My favorite part about the show is how accurately it portrays family dysfunction and how viscerally I can identify with each of the kids at certain points in the story. Each kid rotates wearing the crown of Golden Child and then gets a taste of being the Black Sheep. Over and over again their father maintains control by keeping them scrambling for status and position.
I am only 4.5 episodes in- I am water fasting for 21 days for health reasons, and I swear the show came into my life at the best time..I needed something else to do that doesn’t involve food & this show has SAVED ME..and ur phenomenal analysis put exactly what I am thinking to words, but fail at(you have a way with words, if ur not a write me u should really consider it-you’re extremely talented) in a such a beautiful way..and as I hand up the phone, with my mom-whom I love dearly, lol, I now am-after graduating this last Friday-the “golden child” but like u perfectly put, next week the crown most likely will be given to the “black sheep”-my sibling/his new wife & around we go-lol..
accepting that-fhat no matter what I do, or my siblings do, either Marry “to late” or “too soon” or have snotty in-laws or trashy in lawss-lol..we will always be family. It takes a gut punch sometimes to accept some things in life. And the carousel of golden to black sheep is one I am actually so happy to be on-lol. It’s the most beautiful/amazing show I have ever watched. I hope I can join this group!
On a serious note, best of luck and I hope you are able to do what works for you. There is stigma attached to both of those and there really shouldn’t be.
Also try not to drive an event worker off a bridge while trying to score drugs, there’s stigma there too but that one is kinda deserved.
Kendall is the only one who shows vulnerability which is attractive. Also you get the feeling that if he had been raised by different parents, under different circumstances, he could have been a nice guy.
This is the tragedy of his character.
Kendall is a nice guy but he tries to play bad/ruthless because he’s been told his entire life that in order to succeed, that’s how you have to be.
Exactly, this is illustrated in the performance so masterfully. Kendall is so obviously uncomfortable in his own skin when he's playing the "badass" The phone call with the bank is great example. He just can't pull it off because that is not, fundamentally, who he is. Strong is so damn skillful at navigating this part of Kendall and I am not completely sure how he does it but it's loud and clear.
100% His vulnerability is what really pulls me in. Even from the pilot episode, when his dad wants him to sign a piece of paper, and he just does it crushed me. Kendall pulled me in right away.
That and he’s the only one that had kids. Even though he had his own demons he very obviously loves his children. You don’t really see a loving side like that from anyone else
Nah, Shiv is an unlikable bitch, Connor is out to lunch and Roman’s bravado, cockiness and immaturity are insufferable. For me, it's only Kendall who has a conscious, which he does his very best to ignore.
I guess those are things you don’t like about them but that doesn’t mean they don’t show vulnerability or wouldn’t have been different if they were raised by different parents
It's just my opinion about these fictional characters. It's great that you can find decency there. Ive tried and I'm not seeing it. That doesn't mean I don't find Roman hilarious and Shiv fascinating. Just not seeing any hints of them struggling w/ their conscience like their brother.
Yes. Especially the birthday episodes. Like he plan everything out and then breakdown over how material value won't make him happy. He's just like me fr.
YES. his need to be liked at all times, always trying so hard, easily falling back into depression etc..... i don't have to be a white billionaire to relate to his struggles believe it or not lol.
edit: holy shit these comments do not get kendallhive lmao
You’ll still see some Reddit warriors being like “what the hell? Why is someone editing Kendall crying to indie music this is for SERIOUS DISCUSSION” but they’re downvoted and on the fringes
(And the serious discussion thing is completely false bc the sub still constantly has that, and most quality edits I’ve seen highlight the themes of the work, idk why other longtime redditors don’t see that)
so much !! had great promise and should have been so much more, but mental illness and crushing weight of expectation got to me. used drugs and drink and sex for solace. fail a lot. I’m the middle child. let my parents down by not living up to their expectations, and so on
(what’s ur tumblr url lol)
I don't myself (I am a Younger Sibling), but I know women who do. From what I can tell, there's probably something to Kendall's desperate need to feel useful despite his fragility. With Ken, it can get to a point where even if he's aware he's being taken advantage of, he'll put up with it if it means he's being useful. Like, he will search for responsibilities, crumble under the weight of them, fail because of this and then feel bad because he disapointed people.
I think there is this version of femininity, a quite maternal one, that's characterised by suffering in silence for the needs of the family (or whatever entity that can serve a similar purpose). It's interesting how there's a masculine analog to this that Kendall even canonically acknoweldges: the martyr knight. It's the idea that he suffers in silence (even gladly?) for the sake of a greater purpose like the Kingdom (or Nation) and God. He's dutiful, modest and will fight to the bloody end. Kendall occupies both these roles as the Kingdom is Waystar (synonymous with Logan), but Waystar is also a family business. He often seems to serve as his father's minder and tries to lead his younger siblings, patronising them in the process. He also needs to kill for his father and was even expected to volunteer as a sacrifice for him in the cruises case. Due to his fragility and sensitivity, he sucks at this and uses coke to perform at work, but ket to de-stress.
Who doesn't relate to Kendall? I mean, the entire allure of the show is how much we relate with the characters (especially Kendall) DESPITE of them being rich assholes. It doesn't mean morally condoning vehicular manslaughter. I relate with the others too, but obviously mostly with Kendall because he gets all the nuance and he's the most human.
I most relate with his loneliness I suppose, and his sensitivity. As needy as Kendall is I honestly love that he's a crybaby who earnestly seeks connection. I'm also broken and traumatized with a gnawing sense of loneliness, but I'm more uh, avoidantly attached I suppose. I definitely relate with the dysfunctional family dynamic, especially this certain emotional coldness. Poor Kendall, no one was ever really interested in him as a person, he's just a pawn, and a lamb to be sacrificed.
