Succession: The Impossible Game (Season 3 Video Essay)

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This video essay dissects the game of Succession: is it really possible for Roman, Shiv, or Kendall to win? The finale of Succession season 3 shows that the race to become the next CEO is, in fact, a scheme through which Logan Roy controls and wields power over his children - one designed so that only he can win, again and again. In this video, we dive deeper into why that is and also explore the subtext surrounding the cyclical nature of abuse.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
02:18 Shiv's Path to Waystar
04:31 Siblings Self-Sabotage
07:58 Season 3 Finale Revisited
10:55 Logan's Motive: The Cycle of Abuse
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MUSIC USED:
Symphony No. 9, Op. 125. Molto vivace · Festival Choir And Orchestra · Ludwig van Beethoven · Prague Festival Choir and Orchestra · Alberto Lizzio
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 Choral in D minor, Op. 125
#succession #videoessay

[@VidbaseCreators]

CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 02:18 Shiv's Path to Waystar 04:31 Siblings Self-Sabotage 07:58 Season 3 Finale Revisited 10:55 Logan's Motive: The Cycle of Abuse

[@177fernandezjoe]

Dude this was perfectly written and put together. Amazing work.

[@VidbaseCreators]

Thank you so much Joseph!! Really appreciate this comment!

[@Shamino1]

I've yet to see anyone mention why it is that Logan's abuse has caused him to only have two, rather than more, grandchildren. Connor is in his late 40's and has no children. Shiv's in her early 30's and has no children. Roman doesn't sleep with anybody, instead addicted to self-gratification and self-release rather than letting have any woman be physically close to him. We see how absent Kendall is as a father in season 3, the show really drives it home with the rabbit-wrapping-birthday-present Kendall never finds and when Logan utilizes Kendall's son to taste-test dinner. It's also important to notice that the only one who had children is also the only one who has any substance abuse issues and is the only one who spends time with 'regular people' as a result of that substance abuse. Kendall feels he can relate to the everyman because he has an 'everyman' problem: Drug addiction. He can spend all day hanging out with Meth Heads, doing blow with the waiting staff, drinking double-Vodka's with a secretary to some third-tier law firm, and he can get along with people when he's inebriated. It's a lack of self-control. This lack of self-control provided him a failed marriage and two children, whereas the other three have all remained childless. They remain childless because they've spent their entire lives being programmed by their father to become their father- and on a conscious level every child of Logan Roy knows that if they have children they will continue the cycle you touch upon at the end of your video. Kendall continues this cycle of abuse, albeit unknowingly, by being as self-absorbed as his father. The fact he feels terrible that he treats his children this way does not change the fact he *does* treat his children as a distant afterthought. There's a scene where Kendall is in the middle of 'business' at a hotel and its his son knocking on the door, and Kendall absolutely loses it and screams at his son. Once he realizes who it is, he hugs his son and says "I thought you were someone else-" Which perfectly encapsulates that Kendall has all the exact same trappings as Logan and that his 'I am a good person' mantra is total nonsense.

[@nothinleader]

I think you're spot on, and it hits close to home because it's the same in my family. I don't think my siblings and I will ever have kids. The older I get the more clearly I can see we're just...broken.

[@harleybanks7252]

that read on Kendall is superb, you're so right.

[@rachels.8051]

@@nothinleader honestly, I have always wanted to be a mother more than anything. But I’m terrified I’ll only know how to parent the way my father did. I have 3 younger sisters and it’s pretty clear none of us intend to have children. Succession is the best example I’ve seen of narcissistic family dynamics.

[@Paratet]

You definitely were spot on. The other aspect is their mother. Shiv is different in that Caroline knew and understood how men like Logan treated their daughters and women in general. Caroline should've been Shiv's bedrock, but instead she completed with her and belittled her for not being woman enough to even earn her father's affection. This is why Shiv chose and resents a man as loyal and doting as Tom. He gives her the affirmation she never got, but despises how much she gets.

[@thedanespeaks]

I know Alan Ruck looks good. Really good. But the man is 66. Late forties is A bit too much of a stretch. More like 56-57 imo.

