Major spoilers for Succession’s final season are ahead!
Succession’s last season was a tour de force of incredible performances, heart-wrenching episodes, and I thought it had some of the most memorable television moments of all time. One of the highlights was the third episode, “Connor’s Wedding” which featured a game-changing twist involving one of the show’s central characters, Logan Roy. Now, Kendall Roy actor Jeremy Strong is talking about the moment that shook the internet’s core, and how it compares to Top Gun: Maverick, dramaturgucally of course.
The Emmy winner recently talked about the pivotal episode from Season 4 where we see Logan Roy die, and his children's reactions to the news. He revealed the production was very fortunate to have the critically-acclaimed episode come together so well, comparing it to the last scene in Top Gun: Maverick, when the flight team completes the mission. Strong sat down for a roundtable with other actors from prestige dramas for the LA Times, noting,
But it felt, I don’t know, one of those times where you touch on the garment of something that acting can be if you were very lucky and the lightning strikes. Did everybody see ‘[Top Gun:] Maverick’? You know, where a bunch of miracles had to happen? It was like 17 miracles had to happen. Everyone had to do this double black diamond in concert with each other, every person on the crew and the actors. Somebody texted me the other day, an actor, said, ‘You should probably just move to the desert and die.’
The episode was a momentous technical feat, with much of the hour-long piece filmed in one take and on film, functioning almost like a play. Everyone delivered, but I’m not sure it was quite like a Top Gun miracle.
Succession has an incredible cast of accomplished actors, and it’s hard to go wrong when a show has such amazing talent. Also, while I understand it’ll be hard to top Succession, Strong is a fantastic actor, and I really hope he doesn’t go into a desert and die, robbing audiences of what he does next. However, it would be a very “Kendall Roy” thing to do.
The episode in question was so pivotal for the final season, which meant it took a lot to keep the big reveal a secret for an entire year during filming. Brian Cox was even present when the cast shot the funeral episode, just in case photos were taken while they were in production. Similar to many of the crazy stunts in Top Gun: Maverick, the episode was a massive risk, due to it being very early in the season and Logan being such an important character. However, it was the right move, as it made for an intense final season, and an A+ final episode.
Also like Top Gun: Maverick, Succession was a major cultural moment. Starting as a moderate success for HBO, it slowly became one of the network's most successful programs, even being considered by some critics to be one of the best shows of all time. Top Gun: Maverick has been credited with bringing audiences back to the theaters after the pandemic, and showing what can be possible with practical effects. Both were a reflection of a moment in time, catching lightning in a bottle with great personnel behind the scenes, and they showed what is really possible when great filmmaking is involved.
You can check out Jeremy Strong in Succession, which is available to stream in its entirety with a Max subscription. Top Gun: Maverick is also available to stream for Paramount+ subscribers who may have missed its record-breaking theatrical run. For more information on other projects coming to streaming in the near future, make sure to consult our 2023 TV schedule.