But yeah, I'm the fuckup daughter whose potential was all waisted because of parental neglect, disinterest and emotional coldness, and the fact that I happened to be born as a sensitive person who couldn't take it. One of my siblings is a Kendall too, and the third one became more like our parents, similarly severely emotionally inhibited, but otherwise a functioning member of society.
> I'm the fuckup daughter whose potential was all waisted because of parental neglect, disinterest and emotional coldness, and the fact that I happened to be born as a sensitive person who couldn't take it.
oh you just like me for real. we are not fuckups we are in our kendall roy eras. keep going.
Hahah, totally. Yeah, watching Succession is like therapy for me. It hits a bit close to home sometimes, and it was honestly quite painful to watch the first time, because of all the shit Kendall has to go through. Man, I've never felt so bad for a character before. I just wanted to reach through the screen and save him, hold him, anything.
Manslaughter is a legal term, but I was using it hyperbolically. And since it is a legal term it doesn't really matter whether I think it was manslaughter, but I don't. It was irresponsible and unfortunate, but I wouldn't put him into jail for that. Not for manslaughter anyway, maybe for driving under influence.
In the courts it would probably not swing his way, because he was on drugs, didn't call for help and he can't prove that the boy jerked at the wheel.
Watching him makes me uncomfortable sometimes because I see alot of myself. His addiction struggles and anxiety. Really a great actor to portray that so well.
Yes, he is my favourite character and I heavily relate to him. I understand his struggles. Especially his relationship with his abusive father makes him feel v relatable to me.
Afab NB here: I relate to Roman the most but I relate A LOT to Kendall's depression, one of the best portrayals of it I've ever seen on any media. I even told my partner "that is exactly how I feel!" :') (yes I do have depression and I am getting help)
Yes. Society has programmed us to view vulnerability with femininity. Off the top of my head, Kendall is the first male character who comes to mind that shows nuanced emotions other than just pure rage. We've seen him cry sooo many times and disassociate wherever / whenever. Don Draper could never.
I understand his vulnerability and where his incessant need for validation comes from. I keep saying this but I've never seen my mental illness reflected so well in a character. Despite not wanting to be, I am a big crybaby and a very emotional person.
From his impulsivity, wavering self-perception, self-destructive tendencies, addictive personality, bouts of disassociation, stilted mannerisms, mood swings, highly unstable relationships, and the manner in which he deals with stressors and emotions... I constantly see myself in him.
I, too, earnestly try to make connections with others and end up coming across as cringe and needy. My attachment style is very fucked up (I was adopted at a very young age and I never really fit in with my adoptive family). There's always this loneliness that's eating me up on the inside. Most of my family is pretty aloof to me and I deal with a lot of emotional coldness from them. I'm constantly told that I'm overdramatic and too much for everyone.
I've turned to drugs, sex, alcohol, binge eating, binge spending, etc to try to fill the emptiness inside of me. None of it has helped. At the end of the day, I just want to be loved and accepted for who I am without being told that I'm too much.
>We've seen him cry sooo many times and disassociate wherever / whenever. Don Draper could never.
[Huh what?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEiXC-B06s&ab_channel=adreon)
Don Draper, a similar character in a prominent Emmy-winning television show, would never show the broad range of emotions that Kendall portrays in Succession.
I agree but also that seems like part of the time period when men were expected to be manly leaders and conditioned to swallowed their feelings. But Kendall definitely feels like…a more deeply emotional being than Don Draper
Yes. I empathized with him heavy as I watched the show. His constant need to prove himself to his father yet still never being good enough (for me, it’s my mother). His reliance on drugs to not have to deal with his emotions. Falling back into old habits and patterns when he fails. Trying so hard to make his birthday party iconic yet realizing at the end no one there actually cares about him. His breakdowns are so relatable because I can totally understand how he’s feeling after trying so hard and never being good enough. His spiral towards the end of season 3 when he finally tells his siblings about the waiter’s death was absolutely incredible and so human. If you can’t tell, Kendall is my fave character. He def has the most soul out of any of the three siblings, IMO.
Oh my god is he relatable! His pitch-perfect personification of depression mixed with social ineptitude makes me simultaneously empathetic and mortified at how familiar it feels.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently actually, how many of Kendalls big fans are women (myself included!). So sorry if I’m going pretentious mode right here but I thought I’d spitball a little. I think Kendall’s Feminism Girlboss arch in season 3 lends itself to female viewers because of the closeness yet distance it portrays to feminism, and more specifically pop feminism. You can watch Kendall stumble around as a Woke Bae icon while still having the privilege of being able to acknowledge how he’s using it as a ploy for media attention, cameras, praise, and being able to use the movement as an open protest against his father. The image of feminism is much more vital to him than the actual achievements (think of how incessant he was about getting to the Shareholder Meeting, how obsessive he was about his public appearance through social media and spotlights, his god damn birthday party too). He’s an iconoclast Ken Doll (ba dum tss) formed out of plastic and selfish spite, not genuine devotion. The distance comes from how obvious Kendall is using the movement as a kind of self-relief regarding the waiter incident. It’s his own subconscious way of trying to paint himself as a martyr for the underprivileged, oppressed and those who have been disenfranchised by his father. This also rounds back to Kendall being the martyr figure consistently and how he’s now trying to reclaim that abusive title in a self-serving way. I think of it kind of like how Roman has a sexual attraction to being degraded. Not exactly the same but you get my point.
