Succession’s Penultimate Episode, “Church and State,” Captures the Chaos of Grieving
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The post Succession’s Penultimate Episode, “Church and State,” Captures the Chaos of Grieving appeared first on Consequence.
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Succession, Season 4 Episode 9, “Church and State.”]
It’s finally the day of Logan Roy’s funeral (a more-than-fitting focus for the penultimate episode of Succession), a solemn occasion surrounded by the mayhem sparked in his name. Would Logan have wanted to see America on the verge of exploding, following a sure-to-be-contested and highly controversial election night? Roman sure thinks so — and it’s hard to deny that Logan definitely wouldn’t have hated the ratings.
This is a show that loves a good rug-pull, or put it another way — a comeuppance. So when the opening minutes of “Church and State” showcase Roman strutting his way through eulogy prep, there’s clearly a reversal to come, but what form that takes comes only after everyone gets to the church where Logan’s services will be held — not such an easy proposition, as “the people” have literally taken to the streets to protest the election results. (Shiv is trying to get Matsson to release the issues with his India numbers under the smokescreen of election confusion; he seems unconvinced that it’ll be enough.
For the record, if you freeze-frame on the New York Times article that Tom’s reading, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that the show’s art department put some real effort into making it feel authentic. No dummy lorem ipsum text here; instead, there’s some real insight into how the public at large might actually see these characters, whose own personal spin cycles dominate the show’s narrative. The Times blurb on Kendall, for example, refers to him as a whistle-blower whose reputation for doing so has been muddled by his continued involvement with Waystar, and the paper’s sources are good, accurately identifying Roman as the key voice behind calling the election for Mencken.
(Also, it refers to Darwin Perry as a “flailing handmaiden,” which might be a little overly editorialized, but who knows who’s running the Times in this universe? Point is, fingers crossed that as you’re reading this, HBO has already figured out a way to share the full breadth of “the Times coverage” with Succession fans online.)
Everyone has their issues that morning, between traffic, the Times, and a terrified Rava deciding to take her and Kendall’s children out of the city because of the growing violence, a move which inspires a furious Kendall to declare his interest in full custody of the kids. At least Kendall’s poor assistant Jess is going to be able to make her escape soon… If she can keep her meeting with Kendall on the books.
Succession (HBO)
At the actual funeral, it’s a who’s who of supporting cast members and subtle negotiations, featuring the reliably hilarious sight gag of director of photography Patrick Capone having to find a way to film Greg and Roman having a face-to-face conversation (that height differential is a mother). Also, Kerry gets whisked away by Lady Caroline to join her, Marsha, and Sally-Anne (“my Kerry, so to speak) in the front row of the church — a move orchestrated by the former ex-Mrs. Logan Roys because they knew how much it would piss off the deceased.
The speeches that ensue bring with them the unexpected curveballs we’ve come to associate with a public Roy gathering: Ewan Roy refusing to be stopped from saying his piece at the podium, followed by Roman’s… Well.
The way Roman crumbles mid-speech may be enough for Kieran Culkin to win the Best Actor in a Drama award at this year’s Emmys (it was previously revealed that he will be competing in the lead actor category this year, in part due to Brian Cox’s diminished role this season). More importantly, it’s a searing moment for the character, and a reminder that grief is a monster from which there is no escape. Roman is so fiercely irreverent in the lead-up to this moment (the true Disgusting Brother, in the end), that even with the expectations for reversal set up by the beginning, the nature of of his collapse still manages to shock.
Kendall’s eulogy, improvised in the moments afterward, is at least semi-coherent and quotable, while Shiv’s is a little more honest and heartfelt — “goodbye, my dear, dear world of a father.” And it all could have been worse — Connor could have spoken. (“It’s formally inventive, that’s what we like about it,” Willa said of the eulogy the one-time playwright clearly co-wrote; meanwhile, Shiv was concerned it’s “going to leave us open to legal action.”)
From there, it’s the next familiar beat of Christian burial — interment at a mausoleum, picked up at auction from a bankrupt “cat food Ozymandius.” The kids have their expected snarky reactions to its purchase: “$5 mil all in, but that’s forever, obviously.” “$5 million? Good deal.” “It’s also a tax write-off, because it’s a residence.” But they all have different reactions to the reality of their father’s final resting place (and the possibility of joining him there one day).
Succession (HBO)
The other major developments of the episode revolve around Shiv, who manages to tell her brothers about her impending motherhood, leading to another iconic moment of brotherly love from Roman: “Yeah, you’re having a Wambs-gland — I just thought you’d been eating your feelings.” But she gets the real prize in the end: Matsson confirming that he’s on board with her plan to keep the Gojo acquisition alive even if Mencken wins, with a “U.S. CEO” (namely, Shiv) in place to appease him. They even get a chance to lay groundwork with Mencken for that eventual outcome.
The smile on Shiv’s face as she talks about herself in the third person — “yeah, not widely liked” — is a shining moment for Sarah Snook as a performer, someone able to capture so much self-confidence and also self-loathing within a single moment. There’s also almost a nihilistic glee to be found in her game of champagne chicken with Tom, her bold declaration to Mattson that she can do anything, because her father just died; she might be the scariest Roy to contend with, going into the finale.
Though Kendall’s also now planting rumors in the press to undermine the acquisition from a whole new angle; this could end up being quite the fight. And while Logan may now be “at rest,” the rest of the world is still in an uproar. Whatever ATN’s reporting to be the case, one can only hope that actual election officials are working hard to certify the true winner; meanwhile, the Roy clan is proceeding forward like they’ve already picked the new king of America, and Roman finds some post-funeral catharsis in cackling at the protesters who stream by him on the street, before being caught up in their flow.
This may all be a big factor in the finale, given this show’s aforementioned love of comeuppances. For now, all that’s confirmed is that Logan Roy is now in the ground. The full nature of his legacy remains to be seen.
“Church and State” ultimately captures one of the core elements of Succession’s brilliance — the way that these characters see being human and vulnerable as a weakness, only to be so brutally humbled by their inability to escape those things. This is a story about people who think they can escape being people, and how their absolute worst moments come from that attempt. And the final verdict on all their souls is just a week away.
The series finale of Succession debuts next Sunday, on HBO and (what will then be known by then as just simply) Max.
Succession’s Penultimate Episode, “Church and State,” Captures the Chaos of Grieving
Liz Shannon Miller
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