Succession Season 4 Episode 2 Review: Rehearsal
Carissa Pavlica
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The whole way through Succession Season 4 Episode 2, all I could think of was what a sweet kid Roman really is.
That contradicts what Logan thinks, as he hopes to use Roman as his bulldog to pull ATN together.
The family is in shambles, from the Waystar sale to Connor's wedding, but Roman is still a good kid (with a wickedly sharp tongue) at heart.
I'm not even sure why that was reeling through my mind. Maybe it's just the way Kieran Culkin plays Roman. Or perhaps it's how he cares more than any other Roy, effectively throwing a wet blanket on any evidence that points to him being the cutthroat Logan desperately wants him to be.
There's so much going on with this group. With great change comes great upheaval. Selling a multi-billion dollar company is a brilliant chaos agent.
Hesitation about the sale abounds.
Logan is already throwing his weight around in the ATN newsroom, and no rousing speech allays fears that he'll be there, right in the midst of it, more than ever before.
Kerry's desire to pivot from her relationship with Logan to an anchor role on ATN found Logan staying out of it, leaving the rest of them stumbling around trying to appease Logan, but not sure which direction would do the trick.
Sandy and Stewie aren't happy with the billions on the table. They want more. Is there anything more disgusting than seeing people poised to land a windfall larger than many small nations and still want more?
Again, love for Roman comes to the forefront. He sees it for what it is -- a cash grab. He even suggests that maybe they're just done cornholing their dad, although nobody else agrees.
So it's either we vote yes tomorrow, and we all make billions of dollars, or we sign up for your cool shit, and then dad disinherits us entirely. That sounds like a toughy; we'll think about it, bye.
Roman
What did it mean when moments after Maatson said if Logan pushes on the price, he'll be selling, but not to him, Kendall picked up the phone and asked Stewie for the details?
Kendall and Shiv want the play, but Roman wants to roll in Connor, who also has a stake. The faction is fracturing before it even began.
All of this plays out on the night they're supposed to be celebrating Connor's upcoming nuptials and on the heels of Logan advising Tom to get his mitts on every viable divorce attorney in Manhattan.
The attorneys are conflicted out, and you see various Roys doing the same.
God fuckin' dammit. God fucking dammit. You ruined it all. You fucking ruined it all.
Connor
One of my favorite things is seeing the Roys trying to act like normal people.
This was beautifully on display when Connor wanted to first visit a bar where men work and have blood in their hair and then head to Karaoke.
I would like to sing one song at karaoke because I've seen it in the movies, but nobody ever wants to go.
Connor
As it turned out, Kendall and Shiv had something. Logan hoped they'd just let the sale go, but when he discovered they were wobbling on the sale, he made a beeline to the karaoke bar for a family discussion.
This is Guantanamo-level shit. What is this, Con? I think I would like to hear Desperado. Please.
Roman
If you had Logan finally saying sorry to the kids while avoiding a seizure in a karaoke bar, then good on you.
Their entire family relationship came to a head in that tiny little room.
Look, I don't do apologies, but if it means so much to you, then sorry.
Logan
Once Logan started going there, it got real. The damage done to their relationship through so many levels of lies and betrayal left Shiv unable to trust a single word Logan had to say.
Roman wondered how far the door was open. How far could they go back to show how horribly wrong things had gone?
If Logan only realized the depths of the fissures in their relationship when they skipped his birthday party, the others would have been going over it in their minds for a lot longer.
Kendall whipped out the fact that Connor had been virtually ignored his entire life. What about locking up Connor's mother? Beating Roman? Standing by Tom in the divorce?
It was the conversation they needed to have, but it was only the tip of the iceberg.
But if they can circle around and come together when a deal is on the table, and the possibility of flushing it down the toilet is a real threat, maybe there's hope for them to find their way back to each other for real.
"I love you, but you're not serious, people," Logan said to his kids before leaving. They are exactly what he made them. Talk about a bitter pill to swallow.
Connor has so often seemed like the buffoon in the family, but when he said not needing love was his superpower, it was so sad. All four of them left, tricking themselves by varying degrees about what went down, but they still wanted love and acceptance from their father.
Only one of them was willing to bridge the gap, which brings me back to Roman.
He's so misunderstood, and how his father portrayed him as a ruthless f*ck proved how little Logan understands any of them.
But Roman bought it, and he was proud that Logan asked. He's teetering on the edge of a real betrayal of his siblings. Will it happen?
The sale is in under 24 hours. What will happen next? Who succeeds Logan if there's nothing left to take over? The title is Succession, after all.
What are the kids really pushing for? Do they want more cash, or are they staving off the inevitable?
I sure don't have the answers. They don't, either. But it's always a gas seeing this family dance their way around the important stuff with inane BS, isn't it?
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
