Mark Mylod was “unsure” about continuing the “succession” without Brian Cox

“Succession” shocked the world early in its fourth season when it killed Logan Roy in the instantly iconic episode “Connor’s Wedding.” But while the episode garnered critical acclaim and set into motion the biggest events of season 4, the gamble caused a stir among the show’s creative team.

appear on The Hollywood Reporter Roundtable director, “Succession” executive producer and “Connor’s Wedding” director Mark Mylod recalled his shock at the death and the difficult process of telling Brian Cox that his character wouldn’t last a full season.

“When we told him the character was dying relatively early in the season, we felt bad. And, of course, he did too,” Mylod said. I’m sure he had cheered himself up for seven months of shooting, and suddenly it wasn’t that.

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Mylod’s concerns with the scene went beyond his personal sympathy for Cox. The director explained that he wasn’t sure the show would be able to maintain its quality without Logan Roy at the center of things.

“We were all obviously sad to leave him and, professionally, unsure of continuing without him – without that centrifugal force at the center of the tension and dynamic,” she said. “So there was something reassuring about having him around. It was slightly surreal when he showed up at his funeral, but mostly he was just adorable.

Mylod recently joined IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast to discuss his involvement in all four seasons of “Succession.” He recalled his initial reaction to Jesse Armstrong’s pilot script and explained that his interest in working on the show stemmed from a desire to humanize a cast of comically evil characters.

“I was fascinated by a pilot (that could) have such hopelessly awful yet compelling characters,” he said. “I thought, you know, ‘How long can we sustain this? At some point, we have to peel back the layers and find the vulnerability. We need to find a context for their behavior. We have to find something deeper.’ I don’t think a hate watch can necessarily sustain multiple seasons.