Succession: 5 Times Logan Roy Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Wasn’t)

No patriarch could command so much attention as Succession’s media mogul dad boss Logan Roy (Brian Cox). Logan is the founder of one of the world’s biggest media and entertainment conglomerate: Waystar Royco. Throughout the show, Logan has been established as a shrewd, corporate mastermind who can even throw his children under the bus if they came between him and his legacy.

Logan, who is in his 80s, obviously commands a lot of respect and awe from his children, but naturally, when it comes to big money, things tend to get messy. Throughout the course of the show, Logan makes some decisions that hit a home run cementing his position as the one true boss. But then again, he has made some bad decisions which have left fans of the show very surprised, and have obviously made his life harder. Here we’ll take a look at some of his most brilliant and not-so-brilliant moves.

10 Genius: How Logan handles the no-confidence debacle

One of the most significant power moves orchestrated by Logan Roy was definitely the way he handled the no-confidence vote episode. The way he stormed through the entire ordeal re-established his significance as the head of the family and also his company.

Not only was Logan able to successfully turn the tide in his favor, but he also made sure that members of his family and employees would think twice before agreeing to butt heads with him or even antagonize him in the future. Fans also agreed that firing the people who plotted against him was a bold move, considering his son Kendall was also one of them.

9 Not so brilliant: He never trusted Kendall

At the climax of season 2, Logan finally reveals what we all doubted all along – he never thought Kendall was good enough, he never had a lot of faith in his abilities and was probably never going to make him CEO. This is something fans have often found very baffling since Kendall has always been in awe of his father, and quite eager for his approval.

And all his insecurities stem from the fact that he doesn’t have his father’s trust. Most fans agree that Kendall could have been a really big ally for Logan had he taken his son under his wing in a proper sense, taught him the ropes, or even trusted him with big decisions.

8 Genius: How he got Kendall to owe him one

As season 1 progressed, Logan proved that he is only getting shrewder with age. During Shiv’s wedding getaway, Kendall and a waiter get into a tragic car accident, which leads to the latter’s death. When Logan finds out, he obviously seizes the opportunity to bring Kendall under his debt once again, especially since Kendall just announced that he planned to lead a takeover of Waystar Royco.

Logan promises Kendall that he’ll make all legal troubles regarding the accident go away if he backs out of the takeover. Kendall naturally agrees and breaks down in front of Logan. Some may say Logan just got a lucky break, but he clearly knew how to grab an opportunity.

7 Not so brilliant: The retreat was never a good idea

We still don’t know why Logan thought a family retreat and therapy session at his son’s New Mexico ranch would actually work in his favor. The fact that Logan had planned this bizarre retreat and had even agreed to do a publicity interview, unbeknownst to his children, would obviously not be received well.

And that’s exactly what happened when Shiv and Roman found out about Logan’s plans. Not only did they refuse to cooperate for therapy, but the shoot went awry, their therapist got seriously injured. Needless to say, we’re a little surprised Logan didn’t see it coming.

6 Genius: He knew who the best successor would be

Logan knew only Shiv had the gumption and the business acumen to be his successor, and even made it clear to her. The episode where he calls in Shiv for a private chat and tells her about his opinion about his succession is a pivotal one because fans got to realize how sharp and self-aware Logan was.

Shiv also has a lot of experience in political maneuvering, since she is a political consultant and that obviously would also come in handy if she does take up Logan’s mantle. Logan was very aware that Shiv is a better task-master than Connor, Kendall, or Roman and shares his spirit of tough love.

5 Not so brilliant: In denial about his health

Throughout the show, Logan’s health is a point of concern for his family and the show’s fans. It is very obvious that though his faculties may be functioning okay, Logan is physically not up for the strenuous task of managing a growing media empire.

The fact that he wouldn’t take some time off to recuperate physically and emotionally obviously takes a toll on his overall health. He is in denial about his age-related complications, and it is surprising considering he is one of the smartest men on the show. He should see that some detachment from the rat race and anxieties would be a good way out.

4 Genius: The way he handled the cruise line sex scandal

Granted Logan was quite selfish about the entire situation and even agreed to sacrifice his own son to take the fall.

Any other mogul in his situation would panic or rely upon his board of advisors to get through something this murky, but the fact that he dealt with it on his own terms proved yet again that even in his 80s Logan is as in-command of his position as he ever was. Besides the whole idea of a ‘blood sacrifice’ was an incredible one, and Logan knew exactly what it would take to deal with something of this magnitude.

3 Not so brilliant: He shouldn’t have fired Kendall

When he finds out about the no-confidence vote orchestrated by Kendall and some of his other employees, Logan Roy was furious and fired all of the people involved in this, including Kendall. The fact remains that Kendall is his son, and Logan should obviously have brought him in to hear his side of the story instead of impulsively cutting him off.

Kendall had some valid arguments, which is why some people were on his side. The fact that Logan wouldn’t give him the time of day or even consider his opinions seriously was quite baffling, considering Logan believes in keeping his enemies closer.

2 Genius: His RECNY Ball speech

The RECNY Ball was timed at a crucial point in Waystar Royco’s trajectory, considering no one knew whether or not Logan would be back. But Logan, of course, took this opportunity to make sure the world finds out that the company is absolutely stable.

When he finds out that Kendall was planning to announce Logan’s retirement at the ball, the media mogul decided to take to the stage himself to declare that he’s back and he’s stronger than ever, completely blindsiding Kendall. This may seem like a brutal move but was nevertheless a very necessary one since no trusted Kendall to lead the company, and his announcement would obviously have an impact on the company’s shares.

1 Not so brilliant: Why did he fire Frank?

In the pilot episode, which opens on Logan’s birthday, the family flies to a field to indulge in their annual tradition of playing baseball. That’s also where Logan fires his company’s COO Frank Vernon, who was also his longtime friend. He does this to make room for Roman who wanted to come on board as COO.

However, this move was bizarre because why would Logan fire one his most trusted confidantes during this difficult transitional period? This move was indeed pointless because later on in the show, Logan would need to bring Frank in to stabilize things within the company, which means he should never have fired him.

About The Author