Succession, series 3, episode 4, review: Logan and Kendall clash in masterclass of timing and tension

In a series that’s normally chock full of words – rebarbative put-downs, ingenious taunts, spat out brickbats – episode four of this superb third run of Succession was best when there was silence.

Logan (Brian Cox) and Kendall (Jeremy Strong) were forced to sit down together for the first time in the series thanks to the demands of a major investor, Josh (Adrien Brody). Kendall and Logan’s power clash had torpedoed the share price and Josh needed assurance that the company was under the right management. Suddenly, there was a bigger, richer Alpha circling the pack. Logan hated it, but Josh knew it, and he proved it by forcing Logan and the son he’s taken to calling “the Judas” to hug it out in front of him. They couldn’t. At one point I swear they just eyeballed each other for nearly a minute.

Before all that, however, the message of episode three was that everyone has a price. Logan called in Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, better and better with each episode), and asked him what his was. This paralleled the unearthing of “Tattoo Man” a down and out who had agreed to have Kendall’s initials tattooed on his forehead at the older Roy’s bachelor party some years back.

With Roman (Kieran Culkin) looking for dirt with which to discredit his brother, this was dynamite – how could “Woke-a-hontas” be seen to have disfigured a penurious unfortunate for japes? Unfortunately Tattoo Man had (obviously) had the tattoo removed. His price for the photos was a million dollars.

Yet this was small beer compared to the amounts at stake at the big Josh pow-wow out on some steel-and-glass temple in the Hamptons. Josh had summoned the warring parties to his private island because their squabbling had so far cost him somewhere in the region of $350m. He reminded Logan and Kendall that as a major investor, he was essentially their boss. If they couldn’t break bread, play nice and work together, Josh was going to sack them.

What followed was the most strained, protracted, agonising encounter since Meg Ryan on Parkinson. Logan and Kendall had to pretend that all was tickety-boo at the top of Waystar Royco when they couldn’t even bring themselves to share a helicopter. (The ultimate snub for the hyper-rich). “I don’t like betting on blood feuds,” said Josh, chowing down on langoustines on a far-flung shore of property. Then, as always, there was a call he just had to take. And so Logan and Kendall were left in silence on the seashore, far from home.

What followed was something close to theatrical perfection, as they first sat in silence, and then realised they’d have to walk – walk! – some distance in order to get back to their limos. Soon they were lost, with Josh assuring them he knew the way back and the audience never quite sure if this was actually a test of their manhood.

Succession doesn’t normally major on cinematography but here, following the three men down thin paths through high reeds, there were distinct overtones of the classic Sopranos episode Pine Barrens, tragedy following comedy-like notes on the scale. The indefatigable Logan quickly proved distinctly fatigable, while the son who had tried to kill his father in business found himself literally trying to save his life.

It was virtuoso writing, photography and performance, crackling with irony and desperate bravado. As a portrait of power dynamics it was hard to beat – and as Succession is all about power dynamics, this was simply the best thing in the series so far.