Reaction Review: Succession Season 4 Episode 1: The Munsters
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
EPISODE SUMMARY
Warning: major spoilers for Succession season 4 episode 1, “The Munsters”, are throughout the entire review. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
In the previous season, Logan Roy — founder and leader of Waystar RoyCo — promised Siobhan and Roman that they are now ostracized from his company just like their once-promising sibling, Kendall. Instead, Siobhan’s husband, Tom Wambsgans, is Logan’s next protege (and his own “bestie”, Greg, will be his right hand man), after Tom betrayed the other Roy children. You never know if Logan will ever keep to his word, since he will forever flip in his own best interests, and the season 4 opener, “The Munsters” (quite the appropriate name for a television family that are made up of festering demons that are out to betray each other), finally gives us the answer: Logan was for real.
The episode begins with Logan entering a room of his lackeys, including the once-ostracized son, Connor (who is now kissing his father’s ass, in order to run for office). They are celebrating his birthday. Logan isn’t pleased to have these “munsters” here, so he says to his personal assistant (and possible love interest) Kerry. “Cousin” Greg arrives with a date: Brigitte (someone that Logan doesn’t take kindly to at an instance). Elsewhere, Kendall, Roman, and Siobhan are now teaming up together on their own with the venture, The Hundred; they are plotting during their father’s birthday, which should be a surprise to no one. While brothers Roman and Kendall are going over some shoddy logos being pitched to them, Siobhan arrives to a meeting late and claims that she was stuck in traffic, but her brothers are concerned that she is parlaying with potential partners behind their backs.
Mid pitch, Siobhan gets a call from husband Tom, who rubs their failing marriage and trial separation in her face (particularly with Kendall’s ex-lover, Naomi Pierce of Pierce Global Media fame). The Roy kids try to figure out: is Logan setting Tom up to try and torture his kids and continue the mind games that he’s iconic for? Is Logan preparing to buy out PGM? One of the Pierce family members is tagged at Logan’s party actually. Speaking of, back at the party, Connor appears to be doing well with his presidential campaign (he has a whole percent!), but he still does worry about any potential downfalls: he figures that another one hundred million dollars spent on his uprising will help secure his win.
Before we get further with this thought, Tom approaches Logan in private. The game is apparently getting to Naomi for different reasons: scaring off any potential interest from outsiders. They want to bid on PGM for good. Logan asks about the “rats”; Tom lies about having talked with Siobhan. Tom uses this opportunity to inquire on whether or not he and Siobhan (or “Shiv”) should divorce, considering that this marriage may get in the way of his partnership with Logan. Logan assures that they’re okay, but it’s clear that Tom is asking for his own reasons.
The Roy kids are now wondering if they should buy off PGMin spite of their father, but this may get in the way of their plans with The Hundred; Siobhan and Kendall ask Roman if he is fearful of their father and trying to avoid conflict with him. After some more movement, Roman now starts to wonder if his siblings have been tugging him along with The Hundred just to get to something else. He sees that Kendall wants to get back on their father, Logan, and that Siobhan would want to get back at Tom. For Roman, there isn’t really any revenge angle here. He just wants to start anew.
At a private dinner with his body man Colin, Logan begins to get existential: what comes after death? Is this all that there is? It’s the most introspective we’ve seen him the entire series, particularly after his few moments of delirium and illness. It does sound like he’s wondering more about life post-sale, though. At the same time, it does sound like he’s contemplating the end of his own legacy as a person, not as a mogul, but you never know with Logan. Connor returns to his partner, Willa, and considers changing their wedding plans in order to have more money for his campaign. Willa laments on having the dream wedding she always wanted, but Connor is panicking about a potential drop in his ratings. He begs for her approval, and we cut away before her response. In what is apparently more important news, Greg “The Egg” opens up to his terrible influence Tom and admits to having sex with Brigitte (well, they masturbated each other, but it’s bad enough). Tom doesn’t approve. In fact, he’s disturbed: he knows that the entire mansion is full of cameras, and this can be used against Greg. Logan demands that the party is over and calls for some of his most trusted folks, including Tom and Greg.
The other Roy kids arrive to Naomi Pierce’s place to try and win her over. Nan Pierce apparently is having cold feet with this meeting. Back at Logan’s, we see that they are onto the “rats” wanting to outbid them. Greg uses this inopportune time to confess to Logan what hat happened. Brigitte has to leave, according to Colin. In more interesting news, Nan approaches the Roy kids about the outbidding idea. She states that they have a preferred bidder and that negotiations are all wrapped up. We can only assume who she is referring to. Nan continues to discuss wine as a means of deflection. Kendall wants to call bullshit and uses this opportunity to tell Nan how Logan and company would misuse their properties.Connor’s campaign and the desire to use PGM for political purposes is brought up, but it isn’t effective enough. Siobhan then brings up — for the first time — that she is “getting a divorce”, so Nan doesn’t have to worry about Tom (clearly, Kendall and Roman have not heard this before). After getting flustered, Nan asks for some time to discuss this proposition in private.
