Put Brian Cox in anything and I’ll likely show up to watch. Put him as the aging, cranky patriarch of a family and CEO of his own company and I will gladly watch as he manipulates his company and his own children for the whims of himself and you get a review too! Succession begins with an introduction to the Roy family grasping at their father’s coattails over his company. Here’s a peek intro so you can see what we’re getting into!
Brian Cox stars as Logan Roy, the now 80-year-old patriarch of the Roy family and leader of the family’s media conglomerate. We see right away that Logan is not doing well; that he’s clearly having issues and he’s not thrilled about it. We’re also quickly introduced to the Roy children as they prepare for their father’s birthday. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) believes he’s about to take 
over and his father certainly continues allowing him to believe so. From the very first moment his driver says, “You’re the man, Mr. Roy,” you know that this is a daddy’s boy, wannabe CEO who is probably not as cutthroat as he thinks he is. And even as we watch him try and finish this deal, Kendall does not have the killer instinct for this business that his father has. And both he and his father know it.
Other children include Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) who clearly wants nothing to do with running the company and would prefer to defer to what his siblings decide. Definitely feels like he’s a little bit the black sheep but that doesn’t necessarily mean he isn’t smart, only that his endeavors of interest do not include his father’s company, at least for now anyway. Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) certainly seems like the spoiled little brat of the family. His snide comments towards his brother Kendall indicate Roman tried his hand in leadership and has a bit of bitterness over not being appreciated. His voice drips with disdain towards his older brother and there is a slight hint Roman is probably the favorite son. It’s also clear that having wealth around his whole life has influenced the kind of person Roman is. Meanwhile, the only daughter of the family, Siobhan Roy (Sarah Snook) has a political path instead of a business one but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the head for it. Her father certainly has a softer spot for her as well, likely being the only daughter. So together we have quite an ensemble vying for top spot.
Kendall certainly thinks he has the gig, but with his health going down, Logan is grasping at what makes him still feel alive which is his company. Sorry, little boy but Daddy’s not quite done with the company yet. But after a baseball jaunt for his birthday, Logan collapses in the helicopter on the way home. Cue the war for the top spot. We know Kendall thinks it should be him, which is likely to be met with opposition because his siblings certainly don’t agree. Roman already believes he wasn’t given a fair shake and deserves another shot. Siobhan may not be in the field but her father knows she would be smart enough to handle the position. Connor doesn’t seem to want to be involved but if push comes to shove will he angle to lead? Complicating the matter is Logan’s wife Marcia (Hiam Abbass) who Logan wants to see integrated into important responsibilities but, ss you can guess, that doesn’t seem to be a popular choice among the kids. So now you know the dilemma, the players and the plot. So here’s hoping for some more scintillating drama to come. Here’s a sneak peek at next week’s episode.
It’s a race for answers to find out what is wrong with Logan and what’s going to happen to the company. Without his voice, the board would need to step in and that could mean power past the kids. The board could do who knows what as long as they have the votes. Kendall will have to move quickly if he wants to get in at the top, but it’ll be interesting to see if Roman and Siobhan get behind him. Connor will go where they go, or will he also throw his name into the ring for the leadership position? All we do know is that so far it is every person for themselves and it will likely continue to be that way as this new series plays out.
Find Succession Sunday nights at 10:00pm.
