Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the patriarch of Succession, is defined by his ruthlessness, ego, and obsession with power. The extent of that power is further emphasized in Season 2, Episode 10, This Is Not for Tears.
In one of the sequences of the episode, Connor offhandedly remarks, “You brought down a Canadian government over grain subsidies,” while lobbying for good reviews for Willa’s play. The line is never explained in the series, but it sparked an intriguing fan theory shared on Reddit.
According to the theory, Logan bringing down the government wasn’t about money or business, but rather a personal act of spite against his brother Ewan. The theory links it to the real-world abolishment of the Canadian Wheat Board’s Single Desk model, a monopoly that benefited farmers, particularly in Quebec.
Ewan Roy, Logan’s estranged brother, inherited vast farmland in Canada from their abusive uncle and was ideologically opposed to dismantling it. Fans speculate that Logan used his media influence to topple a Liberal government, enabling Conservatives who wanted to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board entirely.
The theory suggests that Logan’s actions had nothing to do with grain itself, but were motivated by a desire to humiliate his brother. Considered one of the darkest fan theories about the series, it paints Logan as a man who would go to extreme lengths over grudges, using power to prove a point at any cost.
Brian Cox Does Not Defend His Succession Character
Logan Roy has become one of Brian Cox’s most prominent and popular performances, earning him three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
The character is known to be a ruthless patriarch who takes extreme actions without hesitation, often disregarding ethics and morality. Cox has openly said that he does not defend Logan in any way.
“I don’t defend Logan in any way,” he said, as per NPR, in a 2022 interview, explaining, “One of the jobs as an actor is we cannot judge our characters. He is a misanthrope [who] is very disappointed with the human experiment.”
However, despite that, Cox argued that he can relate to the anger his character felt, saying, “I have, personally, a lot of anger in myself, partly because of my background.”
Discussing Logan over four seasons, Cox also noted that although Logan loves his children, he struggles because they “see him as a cash cow so much of the time.”
Cox explained that Logan’s inability to fully express love stems from his difficult and traumatic upbringing, which shaped the complex and often conflicted man viewers see on screen.
HBO Executive Casey Bloys on Succession Revival Prospects
Premiered in 2019, Succession concluded after a four-season run in 2023. However, the show’s ending has left fans speculating about the future of the series and a potential revival.
A still from Succession | Credit: HBO Max
The HBO executive Casey Bloys, however, has dismissed the idea of a revival. “The chances of that are pretty unlikely,” he told Variety, explaining,
Unless Jesse all of a sudden said, “Oh my God, I have the greatest idea. This is what I want to do.” I would take that very seriously.
However, Bloys still noted that the show creator Jesse Armstrong told the story he wanted to tell, and there doesn’t seem to be anything he wants to revisit. Bloys also expressed excitement about Armstrong’s upcoming projects.
The creator has also reflected on his decision to end the show after four seasons, saying, “I’ve never thought this could go on forever,” in an interview with The New Yorker.
Since Succession’s ending, Armstrong has released the satirical comedy-drama television film Mountainhead, which has also received positive reviews and become the most-watched HBO original film (Deadline).
Succession is available to stream on HBO Max.
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