Of course, by “Succession,” I mean “Logan Roy,” the original monster man himself. And it especially abhors Kendall feeling anything other than abject, empty, gutted horror at the state of his life. Well, as you know, Succession abhors joy and it will do anything it can to tear yours to shreds.
He’s FaceTiming (or using FaceTime’s non-branded TV equivalent) with Naomi - surely you remember the irresponsible Pierce he hooked up with back in “Tern Haven” - and they seem to be having a really good time and enjoying each other’s company. HBOĮmily: Kendall begins “Return” with a smile on his face. Loser: Kendall Kendall’s smile gradually retreats inside his body throughout this episode, and it’s really a sight to see. With that, here are five winners and five losers from “Return,” as chosen by Vox critic at large Emily VanDerWerff and The Goods editor Meredith Haggerty.
Whatever endgame season two is about to push toward seems very exciting indeed. His visit to Britain becomes the dark heart of this episode and maybe the entire season.Īll of which is to say that even if “Return” might be this season’s weakest episode so far, it is an episode that is making every move it makes with thoughtful intent.
Perhaps most importantly, it gives us a rich, full story about the emotional state of poor Kendall Roy, who is still living in the dark and terrible place he entered at the end of season one. A show like Succession so easily uses up all of its oxygen if it’s breathing fire all the time it needs a chance to reposition the characters on the game board, remind us of their emotional states, and find ways to subtly twist the story in new directions. To be clear, an episode like this is necessary every now and then.
Such an episode is “Return,” a highly entertaining, incredibly gut-wrenching hour of television that, nevertheless, feels like a deliberately scheduled pause in season two’s unrelenting series of twists and turns. Even the best TV shows have off episodes, and one nice thing about Succession is the way it seems adept at scheduling those off episodes so they don’t get in the way of all the drama in other installments.