Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Kendall Roy from Succession.
It’s a character that sticks with you even when they’re long gone from your screens. It’s a character that serves as a reference point in casual conversation or a character that sums up a behavior or generation.
original, adjective
“not the same as anything or anyone else and therefore special and interesting…”
— from The Cambridge English Dictionary
Most importantly, in screenplay terms, an original character is a character that shines through in spite of any other weaknesses within that screenplay.
For a Screenplay Reader or Development Executive, an original character is an element of a script that stands out. No matter how busy they are or no matter how much work other elements of the script need, the original characters steal the show.
Great characters are at the very heart of great screenwriting and original characters can help elevate great to superlative.
Whether plucked from real life, an amalgamation of real people or just simply a genius stroke of creativity, these are original characters…
The twelfth in our original characters series will look at one of HBO’s most tragic, complex and compelling characters – Kendall Roy from Succession.
*The following article contains spoilers for Succession*
Many despise him and very few love him, but Kendall Roy’s name is known to all.
Kendall Roy is the second-eldest son of Logan Roy, the CEO of media conglomerate WaystarRoyco. He is arrogant, foul-mouthed and the epitome of a billionaire tycoon’s son.
Kendall is on a never-ending quest for a seal of approval from his father. Recognition from his family is his absolute motivation for everything he does. He seeks to pursue a life as an individual, and away from the name of his family – in his words “I’m not a Roy, not really”.
But Kendall can never escape the name Roy, no matter how hard he tries. This is evident from the very first scene, where a crucial deal fails to be successful and an employee asks Kendall if he’d like to call his father. He is constantly reminded by others that he’s little more than his father’s son and will always be playing second fiddle.
His constant battle with drug abuse has caused the loss of his marriage and his relationship with his children is distant. Work has consumed so much of Kendall’s soul that his family (ex-wife and kids) are only briefly in the background for much of the show.
Kendall will demolish any and all relationships if it means his father will respect and approve of him. With each relationship he tears down, he grows lonelier and lonelier. But this addiction for approval and his ego continues to motivate him, despite driving those who love him away.
The fascinating thing about Kendall, and in fact, most of the characters on Succession, is that they are wholly unlikeable and in most cases, downright detestable. They’re the very definition of capitalist greed, the perfect example of billionaires sitting in their ivory tower looking down on those working to survive. On paper, nothing about the Roy family should be even remotely likeable or relatable.
Yet as viewers, we follow Kendall and his journey through the world of the 1%. Through season 1, Kendall is effectively our protagonist (or antagonist depending on how you look at the story). In a weird sort of way, we begin to root for Kendall against his foul-mouthed and arrogant father, Logan – he’s the lesser of two evils.
Although we shouldn’t like Kendall and everything he represents, we innately do. He has these small moments of redemption, such as standing up to his father striking his son in episode 1. This helps us see glimpses of humanity in him that keep us engaged and even sometimes, make him relatable.
Kendall is complex and compelling. His motives at the time are never completely transparent. But at the backbone of every decision he makes is a constant – the will to appease his father, or to spite him. Kendall Roy is such an unpredictable, compelling and original character, that it’s difficult to tell what version of himself he is going to be on any given day.
Despite things obviously being very easy for Kendall literally speaking (money has afforded him every single opportunity life has to offer), things always seem hard for him. And this makes him a great character, constantly struggling for something he will never get.
The core of Kendall’s character is his constant need for acceptance from his father. He has this void of neglect and love from his father – both in his work and his personal life. He knows his father is a bad man (maybe putting it lightly) but he still aspires to be like him and better.
Logan knows he has this mighty grip over Kendall. He will forever dangle him around to pursue his own selfish needs over his son’s. Ultimately, he will never give Kendall the satisfaction of his respect, because then Kendall will have no drive, no backbone, and will stay forever docile and at the mercy of his father.
The irony of Kendall Roy’s character is that he wants to be his own man – outside of his father’s shadow and their family name – yet is aspiring to be the CEO of the family company. He’s forever trapped in this world that he tells himself he’s not part of. His arrogance constantly blinds him from seeing the truth of his world – believing that he is the right person to inherently change it.
To sum up the relationship the Roy siblings have is almost impossible – it’s very very complicated.
Kendall and Siobhan have this mutual respect for each other’s intellect. They see themselves as the smartest of the family, so there’s this constant battle to try and prove themselves as individuals more than each other. It’s petty but it drives both of them to work harder.
Roman Roy on the other hand is confused, reckless and psychopathic at times. But again, even he has these small moments of brilliance that almost keep his siblings from totally ignoring him. Roman thinks he’s the most charismatic out of the bunch, but deep down knows his position is only ever because of his money and name. Everyone sees right through this facade and his outlandish attitude, so no one really has any expectations for him other than the worst.
