The Most Heartbreaking Scene In Succession Season 4's Big Episode Was Unscripted
This article contains spoilers for "Succession."
So, how about that last episode of "Succession," huh? Not only did they do the impossible by actually killing off the tyrannical Logan Roy (Brian Cox), but they did so in a way that makes both its characters and its audience feel the same anxieties. And with unexpected anxieties come unexpected responses, especially since it's the Roy children we're talking about here.
It shouldn't really be a surprise, then, that some of the most pivotal moments of the third episode of "Succession" were improvised. Much of the show's cast has backgrounds in live theater, an art form that famously allows for performance flexibility. However, you may not have expected one particular scene to have been made up on the spot, given how influential it ended up being in the episode. In an interview with Variety, director Mark Mylod discussed his experience directing the pivotal "Connor's Wedding," where he revealed that a certain embrace between the three core Roy siblings was done on the spot.
"They just fell into each other there, which was just gorgeous," he said. "That was an incredibly busy day shooting. But it was a very, very emotional for all of us."
You come for me with love?
Even though most of the episode was heartbreaking in its own weird way, that hug towards its end was likely "Succession" at its most emotional. Seeing Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) fold onto each other with sadness in their eyes arguably encapsulates the entire show. Despite their complicated feelings towards both their father and themselves, they are all connected to each other in a traumatic way. Kendall, for instance, cannot exist without his sister and brother. Neither can Shiv without her brothers nor can Roman without his siblings. It is just as poignant when they separate, each having to continue with their individual lives. The fact that something this symbolic of the entire show can be done at the drop of a hat is nothing short of extraordinary, and Mylod feels the same way.
"The separation of the three characters," he explained, "Sarah going that way, and Shiv wanting or needing the support of Tom in that moment, despite everything. Roman feeling the need to go on to the plane to see his father's body, and leaving Kendall alone there — I found that tremendously poignant."
Is "Connor's Wedding" the best episode of television ever? Probably not, but it just might be the best episode of "Succession," a mighty feat considering how consistently great the show has been. You can thank the keen improvisational skills of its three leads for that.