[@chaosprince8291]

I have watched so many of these in the wake of season 3. But this is my favorite. The others would hit on one or two of these points and then drop it. This is the first video that concisely hit every point about every kid in regards to Logan and the abuse they suffered and why Logan shouting at them to "make their own pile" was particularly ironic and cruel. He not only incentivized that they not make their own pile, he actively sabotaged Kendall and Shiv's attempts to.

[@VidbaseCreators]

Ahh this is the best comment - thank you so much!! It means so much to hear this from you! ❤️

[@bullbunnies]

Yes especially shiv. She gave up a real career in politics. I think he was serious about Shiv but she couldn't control her resentment; then he decided to punish her for it.

[@Shivcel172]

​@@bullbunnies I thought this too but upon rewatching it's clear he was never serious about shiv. Completely dismissing her the very next day by just having her awkwardly fumble around him when he refused to give her a clear idea of her position in the company and then getting antsy when she tried to talk details and ending it short by giving her two unrealistic timelines. One too short and the other he certainly wouldn't live long enough to actually crown her as his successor. I think Shiv only believed him cause she thought he viewed her as worthy seeing as she's the only child of his that managed to make something of herself outside of him and I feel she would have stuck to it if he had given her a clear and logical path with a permanent place in the company. If you pay attention she only is ever briefly given any real position in the company through the entire show, even in the end when her and her brothers tried to be a united front against gojo Ken was gonna be ceo Roman I think Cfo or CTO and she was just supposed to trust that they'd include her which they don't have a great track record of doing, just like Logan Ken was unwilling to give her any real position in the company.

[@Fernanda-bs6sy]

This is such a brilliant essay and I think you understand the show perfectly. I feel like a lot of people think Succession is some kind of Game of Thrones-esque show in a corporate setting, with a bunch of genius characters constantly trying to outwit each other, and they miss the point of the abuse that drives the core family dynamic. "Logan declares himself the winner of a game he rigged" is such a perfect way to sum it up - Logan is constantly contradicting himself wrt what he wants from his children ("Make your own pile", but when Shiv was building a career away from Waystar, he pulled her in; when Kendall wanted to break free in season 3, he didn't let him; etc), because at the end of the day he does not want them to surpass him. He wants them to stay under his thumb and control. He wins because he's the one making up the rules, basically. Thank you for your brilliant work! I'll definitely subscribe.

[@VidbaseCreators]

This is the best comment!! Thank you so much, this is 100% everything I was aiming for with the essay. Made my day, really appreciate you!

[@Fernanda-bs6sy]

@@VidbaseCreators You're welcome, it's really deserving praise!

[@assasination1100]

"He wins because he is making the rules"..nailed it. Just like this video.

[@soakupthenoise]

I agree with the general gist of this but Shiv had built a career in politics away from Waystar long before the series started; Logan pulled her back in because the man she was working for started attacking him.

[@Winter-Alpha-Omega]

Logan is clearly a narcissist. And so, he'll never be satisfied with his children, since by his very nature, he needs to feel in control and that's through abuse.

[@mojo.s4669]

Yes! This is amazing, you've hit every subtextual mark. It's even more ironic when you actually think about the company's legacy and conflicts throughout the series. Everything Ken and Shiv said was true. Everything Ken wanted to change and tried to make happen in season 1 for the company, eventually happened under new leadership. The gojo deal, the modernization and media shift in Waystar was already a move by Ken. Shiv solved like majority of the company's biggest scandals. The victim, press conference etc. And every move logan made business wise actually backfired. It is his money and social standing that saved him and his game. In actuality his business tactics aren't rooted in logic anymore but rather ego and influence. You see this contrast with his children, most of their suggestions and ideas have and would've saved the company.

[@thomassimmons9730]

My favorite part of the Kendall speech where he pins down Logan so well and is no longer afraid of him is that he is ganked out of his fucking mind. Great essay!!

[@ansgarmoneyboy]

Thats interessting viewing the Show not only threw the lens of who succeeds in wealth but also in trauma and abuse. So the real winner would be the one who can overcome and end this abuse in his line of succession.

