“Previously Wrong” takes us week by week through the unpredictability of post-Golden age television and how our hindsight is sharpening for contemporary series. For this season, resident TV/Film columnist Jared Marshall takes us week by week for the family implosion portrayed on the best show on TV, HBO’s Succession.
What does it mean to cross the line on Succession? What does it look like when a Roy sibling goes too far?
Sibling dynamics always abide by a code. It may be hard to understand to anyone outside of the fray, but within the relationship it is crystal clear. Succession has always muddied the water for the viewer on which buttons you're not allowed to press–political backstabbing, horrendous jabs, and even physical violence have always been on the table. But "The Disruption" delineates one rule that, in a Shakespearean furor, Shiv decided to break: business is business, but personal matters stay inside the family.
Kendall understands the code. Even in the midst of his egocentric media escapade, the episode's cold open makes it perfectly clear there are lines he will not cross. In his interview over a fennel shaved salad, despite his narcissistic aspirations, Kendall makes it clear to the journalist that he has no intention of playing dirty with his siblings in the press.
It's not as if he doesn't have ammunition. Connor's arrangement with Willa. Shiv's infidelity. Roman's sexual dysfunction. All of it could serve as juicy tabloid fodder. But while space shuttle mayhem or witness coercion remain on the table, Kendall seems to have no interest in exposing anything that doesn't pertain to Waystar.
"The Disruption" follows Kendall falling down the rabbit hole of the media storm he's created, becoming increasingly obsessed with showing everyone he's in on the joke. Succession has often been compared to The Office. The comparison is partially due to its cinematic style, a style that Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan excellently capitalized on for the episode, but also for its firm roots in cringe-comedy. Kendall showed Michael Scott levels of ignorance, being completely oblivious to the fact that no one thinks he's a cool guy. Dealing with 50 minutes of Kendall trying to sell his new Peg the Patriarchy chic shows how high of a pedestal Shiv is about to knock him off.
Was Shiv justified in exposing Kendall's history of substance use after his "Rape Me" stunt at the Town Hall meeting? Not if we're abiding by the Roy code. Kendall's move was pure business. It wasn't a personal blow at Shiv. Connor and Roman know this. Roman may be quick to remind Kendall of his proclivity for cocaine in private, but he cares enough for the well-being of his brother to leave the verbal jousting behind closed doors. "It's a Times New Roman firing squad" says Connor after reading the press release. Not even this gang of morally bankrupt misfits expects that their sister could sink so low.
I'm far from a Kendall apologist. If anything, Season 3 so far has made me reassess my relationship with the character. There was a point where I believed that Kendall's personal struggles gave him a deeper sensitivity to the human condition than the rest of his family. Now I see that his empathy for human beings only goes as far as he can capitalize on it. But as he crawls into the fetal position in the server room and breaks down, it's hard for me not to feel just how much he's been through and how truly alone he must feel.
What does it look like when a Roy sibling goes too far? Disregarding your brother's well-being for the sake of a political power play.
Break out the snake emojis for Shiv Roy.
"I want some sucky-suck on my dicky-dick" - Connor Roy, proving that in a show filled with literary allusions and C-suite jargon… sometimes all you need is some good ol' fashioned low-brow humour.
“Previously Wrong” takes us week by week through the unpredictability of post-Golden age television and how our hindsight is sharpening for contemporary series. For this season, resident TV/Film columnist Jared Marshall takes us week by week for the family implosion portrayed on the best show on TV, HBO’s Succession.
What does it mean to cross the line on Succession? What does it look like when a Roy sibling goes too far?
Sibling dynamics always abide by a code. It may be hard to understand to anyone outside of the fray, but within the relationship it is crystal clear. Succession has always muddied the water for the viewer on which buttons you're not allowed to press–political backstabbing, horrendous jabs, and even physical violence have always been on the table. But "The Disruption" delineates one rule that, in a Shakespearean furor, Shiv decided to break: business is business, but personal matters stay inside the family.
Kendall understands the code. Even in the midst of his egocentric media escapade, the episode's cold open makes it perfectly clear there are lines he will not cross. In his interview over a fennel shaved salad, despite his narcissistic aspirations, Kendall makes it clear to the journalist that he has no intention of playing dirty with his siblings in the press.
It's not as if he doesn't have ammunition. Connor's arrangement with Willa. Shiv's infidelity. Roman's sexual dysfunction. All of it could serve as juicy tabloid fodder. But while space shuttle mayhem or witness coercion remain on the table, Kendall seems to have no interest in exposing anything that doesn't pertain to Waystar.
"The Disruption" follows Kendall falling down the rabbit hole of the media storm he's created, becoming increasingly obsessed with showing everyone he's in on the joke. Succession has often been compared to The Office. The comparison is partially due to its cinematic style, a style that Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan excellently capitalized on for the episode, but also for its firm roots in cringe-comedy. Kendall showed Michael Scott levels of ignorance, being completely oblivious to the fact that no one thinks he's a cool guy. Dealing with 50 minutes of Kendall trying to sell his new Peg the Patriarchy chic shows how high of a pedestal Shiv is about to knock him off.
Was Shiv justified in exposing Kendall's history of substance use after his "Rape Me" stunt at the Town Hall meeting? Not if we're abiding by the Roy code. Kendall's move was pure business. It wasn't a personal blow at Shiv. Connor and Roman know this. Roman may be quick to remind Kendall of his proclivity for cocaine in private, but he cares enough for the well-being of his brother to leave the verbal jousting behind closed doors. "It's a Times New Roman firing squad" says Connor after reading the press release. Not even this gang of morally bankrupt misfits expects that their sister could sink so low.
I'm far from a Kendall apologist. If anything, Season 3 so far has made me reassess my relationship with the character. There was a point where I believed that Kendall's personal struggles gave him a deeper sensitivity to the human condition than the rest of his family. Now I see that his empathy for human beings only goes as far as he can capitalize on it. But as he crawls into the fetal position in the server room and breaks down, it's hard for me not to feel just how much he's been through and how truly alone he must feel.
What does it look like when a Roy sibling goes too far? Disregarding your brother's well-being for the sake of a political power play.
Break out the snake emojis for Shiv Roy.
"I want some sucky-suck on my dicky-dick" - Connor Roy, proving that in a show filled with literary allusions and C-suite jargon… sometimes all you need is some good ol' fashioned low-brow humour.
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