The emotional core of Succession | Photograph by Macall B. Polay/HBO
The key to Succession has been staring you in the face for four seasons and has been played off as comic relief. It is the neglected son Connor Roy, played impeccably by Alan Ruck.
Connor is often ignored by the rest of the family. His half-siblings and father seem to view him as irretrievably goofy. But the main theme of Succession is highlighted by his character: he is the oldest son, and he is irrelevant. He even has to remind his half-siblings that he — not Kendall — is the oldest son in the season 3 finale.