[@sarzipan]

This is so well done!! I often think about Logan's own experience with abuse growing up, as you've touched on here. As terrible as he is, I can't help but feel Logan's character is deeply tragic - he tried to leave that abusive past behind him, but he only succeeds in perpetuating the cycle with his own kids and grandkids. I wonder if we'll ever get to learn more about Logan's history in the show or if it's something that will die with him, with his kids (and we, as the viewers) only ever really knowing what we can glean from hints and allusions to that part of his life.

[@VidbaseCreators]

That shot of him getting out of the pool says everything. Thanks so much for the comment Sarah!! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@madvillain9]

This! I completely agree. Logan has clearly went through traumatic experiences which has shaped him to be the man that he is. Although not justified, it is the reason. I think a lot of people would change their views on him if they did a flashback (although that wouldn't make sense in the show) or another show which goes through his rise to the top. He is the most interesting and complex character and not simply a "abusing, bad" father.

[@erikboyer5716]

This essay has some pretty intriguing, convincing, and brilliant commentary. I have to watch this show again. And between the background music & that voice, this video is crazy easy to listen to.

[@erikboyer5716]

I also LOVE the Arrested Development connection!

[@Linck192]

I can't help but watch any video essay about succession I find on youtube

[@carmencollor1224]

Excellent, excellent. The best video on Succession ( and I have seen a lot of them). Yes, the best, most revealing scene is where Kendall tells Logan that he envies his children and competes with them. The "nobody ", in reality, is Logan. Someone that, deep inside, is forever unhappy and that always feels belittled by everyone and everything.

[@mn-ru4li]

This video is like the ASMR of Succession video essays.

[@eben7248]

Thank you for making this. So many people, when talking about this show, cannot get even a minute into analysis without asserting that "every character is evil" or "it's a fun show about horrible characters getting what they deserve" or something of that sentiment. To me, it has never been a wonder how we are able to empathise with the characters of Succession, because they have never come across to me as evil - a concept I don't even really believe in to begin with - at all. To me, it is not a show wherein every character is a villain, but wherein every character is a victim. Yes, often of themselves, but those selves are shaped by their own abusers, whether it be their spouse, their mother, society, or - as is the top of the chain of abuse for all the characters in Succession - Logan. Logan himself, of course, has his uncle Noah, and Noah had his own Noah before him.

[@Winter-Alpha-Omega]

This comment is so weird. Evil absolutely exists. It's true everyone is in a way a victim, but that's when you choose to either rise up to the occasion or give up completely on the world. Every character is amoral. And yes, it's a funny show about horrible people digging their own graves. I don't know what you find odd about those statements.

[@creamygooger]

i really loved this video! succession is excellent but i feel like a lot of the video essays ive seen miss out on a lot. you've managed to go in depth so efficiently. sub!

[@VidbaseCreators]

Ah thank you so much! It means a ton :)))

[@hannahpeters-rf9eb]

I love Austerlitz for this reason. It reveals a lot of the reasons for the underlying tension. I also think the swimming pool scene is a metaphor for Logan at some level knowing what hes doing and wanting to change. To first hear Shiv say earlier Logan doesn't swim because he doesn't even trust water then to see him try with the help of Marcia while also revealing his past of physical abuse. Its a shame he pushes Marcia away later as I think, despite her flaws, she is a good partner for him.

[@Winter-Alpha-Omega]

I like Marcia as a character, I loved her screen presence. As a fictional person, though... I found her horrible. She saw her husband kicking his own grandchild, unprovoked, in the face as if he were a shrew. And yet she kept defending Logan and acting as if he were reasonable. Though everyone in that room saw how he assaulted his own family and they just stood by.

[@okaywow3486]

i went to check your channels to see if you had more content and was saddened to see you didnt. I think many people would love to see more of you work. This was such an incredible video essay! Thank you!!

[@aydalhd4669]

That's really cool! I can't wait for the next chapter-it's really well written!

[@kimberlyklaus7296]

Great commentary- only one tiny correction. Waystar-Royco is the (fictional) FIFTH-largest media-entertainment-news conglomerate in the world.

[@VidbaseCreators]

Whoa!! Thanks for the note! I must have missed that stat in an episode 😅 Which one was it?

