(Warning: Spoilers ahead for Succession.)
The most poignant shot in last night’s Succession was not the partially obscured image of Logan Roy (Brian Cox) dying on the floor of his private jet. Nor was it that viral screengrab of the Roy siblings holding each other in the wake of their father’s passing. It was actually the episode's least-talked-about moment: newlyweds Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) and Willa Ferreyra (Justine Lupe) embracing at the altar before a handful of guests and a sea of empty chairs. Behind them is a foreboding view of New York City against a steel-gray sky that feels appropriate for these characters’ “happiest day.”
Last night’s episode was not the usual comedy of manners viewers would expect from a typically chaotic Succession wedding. Instead, we were subjected to a series of long, gut-wrenching takes of the Roy siblings discovering their father’s death over the phone and pointlessly attempting to aid him. Given Connor’s position as the oft-forgotten son, it made sense that his wedding would be upstaged by such a dramatic event. (Not to mention, that Logan was not even on his way to his wedding when he passed).
Still, it was a brief, private moment between Connor and Willa before they tied the knot that made a rather bleak episode oddly sweet. Even someone as anti-marriage as myself found a glimmer of optimism in their glaringly unsexy union.
Last week, it was hard to predict whether the show’s odd but gradually endearing Connor and Willa would make it down the aisle after Willa fled their rehearsal dinner. (Although, by the end of the episode, she returns back home.) At the pre-wedding reception, the former escort and aspiring playwright appears less anxious—mostly, in that she’s present. However, she’s hardly enthusiastic about handing over her youth to a much-older, wealthy man with a cutthroat family and no friends.
Once Logan’s death essentially throws their plans out the window, the couple talks privately about whether they should proceed with the wedding. “Everyone will assume that it’s you backing out, and that’s fine,” Connor tells his eventual bride. “Or could something good come out of something bad?” Connor, who’s significantly older than Willa, admits that he’s scared that she’ll leave him if they don’t get married, recognizing the long life she still has ahead of her. He even apologizes for “stealing [her] from the world.”
Despite what his family (and the audience) has assumed about their financially unbalanced relationship over the past four seasons, Connor finally asks Willa if she’s just with him for the money. After taking a long pause, Willa responds, “There is something about money and safety here. Yeah, there is. But I’m happy.” Their conversation ends with Willa promising that she’s “not going to walk.” “Well, at least, not today anyway,” she says, before they both burst into laughter. They eventually get married in front of a crowd of 13 people and the officiant.
By all accounts, Succession is a notably (and decidedly) unromantic show. Relationships are glaringly transactional, unethical and overrun by business talk. Tom Wambgans (Matthew Macfadyen) and Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) marriage was a pure game of politics. Logan kept his former wife Marcia (Hiam Abbass) to maintain his image, before starting an inappropriate relationship with his assistant, Kerry (Zoe Winters) that came with incentives. And Naomi Pierce (Annabelle Dexter-Jones) famously only was attracted to Kendall (Jeremy Strong) for his brokenness.
The closest the show got to a somewhat appealing couple was when Roman started having secret phone-sex sessions with Gerri Kellman (J. Smith Cameron), which was clearly driven by his mommy issues. Even then, the youngest son, the COO at Waystar Royco, was violating a corporate code of conduct by sending dick pics to a fellow employee.
In its early stages, Willa and Connor’s dynamic seemed like another loveless, icky arrangement. As the series has progressed, their relationship has become easier to swallow, more quirky and funny than outrightly gross. Maybe that’s because viewers are often watching Connor constantly try to please Willa, like when he funded her heavily panned play. In the moments when she’s not fed up with his dotingness, he’s not particularly entitled or possessive. It’s also clear that Willa’s company goes beyond the typical function of a trophy wife, as Connor has always worn his need for true companionship on his sleeve. Additionally, it’s become more apparent that Willa has (some) love for Connor.
There are many Succession fans who still recoil at the power dynamic that looms over Connor and Willa’s marriage. To be fair, the bar for healthy relationships on this show is extremely low. And everyone on this show is purely diabolical, so I could be eating my words soon. However! This week’s episode highlighted something hopeful about the uneven pair. They achieve a level of clarity and honesty about their relationship that most married couples don’t (at least from what I see on Real Housewives, anyway). It doesn’t really matter that their circumstances aren’t the most ideal.
It goes without saying that marriage is a patriarchal institution that mostly benefits men and often costs lots of money. Blah, blah, blah. However, I did find something ironically romantic and idyllic about watching Connor and Willa acknowledge their legal arrangement for what it is, rather than adding some spiritual meaning onto it or assuming that it would enhance their bond.
Above all, their marriage is pragmatic. Willa’s aware that she has other options than being a rich dude’s wife, as is Connor. But they’re the best choice each other has for now. What more can you ask for in a relationship than a fully funded theater career and mutual understanding?
We’ll see how this marriage plays out during the rest of the season, which is sure to be full of surprises. For now, Connor and Willa, we wish you the best of luck!
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