Chris Connor reviews the premiere episode of Succession’s fourth and final season…
Succession has been one of the best received shows of recent years since its premiere in 2018. The series from The Thick of It and Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong sees the fictional Roy family feuding over who will inherit the Waystar Royco media empire from Logan Roy (Brian Cox). It has earned praise for its fast paced frenetic dialogue and stellar writing, and with the news of the show’s fourth season being its final one, there may be some scepticism among fans about the show sticking the landing and claiming its place among TV’s finest shows. It’s safe to say those fears can be alleviated for now though with a stellar opening act to the show’s final bow as the Roy siblings bid against their father and the final pieces are moved into place.
What has made Succession stand out from its competition, in addition to Armstrong’s scripts and storylines, is the commitment of its cast – from Brian Cox’s despicable foul mouthed Logan, Sarah Snook’s Shiv, always one step ahead of the competition, and rounded out by Jeremy Strong’s Kendall and Kieran Culkin’s Roman. One of the stand outs here is Nicholas Braun’s Cousin Gregg who always feels like the odd one out but his development has been stellar and Braun has grown into the role showing Gregg is more than simply “the cousin”.
Keeping the children away from Logan in this opening episode is a smart move with their interactions largely through others relaying intel, mostly in this case Shiv’s husband Tom who is in Logan’s camp as the trio look to outbid their father for control of a competitor. It’s an engrossing hour of television that shows what makes the show so special with it’s cast operating at the top of its game. With the siblings having been kept apart much of the last season its refreshing to see them bouncing off each other here and giving the show a different dynamic. This is really the first time the three have been a team since the show started and for all their differences they have a collective goal.
While this opening episode may not have shifted the balance of power drastically it shows we are in for quite the ride in the remaining nine episodes as all parties concerned make a power play. Just who will come out on top remains to be seen but the stage is set for a finale for the ages.
Succession makes its long overdue return and if there is a sour note due to this being its final season, the quality on display here should help fans reconcile the fact and this may well be the perfect time for the show to bow out at the top of its game. The cast continues to be magnetic in the delivery of their exquisite material and Armstrong has shown us in his previous projects that he knows how to stick a landing. Needless to say audiences will be hooked as we try to decipher who really has the upper hand in this twisted saga of family resentment. It’s great to have the Roy’s back for one final ride.
Chris Connor
