'Succession': The ten most horrifying moments from Logan's funeral

We survived Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) funeral, however at what value?

Succesion Season 4, episode 9, “Church and State” — or as I prefer to name it, “4 Eulogies and a Funeral” — took us by means of the Roys’ final goodbyes to their father. However as is customary with any Roy household gathering at this level, Logan’s funeral wasn’t only a funeral. It was a possibility for energy performs, vicious insults, and a few actually awkward networking. By the top of the episode, the way forward for the Roy siblings and the Waystar deal continues to be up within the air, however one factor is for certain: the Roys have abominable funeral etiquette.

From poorly timed enterprise maneuvers to wildly off-color jokes, listed here are 10 moments when the Roys’ funeral habits compelled me to cover behind my fingers, pause the episode, or simply yell, “Learn the room!”

1. All of the pre-funeral shenanigans

Logan’s funeral could be the dramatic principal course of “Church and State,” however that does not imply we will not have some cringe-worthy appetizers.

A lot of those pre-funeral horrors come courtesy of Kendall (Jeremy Sturdy), who is of course in a nasty place given the circumstances. Nonetheless, he is so caught up in his father’s massive day that he’s unaware of how his different actions (like shepherding in a fascist president) affect the others in his orbit. He tries to cease his ex-wife Rava (Natalie Gold) from leaving New York Metropolis with their youngsters within the wake of Mencken’s (Justin Kirk) supposed victory, threatening to dam her automotive like a petulant little one. Then he bullies his assistant Jess (Juliana Canfield) into revealing she needs to search for different job alternatives and has the gall guilty her for the unhealthy timing.

Bonus heinousness factors go to Roman (Kieran Culkin) for following Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) being pregnant announcement with an all-too on-brand joke about breastfeeding and masturbation. These interactions already depart you with a nasty style in your mouth, which may solely imply one factor: It is funeral time!

2. Connor’s makes an attempt to squeeze in a last-minute eulogy

We all know that eldest son Connor (Alan Ruck) has been answerable for planning Logan’s funeral. Theoretically, he may have abused his powers and snuck his personal eulogy onto this system, however, no, he comes as much as Shiv because the visitors are arriving in a last-ditch try to talk. We by no means truly hear what he deliberate to say, however Willa’s (Justine Lupe) description of it as “formally ingenious” and Shiv’s worries that it may “depart us open to authorized motion” are sufficient to ring the alarm bells.

Given Connor’s monitor file of giving Succession eulogies(opens in a brand new tab) — who may neglect, “When a a person dies, it’s unhappy” — not letting him discuss is the best transfer.

3. A funeral is not a enterprise assembly, Roman!

As visitors pour into the funeral, Roman accosts Kendall with a query: “Who have you ever hit?” To which I reply, “Who knew that 4 easy phrases may give me full-body nausea?”

You’ll suppose {that a} funeral, of all issues, can be the occasion that will get the Roys to cease serious about enterprise. However the presence of Mencken and Mattson (Alexander Skarsgård) outweighs decorum, so Roman units off on a journey to shore up assist ought to Mencken block the Waystar-GoJo deal. This earns him a disapproving “hmmm” from Frank (Peter Friedman), which I believe sums it up greatest. Positive, Logan might have been impressed by his son’s funerary machinations — in any case, he was keen to overlook Connor’s wedding ceremony to go to Mattson. However look how that turned out!

4. A funeral is not a networking occasion, Greg!

Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) continues to attempt to weasel his method to the highest this episode, asking Roman “for an intro” with Mencken after which sliding into an absent Tom’s (Matthew Macfadyen) spot as wheelman. “Can I inquire about entrance proper?” he asks Tom, after giving him a sob story about “wanting closure” simply minutes prior. And similar to that, my nausea is again.

