Spoilers below for the penultimate episode of HBO’s Succession, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched what’ll presumably be the most elaborate TV funeral of 2023.
To be expected, Succession delivered a tour-de-force gut-punch with its second-to-last installment, “Church and State,” which boasted a runtime of 65+ minutes that was almost entirely dedicated to Logan Roy’s rather regal funeral ceremony. Save for the first act laying down the chaos running rampant across the country due to Jaryd Mencken being recognized as the new President Elect, that is. That outside-world reaction came crashing down on Kendall’s already crumbling optimism, while Roman was crushed by his inner emotions boiling up to the surface, and while Shiv rather swiftly cemented her alignment with Matsson, with a bit of help from Justin Kirk’s divisive politician. And somehow, the entirety of that mess was eclipsed by a short and shockingly sweet scene involving Logan’s four mistresses, with the previously unrevealed paramour being someone quite important to star Brian Cox.
