Succession star Jeremy Strong previews how season 3 will explore Kendall Roy’s liberation. Debuting on HBO in June 2018, Succession is a satirical comedy revolving around the dysfunctional and obscenely wealthy Roy clan, who own the global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. The Emmy-winning series, created by Jesse Armstrong, has especially focused on the children of Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as they fight and scheme to take control of their father’s company.
The finale of season 2 provided the latest shocker in the ongoing saga. In the episode “This Is Not for Tears”, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) is set up to take the blame for a scandal at Waystar’s cruise division. The scandal includes, among other things, sexual assault and attempts at a cover-up, and Kendall is expected to fall in line with whatever Logan wants as he has throughout the second season. Kendall surprises everyone, however, when he goes off-script at a press conference. Rather than read from a prepared and vetted statement, Kendall directly blames Logan for the cruise scandal and announces that his father should not remain at the head of Waystar. Succession season 3, which premieres on Sunday October 17, picks up soon after that surprising reveal and, in new remarks, Strong has given fans a hint of what to expect.
According to TV Line, during a virtual panel at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, Strong noted that his character feels liberated. The actor spoke about how Kendall had moved from one state to another, teasing that audiences will be seeing a different side to Logan’s son when the show returns. Strong’s quote is below.
“There’s a sort of phase transition of, like, moving from one state to another. I felt that, after the press conference, it was as if I’d sat under the Bodhi tree and achieved a moment of clarity, and what feels for Kendall like enlightenment and liberation. So I think we see a sort of airborne Kendall at the beginning of the season, someone who feels like he’s finally wrested himself free from the chains that have been binding him. There’s an airborne quality to it.”
In the previous two installments of Succession, Kendall has always felt tied to his father for one reason or another. For much of season 1, the character was reluctant to hurt his father by taking over his position. And then, in season 2, Logan had essentially used blackmail against Kendall in order to keep his son in line. By speaking of Kendall’s liberation, Strong seems to be indicating that his character will no longer be motivated either by loyalty or fear. This promises that fans will be in for some very interesting developments when Succession returns.
Another aspect to keep in mind is how the rest of the Roy family will react to Kendall’s announcement at the press conference. The posters for season 3 tease major twists and conflicts between the Roys, leaving viewers to question whether the rest of Logan’s children will side with their father or their brother. Having last aired a new episode in 2019, and being delayed due to COVID-19, there has been plenty of anticipation regarding the return of Succession. Thankfully, the wait is just about over.
Source: TV Line