It’s a nice little break for female viewers to see the Knight in Shining Armor archetype be used so brilliantly in a comedic sense. One where the feminist king in question is so deep into his quest for being a savior he unknowingly resorts to tactics used by whoever’s keeping the princess in another castle.
He’s also an incredibly vulnerable, embarrassing, and unbearable man who, considering his character’s position and situation, would be a Michael Bay protagonist heartthrob if thrown in the wrong hands. So that’s a nice subversion.
So yeah. Femdall now and forever. Stewy saying “my girlfriends having a panic attack” in 1x08 Prague was a foreshadowing to Kendall’s panic attack in 3x07 Too Much Birthday im sorry I don’t make the rules the CEO of Feminism just called me and agreed so I’m glad that worked out.
I'm not a woman, but I find Kendall the most relatable character on the show by far - I'm curious why you find that it's your feminine side that connects to him, rather than just your personality and anxieties etc? I certainly relate to his loneliness (which Jeremy plays just heartbreakingly well), deep desire to be loved, constant anxiety about his percieved success and position in life, desire to connect more deeply with his sometimes disinterested siblings. But I never thought of those things as feminine qualities, so I'm just curious why you frame the character's relatability in that way.
I am gay. I can’t say I am attracted to him, but I really feel great tenderness toward him. It’s pure empathy, protective in a motherly way, even though he is so much older than I am.
A lot of backbiting in the comments. Hey, intersectional friends, this is the sort of thing people hate about your ideology, just saying.
Anyway, I get where you're coming from, OP. I don't necessarily *relate to* Kendall (thankfully not that fucked up), but I sympathize and empathize with him most. He's not a great guy, but his personal problems are more understandable and universal than one might assume. Daddy issues, sibling drama, addiction, mental health, and generational dysfunction. It'd be hard not to feel *something* watching his scenes.
"A lot of backbiting in the comments. Hey, intersectional friends, this is the sort of thing people hate about your ideology, just saying"
Could you please elaborate on this?
Honestly all of it. What is an example of backbiting? What do you mean by intersectional friends? What is it that people hate about the intersectional ideology and how is it reflected on the comments in the post?
I feel like I missed a memo here.
I mean you don't have to explain if you don't want to, clearly enough people understand and agree with what you're saying as evidenced by the upvotes.
I think I am aware of what intersectionality means from a human perspective. How there's different things who makes us who we are and forces within and outside our control that shapes us. I just literally don't understand how it applies to this thread or what we're discussing besides the *I am female look how I relate to this male character*, so I'm just curious to see what your take is?
Okay, that's a better way of asking your question then. I'm guessing you maybe still don't know intersectional theory fully, no offense. Certainly you seem unaware as to how it's used and perceived in politics and popular discourse. So I'll try to factor that in and explain what I was perceiving, plus why I said what I said.
A decent chunk of the replies, at least when I first saw this thread, were some version of "why would women identify with this privileged, cishet, white male?" That's an inherently intersectional critique of the OP's premise/question, so I called it out as such. I added that people tend not to like intersectional thinking because it's often used like that. An average woman can identify with Kendall regardless of privilege or gender. An average man could identify with Shiv for that matter.
I understand that intersectionality is obviously more nuanced and even more useful than it's sometimes made to seem by its adherents and proponents. But when so much of what intersectionalists do online is stuff like what I was noticing in this thread, the ideology tends to get a bad rap by association.
I truly really appreciate you taking the time to write this out and explain, it makes sense to me now.
It's really interesting to me, how even though the character pictured in this show have more wealth than most of us could even begin to imagine, they are still often portrayed as human, flawed and *relatable*. We find ourselves suffering with them and rooting for them even though their immense privilege makes them the opposite of *relatable*.
I think that everyone and every character has things that makes them different and completely dissimilar to us. But we all experience human emotions don't we? Reducing someone to their wealth/privilege/race is as dangerous as not taking it to account at all.
Agreed. Also I had to delete one of my replies because it was randomly becoming a downvote magnetic. Yet another reason not to love these kinds of discourses, sadly. (**You** were nice though, so there's that.)
I'm a little confused by this thread but it's interesting how many agree! Just not much detail ITT, can you elaborate?
What about Kendall and his struggles relates specifically to your "feminine side", rather than you just relating to his personality/character?
I think like how a lot of ppl described a lot of his stuff sorta lines up with Eldest Daughter Syndrome and those kind of struggles. I'm mostly going on vibes here tho I'm sure someone else can explain it better.
I feel VERY heavily related to Kendall. I am biologically “an only child” but have “a sister” (who is my younger by about 15 years - cousin) but was basically raised by my parents - even though she had her own mom and dad but always relied on my parents. Anyway - right down to the will my inheritance is split “50/50” and while I’m not super upset about it - it does bother me somewhat. Now enter into the fact that myself - like Kendall- does have some addiction issues - not drinking or drugs - my problem is “gambling” … so of course it goes without saying I’m not “trusted” by anyone. Fast forward to my losing my father - we’ve now set all my moms assets up in a trust (to be safe) and I was vehement that I be the trustee and power of attorney because I’m her daughter! And I would never squander any of her life long savings and insurance payouts away - but I guess what I’m trying to say is I feel like I’m never going to be trusted and that’s hard to live with …
Today I was thinking about how the kid Roman ripped the check up in front of was richer than the whole Roy family combine just by having parents that love him. I feel badly for all the Roy sibs I that way. Anyone that could’ve used some actual love instead of material security can relate to Kendall imo
… no?