[@lakshmi4224]

@@VidbaseCreators I think it may have been the very first one, when Frank does a toast to Logan during the birthday lunch.

[@AnnieKhurana]

This is such a good video and unique insight into Logan's game. Great work!

[@katwuhoo]

so well written! cant wait for more!!

[@iamdewansh7]

Great great great video! Appreciate the hardwork.

[@JAMellott23]

Excellent man, keep up the good work.

[@VidbaseCreators]

Thank you!!

[@melikeursmile]

This is such a good analysis!!

[@coastalation]

such a thoughtfully written review!

[@ariq456]

Love this! I'm actually hoping to see more of logan's background next season. I enjoyed this video a lot.

[@VidbaseCreators]

Thank you so much Ariq!!!

[@melissas7980]

Happened upon this video this morning. Well done! New subscriber saying "Thank you!"

[@Sui_Generis0]

This was a very good video! Good stuff

[@VidbaseCreators]

Thank you!!

[@LittleDBigDreams]

Good analysis! Great video!

[@VidbaseCreators]

Thank you Alex!

[@renc4152]

Very insightful

[@bryanbrown0580]

Nicely done

[@Miranda-ic1cy]

Very interesting!

[@MrShahid0072]

Bravo my friend

[@DvornyashkaDiaries]

I think one thing that Logan really hates about his children is the fact that they are still somewhat love each other at least deep down and care too much about Logan's approval and he thinks it's a coward's way taking power by sucking off the powerful person. If at lest one of them without any shame or second thought buldozed through every one the way he does, like when Kendall threw them under the bus. He would respect that (still would use any tool at his disposal to crush you). Logan wants them to not give a shit abou him or anyonr else. Especially about stupid shit like being liked or praised or even loved. Man is a piece of shit, but he has a solid vision of what he wants.

[@laurenhong6187]

Wow this is really cool!!!!! 💜💜

[@ifearoboto1033]

This is brilliant

[@kylesung4433]

dope af!!

[@NoraGermain]

Thanks for using and crediting Beethoven and not using some shitty modern fucked up remake of it. Honestly it's refreshing.

[@vincent-rz1pr]

Man you talk like a melting kitten it’s so relaxing

[@alanoodfz9625]

Please make more you are best of all

[@carlanthony3433]

I loved this

[@9razzler9]

logan is the worst father ever.

[@gardenroom65]

Robert maxwell springs to mind.

[@Kat-pe3gq]

No no no, Tom is Minnesotan! I had no idea this man was British, holy shit. I have a weird feeling of being impressed and a bit sad

[@matthewgriffin8289]

Hate to be picky but it's the 5th biggest not the biggest

[@ellissmith8160]

Shiv..Ken .roman ..they showed there weakness..dad see 👀 it

[@dr.shakibkhan1045]

Easy times creates weak men. This is why Logan never saw the ruthlessness that he has in his children, coz he knows that the world outside is ruthless and to run a empire even you have to be like them which he doesn’t see in his children.

[@VidbaseCreators]

I think ruthlessness can often times be substituted for abusiveness, case in point regarding Logan and his children. I don't think that Kendall, Roman, or Shiv are necessarily weak, rather they are consistently brought down from their potential by their father - for example, we've seen Kendall and Shiv save the company while Logan was out of commission due to his health, but instead of realizing their strengths and pushing them forward, he breaks them down. They're playing a losing game against Logan, because he owns the game and dictates the plays.

[@ryanknight199]

Might does NOT make right. That is pretty much the whole point of the show. Do you seriously view Logan in a positive light?? Because if so, you are being allured by poisonous masculinity I almost promise you that.

[@balmain2496]

Why the voice tho

[@JesseBakerH]

omg it sounds like you're trying to eat your microphone while talking

[@DavidTurner11]

Your voice is hard to understand. Are you too close? It sounds like it's clipping.

[@cartesian_doubt6230]

Bro, why are you whispering? It feels like you're recording this in a closet.

[@Tadaia]

Please get someone else to do the voiceover next time. This guy’s voice isn’t capable of doing why he’s trying to do. I got so frustrated trying to hear and understand I stopped it a few mins in.

[@thomasbrown9313]

People are not abused enough