Part of Inheritance‘s success is that it has never strayed from its original vanity. The first season was about the looming specter of Logan’s (Brian Cox) death as children competed for the title of his successor. Now they fight to overthrow him, so the kids are a unit (or are they?). I think. Armstrong and his writers are particularly good at finding new ways to make it interesting, so we’d love to see that happen again and again. A pledge has been broken and we stay on the edge of our seats to see who ‘wins’. If this show is a rubber band, it’s being pulled in all directions, but it never loses its elasticity.
While Kendall, Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) moved camp to the sunny hills of California, business still took place in dark, wood-paneled Manhattan. Logan is still planning to sell Waystar Royco to GoJo, who failed to squash the offer at the end of season 3 when the kids were on board, but not before acquiring Pierce Global Media. Children who hear rumors of a takeover act immediately. As Kendall said to Roman, “Think how funny it would be to ruin your dad’s decades-long obsession.”
Below is what I would describe as a platonic ideal Inheritance episode. The kids are battling their father to see who can make the highest bid for her PGN. Meanwhile, cousin Greg (Nicholas Brown) has sex with his date in Logan’s wine cellar. Connor (Alan Luck), Roy’s first and most forgotten child, is still running for president, and he’s determined to make sure his 1% of the vote isn’t “squeezed out” of the campaign. I need to put another 100 million dollars in my chest.
And then there’s Tom. Masterfully played by Matthew Macfadyen over the course of the series, Tom Wamusgans, Shiv’s soon-to-be ex-husband (they are currently separated), is more of a punching bag than the heart of the show. It was like a lap dog for those who could move further up the ladder. When we last saw him, he finally made a big move. Ruined Shiv to align himself with his father. Now he’s in the room with Logan making decisions.
