The Events Of Succession's Biggest Episode Inspired A Wild L.A. Times Article
This post contains spoilers for the third episode of "Succession" season 4.
"Succession" just killed off what was seemingly the fulcrum of its dense, complicated, but always riveting drama, sending the rest of the HBO series' storylines into turmoil. It was possibly the most shocking event in a show filled with shocking events, an atom bomb of a twist that feels like it could have been the final episode of the show instead of the launching point for the rest of the final season. To honor the momentous occasion, real-life publications published their own obituaries covering the life of the fictional Logan Roy in their own ironically cheeky manner.
Both the Los Angeles Times and Vulture had their own take on the end of the Waystar Royco CEO's rule. In a manner that recalls the way the marketing for the recently acclaimed film "TÁR" made it seem as if the titular controversial conductor was a real person, the outlets summarized Logan's rise to power as if they existed in the same universe as "Succession." Here, fictional entities like the media conglomerate Waystar Royco and the streaming giant GoJo reign supreme, and Congressmen Jeryd Mencken and Connor Roy are real political figures.
Dies at 84
Both faux obits capture a satirical tone that pokes fun at the ruthlessness of Logan Roy and looks back at all the conniving and backstabbing that permeated "Succession." It helps that in the episode where Logan dies, "Connor's Wedding," the press swarmed around the incident as quickly as stunned critics were writing episode recaps. One wonders if the coverage from these two publications will predict the way the fallout will play out on television. For instance, the LA Times pulled a quote from Kendall Roy, who warned his siblings to "not do anything that restricts our future freedom of movement" and called his father "a malignant presence, a bully and a liar."
The articles also admirably reference the more obscure, background details that expand on the world of "Succession," and emphasize how wide Waystar's reach is across all media. Of particular note is the way the LA Times managed to make a callback to the fake, "Seinfeld"-esque movie posters "Kalispitron" and "Eric is a Sinner." Vulture even pulled up some old photos of Brian Cox to further immerse readers in the illusion. "Worldbuilding" is usually a term reserved for epic fantasy and science fiction, but these send-offs prove that showrunner Jesse Armstrong and the writing staff of "Succession" have meticulously crafted a universe of their own.