20 min read
Succession: How Power imbalance can corrupt any relationship
"Though Succession is a comedy, I think what makes the series work as well as it does is everything that isn't funny."
Succession is an intense drama about the succession program for a powerful, tyrannical media mogul. It is a sharp tragedy-satire of the corporate elite, with Logan Roy at the centre of the web- a dreadful arachnoid and a brutally brilliant man, whom we continue to adore, despite his cruelty.
Succession is simply the best-written show on television right now, and it has me hooked. It feels like an evolved sitcom in its cynical efforts to capture the Roy siblings' Machiavellian power moves and brotherly backstabbing as they vie for their daddy's love. At its peak, no show can rival it.
The HBO series is a showcase of power- how it's taken and how it's wielded. With every episode, it dives deeper into its core as a study of the human thirst for dominance. Power tends to cast a coercive spell over people that changes how they behave when they contact it. Being so close to the throne can be both terrifying and exhilarating. Not one soul surrounding Logan seems happy; instead, they seem to be operating out of fear. They all demonstrate the human cost that comes with being in Logan's orbit—the gradual spiritual decay that seeps in when you're exposed to untethered wealth and power.
Logan Roy is the ultimate bully. He is impossible to read and even harder to please. Logan demands Loyalty and compliance from all his henchmen, and he wants them to obey his every word like it's the word of God. To be respected by Logan, one needs to find the courage to stand up to him.
We've all speculated of the familiarity this series shares with King Lear, and this is where you can begin to draw association. To understand the character dynamics better, Succession has mapped a notional hierarchy- a chain of screaming, if you will- of this theoretically wonderful world of wealth and authority. The three potential heirs to the Royco throne, Kenall, Shiv and Roman, form the first tier of the pyramid. Though it is unclear whom Logan favours, as he shows little regard for any of their well being, we know that Kendall is his "Number 1 Boy."
Kendall Roy is a self-sabotaging princeling addict who's forced to constantly placate in public. He is a rampant egomaniac who says things like "F**k the patriarchy" without even realising that he's part of the problem. He carries a permanent hangdog expression- a resting burdened face if I may. Initially, Kendall appeared almost slogging, as if the weight of being part of the Roy inner circle had altered his personal gravitational field.
The top three perceive themselves as the leading candidate to reign over the Roy family empire. Still, until the third season, the debate had been- who's more capable, Kendall or Shiv?
As the only daughter, Siobhan Roy frequently oscillates between Logan's favourite child and a thorn in his side. Shiv is cold, morally bankrupt, and she tries everything in her power to prove that she is nothing like the rest of the family. Along the way, she keeps making weird and basic miscalculations, even after she starts competing openly for a role she'd initially claimed she didn't want. Next in line, Romulus Roy is a squirrely narcissist who tries to hide his insecurities behind the facade of smug hubris. He's puckish and mischievous, yet he tries more than the other two to keep the family intact. The top tier shares a sense of elite entitlement. They are "born into a playground their father created, and they think it's the entire world."
Conor is next in the pecking order, the lowest skilled of the immediate family members- Logan's wayward, slightly non-priapic son. He appears to be seeking a life of peace by not being involved. Conor considers himself like a "UN White Helmet" as he washes his hands off the responsibility with his siblings. Initially, Kendall is presented as the heir apparent to the Royco throne; it soon becomes clear that he is not cut out for the job and that neither are his equally eccentric and petty siblings.
As we go lower on the food chain, we get further away from the Line of Succession. Shiv's self-loathing, vulnerable and boyishly devoted husband, Tom, falls next in the power pyramid. Tom Wamsgams is a two-faced pushover puppy dog who only is almost as obsessed with advancing his career as he is getting the family's stamp of approval. He has always wanted to be in the inner circle of power, but he immediately deplores it once in. He sees the side of the world that can be very overbearing and unforgiving
This brings us to the bottom of the base of the family totem pole. Here we meet our favourite cousin Gregg- a bumbling newcomer with no real skill but a great desire to participate. Cousin Gregg is our gateway into the inner circle- the kind of trust he could only gain by committing a crime. So, he is in a constant state of fear, willing to be bullied by anyone.
