The Latest Episode of HBO’s Succession Leaves Fans Reeling with the Death of Logan Roy
The latest episode of HBO's hit drama, Succession, has left fans reeling with the death of the show's patriarch, Logan Roy.[0] The episode, entitled “Connor's Wedding,” saw the Roy siblings attending their brother's nuptials while Logan was on a plane to meet with Lukas Matsson in Europe. However, his heart stops en route, and he dies surrounded by a motley crew of hangers-on and opportunists who were with him on the plane. None of his children are with him when he dies, and they're all left to speak their last words to him through Tom's phone.[1] The remainder of the episode plays out between air and sea, as Logan's colleagues strategize next moves, while Logan's children do the same, all of them navigating complex emotions.[2]
The show has been building to this momentous event since its very first episode, when Logan suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, and his health started to decline.[0] Succession is focused on determining the future leader of Waystar RoyCo, as implied by its title.[0] The answer to that question will finally be revealed in the remaining episodes of the fourth and last season.[0] Armstrong's original plan was to kill him off in the first season, but his relatively early exit now gives the series room to breathe as it plays out the actual succession, bringing the show back to what it was always intended to be.[3]
The death of Logan Roy is a major blow to his children, who never received closure from their tyrannical father.[4] During the episode, we witness the Roys experiencing every phase of grief, including the one that entails fixating on the stock market.[4] It's a reminder of the near-fatal stroke Logan had at his 80th birthday party in Season 1, which he survived, along with countless attempts to wrest Waystar Royco from his control.[1] Succession has consistently emphasized that Logan is an invincible person.[1] However, the reminder of that first stroke is enough to make viewers realize that Logan is a goner as soon as Tom reveals Logan's critical situation.[1]
The show has certainly hinted at this throughout the season, especially in its first episode.[1] In a parallel to Season 1, Season 4 opens with Logan's birthday, which is a reminder of his deteriorated relationship with his family and, naturally, his own aging.[1] He even contemplates mortality with his bodyguard Colin, wondering about what comes after life.[1] Like a true Logan Roy, he believes that the solution is not anything.[1]
None of Logan's children are with him when he dies, and they're all at Connor's wedding, something Logan skipped to speak to Matsson.[1]
0. “Succession Season 4 Trailer: What Comes Next After That Major Death” Screen Rant, 10 Apr. 2023, https://screenrant.com/succession-mid-season-4-trailer
1. “Logan Roy is dead: Here's how ‘Succession' handled it.” Mashable, 10 Apr. 2023, https://mashable.com/article/succession-logan-roy-dies
2. “‘Succession’ Death Ushers in the HBO Hit’s Endgame” Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/succession-logan-roy-dead-season-4-episode-3-recap-1235369040/
3. “Succession episode 3: ‘The greatest episode of TV this year'” BBC, 6 Apr. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230406-succession-episode-3-the-greatest-episode-of-tv-this-year
4. “‘Succession' Season 4, Episode 3 Recap: Logan's Death and What Happens Next” Esquire, 10 Apr. 2023, https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a43541242/succession-season-4-episode-3-recap-logan-roy-dead/
