Succession's Penultimate Episode Is A Dracarys Moment For Kendall

This article contains spoilers for the penultimate episode of "Succession." 

Kendall Roy's entire life has been leading up to this moment. The character, played by Jeremy Strong on the hit HBO series "Succession," has lived in his father's shadow for decades, longing to take his place and all of the power that comes with it. With the death of Logan Roy (Brian Cox), Kendall finally had his chance to step up and step into his father's (big, big) shoes, despite his siblings Siobhan (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) both vying with him for control. 

The siblings have been a bit distracted in the wake of their father's death, however, giving Kendall the chance to edge them out and make his own power moves. When Roman completely breaks down and crumbles while trying to deliver Logan's eulogy, Kendall steps in, delivering a speech about his father's greatness that fails to mention any of his flaws. In order to play the game, Kendall will have to ignore whatever morals he previously had and he will have to swallow any negative feelings about dearly departed dad, and it seems that he's finally taken that step.

Strong appeared on the official "Succession" podcast to talk about the episode and Kendall's apparent change in tactics after Roman's absolute failure, where he referred to the character's revelation using another hit HBO series: "Game of Thrones." On the podcast, he called Kendall's eulogy and its impact Kendall's "Dracarys moment," like Daenerys Targaryen when she chose to burn King's Landing to the ground. For Kendall, there's no going back, although his dragons are more metaphorical, political animals.

On the podcast, Jeremy Strong explained that he viewed Logan's funeral as "simultaneously Kendall's coronation," and noted that Kendall walked into the church a very different man than when he left. He has no idea going into the church that he will have to step up and take over the eulogy for Roman, saving face for the Roy children as best he can and hopefully reassuring all of the powerful people in the room that Waystar-Royco is still in good hands. Kendall was always the one meant to take the throne after Logan, but it took a moment of crisis for him to finally fully step up to the plate:

"It's kind of like a Dracarys moment for Kendall [...] A lot of things happen in the ninth episode. [His] feeling blamed for the election and his culpability in making this kind of Faustian bargain, really, he's compromised himself utterly, and he knows it. I think he's in turmoil."

Kendall wanted to take his father's crown without becoming the same kind of man as his father, but in the end he still sacrificed his ethics and gave in to his father's politics completely. The man who once tried to prove his progressive nature and stand out as a beacon of righteousness has instead sold his soul, stumping for his dad's old buddies even if they're fascists like Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk). The past three seasons of Ken trying to save his own soul have been for naught, as he gives up all of his morals the moment the opportunity arises.

Kendall enters the church with a willingness to let his siblings stand for themselves, but when Roman cannot, he takes over and recognizes that it's the end of pretending he's a decent human being. He's always had a lot of Logan in him (and as Jeremy Strong pointed out, Logan is Kendall's middle name), and we see it solidify within him as he takes the pulpit to eulogize the business titan and terrible dad. While Shiv gave an honest eulogy that pointed out her father's strengths while also admitting to the difficulties he caused his children, Kendall is only effusive, pointing out all of his father's business success without mentioning his flaws. 

Instead of taking the man who tortured him to task, Kendall hides his wickedness and heads down the same path himself. He will become just like Logan, as the family curse of abuse and greed claims another victim. It seems like his own children will suffer the generational pain as well, as Ken has proven himself to be a truly terrible father in the wake of his daughter being harassed on account of ATN's political position.

While Kendall isn't burning down an entire city on dragonback, he is burning down everything that he's claimed to care about, erasing his own identity in service of recreating his father's. Whether or not he can recover before the finale is anyone's best guess, but the true tragedy of Kendall may be that he was always doomed to be just like his pops.

The series finale of "Succession" premieres Sunday, May 28, 2023, on HBO and Max.