Alas, at the top of it all reigns Logan Roy- the vicious, vitriolic and vindictive patriarch of the family. Logan has an orbit around him- any room he walks into is instantly changed by his presence. He is unforgiving and fosters a toxic environment as he treats everyone like they are disposable pawns. There is no low he won't stoop to; he will exploit every weakness you may have. Logan uses this leverage to strip people of their character and agency. He turned Kendall, his most ambitious son, into an obedient shell of himself, something he still hasn't fully recovered from this new season. People are petrified to cross Logan, as he loves to fight. So, everyone who can't speak their mind to Logan takes it out on the rest- scheming against the equals or berating everyone beneath them. This kind of toxic culture of the company is encapsulated in the phrase "NRPI" (no real person involved)- the idea that some people (even most people) don't matter.
"You pour the shit I'm pouring on you, on your f**king minions, and you ride them."
Roman takes his insecurities out on regular people- coercing compliance out of waiters and dangling a million dollar check in front of a child if he can hit a home run. This is a toxic quality Roman has picked up from his father. Conor lashes out at staff at social events, an opportunity for him to let out pent up anxiety and exercise his authority- only because he can. Tom uses his Roy-by-marriage status to intimidate and belittle his subordinates at Waystar- the bullied becomes the bully. Tom realises the brutal reality of how powerless he truly is, and he projects his insecurities by using the comparatively clueless Cousin Gregg as his punching bag. Tom perceives himself as having accomplished more than Greg.
Tom needs someone like Gregg, who is less critical but still in the "family", to let out his negative feeling. The two provide the much needed comic relief from the constant bickering in this Jacobean style vying for power. Though Succession is a comedy, I think what makes the series work as well as it does is everything that isn't funny. The season 2 episode titled "Safe Room" is a perfect example. Not only is it one of my favourite episodes of the entire series, but it also contains my favourite scene of Season Two.
During an active shooter situation at the Royco HQ, Gregg and Tom are rushed to a make-belief "safe room"; an "attack child" could easily break into. While Shiv and the rest are in a more luxurious one. Shiv is too busy trying to one-up Kendall in front of her father, to address Tom's whining as he slowly crumples into a tiny ball of wounded male privilege. So when Gregg very innocently suggests having a business open relationship with Tom, a nerve is struck. It echos the open relationship that Tom doesn't want with his wife. Because Tom can't honestly voice or address his powerlessness in his relationship with Shiv, he literally beats Gregg up. He begins expatiating at Gregg in a way that makes clear what he's furious about- some other person, perhaps someone with amazing hair. All this bullying resembles how power imbalances corrupt any relationship.
After their abrupt breakup, Greg's laboured admittance into blackmail is a big moment for Tom. Gregg is learning, slowly but surely, how to be terrible. Tom couldn't be happier. In heavy succession style, this culture of exploiting and punishing the weaknesses of the people you supposedly love and are a family with originates with Logan himself. Kendall seems to have lost sight of who he might be or might want to be in this episode. His business dealings are only an attempt at holding onto dignity and usefulness.
Kendall knows he's just a puppet, but Shiv still feels threatened by his heavy involvement in the business. In a teary hug, he later tells Shiv, "it ain't gonna be" him taking the throne, not anytime soon. "If dad didn't need me, then I wouldn't exactly know what I would be for," Kendall says as he confides in Shiv. Like her father, the killer she is, Siobhan immediately latches on to his vulnerability. She recognises how absolutely powerless her father has made Kendall and uses this leverage in the season finale, suggesting Kendall as the blood sacrifice for the cruises scandal.
In the season 2 finale of Succession, Logan clarifies that he needs "a meaningful skull" to make it look like the company cleaned up its act. He initially suggests himself just to test the compliance of his team, who are well used to this trick by now. They dismiss the idea to avoid any future punishment. The crew begins its verbal fight to the death- where everyone turns on one another, simultaneously trying to appear reasonable while deflecting blame on someone else.