5. A funeral is not an autograph line, Peter!

Caroline Collingwood’s (Harriet Walter) husband Peter Munion (Pip Torrens) does not seem a lot in Succession, however when he does, you understand will probably be awkward. “Daddy’s right here!” he tells his stepchildren, informing us that in relation to studying rooms, he’s woefully illiterate. The ache does not cease there, although: Caroline jokes that Peter’s introduced his autograph ebook. From the appears to be like of his pleasure about all of the influential Senators mulling round, Caroline’s joke could also be extra truth than fiction. Time to affix Greg within the networking trenches, Peter.

6. Shiv pitches herself as CEO

Shiv takes a web page from Roman’s funeral playbook and makes some massive enterprise strikes this episode, telling Mattson that he ought to select her as an American CEO to placate Mencken. Hey, you possibly can have had this dialogue any time because you began teaming up, however no time like your dad’s funeral, proper? Shiv definitely appears to suppose so: “I can do fucking something, my dad simply died.”

7. The Roys attempt to block Ewan from talking

I do know I used to be simply applauding Shiv for not letting Connor ship his “formally ingenious” speech, however the Roys conspiring to dam Logan’s personal brother Ewan (James Cromwell) from talking is gross in its personal proper. Plus, it creates a extremely uncomfortable tussle within the church aisle. Ewan makes a more-than-fair level when he asks, “What kind of individuals would cease a brother talking on the sake of a share value?”

The Roys’ fears about Ewan inflicting a scene do come to cross when he goes on a tear in regards to the horrible issues Logan has wrought, however he additionally delivers some considerate vignettes from their childhood — together with what occurred to their sister Rose. Actually, this entire battle may have been averted had the household simply talked extra in regards to the funeral program, as a substitute of simply letting Connor arrange the entire thing by himself. “Reagan’s [funeral], with tweaks” is a tricky project to drag off alone!

8. Kendall tries to be his father — once more

Nate (Ashley Zukerman) might have informed Kendall that he is not Logan, however that is not going to cease Kendall from making an attempt. Upon studying of Shiv’s plot, Kendall goes into overdrive, telling Hugo (Fisher Stevens) that he plans to tank the deal, then recruiting Logan’s former bodyguard Colin (Scott Nicholson) to work for him.

However make no mistake: These are usually not allies to Kendall. They’re instruments. “You will be my canine,” he tells Hugo. (Hugo’s into it, primarily based on his “woof.”) As for Colin, Kendall lets slip that he is aware of he is speaking to a therapist, and that no matter he says about Logan may get out and damage the corporate. What’s worse: Kendall bullying Colin into submission, or the flagrant breach of doctor-patient confidentiality?

9. Everybody needs to speak to Mencken

On the post-funeral reception, each Roy in existence needs a chunk of Mencken. All of them flock to his desk like he is The Bachelor and so they simply need to steal him for a sec. Is there something extra uncomfortable than watching the Roys casually attempt to additional their very own agendas? I do not know, however I do know that if Succession had Odor-O-Imaginative and prescient, this scene would tell us precisely what desperation smells like.

10. Whoever recorded Roman crying, depend your days

In a funeral filled with scheming, Kendall, Shiv, and Roman’s eulogies for his or her father have been the truest, most honest shows of their grief. Roman’s, particularly, is very heartbreaking. In any case his discuss of getting “pre-grieved,” he breaks down in tears and is unable to ship the eulogy he’d rehearsed with such bravado that very same morning.

Within the last minutes of the episode, we study that somebody within the viewers recorded Roman’s sobs. Karl (David Rasche) informs Frank, Hugo, and Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) that the the recording is circulating, describing Roman as sounding “like a sow that is about to get the stun gun and is aware of it.” Even with Roman’s horrendous habits all through Succession, the recording is an unspeakably merciless act. Nonetheless, it makes for a outstanding bookend to an episode that begins with Roman on high of the world, and ends with him curled on the road, stampeded by a protest ensuing from his election evening actions.

The collection finale of Succession airs Could 28 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.(opens in a brand new tab)