5 Succession Plot Points You Need to Brush Up on Before Season 3

5 Succession Plot Points You Need to Brush Up on Before Season 3

The day is here folks when the Roy family will finally back on our screens. That’s right, the agonising wait for season 3 of Succession is over. But given it’s been a whole two years since the last episode, you might be a little rusty on all your Waystar Royco media power play details.

To fully prepare you for the premiere of season 3, here’s a recap of all the major backstabbings from that final Succession episode.

Succession season 2 recap

Who took the fall for the company’s cruise ship scandal?

Image: HBO

While the topic of who will take over from Logan Roy as the next CEO has been a driving force throughout Succession, the company came up against an even bigger hurdle at the end of last season: the US government.

After disastrous secrets about sexual misconduct within the company’s cruise ship business came to light in season 2, the Roy family had to front a Senate hearing. To put it kindly, it did not go well.

Logan was advised that he should take the fall for the scandal but decided to palm it off to one of his subordinates in a tense breakfast conversation while on a yacht in the Mediterranean. Just rich people things.

Kendall had been a loyal lapdog for his father in most of season 2, due to Logan blackmailing him into submission over the death of a waiter at Shiv’s wedding. But this all came to a head when Logan decided Kendall should be the scapegoat for the company’s crimes.

After initially agreeing to take the fall, Kendall goes off-script in front of the press and throws his father under the bus for covering up the scandal.

Who is Waystar Royco’s new CEO?

Image: HBO

With the cruise ship scandal dominating the conversation at the end of Succession season 2, we’re still no closer to finding out who will succeed Logan.

Rhea Jarrell (Holly Hunter) was initially appointed by Logan but fled very quickly after she learned about the cruise ship scenario. So now the position is open once again, although Logan isn’t exactly standing aside.

Basically, everyone has put their hand up for the role and there’s still the hostile takeover on the backburner so we have no doubt we’ll still be seeing plenty of competition for the top spot in season 3.

Which relationships are on the rocks?

Image: HBO

Financial partnerships aren’t the only thing falling apart after Succession season 2.

In the final episode, we saw Shiv and Tom’s marriage start to splinter. Shiv basically offered Tom’s head for the cruise scandal which, unsurprisingly, pissed him off a little bit.

Shiv’s also been pushing for an open marriage, which she didn’t exactly make clear to Tom before they tied the knot last season, and it seems Tom has just had enough of it all. At the end of the season, he wondered if he’d actually be a lot happier without her.

If Tom loses Shiv he’ll probably also lose his position as head of ATN news so we’ll see how that works out for him.

Meanwhile, Logan’s wife Marcia has hardly been seen all season. Her disappearance probably has something to do with Rhea sniffing around, so we’ll have to see if Logan has another untimely divorce on his hands next season.

One relationship that is blossoming, however, is the one shared by Roman and Gerri who have been continuing their unconventional psychosexual romance in secret.

Connor for president?

succession
Image: HBO

The eldest Roy son Connor has really shown no interest in gunning for the CEO position and instead set his sights on the real top job, President of the United States.

Seeing as Connor is hopelessly incapable of pretty much everything, that didn’t last long and at the end of the season, we saw him run to his father for money. In exchange for a bailout, Connor agreed to end his presidential campaign.

What about Greg?

succession
Image: HBO

Ah, Greg. Affable, naive Greg actually made some moves of his own last season.

After declining a $250 million inheritance from his grandfather, Greg chose to stay within Waystar and provided Kendall with the cruise ship documents he needed to condemn Logan.

To recap, this puts him against his grandfather, his boss Tom, and Logan in Succession’s third season, which isn’t really an enviable position, but we’ve seen Greg weasel his way out of plenty of situations before.

What can we expect next season?

As expected, all these power moves incite a schism within the Roy family and it looks like it will be a full-blown civil war in season 3.

With Logan and Kendall forming their assorted teams it’s unclear where the family member chips will fall, but if we know anything about Succession, it’s sure to change quickly and often.

There will also be some newcomers in the form of tech CEO Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) and billionaire activist Josh Aaronson (Adrien Brody) who will no doubt stir the pot.

Hopefully, that recap helped you brush up on your Succession history but if not there’s still time to rewatch the final episodes before the premiere next week.

Succession season 3 will stream on Binge from October 18.


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