’s a bit dry in here.” Logan Roy certainly doesn't typically have a problem with a lack of fun – especially during a business meeting. “Roast me! Give me a drubbing!” he says, nevertheless.
The folks in the room with him radiate a combination of vaguely perplexed and flippant. No one seems particularly threatened by what he's saying, but they have no time for it, regardless. In asking those around him to roast him or say something funny, it was clear not only that Logan wanted a break from his typical role, but also that he wanted to hear what those around him really thought of him. He was open to something new and fresh. He insists that he’s “not being horrible. I’m being fun.” But, he then calls the group “f***ing Munsters.” This is his way of saying that the people around him are too dull and serious, which implies that he doesn't think this meeting is particularly serious. That indicates that he doesn't actually care if he loses against his kids. Perhaps that's due to the fact that he thinks he's already lost. Seeing as "The Munsters" was chosen for the episode's title, it's clear that this observation on Logan's part is a major point of the episode.
Logan Has Lost His Footing
Logan's jarringly uncharacteristic request for jokes in a moment where the focus should be business comes on the heels of another jarringly uncharacteristic moment for Logan. Logan fled his own birthday party to sit in a diner with his bodyguard, Colin (Scott Nicholson,) where he asked Colin about the concept of the afterlife and the purpose of humanity and told him that he was his pal. It's clear, at this moment, that Logan's worldview is being challenged. Up until this point, viewers have watched Logan reject anything that may bring his life meaning in favor of "winning." He's now lost his children, and the only people who still remain in his corner are the ones who are being paid to be there. He continues to win, in theory, but now as he watches somewhat passively as the negotiations for PGM play out, he takes an objective loss and seems almost unconcerned by it.
In Season 3, when Tom (Matthew McFadyen) explained why he was siding with Logan, he stated that while he's watched Kendall, Siobhan, and Roman lose plenty of times, he's never seen Logan lose. This seemed like a fair reason to side with Logan considering what viewers knew of him. Yet in this scene, Logan puts Tom in charge of corresponding with Nan. Roman is surprised by this move and even quips, “Was Colin not available?” While he's being sarcastic when he says this, it's actually an interesting comment, considering the fact that Colin and Tom are two of the only people that Logan trusts and feels close to now. Tom chose to be on Logan's side. Consequently, Logan trusts Tom to do his bidding. One of the first times we see Tom being responsible for Logan's business is one of the first times we see Logan "lose." It's as atypical for Logan to be somewhat checked out of a business deal as it is for him to lose. Yet, this episode wasn’t afraid to make it clear that Logan has lost his footing.
“He Never Saw Anything He Loved That He Didn’t Want to Kick”
In Season 3, Episode 8, “Chiantishire”, Kendall, Siobhan, and Roman’s mother, Caroline (Harriet Walter) describes Logan by saying, “He never saw anything he loved that he didn’t want to kick it just to see if it would still come back.” This was a powerful line and an unusual way of getting at the heart of Logan Roy. It was difficult not to think of that statement during the scene where Logan tries to initiate a roast of himself. Logan looked around the room at the only people still standing by him and asked for trouble. He did his best to force jokes at his expense out of the employees surrounding him, and when he finally succeeded with Greg, he immediately retorted with a cutting insult. Logan has always pushed things a bit too far. He insults people; he yells “f*** off” at the drop of a hat; he says anything and everything that crosses his mind without regard for how it might make someone feel or what repercussions there may be.
This is something he’s become comfortable with because there usually are no immediate repercussions, and if there ever are, they aren’t things that Logan can’t brush off. Logan, as he says in this episode, is “100 feet tall.” He can't be affected by those around him. Yet, when Season 4 picks up after what is implied to be a few months of the aftermath of the events of the Season 3 finale, viewers are reunited with a Logan Roy that’s very different from the one they left behind. It seems that he has been hurt; he has been affected by his children. He only has a few people left in his corner, so why not see how far he can push it? Why not kick them and see if they'll still come back?
When Logan turns his attention to Frank (Peter Friedman) and asks him to roast him, Frank can't muster up a joke. In his attempt, he calls Logan "a tough old nut.” While this comment is far from a roast, it is certainly true. And, while Logan Roy has proven himself to be nothing if not a tough nut to crack, it's clear based on this episode, that he's officially been cracked. His children were the ones to do it, and no matter how hard he tries to fill the void they've left with the presence of his employees, Kendall, Siobhan, and Roman are the only ones who will be able to put Logan Roy back together again.