In Succession Logan does die — now what?

[Ed. note: This post discusses the plot of “Connor’s Wedding,” season 4 episode 3 of Succession, in detail.]

In its fourth season, HBO’s SuccessionThey had made a promise that they would keep. As the final season of the acclaimed drama, the current stretch of episodes has the burden of fulfilling the promise of the show’s title. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch of Roy’s family and the conservative media tycoon at the close of his career and life. Someone must take his place. Logan decided against his resignation and named a successor for his family. This was more than enough to make it clear that death will not separate the two of them.

What makes “Connor’s Wedding” a terrific episode of television is how it makes Logan’s inevitable death still feel like a shock, thereby getting the audience invested in his childrens’ messy, complicated grief.

Logan’s passing is arresting in its sudden mundanity. In a show that likes to wring both heavy drama and laugh-out-loud comedy out of board meetings and glad-handing, Logan’s final moments are remarkable in how little weight they carry. He only has a few brief moments in “Connor’s Wedding,” asking his youngest son to let a trusted associate know she’s getting axed, and choosing to skip his eldest son’s wedding in order to secure a business deal.

Photo by David M. Russell/HBO

This casual callousness is signature Logan Roy, perfected across three seasons by Cox’s performance and Succession’s writers. After that, he boarded a plane. Next, we get to hear from his son-inlaw Tom Wambsgams. (Matthew Macfadyen) He is the only family member to call and share that Logan was in the bathroom. The flight attendant then began administering chest compressions.

Here’s a look at the talents of actors. Succession’s cast, as Roman, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Connor (Alan Ruck) all process the shock of their father’s passing in ways that, in a few brief moments, sum up who each of the Roy siblings are under the personas they present to the world, and the complicated feelings of love and loathing that can come from a toxic family relationship.

“Connor’s Wedding” poses an answer to a question frequently asked by Succession’s detractors: What makes me want to see a series about rich white assholes?? It turns out that the answer is in any well-written story. SuccessionThis is not a TV show about white assholes. They are first people, rich white assholes. These people have their foibles, insecurities and richly suggested inner lives. They also share distinct interpersonal dynamics. The yachts, villas, and galas they enjoy as 1 percenters don’t matter when there’s someone on the phone telling them their father isn’t breathing. Their worst traits are magnified by wealth, which makes them believe their superpowers are their greatest assets, and that their bills won’t ever come due.

Photo by Macall B. Polay/HBO

They’re often right to think this. Kendall Roy caused a man’s death in season 1, and all he had to do was go to a fancy rehab retreat to pay for it. The series has seen every single Roy sibling fail, start and fold new ventures on their own. SuccessionIn this respect, it is quite brutal: The wealthy play by completely different rules, breaking all the laws of the world without second thoughts.

But Logan’s death renders them powerless. Their father may never get up. They find out by phone that he passed away in a toilet. They can’t say goodbye, or leverage their vast resources to get him better care. Logan Roy is just another man going out as many other men his age. The Roy brothers are just ordinary people with no help but their family.

If you aren’t part of the 1%, then the Roy family will be painfully obvious and funny. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, it won’t make your life easier to tell your loved ones what it means to them. All of this will help you to cope with years of abuse and toxic relationships. Everyone eventually has to stand in front of a mirror and contemplate what they’ve become.