Succession’s Adrien Brody reveals tactics behind dramatic Logan showdown
"He is ratcheting up the pressure."
Before Succession season 3 arrived on our screens, we were promised several new faces to spice up proceedings, a number of whom we met in the first three episodes – Sanaa Lathan as Lisa Arthur, a high-powered attorney, Jihae Kim as Berry Schneider, a top PR consultant, Linda Emond as Michelle-Anne Vanderhoven, a senior White House aide, and Hope Davis as Sandi Furness, the daughter of Logan's nemesis Sandy.
And in the latest episode, we were introduced to another key player in the battle for Waystar Royco.
Wes Anderson favourite Adrien Brody, who previously starred as Italian-American mobster Luca Changretta in Peaky Blinders season 5, joined the party as Josh Aaronson, a billionaire activist investor with significant capital in Logan's company ($350 million, or thereabouts).
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In the midst of their feud, the Roy patriarch and his son Kendall (Jeremy Strong) donned their respective baseball caps and descended upon Josh’s lavish glass mansion to assuage his fears about how the current rocky climate was going to impact his money.
After sampling some of the local seafood on the banks of the beach which, we assume, belongs to Josh – such is the life of the super rich – they called time on lunch and headed back to the house. But the exertion proved too much for Logan (Brian Cox), who was on the brink of collapse before Kendall and Josh came to his rescue.
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Logan's pride was well and truly in the gutter following the distressing incident, not to mention the very real threat of serious physical harm that could easily have put him in the ground. Had any of that crossed Josh's mind when scheduling their meeting? Was he simply attempting to dent Logan's ego, or did he have a more nefarious plan up his sleeve?
"I don’t think the extent of a medical incident was an intentional thing, but I do think creating challenges and exhausting them physically is a tactical move,” Brody told Variety. “Josh is far more prepared for the day’s activity than they are. That’s intentional: wearing multiple layers, having hiking boots, bringing two guys in suits expecting to sit down for a cup of coffee. He is ratcheting up the pressure.
"As for Logan’s condition, he’s looking to see how Kendall reacts to that and whether he’s caring for his father or not. He knows where things are headed and wants to know if there’s unity there or not. Logan not taking the smart decision for his own well-being, out of pride, provides insight into the potential self-destructive nature and blind spots by his ego or his need to project a sense of strength, even if he’s not feeling it. I think Josh is privy to all of that."
At the end of episode four, Josh could be seen embracing Stewy (Arian Moayed), who had just arrived by helicopter, which suggests that his role in this saga isn't over yet. And it remains to be seen what Alexander Skarsgard's Lukas Matsson, a successful, confrontational tech founder and CEO, will bring to the table.
The war is far from over...
Succession continues on Mondays at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and is available from 2am the same day on NOW and Sky on Demand.
If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and visit our Drama hub for more news and features.
