Reaction Review: Succession Season 4 Episode 2: Rehearsal
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
EPISODE SUMMARY
Warning: major spoilers for Succession season 4 episode 2, “Rehearsal”, are throughout the entire review. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
A new episode, and Logan Roy is as crabby as ever. The Roy kids are paying close attention to the news and their devices for the news that their purchase of Pierce Global Media has gone through. While they shoot the breeze, Siobhan gets a phone call that is a little alarming: soon-to-be ex-husband Tom Wambsgans is trying to screw her over via divorce proceedings with father Logan’s help.
Tom Wambsgans gets a call from Greg “The Egg”, and he is concerned about Logan patrolling the ATN offices and looking like “Santa Claus” dressed up as a hitman. While Tom tries to be buddy-buddy with Logan, the latter asks him what he thinks of assistant Kerry’s audition tape to be a new anchor for ATN. The other Roy kids have access to this tape, and it doesn’t look good: Roman and Kendall mocking the audition feels more natural. While the boys goof around, Siobhan calls Sandy to rethink strategy.
A makeshift podium is made for Logan to make a speech in the ATN offices, and Tom is asked to draw people in; it’s clear that Tom isn’t Logan’s right hand man, but is his lackey instead. Logan begins his spiel, and he declares that he wants to prioritize ATN over Waystar RoyCo (the latter, of which, he intends on selling). He promises a future that is more powerful and faster, so clearly his affinity for control is far from over; Waystar RoyCo may be on its way out, but Logan isn’t slowing down.
The Roy children are forbidden from being able to use company helicopters, and it’s clear that father Logan is trying to get in their way yet again; the helicopter awaiting them takes off empty, and they are forced to get to their destination (a rehearsal dinner for Connor Roy and Willa’s upcoming wedding) via vehicle. When Siobhan brings up her connection with Sandy, Kendall shuts this idea down: that they’ve moved on from this opportunity (initially concerning Kendall to try and screw over father Logan when Kendall was initially in hot water). Sandy’s affiliate and Kendall’s former best friend, Stewy, approaches the Roy children to try and win them over again. The Roys are given an ultimatum when it comes to the decision to sell Waystar RoyCo: decide yes or no before the next day. Siobhan brings up how agreeing to sell and making billions back via their shares can help them continue their own ventures, but her brothers shrug her off.
During the rehearsal, Willa hastily darts out of the room, nervously addressing Roman when the Roys finally arrive. Once meeting up with Connor, he alleges that she decided that she “cannot do this” and stayed in the bathroom for forty minutes. Back at ATN, Greg and Tom have apparently gotten too much pizza, and Logan is pissed. Greg is told to “fuck off” so Logan can address Tom alone. Logan needs to talk about Kerry. Tom is kissing Logan’s ass before Logan admits that she isn’t the “finished article”: code for not being good enough yet. Tom continues to kiss ass and plays to Logan’s preferences: Logan knows Kerry isn’t the right fit, but he clearly wants her to be an anchor still. Tom is manipulated into being in charge of this decision.
All of the Roy kids (even the desperate Connor, for once) have hit a bar after the rehearsal bombed. It’s Connor’s bachelor party, I suppose, and it’s as limp as he is. Connor keeps tabs on Willa’s whereabouts by tracking her mobile via location tracking. That isn’t unusual at all. Skipping past that lameness, Kendall darts out of the bar to Facetime GoJo CEO Lukas Matsson, who we haven’t heard from in a while (since mid season 3). He is displeased with feeling pressured about the Roys in general, including the pending sale of Waystar and all of the Roys competing for his interest. He urges Kendall to back off.
Tom and Greg watch Kerry’s awful audition tape and wince. In the same way that Logan tried to pass off the Kerry business to Tom, Tom is now passing off the task to Greg. He wants Greg to tell Kerry that she won’t be selected. Kendall comes back to the bar and states that he’s in on selling because the numbers look good (but we know Lukas’ discussion with him already happened). Before we get too invested, Roman gets a text from Logan which is highly unusual. Roman allegedly sent a text to Logan for his birthday, which went against the other siblings’ wishes that no one messages Logan until he apologizes. They demand to see his phone. It’s clear that Roman has wanted to keep reasonable contact with Logan, and Siobhan and Kendall feel backstabbed. Kendall brings up that going with Sandy and Stewy may be the way to go, and the other Roy kids seem to agree.
Greg approaches Kerry and asks to speak with her alone. He’s as awkward as anyone would have predicted. Kerry is catching on too quickly, and Greg begins to scramble. It goes horribly. Kerry goes straight to Logan, but they have bigger fish to fry: they know about the kids, Sandy and Stewy’s plan. In case Greg’s excuses weren’t cringe-worthy enough, Connor wants to perform karaoke. Before we can do that, Willa is no longer trackable on his phone and has “gone dark”. Connor claims that dad is on his way to the bar. He has staged a meeting with Logan and all of the kids, and that they are locked in the karaoke room to have said meeting: it was all a ploy, but Connor still sings some Leonard Cohen. And not well.
