“They Were Not Serious People”: Succession’s Logan Roy Actor Weighs In On Series Finale’s Winner
Exclusive: Logan Roy actor Brian Cox shares his thoughts on who won the title of Waystar Royco CEO during the Succession season 4 series finale.
Succession finished its four-season run in flawless fashion and is likely to go down as one of the best and most beloved HBO shows ever created. Succession season 4 had many of the series’ standout moments including the shocking series finale in which Matthew Macfayden’s Tom Wambsgans take the coveted job as CEO of Waystar Royco, albeit under the GoJo banner. While the story of the Roy family is over, the fall of this fictional American dynasty is sure to be discussed for years to come.
One such topic of discussion is likely to be one of Succesion’s best quotes, which was delivered by Logan Roy early in season 4. “You are not serious people” was a scathing and unforgettable quip which ultimately foretold the end of the series, at least in the eyes of Logan actor Brian Cox. During a recent interview with Screen Rant, Cox discussed his thoughts on the end of the season. See what he had to say below:
Brian Cox: The reality is Logan doesn’t deal in fantasy, he deals in reality. So, every time, he’s given his children every opportunity, and when he says — and it’s a great line — “I love you, but you’re not serious people,” that’s the point. They are not serious people, Logan knew. I was on my way, when it all happened, to do a deal with Mattson, and it was going to happen, and of course, that’s exactly what happened. And Tom rightly became the surrogate Logan, and a much nicer fellow at that, but also a little sneaky at times, as well.
I knew what was going to be, and I knew that none of the kids would get it, and they had proven that they didn’t deserve it. Shiv is the one that he felt strongly [about] because it’s his daughter — talking about fathers and daughters again. He felt that she should be the one, but in a sense, she just behaves like she can’t keep her f—-ng mouth shut, excuse my Greek. She really can’t, and that was a problem, and then she’s so uncertain of herself. Now you can blame the father for that, but actually, it’s about them, it’s not about him.
Why Succession’s Final Winner Was Perfect
Succession did a fantastic job of making morally bankrupt characters sympathetic, and as such many were disappointed that the Roy family was essentially pushed out of its own company at the end of the show. Still, the choice was a good one; it’s ultimately what Roman, Kendall, and Shiv deserved after seasons of backstabbing, callousness, and more. Tom exhibited Roy-like qualities throughout the series, but ultimately was the most steadfast of the bunch.
The final season of Succession also built beautifully toward Tom’s rise after the early-season death of Logan Roy. The failure of the Roy children to truly unify after the death of their father was yet another sign that none of them were centered enough to take over the family business. Even if it’s not the ending some viewers may have craved, it’s hard to fault the story logic behind Succession’s final episode.
