'The Rest is Silence': Logan Roy Lives

Season 4 of SUCCESSION has been a wild ride already— what does the near future look like as the series draws to a close?

Succession show-runners used their fourth episode of the series’ final season to deliver another big moment. At some undetermined point before his abrupt death, Logan Roy penciled in his son, Kendall, to be the successor. Much like Logan’s death itself, this is a moment that shouldn’t be shocking, but still manages to surprise. Kendall had several opportunities that his siblings never had; while Roman and Shiv constantly had to play catch-up, Kendall regularly seemed like the obvious heir apparent. At different points throughout the show, it appeared clear Logan would prefer Ken, who subsequently does everything in his power to screw it up. But it never seemed like a “done deal”, so for Frank and the council of geriatrics to discover a document Logan wrote and locked away naming Kendall the successor is a watershed moment itself, as evidenced by the effervescent glow in his eyes upon learning that— at least at some point— Logan believed in his son’s ability to get the job done. During one of his lowest points, at a time when it seemed like Kendall would never lead Waystar Royco, Kendall asked his dad whether he thought his oldest son was even capable of doing the job. Logan gave a classic, cryptic response which showed anything but a vote of confidence, in one of the most heartbreaking moments of the entire series. He finished with, “You’re not a killer, son. You’ve got to be a killer.”

This document is undated. It doesn’t speak to Logan’s perpetually wavering belief in his son’s ability to lead the company, but it confirms something to Kendall that he’s always been yearning for. At one point, regardless of when, the belief in Kendall’s abilities were there. In this split-second moment— and for the rest of the episode— it becomes clear that Logan’s death may not be as massive as we think it is in the context of Waystar Royco’s future; through a re-invigorated Kendall, Logan Roy lives.

Kendall has always been, in some sense, Logan’s “number one boy”. This is not news. It’s why Kendall’s personal crises always struck Logan personally-- he loved Ken. Maybe Logan loved his other children too, but Kendall always seemed to take less of the abuse through his life, emotional or physical. This isn’t to say Kendall was absolved of trauma, but it feels like he’s been handled with care compared to his siblings. Shiv (or “Pinky”, if you will) grew up in a constant state of gaslighting and manipulation, and it’s strongly implied that Logan abused Roman growing up. Apparently, when you have a daughter you can’t see as the face of your precious company and a son you don’t even like to be around, the third option— the tragic eldest son who can’t escape the clutches of addiction and self-immolation— seems a bit more appealing.

This is all to say that the surprising moment isn’t Logan choosing Kendall, but displaying a moment of vulnerability (or tact?) in putting pen to paper, deliberately spelling out KENDALL LOGAN ROY, knowing that somewhere down the line someone of importance would have to reckon with the meaning of the words he wrote. 

The most on-brand aspect of his letter is that at one point Logan underlined Kendall’s name, indicating that he came back to the document at a later date after its creation, seemingly to reaffirm his belief in Kendall as the next CEO. Except, the line is scribbled, and could be seen as a strikethrough instead of an underline. This prompts Shiv, of course, to question her dad’s belief in her brother, to which Kendall responds: “Well, it sure as fuckin’ shit doesn’t say ‘Shiv’.”

This was the pivotal moment of the episode. It’s where a light flickers in the mind of the recently timid Kendall Roy, enmeshed in ribbed Tom Ford loungewear and Buddhist scripture. For the first time in Season 4, he sheds the relaxed and unconcerned demeanor he carried even through Logan’s death. As soon as the pitiful, embarrassing belief that Logan believed in Kendall strikes, his eyes burn a translucent glow. The smug, serious, blinding focus that polarized millions and made Kendall a star on TiKTok fancams returns. In that moment, he decides to channel his inner father and put his mind back on what he’s been dreaming about since his childhood: the top.

Kendall’s character, like many of the best characters in modern performance art, is given a Shakespearean ethos and arc. Succession may be based on King Lear more than any other Shakespeare work, but the character study of Kendall Roy comes from a different work altogether. He is Hamlet. The influence is loose, but still evident. Hamlet is a sad clown, a self-proclaimed legend and the Prince of Denmark. Upon his return home for his father’s funeral, Hamlet sees his Uncle Claudius ransack the boy’s rightful throne, prompting the realization that Claudius likely killed Hamlet’s father. Our tragic hero declares his quest to avenge his father’s death and reclaim the throne, responsible for the death of six confidants and enemies alike along the way. In his trials and tribulations, Hamlet fights with his own brother, Laertes, who plots to kill him, along with Claudius. This moment causes a disastrous climax of the story that ends in the death of Laertes, Claudius, Hamlet’s mother and Hamlet himself, but not before he becomes a martyr for his righteousness, his last words booming into the great beyond: “The rest is silence”.

There are a lot of comparisons to draw between Prince Hamlet and Kendall Little Lord Fuckleroy. They’re both princes of their empire, angling for a prize they believe is their birthright, an epic tale ripe with familial backstabbing and innocent deaths. They’re also similar people, similarly enigmatic, viewed by various audiences differently based on whatever life experiences lead up to the moment they watch the play, or the TV show. Both characters are brooding, depressed, and loathsome of what they believe is a bleak and certain fate. Hamlet, much like Kendall, manages to leverage his position as an out-of-touch royal to remain inventive and existential. Kendall, like Hamlet, vaguely acknowledges the terror his ilk disseminates across culture, but absolves his personal guilt by championing the idea that societal ills are a collective failure, not an individual one.

One thing that’s always been noticeable in terms of differences between Ken and Hamlet’s story, though, is the difference in their ultimate goals. While Hamlet wanted to avenge his father’s death, Kendall never sought reparations for anything-- he just wanted to be the CEO, even if that meant he would overthrow his dad. But now, those differences might start to look like similarities. The combined mental anguish of his father dying and the posthumous confirmation (in his eyes) that he was the preferred heir could mean that Kendall now views his role as an avenger. His dad died before getting more money out of GoJo, killed by the stressors of family and business. Now, it’s time for Ken to take the future into his own hands, because he believes it’s his divine right and duty. He’ll cut throats along the way, too. Just in this episode, Kendall finds out Hugo’s son got caught insider trading. In a move that Logan surely sees from beyond the grave and smiles upon, Ken snickers, and pockets the potential blackmail he now has against Hugo, only to play his card minutes later in the same episode, overruling his interim CEO and partner, Roman to begin a postmortem, retrospective smear campaign against his father to bolster his own legitimacy. He finds solace in this ugly move because he knows Logan would’ve done the same thing, which is ultimately his destiny.

Much like Hamlet, I fear more bloodshed and chaos and infighting is coming. And to Kendall, that will just be collateral damage as he completes his always-inevitable ascent to power. On the note naming Kendall successor that Logan wrote before his death, Ken’s full name is spelled out: KENDALL LOGAN ROY.

The full name in the document. That’s not an accident. It’s a prophecy.