Succession” Shocks Fans with Sudden Death of Patriarch Logan Roy: What the Aftermath Means for the Final Season
The latest episode of “Succession” has left fans reeling after the show's patriarch, Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, dies suddenly.[0] The character's ill-health has been a concern since he suffered a stroke in the show's 2018 premiere. However, his death still comes as a shock as it takes place off-screen during his son's wedding. Cox has said that he knew Logan's death was always going to happen as “Succession” is about succession and “you need a corpse”. The show's creator, Jesse Armstrong, had originally planned for Logan to die in the first season, but now his death marks a dramatic turning point for the show's final season. The aftermath of Logan's death is expected to be explored in the remaining seven episodes, including how his children and associates will jockey for power in the Waystar Royco empire.
Logan's mortality has been a major theme throughout the show's run, with the character frequently referencing his own mortality and questioning if there is anything after this life. The show has also explored the human frailty of its characters, including Logan's own declining health, which has left his children reeling about the future of the company after his death.
While Logan's death was inevitable, the show's treatment of death has always been appropriately grave. Despite all his wealth and power, Logan cannot take it with him, and the show has highlighted the frailty of his aging body and mind. The show has also explored the emotional reactions to death, including the shock and pain of loved ones, as well as the unexpected moments of tenderness that can arise amidst the horror.
The death of Logan also marks a turning point for some of the show's other characters, including the forever rejected and emotionally stunted Connor, who finds some validation and honesty in his relationship with Willa, his fiancée. Connor's reaction to his father's death is one of the show's most gut-wrenching moments, as he laments that his father never even liked him.[1]
Logan's death sets the stage for the rest of the final season, which promises to explore the aftermath of his passing and the power vacuum it creates. As the title suggests, “Succession” has always been about who will succeed Logan as the head of the Waystar Royco empire, and now his death makes that question more urgent than ever.
The death of a major character is always a dramatic turning point for a show, and “Succession” is no exception. The suddenness of Logan's death and the shock it creates among the show's other characters promise to make the remaining episodes of the final season an emotional rollercoaster for fans. As the characters grapple with the aftermath of Logan's death, the show will undoubtedly continue to explore its central themes of power, wealth, and family dysfunction, making for compelling viewing until the very end.
0. “‘Succession’ Director Mark Mylod on How Long That Death Was in the Works and How Episode 3 Almost Ended” Variety, 10 Apr. 2023, https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/succession-director-logan-roy-death-season-4-1235578079/
1. “Succession recap: season 4, episode 3, “Connor's Wedding”” The A.V. Club, 10 Apr. 2023, https://www.avclub.com/succession-review-season-4-episode-3-1850318049
