THE PERFORMER | Brian Cox
THE SHOW | Succession
THE EPISODE | “Rehearsal” (April 2, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCE | It can be frustrating to watch the Roy children try to stand toe-to-toe with their imposing father Logan Roy, only to get swatted away again and again like so many pesky flies. But Cox’s towering performance as the Roy family patriarch is so richly detailed and so mesmerizing, we almost root for the old guy to keep winning. This week, Cox summoned a formidable energy as Logan let his family and employees know that this aging lion can still roar, while also revealing just the slightest hint of vulnerability. (But just a hint.)
Logan’s ability to intimidate everyone around him was on full display as he dropped by the ATN offices unannounced, with Cox’s considerable gravitas making everyone quake in their boots. Logan then addressed the troops with a fiery speech full of colorful rhetoric, with Cox’s booming voice and lively eyes driving home the point that Logan isn’t ready to hang up his spurs just yet. (He prodded the ATN staff to be more aggressive in cutting down the competition, bellowing, “You’re f—king pirates!”) Later, he griped about being reduced to “set dressing” by the impending GoJo deal, pointedly reminding Gerri: “I’m still here, you know. I haven’t gone.” But Logan’s biggest unresolved issues remained with his kids, and he crashed their karaoke outing to tell them how hurt he was that they missed his birthday party, with Cox’s wistful smile conveying… well, what passes for genuine hurt in Logan Roy’s world.
His kids weren’t buying it, though — he did also want them to sign off on the GoJo deal — which reminded us how Logan masterfully manipulates his family to maintain his iron grip on power. (His attempt at an actual apology was pretty woeful, to be fair.) But Cox turned on the charm as Logan offered Roman a plum role at ATN, telling his youngest son, “I need you.” It was crushing to watch Roman fall back under his spell, but also understandable because Logan can be so convincing when he needs to be. Succession is a grandly constructed Shakespearean drama, and it works because Cox gives it the domineering, fascinating father figure it needs at its center.
Scroll down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
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HONORABLE MENTION: Sara Gilbert
Image Credit: Hulu screenshot Wednesday’s Conners offered a visual we never thought we’d see: Darlene Conner dancing! It might have seemed out of character for Sara Gilbert‘s acid-tongued alter ego to try and seduce husband Ben, but the end result was nothing short of sublime. Gilbert, who rarely, if ever, gets asked to do physical comedy, fully committed to the bit, in turn delivering one of her funniest performances to date. Don’t believe us? Pull up the scene in question and watch her shimmy her way into Jay R. Ferguson’s eye line as Darlene declares that she and Ben never dance anymore. Or when she grinds up against him and clarifies that she’s not wearing perfume; she walked through a blast of Febreze. Was it over the top? Outrageously so! But Gilbert rose to the occasion and delivered a perfect 10.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Kiefer Sutherland
Image Credit: Paramount+ screenshot Don’t get us wrong — there will always be a place in our hearts for laser-focused Jack Bauer. But what Kiefer Sutherland is doing on Paramount+’s Rabbit Hole is distinct and… well, a bit nutty. Corporate espionage expert John Weir established himself early on as being a bit paranoid, due to his late father’s leanings. Well, said Dad (played by Charles Dance) is in fact alive, and this week he and John had a breakfast conversation that was rollicking and at times combative, affording Sutherland a chance to be so entertainingly animated in a way that CTU’s Jack never was. Whether defending turkey bacon (“It’s not some big political thing, I just like it”), positively roaring at Ben boasting how he was “there” for him in kindergarten, or carrying on a mild-mannered side conversation with Hailey throughout, Sutherland was a delight to watch.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Julian Works
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox Tuesday’s unexpectedly heavy episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star rested largely on the shoulders of Julian Works, who pulled double duty as firefighter Mateo Chavez and his “identical cousin” Marvin. What began as a fun visual gag gradually deepened into a heartbreaking exploration of guilt, honor and forgiveness, peeling back layers of the character we never expected the show to examine. Much of the episode, particularly Mateo’s sitcom-style nightmare, played to Works’ well-established comedic strengths, but he also deserves credit for the character’s darker moments, which felt like the audience was spiraling right alongside him.
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in Comments!