Kendall feels like he has to make up for Roman’s carefree attitude to Logan. He uses it as hyperbole to show how great he is and how great the work he’s doing in comparison to his younger brother is.
And as for Connor, he’s just kind of there, doing his own thing trying to run for president and minding his own business. But he’s also another way that Kendall can feel good about himself, knowing that Connor will never have what it takes to take over as CEO.
Kendall goes from euphoric highs to monumental lows in just season 1 alone. Almost every episode feels like something affects him. And every episode contributes to this journey of appraisal Kendall craves in order to be his own individual. But all the episodes shape him to become the complex and layered character that he is.
Kendall plots a vote of no confidence against his father after being kicked out as CEO by him. It’s an incredibly tense moment in the show, and it ultimately fails for Kendall. However, it reveals so much about Kendall’s character in terms of his complexity and motivations:
At first glance, it appears that Kendall has broken free of his father’s grip. In reality, all it does is prove to his father what he’s been trying to do all along. We see this again in the season 2 finale. Logan’s shadow will forever linger over Kendall.
As Kendall’s life spirals back into the world of partying and drug abuse, his life feels pointless, unmotivated and without direction. He has nothing to contribute to his dad or the company. And therefore subsequently, his Father has no reason to really interact with him in any meaningful way.
The season ends with Kendall walking home soaking wet, as he and a waiter who got high together crash their car into a river and Kendall fails to save the waiter. He showers off, puts on dry clothes and acts like nothing has happened.
Kendall is at his most vulnerable by the season finale. Although we’re shocked at what we are watching, we are never that surprised. The characters are so well established in the show that nothing ever feels that outlandish. After Logan reveals he knows what happened, he now has this tightly wound grip back over his son. Kendall is significantly less free than he was at the beginning of the season.
Season 2 sees Kendall at his most numb. After the tragic accident of the season 1 finale, Kendall is traumatised and Logan continues to control his every move.
Kendall is barren of emotion. Even though he’s killed someone, we still have sympathy for him. We can see the trauma through these subtle emotions. He has genuinely switched off from life. Jeremy Strong‘s fantastic performance here paired with the brilliant writing is a reason why critics and audience love Succession so much.
“Look at you, you broken robot. Can’t even hug your own kids”
Roman Roy to Kendall Roy in Season 2, Episode 2 of Succession.
The season sees much of Kendall reflecting on the death of the boy he killed. His cold numbness is perfect for his father’s every wish in all the ruthlessness that business entails. He becomes his father’s puppet in this way, easily shaped and directed because of what his father holds over him.
Season 2 sees Kendall’s arc focus more on how his complete faithfulness to his father is affecting his family and his relationships with others – who still don’t know the secret he holds about the boy’s death.
We are eagerly awaiting the moment he becomes the individualistic and foul-mouthed Roy we all came to know over season 1. It keeps his character from ever growing stale, because we are constantly waiting for that snap back to normality for Kendall.
That moment finally comes in the very last scene of the finale, although the tension never fades. Kendall is scheduled to take the full blame for cruise line scandals that have been plaguing the company. Instead, Kendall blindsides everyone by telling reporters that his dad is a “malignant presence, a bully and a liar” who was in full compliance with every wrongdoing at the company.
Logan’s only retaliation is a sinister smirk, as in a twisted way, his son has finally proved to him he has the courage to be his own person. Now it’s Kendall Roy vs Logan Roy, whereas before it felt like the latter always had the upper hand.
Kendall’s strengths and weaknesses are continuously being challenged, depending on who he is speaking to.
When talking to those he doesn’t necessarily aspire to be, Kendall is:
However, when Kendall has to interact with Logan, he crumbles and everything that is a strength with others becomes his own worst enemy. Logan has an answer to shut down his son at every moment, even when Kendall is at his most courageous.
“I, well, you know, I just. You’re smart, you’re good, but I just don’t know.”
Logan Roy in response to Kendall asking if he thinks he would have ever been CEO.
The crux of Kendall Roy is that the life he’s been given because of his father’s success is ultimately his downfall as an individual. He will never escape this bind and he will never escape the need for his father’s approval.
It’s what makes Succession such a compelling TV show to watch. And it’s a great example of what makes a great TV series tick in general. Will anything ever fulfil the void that Kendall is (knowingly or unknowingly) seeking to fill? Well, the short answer is probably no. And in this, the series has an engine that will potentially never stop running.
The series feels that it could run for endless seasons with Kendall forever chasing his father’s approval. This is what makes tantalising TV for both studios and audiences – the sense that there is a near-endless well of drama to pull from.
There will always be that push and pull between the thing that Kendall wants and him not getting it. This is the motivator for great drama and great TV in particular. Kendall Roy’s want (approval from his father) is at the core of his existence. And therefore, it’s at the core of the series’ existence.
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This article was written by Shey Wade and edited by IS staff.
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