The biggest spoiler in “Succession” is from this past Sunday: Logan is dead.
Well, he’s still in the room and present as ever in Episode 4. All the talk is about him, good and bad. Mostly bad. The man is not in his grave yet but his memory and reputation are being used as ping pong balls and bargaining in chips at the board of Waystar comes to pay its respects in his lavish Park Avenue apartment.
The whole episode should be titled “Sitting Shiva, with Swords.”
Everyone who should be in this episode appears or is mentioned except for Logan’s brother, Greg’s father, played by James Cromwell.
There are many revelations and plot twists. The conversation seems more raw and brutal as characters appear to be telling each other off in more unguarded ways than ever. Tom and Greg are particular targets, which leads to Geri giving my favorite line of the show to Tom, who has just taken an hors d’oeuvres from a tray: “You might want to put down that fish taco. You’re getting your melancholy everywhere.”
Shiv gets a few surprises, Kendall gets one, and special kudos go to Peter Friedman, who is quite touching, and Zoe Winters, very moving work.
Much more cannot be said til Sunday. But if this is a foreshadowing, the funeral episode — presumably a week from Sunday — should be titled “Monster’s Ball.”
PS This year HBO should bring back their Emmy party. They’re going to have truckloads of them when you factor in “House of the Dragon,” “Hacks,” “Barry,” and “The Last of Us.”