Dad starts calling Roman, but he doesn’t answer. Logan comes in anyway. Logan states that he wanted the kids at his party. He also knows that he felt burned about losing out to the kids on the Pierce deal. They’re not buying the kindness. Logan makes a statement: vote yes to vote the deal, they can have Pierce, he can have ATN, and they start clean. They’re still not biting, and Logan and actually says “sorry”. The kids are still not buying it. It’s clear that Logan is also concerned about Lukas, and the kids begin advising him on how to approach him. He calls them “fucking dopes” and that they are not serious people. He barges out of the karaoke room. He wants to go see Lukas right away, under one condition: all board members but Gerri.
Connor berates his siblings and calls them leeches. He declares that he doesn’t need Willa, because he can thrive on his own if needed. He doesn’t need his family either. The other Roy kids head out for the night in separate cars. Kendall has a smirk on his face. Siobhan hesitates before calling Tom. Connor finds Willa in bed, and they embrace. Roman goes to Logan and Tom’s, and it sounds like he is being toyed with again. Logan declares that Roman is “not” Pierce material: he’s the “fire breather” needed for ATN. This may get in the way of Connor’s wedding, given the timeline Logan provides Roman. The betrayals keep coming. It’s evident that Roman was tired of dealing with his siblings’ push to screw over their dad rather than actually set out on their own ventures.
FIRST REACTION
Blisteringly told, “Rehearsal” is Succession at rapid speeds of chess moves being played. If I misrepresented the episode at all, I apologize. It was like trying to keep up with Usain Bolt, and I loved every second of it. It’s clear that the Roy family still cannot stop fucking each other over, especially with that twist of an ending: Roman hasn’t been burned by Logan badly enough, and he has gone slithering back to him. Logan clearly was never truly sorry, but it’s sick that he is now using Roman as a ploy; he still isn’t being treated like a son. When the kids were attacking their dad for all of the different forms of abuse he should be sorry for, it was brought up that Roman was subjected to physical altercations. Siobhan even called Logan the master of gaslighting, and it’s clear that Roman still has this toxic connection with father Logan. It’s depressing to see, actually.
Although nothing is more depressing than Connor Roy, but even then, it’s nice that he has a slight sense of dignity in this episode: amidst the poor crooning, the GPS stalking, and other questionable moments, Connor distancing himself as an individual was surprising to see. He’s emancipating himself in the way he once did away from the Roys entirely, although this time he has love for his various relations and just wants everyone to get along for once. Connor is the only kid you can trust, and when he says he isn’t interested in the Waystar sale (and that isn’t why he’s being buddy-buddy with everyone), I kind of believe it. He just wants to have a wedding, be taken seriously, and have everyone get along; the only problem is Logan’s latest plot with Roman may now sabotage Connor’s wedding, the Roys will only drift further and further apart, and no one will ever take Connor seriously. Not even Willa, apparently.
”Rehearsal” is a magnificent blend of so many different goings-on. It’s titled as such because of the wedding rehearsal, sure, but we see so many other kinds of rehearsals; Kerry’s poor audition tape; Lukas’ initial warning shot to tell the Roys to back off (which clearly isn’t going to work); Roman reaching out to Logan on his birthday to see if he would reciprocate; Greg trying to act like a voice of authority for once; Tom putting on his best Logan disguise; the various secrets the Roy kids are keeping from each other. Everyone is performing or practicing. Especially Logan himself, who is forever putting on a show, whether it’s a show-stopping monologue (casting Brian Cox to deliver the occasional Shakespearean slam dunk was the perfect choice), acting like a good father (which apparently works well enough on Roman and Connor, I guess), or playing possum before he makes a big move. He lost Pierce. Big whoop. I foresee his biggest moves have yet to come. He’s angrier than ever.
The big twist at the end hurts a lot to see, but what a move from a series that somehow isn’t dry of such surprises. With only eight episodes of the series left, I don’t even know how many other ways the Roy family will damage one another. One thing I have to bring up is that Succession isn’t just full of turns: its entire history accounts for each twist. Everything lines up, makes sense, and feels genuine. It seems silly to discuss, but consider just how many moves have taken place throughout Succession. Now remind yourself of the series thus far and how it all makes sense: not one twist is out of left field and nonsensical. Finally remember that nearly every single twist comes at you like a punch to the face. They’re somehow almost always unpredictable (even though “Rehearsal” literally spells out to us that Roman is talking with Logan!), and they are certainly devastating. What a show. If “The Munsters” was the set up, “Rehearsal” is clearly just the first of many payoffs to come. And yet I find myself starting to realize the seriousness that Succession is actually ending. I’m sad, but I am ecstatic that this is how it is ending: on such a high note. Keep these episodes coming.
Final Grade: 4.5/5
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.