From the first chapter of Succession, we are introduced to a plot that highlights the consequences left by a tyrant father in the lives of his children. The adult characters face a series of deep and complex issues, a direct result of the oppressive and at the same time distant presence of their patriarch. There is a lack of love and care.
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The character Kendall, Logan's second son and one of the story's protagonists, is a striking example of this dysfunctional dynamic. In a childhood conversation, the father promeyours to him the family business. However, throughout the series, Logan shows contempt for his son's weaknesses, who acquires chemical dependency and kleptomania (steals small objects even though he is a billionaire).
“Kendall is the portrait of a son manipulated throughout his life by his tyrannical father. He seeks escape through drugs, because he lives in conflict between who he is and what he wants society to see”, explains psychologist and content producer Ricardo Chagas. He usually analyzes the behavior of series and productions in the Pop industry, including the series Succession , in the channel Minutes of Sanity, on Youtube.
Kendall (Jeremy Strong) was created to be his father's “heir” in charge of WayStar Royco. Image: Reproduction Twitter
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For Ricardo, each of Logan's children demonstrates deep-rooted weaknesses, closely linked to the way they were raised by their father.
“One of the terms he uses to explain why his son Kendall will not be his successor is because he is not a 'killer' like his father. For children, it is an obligation to simulate their father's personality, to try to be like him. But what we see is that none of the children can do this. And then we can use analytical psychology to explain. Children have a Persona, they try to build and model it. On the other hand, there is the issue of the shadow, which in analytical psychology is the 'renegade self'. It arises when we reject our insecurities into the unconscious, and they stay there... now and then, these weaknesses manifest themselves”, he explains.
Logan Roy's “broken” children exist in real life
The existence of parents similar to the character Logan Roy outside of fiction is an undeniable reality. Domineering, powerful and strong parents have the power to transform a child into an insecure and fragile adult, with no clear direction in their life. Just like in the series, they can mold their children to be similar to them, a “persona” that tries to imitate their father’s personality. However, this pressure often results in the opposite of what is desired.
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This “renegade self” – the repressed insecurities – at opportune moments, surface.
“Roman, the youngest son, for example, reveals his weaknesses at the worst possible moment: during a speech at his father's funeral. He regresses, becomes a child again, cries a lot”, recalls the psychologist.
Where do u even begin to unpack this? A glitter of freedom. Then the realization of eternal pain & suffering. 😩 Kieran Culkin just takes all the Emmys #Succession #roman pic.twitter.com/Boo3SHXH7y
— 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜. (@LocalStigmatic) May 30, 2023
This constant conflict between the “social mask” they wish to have and what they really are is linked to the deep desire to be loved and recognized by society, a reflection of the lack of paternal (and maternal) love. “This certainly happens in real life”, says Ricardo.
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The only woman among tycoon Logan's four children, Shiv, is perhaps the most similar to her father, in her reprehensible attitudes to get what she wants - even as a way of annihilating the idea of feminine fragility that the patriarchal family has. The protection mechanism it uses is displacement. “She takes the frustration she feels towards her father and puts it on other people. Mainly on her husband, Tom. And there’s a whole game of manipulation.”
Shiv, the only woman in the Roy line of succession, is the “killer” among the patriarchy. Image: Reproduction Twitter
The eldest son, Connor, decides to live away from the competition for leadership of the company, always living in the past, constantly needing his father's approval. Distant and detached from reality, he is another “broken” child of Logan Roy.
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The lack of love in childhood
A série Succession offers a dramatic vision of the consequences of being raised by a tyrannical and distant father, and awakens us to the importance of love, affection and attention in the healthy development of children. It also highlights the need for conscious and responsible parenthood.
The lack of love in childhood, when carried into adulthood, can trigger psychiatric disorders, especially personality disorders, explains psychologist Ricardo Chagas.
Characteristics such as lack of empathy, present in borderline, narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders, can be a direct result of paternal neglect and the incessant search for recognition. In this sense, there is also the histrionic personality, when a person uses your physical appearance and acts in an unduly seductive or provocative manner to attract the attention of others. She often acts submissive to retain this attention.
“Of course, these are just possibilities, it does not mean that every person who did not have attachment to their parents and did not receive love in childhood will develop a personality disorder”, warns the expert.
Why is Succession so engaging? Real existential conflicts and a beautiful script 😉
A série Succession has been acclaimed – by the public and professional critics – as the best series of its kind of all time, and this has to do with a detailed script, which humanizes the characters in speeches and attitudes, in addition, of course, to allowing the audience to identify with each other. with these “weaknesses” of each character.
“If the series had a bad script or a script more or less like this, everything would have gone wrong. But besides having an incredible script, it makes us, ordinary people, identify with billionaires, with people who are high up there. This is because they [the Succession screenwriters] did a job of humanizing the characters. Both in identification and in dialogue... the way they talk is very natural and at the same time complex, because they make clear the weaknesses that those people have, and the public identifies with them”, assesses Ricardo Chagas.
The series has four seasons and is available on HBO Max streaming.
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