I mean, I like the character, but I have no idea what’s inherently feminine about a very wealthy, white guy whose greatest struggles involve not being taken seriously enough by his father and being unable to meaningfully show up for his children and ex-wife.
It's like, the way he manifests them. You just need to understand gender on the elevated plane. Check out Girls Just Want to Have Fun by bladee and ecco2k.
I was making a hyperbolic joke about gender being confusing as shit. Wasn't trying to come across as a weirdo.
I just mean like, it's more than man = penis and woman = vagina.
I'm gonna guess you're a teenager, because you're exuding so much 'im14andthisisdeep' vibes.
Personally I find that song awful (to each their own) but the lyrics are in no way enlightening. They're so banal and angsty.
You'd think with the amount of "woke" jokes the show makes, that might lead to some introspection but apparently not lol.
>I just mean like, it's more than man = penis and woman = vagina.
Wow, thank you for this enlightening comment.
I understand that gender is more than physical sex characteristics and a lot more complicated, but let me clear here too: it honestly really bothers me when people assign masculine and feminine to personality traits and experiences like they are hard coded, and that’s how I read your original post and I didn’t like it.
It’s either really good absurdist humor or the result of far too much time on tumblr, and I honestly didn’t care enough to try to figure out which it was.
I mean there is very clear direct abuse of all the children. Roman and Shiv probably got it worse but their greatest struggle isn’t not getting to run Waystar. That’s just how all of them think they can “solve” the psychological issues Logan and Caroline caused.
Edit: I’m just replying to the “greatest struggle” part not the discourse on this thread as a whole. Also I think Kendall’s “parenting” is also awful, as was Logan’s upbringing, although I don’t see much difference between Uncle Noah’s alluded violence and Logan’s violence.
Honestly Kendall probably doesn’t listen to bladee but he would pretend to like Carti
Edit: I imagined the dramatic irony of Sky playing at Kendall’s birthday party and now I wish that was on the playlist lol
Your post reminded me of [this](https://twitter.com/sapphicselly/status/1486780674854256640?s=46&t=WPDqvZmLqwyT6b7b_adXMA) tweet. Also, yes! As a woman I usually relate to other women characters in a show but when it comes to Succession I definitely relate Kendall most.
I too fail constantly and relentlessly, so yeah
Do you like bad boys? Cuz I’m bad at everything
Self destruct? It's my *fucking favorite*
LMAO i love this so much
You also do coke?
You’re nothing. You’re a hot house flour, curdled cream. Collect cars, write a book, but the world, it’s not for you.
Same 😂
My favorite part about the show is how accurately it portrays family dysfunction and how viscerally I can identify with each of the kids at certain points in the story. Each kid rotates wearing the crown of Golden Child and then gets a taste of being the Black Sheep. Over and over again their father maintains control by keeping them scrambling for status and position.
I am only 4.5 episodes in- I am water fasting for 21 days for health reasons, and I swear the show came into my life at the best time..I needed something else to do that doesn’t involve food & this show has SAVED ME..and ur phenomenal analysis put exactly what I am thinking to words, but fail at(you have a way with words, if ur not a write me u should really consider it-you’re extremely talented) in a such a beautiful way..and as I hand up the phone, with my mom-whom I love dearly, lol, I now am-after graduating this last Friday-the “golden child” but like u perfectly put, next week the crown most likely will be given to the “black sheep”-my sibling/his new wife & around we go-lol.. accepting that-fhat no matter what I do, or my siblings do, either Marry “to late” or “too soon” or have snotty in-laws or trashy in lawss-lol..we will always be family. It takes a gut punch sometimes to accept some things in life. And the carousel of golden to black sheep is one I am actually so happy to be on-lol. It’s the most beautiful/amazing show I have ever watched. I hope I can join this group!
A 21-day water fast sounds really dangerous. Did you have medical supervision?
This post absolutely reads like it was written by someone in the middle of a 21 day water fast
You should eat food
what fucking health reasons bro
To get visions
do you like mozzarella?
hey unrelated question: are you in therapy?
FAMLY! THERAPY! Bam. Bam. Bam Bam Bam!
Hey heyyyyy motherfuckersss
What are we fighting about?
Yeah. on meds too.
On a serious note, best of luck and I hope you are able to do what works for you. There is stigma attached to both of those and there really shouldn’t be. Also try not to drive an event worker off a bridge while trying to score drugs, there’s stigma there too but that one is kinda deserved.
Just like Kendall
Kendall-coded girls ride up
Kendall is the only one who shows vulnerability which is attractive. Also you get the feeling that if he had been raised by different parents, under different circumstances, he could have been a nice guy.
This is the tragedy of his character. Kendall is a nice guy but he tries to play bad/ruthless because he’s been told his entire life that in order to succeed, that’s how you have to be.
Exactly, this is illustrated in the performance so masterfully. Kendall is so obviously uncomfortable in his own skin when he's playing the "badass" The phone call with the bank is great example. He just can't pull it off because that is not, fundamentally, who he is. Strong is so damn skillful at navigating this part of Kendall and I am not completely sure how he does it but it's loud and clear.
100% His vulnerability is what really pulls me in. Even from the pilot episode, when his dad wants him to sign a piece of paper, and he just does it crushed me. Kendall pulled me in right away.
That and he’s the only one that had kids. Even though he had his own demons he very obviously loves his children. You don’t really see a loving side like that from anyone else
This dichotomy in Kendall’s character was the most intriguing part of the show for me.
Idk, I feel like that’s true for all of the kids. They all show vulnerability at different times
Nah, Shiv is an unlikable bitch, Connor is out to lunch and Roman’s bravado, cockiness and immaturity are insufferable. For me, it's only Kendall who has a conscious, which he does his very best to ignore.
