'Succession' season 4, episode 9: 'Church and State'

The gist of it

At Logan's funeral, Roman's plans for greatness go awry after Uncle Ewan unloads some heavy truths. Kendall steps into the breach, and for the second time this season, he puts on a good show. Shiv hasn't given up on getting the GoJo deal through, and she thinks she can make Mencken's possible victory work for her. And while the Roys maneuver in private, protests in the streets erupt over the contested election.

Funeral planning

The opening of this episode closely mirrors the opening of the one with Logan's wake, with both Shiv and Roman surrounded by enormous windows looking down on the city. Shiv is strategizing with Matsson while Roman paces and practices his eulogy, telling the mirror that he's the man.

Kendall is on his way to the church when Rava calls to tell him that the unrest in the city over the election has her nervous, and she's taking the kids out of town. I love the writing and performing of this sequence (once again: Natalie Gold!), since Rava obviously doesn't want her kids around the Roys for a whole host of reasons, and 90 percent of what you know about her in this moment is all the things she's not saying.

Kendall freaks out and goes full scary-ex on Rava and the kids, threatening