'Inheritance' Season 4, Episode 9 Review: 'Church and State' Is a TV Masterpiece (2023)

tonight's episodesuccessionOne of the best, if not the best, of the entire series, and I guess it's no surprise: it's Logan's big funeral. It has all the pomp and circumstance one might find in a king's wake. The Waystar RoyCo founder even bought his own ornate mausoleum. But don't worry, he "didn't want a memorial."

Three of Logan's four children spoke at their father's funeral. For arcane legal reasons, poor Connor (Alan Rooker) is banned from giving a speech (and because Connor has already delivered a eulogy on this show, which can never be surpassed).

It's a long episode, at 1 hour and 14 minutes, it's almost a feature film. It takes every minute of it to perfection, giving us one of the most emotionally charged TV episodes I've ever seen.

Four lines of eulogy at a funeral

The episode begins with Roman (Kieran Calkin) getting ready for the big day. He was preparing his speech, dressed, feeling upbeat and sharp. When Kendall (Jeremy Strong) calls, he's surprised by Roman's vivacity and grace.

The episode ends with Roman walking down the street, pushing through a sea of ​​protesters and hurling insults at them. They pushed past and bumped into him. He fell to the ground, defiant and pathetic, as powerless in the street as he was in his bedroom.

Roman's grief is palpable. When he tried to give a speech, he could barely speak. He fled the stage and gestured to the luxurious coffin as his siblings approached. "Is he in there?" he asked, his voice waiting. "Can we get him out?"

Kendall walks up to the stage, considers reading Roman's speech, and uses it instead. Most of his speeches are rebuttals to his uncle Ivan Roy (James Cromwell), whose speeches and performances are what we see inInheritedFour seasons run. Ewan tells the story of him and his childhood, their sister's death, and the struggles they faced. There's a fondness there, but only until knives come out.

"He did the most horrible thing," Ivan told a whispering crowd. "He was a man who painted here and there on the edge of the world. Every now and then, the sky would darken a little. Shut down men's hearts. Lighted a dark fire in men. A hard, vile, unfeeling fire that made their hearts Warm while the other's heart goes cold, their grain hides while the other starves. Even ventures to tell that nasty--funny, yes funny-- about the man in the cold — but a tough joke. When you're warm, you can be a little bit taller, a little bit more powerful. Oh yes, he gave away millions out of billions, but he's not a generous man. He's very Mean, and his opinion of the world is also mean. He satisfies a certain lack in men. Maybe he had to, because there was a sense of insignificance in him, and maybe I had to. I don't know. I'll try I try I don't know when, but sometimes he decides not to try again and that's a shame. God speed, my brother. God bless."

No one clapped. "Yes yes yes," Kendall said.

Kendall's speech wasn't as eloquent as his uncle's, but it was a stirring rebuttal and Kendall was at his best.

"I mean look at it," Kendall said in an impromptu eulogy. "The life, the life and the things he made. And the money. Yes, the money. The source of life, the oxygen, this wonderful civilization we built out of the dirt. The money. The particles of life flowing through this country, this world, making Men and women around are full of desire, accelerating the ambition to own, manufacture, trade, profit, build and improve. I mean the great geyser of life, he will. The buildings he builds. Ships, steel Hull, entertainment, newspapers, shows, movies, and life. Bloody, complicated life. He made life happen. Yes, there was a terrible power in him, a fierce ambition that could push you aside, but it was just The human thing. The will to be, to be seen and to be. Now people may want to tend and prune the memory of him, to discredit him for that kind of power, that majestic, terrible power, but my God, I want it on me because if we can't match his vigor then god knows the future is going to be slow and gray. You know, from the grandest state halls that seek his advice to the lowest houses that broadcast his news, He can't walk and he's uncomfortable. He's comfortable with the world, and he knows it. He knows it, and he likes it. I say amen to that."

Shiv's (Sarah Snook) eulogy is more personal and more complex. She talks about how they play outside his office, and how he comes out, "He's horrible."

