Succession is currently airing its fourth and final season, with viewers gripped by the continuing story of the Roy family.
The season's third episode aired a few days ago, and fans are still reeling from the massive twist that saw the death of a major character.
Those who have been watching since the beginning will know that the American show has a surprisingly deep connection to Scotland, and it is all because of star Brian Cox. The iconic actor shares a birthplace with his character — family patriarch Logan Roy — in Dundee.
Interestingly, this major part of Logan's history was not added until the show was midway through its first season. Speaking at the 2022 Edinburgh International TV Festival last year, Cox revealed that he requested that Logan have roots in Scotland.
He said: "I suggested that Logan Roy could be Scots and Jesse [Armstrong, creator] said, 'Oh no no, he needs to be American, he can't be Scots'.
"[Exec producer] Adam McKay on the other hand thought it was a great idea, but Jesse said, 'No no, he's got to be American'. So they decided in the pilot that I was born in Quebec, which isn't really America."
He later recalled: "Peter Friedman, who plays Frank, said to me, 'I've just done an ADR session: they've changed your birthplace, you're not from Quebec anymore.
"I said, 'So where am I born?' He said, 'I can't remember...', and he goes and gets his device out and he goes, 'Oh yeah, somewhere called Dundee, Scotland'.
"I spoke to Jesse and said, 'What happened?' and he said, 'Oh we thought it'd be a little surprise' – that's f**king writers for you!"
Because of this late addition to the character's backstory, there are a number of other references to Scotland sprinkled throughout the show — with one episode even being filmed and set in the country. Read on for a roundup of some of the most significant.
V&A Dundee
The most major Scottish connection occurs in the eighth episode of the second season, Dundee. As the title suggests, it sees the main characters all travel to the Scottish city for a luxurious celebration of Logan's 50th anniversary as head of the family company.
Much of the action takes place at the then newly-opened V&A Dundee, where the party for the patriarch is held. If you've seen the episode, you'll no doubt remember Logan's son Kendall (Jeremy Strong) performing his iconic 'L to the OG' rap in honour of his father there.
In the episode, Logan is reluctant to return to Dundee, though it is a safe bet that Cox was far more excited about the prospect of bringing his hit show to Dundee.
Hibs and Hearts
One of the subplots in the Dundee episode sees another of Logan's sons, Roman (Kieran Culkin), attempting to impress his dad by buying what he thinks is his father's favourite football club — Heart of Midlothian. This dramatic gesture leads to a hilarious exchange when Logan bluntly tells Roman that his favoured team is in fact Hibernian.
The scene caught the attention of Hearts itself, who shared their own thoughts on Twitter.
Gleneagles Hotel
Another iconic Scots location seen in the episode is the Gleneagles Hotel, where the family stay while in the country. Approximately 45 minutes out of Dundee, it may seem like a long journey for the characters to make, but it is renowned as one of the top hotels in the world and so is fittingly fancy for a family of billionaires.
Those who have had the privilege of staying at Gleneagles will know that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The three-storey category B listed building dates back to 1924 and includes over 200 rooms.
According to the hotel's website, the entire cast and crew of Succession stayed at the hotel for several days to film the episode and "enjoyed the culinary delights on offer" while there.
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