Shiv and Kendall in Succession season 4 episode 3© Home Box Office

Succession stars reveal how they filmed that shocking 27-minute scene

Warning, major spoilers for Succession season 4 episode 3 

TV & Film Editor
April 11, 2023

Succession season four episode three left fans in total shock after it was revealed that Logan had collapsed and died while on a flight, leaving the Roy children grief-stricken. 

The episode, which has received acclaim from critics and audiences alike, saw the four Roy siblings find out that their dad collapsed on a flight - and the stars of the show revealed how the incredible 27-minute scene was done. 

WATCH: Succession's mid-season trailer shows fall out from episode 3

The episode’s director, Mark Mylod, explained: "In the planning of the shot, it felt that the camera had to be almost sadistically voyeuristic, it had to stay really close without taking its eye off. Every time we cut away from the siblings it seemed to let them off the hook. We worked on this idea of how to keep the action as fluid as possible." 

Kieran Culkin, who plays Roman, added: "We shot like five or six days of sequence bits, then we ran the whole thing. As it turns out it’s a 27-minute-long scene… It was us doing a one-act play on a boat in several rooms with background actors, lighting everywhere and three cameras, it was unlike anything I’d ever done before. It was extremely exciting," while Jeremy Strong, who plays Kendall, explained: "It’s a 28-page scene I think, which is very, very, very long. On a movie, you’ll shoot like a two-page scene in a day." 

The Roy children in Succession season 4 episode 3

Speaking about switching out the film while shooting the scene, Mark added: "We shoot on film so meant we can only shoot for ten minutes then the camera needs to be physically reloaded. The camera operators worked on this idea of hiding rolls of film around the set and hiding the camera body doing super-fast reloads." 

MORE: Meet the real-life families of the cast of Succession

MORE: 9 outfits we want to steal from Succession's Shiv Roy

© Home Box Office

Roman Roy on the phone in Succession

Taking to Twitter to discuss the amazing episode, one person wrote: "This episode was a perfect symphony. Everyone working in tandem to create this devastating harmony of panic, confusion & grief. Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Alan Ruck, Matthew Macfadyen & the cast gave us a masterclass. I’ve never seen anything like it." Another person added: "That was one of the greatest episodes of television ever and I don’t know how I’ll recover." 

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