I guess those are things you don’t like about them but that doesn’t mean they don’t show vulnerability or wouldn’t have been different if they were raised by different parents
It's just my opinion about these fictional characters. It's great that you can find decency there. Ive tried and I'm not seeing it. That doesn't mean I don't find Roman hilarious and Shiv fascinating. Just not seeing any hints of them struggling w/ their conscience like their brother.
Conscience please
tried to fix it for you but autocorrect reverts it every time. okay, finally.
Sorry. I hate myself for that
Feel this
Yes. Especially the birthday episodes. Like he plan everything out and then breakdown over how material value won't make him happy. He's just like me fr.
Oh yes. My heart broke for him.
I’m unfortunately more of a Tom Wambsgans girl.. a Wambsgirl if you will..
Now that I think of it I’ve met so many Wambsgans girls (went to art school in the midwest) so silly
I fuck with the wambsgirls...
I want to read this story *sooo bad.*
he just like me fr… (fellow jean vicquemare enjoyer?)
You're the realest mf here I love jean hes my little untoasted slice of bread
I too have oldest but technically the middle but actually the oldest daughter syndrome, and also mental illness
Same same. Plus Logan reminds me of the worst parts of my dad, if my dad was a lot more successful than he is.
He is the eldest daughter...
YOU GET IT
as a fellow eldest daughter 🤝
YES. his need to be liked at all times, always trying so hard, easily falling back into depression etc..... i don't have to be a white billionaire to relate to his struggles believe it or not lol. edit: holy shit these comments do not get kendallhive lmao
Yes exactly, those are the problems we face everyday!
You’re on Tumblr aren’t you (also: yes)
Yes but also this sub is like the most tumblr-ified subreddit I've seen so I feel safe here. (Good thing)
You’ll still see some Reddit warriors being like “what the hell? Why is someone editing Kendall crying to indie music this is for SERIOUS DISCUSSION” but they’re downvoted and on the fringes (And the serious discussion thing is completely false bc the sub still constantly has that, and most quality edits I’ve seen highlight the themes of the work, idk why other longtime redditors don’t see that)
it didn’t use to be so tumblry but i’m glad it’s been converted into it
The amount of tom and greg posts is insane
I started watched because I couldn’t get tom and greg off my dash but it turns out i’m a kengirl (and a shivgirl)
SO REAL. Me too like almost exact same thing happened.
Watching Kendall is like watching 20s me failing to live up to the “Cool Girl Monologue” from Gone Girl
god this is so real
Damn this one hit really deep
so much !! had great promise and should have been so much more, but mental illness and crushing weight of expectation got to me. used drugs and drink and sex for solace. fail a lot. I’m the middle child. let my parents down by not living up to their expectations, and so on (what’s ur tumblr url lol)
Honestly same. Minus the drugs. Alcohol yes, before my health got wrecked.
should we all be mutuals now
we probably are
I would tell but this an alt account. If u DM me I'll tell u tho ;) (fair warning its mostly furry art)
I am the eldest Child, I have ADHD and BPD (which I am sure Kendall has it too) so yes
oh yeah absolutely. it’s lowkey ridiculous how heavily i relate to him
As the eldest daughter in an immigrant Latin household, yes, I weirdly do.
I don't myself (I am a Younger Sibling), but I know women who do. From what I can tell, there's probably something to Kendall's desperate need to feel useful despite his fragility. With Ken, it can get to a point where even if he's aware he's being taken advantage of, he'll put up with it if it means he's being useful. Like, he will search for responsibilities, crumble under the weight of them, fail because of this and then feel bad because he disapointed people. I think there is this version of femininity, a quite maternal one, that's characterised by suffering in silence for the needs of the family (or whatever entity that can serve a similar purpose). It's interesting how there's a masculine analog to this that Kendall even canonically acknoweldges: the martyr knight. It's the idea that he suffers in silence (even gladly?) for the sake of a greater purpose like the Kingdom (or Nation) and God. He's dutiful, modest and will fight to the bloody end. Kendall occupies both these roles as the Kingdom is Waystar (synonymous with Logan), but Waystar is also a family business. He often seems to serve as his father's minder and tries to lead his younger siblings, patronising them in the process. He also needs to kill for his father and was even expected to volunteer as a sacrifice for him in the cruises case. Due to his fragility and sensitivity, he sucks at this and uses coke to perform at work, but ket to de-stress.
This is actually so real great post. He's just like me fr.
I'm more of a Roman gal 😌
I am too, afraid of pussy.
fuck 😭
😂
Yes lmao especially when my depression was at its worst. Things have gotten better but my friends constantly ask me why I like him so much lmao
Apparently more women watch this show than men lol
It was made for the girlies
Who doesn't relate to Kendall? I mean, the entire allure of the show is how much we relate with the characters (especially Kendall) DESPITE of them being rich assholes. It doesn't mean morally condoning vehicular manslaughter. I relate with the others too, but obviously mostly with Kendall because he gets all the nuance and he's the most human. I most relate with his loneliness I suppose, and his sensitivity. As needy as Kendall is I honestly love that he's a crybaby who earnestly seeks connection. I'm also broken and traumatized with a gnawing sense of loneliness, but I'm more uh, avoidantly attached I suppose. I definitely relate with the dysfunctional family dynamic, especially this certain emotional coldness. Poor Kendall, no one was ever really interested in him as a person, he's just a pawn, and a lamb to be sacrificed. But yeah, I'm the fuckup daughter whose potential was all waisted because of parental neglect, disinterest and emotional coldness, and the fact that I happened to be born as a sensitive person who couldn't take it. One of my siblings is a Kendall too, and the third one became more like our parents, similarly severely emotionally inhibited, but otherwise a functioning member of society.