"He locked us out," she said. "But he keeps everyone outside. When he lets you in - when the son shines - it's warm inside. It's warm under the lights. But it's hard being his daughter. He's hard on women. He Can't put the whole woman in his head. But he's doing fine. You're doing fine, Dad. We're all here, we're doing fine. We're doing fine," she said, as if to Try to convince yourself. "Goodbye, dear, dear father world."

No one clapped.

before and after

The funeral itself is the emotional center of the episode, but it's notsuccessionThere aren't a ton of deals and deals.

Greg and Tom have been around so much last week that it's no shame that they're out for most of the night. Greg showed up at the funeral and made several awkward appearances, including a bumbling introduction with Mencken, which completely disrupted Kendall's conversation with the soon-to-be president. He helped push the coffin to the front of the church. Nothing else.

Tom didn't even attend the funeral, his ATN duties kept him busy. The situation on the street is quite chaotic. Busy days in the news business. By the time he finished his meal, he was exhausted. He and Shiv had a great time. He wondered why she didn't tell him about the baby. "Because it looks sad, Tom," she said. "We're in the honeymoon phase." "Taking dad-to-be for a test drive?" he replied. "if not like thisroarDisaster that would be wonderful! When Shiv's mother approached, he said to her.

"I wanted to say sorry, um, not here," he told Shiv. "Because I want to go, but I know, I'm so tired, I've been awake for so long, I just don't think I can leave, you know." "It's okay, it's fine," she said. "You know, I was the first person with him after he died. I was. So I did say goodbye to him," he said, tearing up.

She sent him back to the apartment to rest. He's happy about it. "Everyone at the hotel knows me, I hate it, I don't like it," he said lamely. Maybe these two star-crossed lovers will make it after all.

Shiv and Mattson (Alexander Skarsgård) take a new approach to getting the deal going: try to win over Mencken (Justin Kirk) by making him CEO of the United States and making the deal more palatable. It seems to work. Mattson called Shiv after dinner and told her the deal was with Mencken, who thought he could get an American CEO to work (although he didn't tell her it was her, she thought it was - I wouldn't be so sure ).

Kendall and Roman had an argument when they realized Mencken wasn't on their side. Kendall accused his brother of screwing up, and Roman lamely retorted that he hadn't. They can mess with Mencken because they have ATN (although if the deal goes through, they won't have ATN!

Meanwhile, video of Roman's breakdown has made its way online. Karl played for Frank, Gerri and Hugo. "Listen to this," he said. "He sounded like a sow about to get stun gunned and knew it."

"Oh, that's not right," Frank said.

Roman took to the streets to talk nonsense, but was beaten and kicked and almost trampled to death. Protesters run, police march. When someone tried to help him, he swore at them and waved. The crowd rushed past, and Roman couldn't stop it.

Scattered thoughts:

• I love how their mom has Kerry under her wing and that all of Logan's women are lined up on the bench.
• Kendall is still a horrible man in spades. When he learned that his ex-wife and children had left the city because they felt unsafe, instead of attending Logan's funeral, he tried to stop her. Later, he told his assistant, Jess, to schedule an appointment with a lawyer. The absent father wants custody. What a villainous little man he was. All the worst traits of his father quickly become his own.
• When he notices that Jess has a date with him, he asks her to tell him, even though she says it's not a good time. She's considering continuing her career (it's a wonder she lasted this long), much to his displeasure. He told her she was stupid. She will never have such amazing access! As he stormed off, he said, "Thanks Jesse, what a great time!" Someone needed to slap him. hard.
• During Ewan's speech, when he started to really tear his brother apart, Karl smirked like "what the hell is this guy talking about?" It was funny to me. All these rich, powerful, and privileged people in attendance are the very people Ivan condemns. Not just his brother. They're "a little taller and a little more powerful" because they're warm. Safely tucked away at a funeral, while outside, the world burns.
• Here's my review of last week's episode.

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