Kendall throws Gerri under the bus to start things off, so Roman immediately leaps to Gerri's rescue by attacking Frank. Frank accepts it to look reasonable, to then throw the hot potato over to Karl. The latter goes back and forth with Gerri, as neither of them feels like they could ever attack a real family member. Feeling left out, Tom enters the ring by voting against Karl, but Conor splits the vote by standing against Gerri. Your peers can choose to dogpile on you at any time, which makes it more advantageous to go on the offence over being defensive. So Roman protects Gerri by deflecting the spotlight onto Tom, who looks like he might just cry. Tom begins to circle the drain as Kendall votes against him. Even his wife Shiv labels him as the logical choice- exposing her true priorities. Shiv understands, the larger the sacrifice you are willing to make for him, the more Logan values you. For no reason, Roman then suggests Tom with some Greg sprinkles. After all, you can't make a Tomlette without cracking some Greggs.
The siblings then begin to gang up on anyone below them in the chain of command. Connor then unexpectedly volunteers to sacrifice himself for a healthy payout, an idea that goes unaddressed. Connor truly begins to realise his value to the family. He sees that he is so undervalued that his suggestion is basically ignored. Logan then abruptly ends the whole ordeal and leaves the table to "reflect on all that has been said." He reinforces that the power solely lies with him, leaving everyone with a blade hanging over their necks and a great deal of fractured trust in their relationships. This is such a raw scene as so much rides on it. Logan takes a certain gladitorial pleasure in keeping his children antsy, undermining one another and exchanging inventively crusty banter in their race to be Daddy's Number 1.
"The Incans, in times of terrible crises, would sacrifice a child to the sun,"
... Logan says as he orders Kendall to take the fall for the massive sexual harassment and cover-up scandal that threatens to kill the family's corporate empire. Logan heavily underestimates the power of plot armour here. "You're not a killer" is, crucially, the phrase that motivated Kendall's press conference patricide. Kendall's Judas moment made for a great cliffhanger. Still, he doesn't have a real plan for overthrowing Logan that wouldn't also result in the Roys losing the company altogether.
At the beginning of Season Three, the timid side of Kendall seemed to have disappeared. After his masterstroke at the end of Season 2, Kendall looked as if he had bought into his own hype. Like his father, he wouldn't just walk into a room; he would make an entrance with a petty, shit-eating grin. He had fashioned himself as a woke warrior. It does feel cringy, but it opens up new satirical avenues for the show. As it turns out, though, the makeover was a flimsy mask. Kendall's goofy countenance fades after his sister releases a highly personal, public statement condemning him as a product of a failed recovery project. Once again, Kendall's sense of self had shattered. Succession has always sympathised with Kendall, but this season has been a Kendall saga throughout. Kendall is shown at his most rebellious while emphasising that he still remains the man-child clearly groomed in Logan's image.
The writers paved an overwhelmingly colourful path to the penultimate episode of the season, which is a chock-full of emotional violence. The end of this episode could not be any more climactic and devastating. So far, despite their merciless breaches and constant immoral masquerading, the Roy family starlets have remained protected by an invisible barrier of power and class- they exist in a web of lies. The eighth episode of Season Three, "Chiantishire", is about confronting the truth. In this episode, all fragile relationships of the show begin to crumble when characters try to reveal their most genuine intentions. It has to be one of the most powerful episodes of the entire series, so for.
The family flies out to Italy to attend their mother's wedding. Unwillingly, Shiv only attends for appearance sake. Succession's writing almost always shows how the most intimate of dynamics, like a mother and daughter relationship, becomes easily tainted with business talks. Shiv and her mother, Caroline, feel like they've been abandoned by the other, and they both have excuses for why they did so. They have a disagreement about who contributed more to their failing relationship. Caroline believes the kids chose to live with Logan, even though she simultaneously admits to giving him custody to protect their shares. Siobhan sees through Caroline's efforts of manipulatively playing the victim, which makes it easier for her to dismiss everything that's said. During their battle for moral high ground, her mother reveals something true. This hits so differently from business talk or competition. Shiv's face reflects a quiet heartbreak. There was always something eerie about their relationship, but it was more comfortable not pinpointing why.
