Succession Review: Funeral for a Demon (2023)

Logan Roy's funeral sent his kids in different directionsSuccessionpenultimate episode. But as the series finale approaches, who will have the upper hand in the battle for control of Logan's legacy?

On the morning of Logan's funeral, Shiv sees angry protesters outside ATN headquarters on the news - the votes are still being counted - as Roman rehearses his eulogy in the mirror with an arrogant jump in his step. ("I am the king of Dong. Bow down to me.") As the police close shop windows, Rava tells Kendall to take the kids north instead of going to the funeral as he is not comfortable . Kendall is furious, threatens to get a court order and even pulls in front of her car to stop her - but he can't. Shiv urges Matsson to be candid about his false numbers in India today amid all the election chaos: "It just turned out to be a great day to bury bad news." But he laughs her off and taunts America for just being a democracy "for about 50 years... unless you don't count black people." Mencken will be at the funeral, she adds, so it might be a good idea if Matsson is there too.

Tom is still overwhelmed by the election news on ATN, but he becomes the "wheel man" at Logan's casket, so he tells Greg to reserve him a spot at the funeral. Kendall, Shiv and Roman share a car for work, and Kendall is still in a bad mood about Rava and the kids. Their mother, Caroline, has invited them all to "clean Caribbean air" but Ken says it's "hard not to". So Shiv decides to tell them: she is pregnant. Roman, of course, teases her ("Is it mine?"), but the brothers all agree to "a funeral truce". As soon as they arrive, Kendall tells her assistant Jess that she wants to hire a family lawyer and sue Rava for custody, but he notices that Jess already has a meeting scheduled in her calendar for next week. She didn't want to do it today, but admits she's ready to move on: "It feels like it's time." Kendall starts out supportive, but grows increasingly agitated, finally declaring, "It's too juvenile... it's so stupid." You're stupid. Everyone is acting stupid.

At the funeral, Shiv tries to talk Connor into giving his own eulogy ("It's long and hard to follow"), and when Marcia shows up dressed in fancy funeral attire, Roman jokes that he's "going to have sex with her in Daddy's funeral." coffin." ”, so dirty jokes are clearly part of his grieving process. Mencken arrives and is given a hero's welcome as the presumptive president-elect, and Caroline is also there and immediately sees that Shiv is pregnant. (His reply: "Well, I never.") Matsson is there and has taken Shiv's advice by releasing GoJo songs in India while everyone is busy with the election. As for Mencken, Shiv intends to offer him a US CEO to sweetening the GoJo deal: "You know who would be good? Shiv Roy. Matsson laughs...but he's clearly considering it. Kerry arrives and Caroline kindly takes her under her wing, bringing along a woman named Sally Ann, who "my Kerry was, so to speak," she tells Marcia. They all sit together in the front row, and when Kerry gasps, Marcia comes over to comfort her. Wow, who saw this coming?

Tom is trapped in the office, so Greg takes his place by Logan's coffin, and Logan's children solemnly follow him down the church aisle. After the priest pronounces a blessing, Logan's brother Ewan stands to speak, despite Greg's attempts to stop him: "What kind of person would stop a brother from speaking for the price of a share?" He remembers growing up with Logan as a child and that Logan blamed himself for his little sister's death from polio after he came home sick from school. "I loved him, I think," he admits, but "he did the most horrible things." Logan "was mean" and not generous, and at one point decided not to try again, "and it was a shame". When Ewan finishes, Kendall asks Roman to tell the other side of Logan's life story, but when Roman gets there he falters wildly and stutters a few words before bursting into sobs. He helplessly points to Logan's coffin and asks, "Is it there? Can we take it out? So Kendall has to take her place on the church podium.

He acknowledges that what Ewan said was true: “My father was a brute. He was tough.' But he also built things, such as buildings, cinemas and amusement parks: “He made life happen”. Logan had "terrible power to him," says Kendall, but he had the will to act and "Oh my God, I hope it's in me." He gets a hearty round of applause as he sits down, and it's Shiv's turn, he remembers playing outside Logan's office as kids and being scolded by him. He always kept them at bay, but when he let them in, "it was warm in the light," Shiv recalls. It wasn't easy being Logan's daughter or even a woman in his world, she admits, “but he did well. You did well, Dad. Roman is still a tearful mess as the shift ends, and on his way out, Mencken offers Kendall a warm handshake... but Hugo approaches Kendall and reports that Shiv is trying to become CEO of Waystar if Mencken lets the GoJo deal go. Hmm.

At the cemetery, the Roy brothers marvel at the grandiose family crypt that Logan has purchased. "He's got a deal," Connor reveals, adding, "I don't think he wanted to go down." They see there's room for them in the crypt, with Connor saying "I wouldn't say no to an upper bunk". As they carry Logan's coffin into the crypt, Shiv jokes, "I'm intrigued to see how he gets out of here." But Kendall pulls Hugo aside and asks him to leak to the media that certain family members don't approve of Matsson's offer and that Waystar's board is botching the deal. "People who say they love you will fuck you too," he declares, enlisting Hugo as his well-paid footman. At the memorial, Kendall also offers Logan's loyal bodyguard Colin a job, so he quietly lines up some chess pieces next to him. He approaches Mencken for a firm answer about ending the GoJo deal, but Mencken can only say that he will "try to help". Everyone is surrounded by Mencken, but Shiv takes him to talk to Matsson, who says his political ideology is "privacy, p-y, pasta". (Nice recallKendall's show from a birthday party.) Mencken felt he had "an ideological sympathy" for Logan, but Matsson placated him by offering an American CEO - namely Shiv. Mencken is surprised, thinking Shiv hated him, but Shiv insists he's on board: “My dad was flexible. I'm flexible. I know how it works.

Tom finally shows up after fighting off all the protesters ("It's getting a little Tiananmen-y out there"), and Shiv deliberately drinks a glass of champagne in front of him. When he asks why she didn't tell him she was pregnant sooner, she says, "Because you sounded so sad, Tom." He is clearly exhausted and rambles on about being the last to see Logan alive and saying goodbye, so Shiv says he can go to sleep in their apartment. She also receives a call from Matsson, who says he got a yes from Mencken and that he thinks they can get an American CEO to work. Kendall sits down with Roman and talks about the Shiv-Matsson-Mencken alliance, warning that "we may have to take some steps". However, Roman is still distraught and Kendall says, "That's because you screwed up." He blames him for botching the Mencken deal, and now they must face Shiv with the Waystar council. He has a plan, but Roman storms out, walks into the chaos outside and gives the protesters the middle finger, calling them idiots. He even jumps over a barricade and yells at them in their faces, with a protester elbowing him in the face, causing Roman to be trampled by the crowd. He pushes someone who tries to help him before running off into the night.

I have thoughts about this weekSuccession? Predictions for next week's grand final? (Watch a preview here.) Come to the conference room below and have your say in the comments.