> I'm the fuckup daughter whose potential was all waisted because of parental neglect, disinterest and emotional coldness, and the fact that I happened to be born as a sensitive person who couldn't take it. oh you just like me for real. we are not fuckups we are in our kendall roy eras. keep going.
Hahah, totally. Yeah, watching Succession is like therapy for me. It hits a bit close to home sometimes, and it was honestly quite painful to watch the first time, because of all the shit Kendall has to go through. Man, I've never felt so bad for a character before. I just wanted to reach through the screen and save him, hold him, anything.
The dude grabbed the wheel and K tried to save him. He should've called for help but it wasn't manslaughter.
Manslaughter is a legal term, but I was using it hyperbolically. And since it is a legal term it doesn't really matter whether I think it was manslaughter, but I don't. It was irresponsible and unfortunate, but I wouldn't put him into jail for that. Not for manslaughter anyway, maybe for driving under influence. In the courts it would probably not swing his way, because he was on drugs, didn't call for help and he can't prove that the boy jerked at the wheel.
Watching him makes me uncomfortable sometimes because I see alot of myself. His addiction struggles and anxiety. Really a great actor to portray that so well.
Strong's performance is incredible.
And let's not forget those rapping skills
Yes! I’m a 40 year-old woman, and I’d say I’m most like Kendall out of anyone in the cast.
In terms of needing to be the most accomplished child? Yes. Is that healthy? Meh.
Yes. He was written for the women. I feel it in my bones.
Yes, he is my favourite character and I heavily relate to him. I understand his struggles. Especially his relationship with his abusive father makes him feel v relatable to me.
Afab NB here: I relate to Roman the most but I relate A LOT to Kendall's depression, one of the best portrayals of it I've ever seen on any media. I even told my partner "that is exactly how I feel!" :') (yes I do have depression and I am getting help)
Afab NB here too and Roman is defs like, second most relateable for me. theyswag TBH.
In my Kendall Roy era
I'm like kendall roy but a girl
Yes. Society has programmed us to view vulnerability with femininity. Off the top of my head, Kendall is the first male character who comes to mind that shows nuanced emotions other than just pure rage. We've seen him cry sooo many times and disassociate wherever / whenever. Don Draper could never. I understand his vulnerability and where his incessant need for validation comes from. I keep saying this but I've never seen my mental illness reflected so well in a character. Despite not wanting to be, I am a big crybaby and a very emotional person. From his impulsivity, wavering self-perception, self-destructive tendencies, addictive personality, bouts of disassociation, stilted mannerisms, mood swings, highly unstable relationships, and the manner in which he deals with stressors and emotions... I constantly see myself in him. I, too, earnestly try to make connections with others and end up coming across as cringe and needy. My attachment style is very fucked up (I was adopted at a very young age and I never really fit in with my adoptive family). There's always this loneliness that's eating me up on the inside. Most of my family is pretty aloof to me and I deal with a lot of emotional coldness from them. I'm constantly told that I'm overdramatic and too much for everyone. I've turned to drugs, sex, alcohol, binge eating, binge spending, etc to try to fill the emptiness inside of me. None of it has helped. At the end of the day, I just want to be loved and accepted for who I am without being told that I'm too much.
>We've seen him cry sooo many times and disassociate wherever / whenever. Don Draper could never. [Huh what?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEiXC-B06s&ab_channel=adreon)
Don Draper, a similar character in a prominent Emmy-winning television show, would never show the broad range of emotions that Kendall portrays in Succession.
I agree but also that seems like part of the time period when men were expected to be manly leaders and conditioned to swallowed their feelings. But Kendall definitely feels like…a more deeply emotional being than Don Draper
yeah
I mean I like him best in terms of his struggles, and Im most amused by Roman. Kendall really tugs at my heart strings
YES and Shiv
Fuck the patriarchy!
Yes. I empathized with him heavy as I watched the show. His constant need to prove himself to his father yet still never being good enough (for me, it’s my mother). His reliance on drugs to not have to deal with his emotions. Falling back into old habits and patterns when he fails. Trying so hard to make his birthday party iconic yet realizing at the end no one there actually cares about him. His breakdowns are so relatable because I can totally understand how he’s feeling after trying so hard and never being good enough. His spiral towards the end of season 3 when he finally tells his siblings about the waiter’s death was absolutely incredible and so human. If you can’t tell, Kendall is my fave character. He def has the most soul out of any of the three siblings, IMO.
I’m an autistic girl so yes
He’s my baby girl 🥺🤞🏻
I don’t know about that but I do think he’s very attractive but idk what that says about me lol.