"Truth is, I probably should never have had children."
Shiv's scene with her mother served its purpose of setting up her next scene with Tom. This scene begins with a fun roleplaying game but quickly escalates into something harsh and exposing. The things that Shiv expresses cut deep. Her words penetrate Tom's soul and begin eating away like a parasite. "You're not good enough for me," Shiv exhales as Tom stares into her eyes, searching for a war for it to be untrue, but he fails. He wants to stop the game, but he cannot do so. The roleplay is meant to be demeaning and dominating, but it comes off as hurtful because it's true. Tom has always suspected that their relationship is purely transactional, and now he knows for certain. When Tom finally kisses Shiv to end the scene, it reflects his submission to power and acknowledgement that he will always be beneath her. Here we start to see how much Shiv really resembles her father.
The dinner scene in "Chiantishire" was what everybody had been eagerly weighting for. When Kendall arrives at his mother's wedding, Kendall is asked to back out of certain events to cater to his more powerful father. Early in the episode, Kendall's PR flack tells him about a hit new investigative podcast, "curse of the Roys", that would like a word with Kendall about the suspicious death of a caterer at Shiv's wedding. This adds even more anguish to Kendall's buffet of psychological barbs. It begins to dawn on him that the spotlight has started to draw away from him. Kendall knows the stakes had gone too high, especially after the crippling dissolution of his hopes to hold his father accountable. So he summons strength that no other Roy family nut has been able to muster, and he invites his father into a 1 v 1 battle.
Kendall and Logan's dinner played like the climax of a Game of Thrones episode. It felt like the last conversation between two characters before one is killed off the show. The father-son duo shares a love-hate relationship, and Logan likes to spar with Kendall. Logan enjoys kicking the things he loves just to see if they'll come back to him. So far, all his children have returned to him, regardless of his actions. So, when Kendall decides to leave for good, Logan refuses. He wishes to keep Kendall close.
Kendall sees himself as a good guy compared to his devilish father, but in truth, Kendall is as egotistical and amoral. Kendall only knows to speak his father's language of tough love, wherein noxious insults sometimes blanket admiration. Kendall could sever ties with the toxic patriarch, but he needs to detach himself from those wrapped ways of thinking and acting. Logan reminds Kendall of the frailty within his character. "Whenever you fucked up, I cleaned up your shit. And I'm a bad person?" Logan makes him feel small. For all his talk of, "ticket to the f**kin' escape pod", Kendall was still only trying to impress his father. Any power he's ever felt, the slightest ounce of confidence he has in himself, has branched from Logan. In his view, he has disappointed himself and his family, so Kendall becomes despondent. Pushing against his father's values has only corded him to them more, so he wants out. He tries to fight his father with Moral Superiority and loses.
The final ten minutes of this episode bring a drastic change in the power dynamics developing. Roman, previously riding high in the Roy family power pyramid, is toppled because he sends a d**k pic meant for Gerri to his dad. Shiv, who had faced Logan's repeated condescension, takes this as an opportunity to step up, belittle her brother, and reclaim her throne. Finally, there's Kendall, face down on a raft in the beautiful infinity pool in the Italian countryside- face subsumed by water. We don't know if Kendall is dead, but things sure look bleak for Logan's "Number 1 Boy." At this point, the character has arguably completed his dramatic arc. Kendall has now tried and failed to topple his father at two different occasions. This cycle has to stop. Logan has generally been entertaining, but the loss of his kid might make him something more powerful. Kendall was not seen in Promos leading up to the Season 3 finale, so it will be interesting to see if the protagonistic baton is really passed on to someone else.
"Succession" doesn't offer any genuine liberal alternatives to the conservative monolith that is Royco. Ideological differences matter less when you're waiting to be enveloped by the company's embrace.
Succession shows us that power not only corrupts but reveals our true character when we are backed into a corner. You might like to think you know yourself until the opportunity arises and the pressure is on. You discover that you are subconsciously being carried in a direction you never thought you could go. As if you are drifting with the tide, further and further away from the shore.