Logan is bored and asks to be roasted. After no one livens the mood, he asks for Greg to target him; after a bit of awkwardness, Greg gives him a major burn by asking where Logan’s kids are on his birthday. Logan doesn’t seem to mind too much and just retorts to mocking Greg’s father. Tom comes back with some news from PGM: they can get the higher number. The Roy kids are prepared to start at eight billion, while the Logan clan plans to start at seven (until Logan settles on six, against their initial plans). The Pierces weren’t fond of Logan’s initial bid, and Tom asks if they should skyrocket their bid; Logan requests that Tom calls Siobhan. Naomi tells Kendall and company that the Pierces appreciate their bid, but they could do a little more for assurance; they discuss going up to 8.5. Just in time, Tom calls Shiv. Siobhan concludes that the highest they will go is twelve million; Tom states that they would do the same, but it’s likely not the case, considering how frugal Logan was being. The other Roy kids understand the assignment and start discussing what the right price would be: quite possibly ten. Roman is wondering if they’re spending too much money out of spite. These are funds that can go elsewhere. Nonetheless, they settle on ten.
As the three kids barge into the Pierce meeting room and make their bid of ten billion dollars, Nan smiles and actually looks comfortable. Tom, on the other hand, has to deliver the bad news to Logan: Nan has settled for another bidder (it’s obvious who). As the kids leave the Pierce lot, Siobhan gets a call from Tom. He delivers a message from Logan, who proceeds to call his kids “fucking morons”. This isn’t his usual form of insulting: this time, it actually seems like they’ve gotten the best of him. He genuinely seems burned, either because they stole his next business venture on his birthday or because he knows he has lost his kids for certain. It isn’t easy to call these shots for sure when it comes to Logan who always seems to have something up his sleeves, but he has pondered the end of the road for the first time earlier this episode: is Logan finally tired?
Siobhan arrives home that evening and wakes up Tom by accident. She was just trying to pick up more clothes while staying at a hotel. After much discussing, it’s clear that their relationship is at the end of its own road: a devastating revelation after seeing them in love early in the series. This trial separation is destined to be the certain divorce that Siobhan brought up earlier. Logan is at home all by himself on his birthday, and he calls Cyd Peach of Waystar RoyCo only to yell at her about some of her business choices. He hangs up on her prematurely and proceeds to spend his birthday alone.
FIRST REACTION
Succession is back with a bang in its final season. Even still, I’d consider “The Munsters” more of a typical episode of this brilliant series; Succession even at its worst is great, so this season premiere is excellent. Is it one of the best episodes of the series? No, but that’s a testament to how great Succession actually is. As an introduction to a season, it does a good job setting the tone for what is to come, but we’ve seen better season openers. However, this isn’t just any season: this is the final season. With that in mind, “The Munsters” works tremendously. We get all sorts of hypotheses lined up, including the various Roy family members contemplating their own endgames. Knowing there are only nine episodes left, the simplicity of this episode turns into mystery: what will happen with these degenerates? They will either fade away or go out blazing, and “The Munsters” doesn’t really let us know which outcome will take place for each character. It’s better this way.
Succession has had a lot of fun toying with its audience, particularly when it comes to hands of power, but “The Munsters” reminds us that all the cards dealt this time are real. There’s no more hope for someone like Kendall in Waystar RoyCo, but now it is certain that his plan has to work (and now the same is true for Siobhan and Roman, since this burned bridge took them down with him). Even though it may be a red herring, it’s nice to finally see Logan lose at something; I feared that Succession was going to let him get away with too much for too long, but the series knew exactly when to plant his first notable slip (during the season 4 premiere, oddly enough: it’s when you’d least expect it).
Whether it’s Connor obsessing over a measly percent in the run for office, or all of the other Roys fighting over PGM, one thing’s for certain: this family is addicted to pettiness. Any ounce of power they can get they must have. Additionally, what may be pettiness may actually be the quest for approval: to be loved. I adore the call Kerry has with Roman when the kids are en route to the Pierce property. When she states that the kids should have a call with Logan to settle things, you can see each kid respond differently; the standout is Kendall, who breaks for a brief moment and looks actually touched that Logan may have wanted to talk (Logan didn’t want to, unfortunately). Roman and Siobhan are still distancing themselves from Logan, but Kendall has played this game before. He’s tired. He just wants the fighting to stop, whether it’s with his dad in his life or without him; he secretly hopes Logan will be present.
We get more Greg and Tom insanity, but it’s funny to see the tables almost completely flipped now. Greg is acting completely unhinged and Tom oddly seems normal in comparison here. Greg is living the high life, but Tom has reached the top of his career and the nadir of his marriage; there’s no partying here for him. “The Munsters” sets up so many character dynamics with many great quotes, jokes, and antics (Greg’s whole sex scandal is ridiculous). Seeing Succession play the slow game with more setup than execution (outside of the PGM deal, of course) is exciting. I know that this series — one that is known for going from twist to turn to twist to turn — is building up for its biggest payoffs. In order to do so, it needs to work patiently. Succession is still a tense ride and a killer watch even when it is preparing for other episodes. And thus starts what may wind up being the best season of 2023, and the conclusion of one of the greatest television shows of our time.
Final Grade: 4/5
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.