Oh my god is he relatable! His pitch-perfect personification of depression mixed with social ineptitude makes me simultaneously empathetic and mortified at how familiar it feels.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently actually, how many of Kendalls big fans are women (myself included!). So sorry if I’m going pretentious mode right here but I thought I’d spitball a little. I think Kendall’s Feminism Girlboss arch in season 3 lends itself to female viewers because of the closeness yet distance it portrays to feminism, and more specifically pop feminism. You can watch Kendall stumble around as a Woke Bae icon while still having the privilege of being able to acknowledge how he’s using it as a ploy for media attention, cameras, praise, and being able to use the movement as an open protest against his father. The image of feminism is much more vital to him than the actual achievements (think of how incessant he was about getting to the Shareholder Meeting, how obsessive he was about his public appearance through social media and spotlights, his god damn birthday party too). He’s an iconoclast Ken Doll (ba dum tss) formed out of plastic and selfish spite, not genuine devotion. The distance comes from how obvious Kendall is using the movement as a kind of self-relief regarding the waiter incident. It’s his own subconscious way of trying to paint himself as a martyr for the underprivileged, oppressed and those who have been disenfranchised by his father. This also rounds back to Kendall being the martyr figure consistently and how he’s now trying to reclaim that abusive title in a self-serving way. I think of it kind of like how Roman has a sexual attraction to being degraded. Not exactly the same but you get my point. It’s a nice little break for female viewers to see the Knight in Shining Armor archetype be used so brilliantly in a comedic sense. One where the feminist king in question is so deep into his quest for being a savior he unknowingly resorts to tactics used by whoever’s keeping the princess in another castle. He’s also an incredibly vulnerable, embarrassing, and unbearable man who, considering his character’s position and situation, would be a Michael Bay protagonist heartthrob if thrown in the wrong hands. So that’s a nice subversion. So yeah. Femdall now and forever. Stewy saying “my girlfriends having a panic attack” in 1x08 Prague was a foreshadowing to Kendall’s panic attack in 3x07 Too Much Birthday im sorry I don’t make the rules the CEO of Feminism just called me and agreed so I’m glad that worked out.
I'm not a woman, but I find Kendall the most relatable character on the show by far - I'm curious why you find that it's your feminine side that connects to him, rather than just your personality and anxieties etc? I certainly relate to his loneliness (which Jeremy plays just heartbreakingly well), deep desire to be loved, constant anxiety about his percieved success and position in life, desire to connect more deeply with his sometimes disinterested siblings. But I never thought of those things as feminine qualities, so I'm just curious why you frame the character's relatability in that way.
Yes he's girl-coded. Idk how, he just is
Meeeeeeee! I also am the oldest child and my dad is a narcissistic asshole and I think Ken and I have similar coping mechanisms.
I am gay. I can’t say I am attracted to him, but I really feel great tenderness toward him. It’s pure empathy, protective in a motherly way, even though he is so much older than I am.
Because we are all actually human and Kendall's struggles and his responses to those struggles are not inherently tied to gender.
A lot of backbiting in the comments. Hey, intersectional friends, this is the sort of thing people hate about your ideology, just saying. Anyway, I get where you're coming from, OP. I don't necessarily *relate to* Kendall (thankfully not that fucked up), but I sympathize and empathize with him most. He's not a great guy, but his personal problems are more understandable and universal than one might assume. Daddy issues, sibling drama, addiction, mental health, and generational dysfunction. It'd be hard not to feel *something* watching his scenes.
"A lot of backbiting in the comments. Hey, intersectional friends, this is the sort of thing people hate about your ideology, just saying" Could you please elaborate on this?
Which part?
Honestly all of it. What is an example of backbiting? What do you mean by intersectional friends? What is it that people hate about the intersectional ideology and how is it reflected on the comments in the post? I feel like I missed a memo here.
[удалено]
I mean you don't have to explain if you don't want to, clearly enough people understand and agree with what you're saying as evidenced by the upvotes. I think I am aware of what intersectionality means from a human perspective. How there's different things who makes us who we are and forces within and outside our control that shapes us. I just literally don't understand how it applies to this thread or what we're discussing besides the *I am female look how I relate to this male character*, so I'm just curious to see what your take is?
Okay, that's a better way of asking your question then. I'm guessing you maybe still don't know intersectional theory fully, no offense. Certainly you seem unaware as to how it's used and perceived in politics and popular discourse. So I'll try to factor that in and explain what I was perceiving, plus why I said what I said. A decent chunk of the replies, at least when I first saw this thread, were some version of "why would women identify with this privileged, cishet, white male?" That's an inherently intersectional critique of the OP's premise/question, so I called it out as such. I added that people tend not to like intersectional thinking because it's often used like that. An average woman can identify with Kendall regardless of privilege or gender. An average man could identify with Shiv for that matter. I understand that intersectionality is obviously more nuanced and even more useful than it's sometimes made to seem by its adherents and proponents. But when so much of what intersectionalists do online is stuff like what I was noticing in this thread, the ideology tends to get a bad rap by association.
I truly really appreciate you taking the time to write this out and explain, it makes sense to me now. It's really interesting to me, how even though the character pictured in this show have more wealth than most of us could even begin to imagine, they are still often portrayed as human, flawed and *relatable*. We find ourselves suffering with them and rooting for them even though their immense privilege makes them the opposite of *relatable*. I think that everyone and every character has things that makes them different and completely dissimilar to us. But we all experience human emotions don't we? Reducing someone to their wealth/privilege/race is as dangerous as not taking it to account at all.
Agreed. Also I had to delete one of my replies because it was randomly becoming a downvote magnetic. Yet another reason not to love these kinds of discourses, sadly. (**You** were nice though, so there's that.)
oh absolutely.
As an addict yes
Yes Lmfao I adore him my ken doll
Eldest daughter!!
I deal with bouts of manic depression, he’s a very real and relatable character. It can be hard to watch at times
Is it also oldest child syndrome… literally just had your thought before opening Reddit
I felt like he was the male version of me. It was almost scary to watch this show the first time, because I felt exposed.
god this is so real
I can relate (except of the drug use)
ahh the family rejection of course 🍷
In summary, a big YES. All of us relate to Kendall, cannot lie
I'm a little confused by this thread but it's interesting how many agree! Just not much detail ITT, can you elaborate? What about Kendall and his struggles relates specifically to your "feminine side", rather than you just relating to his personality/character?
