CRUISINGFOR BRUISI A

The cruise ship scandal that tore the ruthless Roy family apart now threatens to sink them, in the return of hit drama Succession

The bitter dispute bubbling away at the heart of the brilliant drama Succession is about to come to the boil. As the new series begins, tycoon Logan Roy is on the warpath, determined to win the latest battle with rebel son Kendall.

‘But Kendall sniffs power,’ explains Jeremy Strong who plays the ambitious character. ‘If the accusations Kendall made against his father at the end of the last series are proven – and they involve serious offences related to the cruise company the family owns – then Logan could go to jail. And that could open the door to Kendall ruling the business empire that is Waystar Royco.’

This is series three of Succession, British writer Jesse Armstrong’s tale of a fictional American family that’s extremely wealthy, dysfunctional and, when the need arises, ruthless.

Series one saw Logan ride to Kendall’s rescue after he attempted to oust his father as head of the family business. Kendall faced a charge of manslaughter after the death of a young waiter. Logan made the case disappear in return for a pledge from his son not to challenge his authority again.

The end of series two finally saw Kendall break that promise. Ordered by his father to take responsibility for the cruise ship scandal – the division had routinely covered up crimes including murder and sexual assault – he instead pointed an accusing finger at the older man in front of the world’s media.

Now the battle lines are drawn. Kendall and Greg Hirsch, Logan’s great-nephew, form an alliance and plot a power grab. The other Roy children – sons Connor and Roman (who continues his unusual relationship with family lawyer Gerri) and daughter Shiv (whose marriage to Waystar executive Tom is on rocky ground) stay with their father, unsure which horse to back and desperate to seize power themselves if they can.

‘Logan secretly admired his son for having the nerve to stand up to him,’ says Scottish actor Brian Cox, who plays the patriarch. ‘But series three is about Logan trying to regain his authority because he

knows he’s vulnerable. The accusations against him – an awareness of crimes aboard a cruise ship and of the legal settlements that ensued – could have serious consequences.’

Much of episode one sees Logan aboard his private jet, trying to work out how best to proceed. Significantly, he touches down in countries that don’t have extradition treaties with the US, in case he ends up facing criminal charges. He faces other challenges too. Adrien Brody, an Oscar-winner for 2002’s The Pianist, appears in this series as Josh Aaronson, a billionaire who becomes pivotal in the battle for the ownership of Waystar Royco.

Tim Oglethorpe Succession, Monday, 9pm, Sky Atlantic. The first two series are available on demand on Sky and NOW.

RICH PICKINGS: Brian Cox as tycoon Logan Roy with (back row, from left) Kendall, Gerri, Tom and Shiv, with Roman and Greg seated