#caroline + kendall

[pynkhues]

Very silly question, but how much time do you think each of the succession kids has spent with each parent (in one-on-one settings and I guess just generally)? I've had it in my head that Roman's actually spent less time with Logan than his siblings in both contexts (especially in childhood where I tend to think Logan didn't actually spend a ton of time with his family), but I'm not sure if that's a common read or something I kind of made up lol.

Ooo, I think that's actually a really interesting question, anon. Mm, I agree that I think Roman's probably spent the least time with Logan, and I actually think he's even spent less time with Logan than Connor has. While we know Logan abandoned Connor for that three year period, I think the show's implied a level of relationship between Logan and Connor that exists beyond the game of Succession, particularly in the RECNY Ball but also, of course, in the video played in the finale. I kind of have a lot of Thoughts on Logan's relationship with Connor, haha, but that feels like a whole other post.

There does seem to be a degree of punishing distance between Roman and Logan, and I think there's a lot that could be read into it as Logan's discomfort with seeing shades of his own weaknesses in Roman, which is perhaps clearest in the reveal that Logan was sent away to school himself and sent away Roman in turn. Interesting too, because I think the show's also been pretty clear about Logan seeing his favourite strengths in Roman too (his instincts, his politics [or lack thereof], and his nose for occasional ruthlessness), but I do think for Logan the weaknesses outweigh the strengths, as they do with all his children.

As for Caroline, I do think it's Kendall. There's a post that's been going around for a while that Kendall is Caroline's Connor, which I appreciate the idea behind, but actually pretty vehemently disagree with. I think to reduce the complexity of Caroline and Connor's mother's respective relationships both to Logan and to their children diminishes the

I do think Caroline seems to feel least connected to Kendall, but we also have Logan making clear that Kendall was his heir (and as a result, his son - what's the quote? The heir, the spare, and then one for mum) from at least the time he was seven-years-old, and I think that combined with the fact that Kendall's inherently vulnerable in a way she herself has never been allowed to be and as a result doesn't know what to do with, is kind of quietly devastating.

Like, gosh, we see that three times over between the kids with Kendall trying to tell her about Dodds' death and her disappearing, to her awkward conversation with him at her wedding after he almost drowned, and then again with Roman crying at the funeral and her inability to leave the pew.

Harriet Walter actually did a great interview a while ago with The AV Club about Caroline and she talked a bit about how she always assumes Kendall wants to have it out with her about what a shit mother she is, and she just doesn't want to do that, which I also think is an interesting character note, especially as she seemed more willing to have that type of conversation with Shiv.

In that sense, I guess I do think Caroline feels the most distance from Kendall, but I think in a lot of ways her feelings about him are probably more complicated than Logan's are about Connor. There's so much dense terrain between them - a forest of her personal sense of failings as a first time mother, of Kendall never getting to really be her son, of the further forced separation Logan inflicted on her with all three of their children, of Kendall's vulnerabilities and addiction issues and suicide attempt which she has no tools or capacity to handle. It's complicated! And messy! And I don't think helped by the fact that Kendall's likely enabled that distance for more reasons than one.

[cinematicnomad]

SUCCESSION ▸ you talk about love?

[circusbythesea]

FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE - WITH EYES OPEN

thank you succession.

[veilguards]

roy sibling character thesis

[stewy]

caroline truly does not give a fuck about kendall... she loves roman and goes out of her way to be cruel to shiv which, in succession hbo, means she cares for her at least. kendall is her connor.

[romulussy]

[cup-noodle]

Kendall is Caroline’s Connor. Roman is her Shiv. Shiv is her Kendall. If you even care.

[imchoccy]

[you-belong-among-wildflowers]

“Someday…” ‘Someday, what? They’ll sing your praises? They’ll write your story? You don’t have a story, little one. You’re simply a footnote in mine.”

Succession in the Memoir and Non-Fiction Section

Inspired by @hannahpahl

[stewyhosseini-bf]

when the cycles of abuse start cycling or whatever

[cparti-mkiki]

roy christmas 1991

[brotherconstant]

#wife-coded

[louisdelac]

sobbing, why is his name in quotes?? "hello "kendall". if that's even your real name" <- his mom.

[nobodyisevrmissing]

Andrew Kane, "How To Be A Dog"

[cptrs]

[waystarresourceco]

Harriet Walter on Caroline’s relationship with Kendall and in particular some of the past dynamics that are driving her conversation (or lack thereof) with Kendall in Season 2.

“Kendall’s quite a sort of complicated guy. There was a scene that didn’t get into the final cut in Season 1 where we had a little duo scene where it’s very evident that Kendall has a lot of anger towards his mother. And sort of as the oldest son blames her for a lot of – you know maybe he got the brunt of the divorce because he was the most aware of what was going on. . . . Here’s this guy who has been pretty angry with me in the past. And I think she says something like ‘Have you got over your – is it something you're gonna blame me for again?’ So that’s what she immediately assumes when he says ‘Can we talk?’ she thinks she’s gonna be in for a bit of blame and a bit of reckoning that she can’t quite face.”

The deleted Season 1 scene she references is included below the cut.

Harriet Walter has mentioned a few times that she thinks Caroline was "kicked out" of the family, probably for having an affair and getting caught. I can definitely see Kendall knowing more of the details than Shiv and Roman both by virtue of age and his relationship with Logan (and being pulled pretty hard into Logan's point of view).

Video excerpt from 2020 GoldDerby interview (x)

Script excerpt from a deleted scene in "Pre-Nuptial" in Succession - Season One: The Complete Scripts