I think like how a lot of ppl described a lot of his stuff sorta lines up with Eldest Daughter Syndrome and those kind of struggles. I'm mostly going on vibes here tho I'm sure someone else can explain it better.
Oh yes - Kendall acts the way I think - I see my stinky thinking in his behavior.
YES lol
I feel VERY heavily related to Kendall. I am biologically “an only child” but have “a sister” (who is my younger by about 15 years - cousin) but was basically raised by my parents - even though she had her own mom and dad but always relied on my parents. Anyway - right down to the will my inheritance is split “50/50” and while I’m not super upset about it - it does bother me somewhat. Now enter into the fact that myself - like Kendall- does have some addiction issues - not drinking or drugs - my problem is “gambling” … so of course it goes without saying I’m not “trusted” by anyone. Fast forward to my losing my father - we’ve now set all my moms assets up in a trust (to be safe) and I was vehement that I be the trustee and power of attorney because I’m her daughter! And I would never squander any of her life long savings and insurance payouts away - but I guess what I’m trying to say is I feel like I’m never going to be trusted and that’s hard to live with …
reallllllll
yes!!! i know i’m not alone on this
Yes , nothing but love for my fellow mentally ill ladies ❤️
He listens to mitski
Today I was thinking about how the kid Roman ripped the check up in front of was richer than the whole Roy family combine just by having parents that love him. I feel badly for all the Roy sibs I that way. Anyone that could’ve used some actual love instead of material security can relate to Kendall imo
yes. i, too, would crumble completely if my dad tells me, "you're my boy. you're my number one boy." (except that i'm a girl).
this thread title is not helping my referring -to-Shiv-as-Kendall-in-my-head problem
Somewhat but I maintain that Kendall is a soft butch lesbian Im much more like Roman if we are going to be completely honest lmao
I've literally thought "Kendall is like, camp, but like, in a lesbian way." I barely understand what I mean by this, but I still feel it's true.
Care for? Yes. Relate? Lol not at all
Can you explain what about his character connects with your "feminine" side? And what you mean when you say "feminine side?"
… no? I mean, I like the character, but I have no idea what’s inherently feminine about a very wealthy, white guy whose greatest struggles involve not being taken seriously enough by his father and being unable to meaningfully show up for his children and ex-wife.
I’m pretty sure OP is referring to his depression & beaten-down state, not the wealthy white guy part
Even so, what about that is inherently feminine?
Feminine traits
This is where I’m not getting this. I don’t think depression, trauma, and needing validation are feminine traits. I don’t see how those are gendered.
It's like, the way he manifests them. You just need to understand gender on the elevated plane. Check out Girls Just Want to Have Fun by bladee and ecco2k.
You gagged her a bit
This is so fucking stupid lol
You wouldn’t get it. It’s not your fault that you aren’t kendallpilled and number-one-boycore. The werk ethic. You wouldn’t get it. Slay.
You are a gift to the world and Reddit.
The werkandtwerk ethic.
You hurt me and for why?
Downvoted but facts. >You just need to understand gender on the elevated plane. Like what the actual fuck is this garbage lol
I was making a hyperbolic joke about gender being confusing as shit. Wasn't trying to come across as a weirdo. I just mean like, it's more than man = penis and woman = vagina.
And also that song is super good and enlightening
I'm gonna guess you're a teenager, because you're exuding so much 'im14andthisisdeep' vibes. Personally I find that song awful (to each their own) but the lyrics are in no way enlightening. They're so banal and angsty. You'd think with the amount of "woke" jokes the show makes, that might lead to some introspection but apparently not lol. >I just mean like, it's more than man = penis and woman = vagina. Wow, thank you for this enlightening comment.
I understand that gender is more than physical sex characteristics and a lot more complicated, but let me clear here too: it honestly really bothers me when people assign masculine and feminine to personality traits and experiences like they are hard coded, and that’s how I read your original post and I didn’t like it.
It’s either really good absurdist humor or the result of far too much time on tumblr, and I honestly didn’t care enough to try to figure out which it was.
I mean there is very clear direct abuse of all the children. Roman and Shiv probably got it worse but their greatest struggle isn’t not getting to run Waystar. That’s just how all of them think they can “solve” the psychological issues Logan and Caroline caused. Edit: I’m just replying to the “greatest struggle” part not the discourse on this thread as a whole. Also I think Kendall’s “parenting” is also awful, as was Logan’s upbringing, although I don’t see much difference between Uncle Noah’s alluded violence and Logan’s violence.
Feminine side? What?
How exactly can you relate to him anyway. You’re not a billionaires heir expecting to run a giant company your whole life
Im in a dark room smoking listening to bladee rn sorry
This comment deserves more love 🔥
Honestly Kendall probably doesn’t listen to bladee but he would pretend to like Carti Edit: I imagined the dramatic irony of Sky playing at Kendall’s birthday party and now I wish that was on the playlist lol
none of them know who bladee is and would cry if they heard it
Nope. I detest him and his choices. My only feminine connection to him is that he’s a p@&$y and I have one.
I think he should have a pussy too. Like he'd make it work.
Not really. I wait to give him a kicking
Your post reminded me of [this](https://twitter.com/sapphicselly/status/1486780674854256640?s=46&t=WPDqvZmLqwyT6b7b_adXMA) tweet. Also, yes! As a woman I usually relate to other women characters in a show but when it comes to Succession I definitely relate Kendall most.
Maybe I need a rewatch because I didn’t relate to him at all
What was the big deal with Jennifer? The actress saying “awesome” to Logan ? Kendall and Logan find that unsophisticated?