In the wake of Logan Roy’s death, pretty much every other Succession detail seems kind of inconsequential at the moment.
But once the dust has settled and everyone starts scrabbling for power again, there may be a smartphone-related detail that gives us a clue as to how things might shake up.
On Monday, TikTokker @iwannabeonline shared a video(Opens in a new tab) with the caption, “Not everyone using Apple phones except Tom. IYKYK.” The footage shows shots of Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Greg (Nicholas Braun) using iPhones in the latest episode, alongside a shot of Tom using an Android phone.
Credit: Macall B. Polay/HBO
So why is this relevant? Some kind of subtle metaphor for the divide between the Roy kids and the higher-ups on the plane along with Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), who also doesn’t use an iPhone?
Possibly, but there’s also a bigger reason: Apple famously doesn’t allow villains to use iPhones. Knives Out director Rian Johnson confirmed this back in 2020 in an interview with Vanity Fair(Opens in a new tab), saying, “Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies, but — and this is very pivotal if you’re watching a mystery movie — bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera.”
Logan, it’s crucially worth noting, also used an Android phone before his death.
So what exactly does this mean for the rest of the series? Well, assuming Apple’s guidelines are still correct, it could suggest that Tom is entering full villain arc for the remainder of the show. Rather than Logan’s death bringing him closer to his soon-to-be-ex-wife Shiv (Sarah Snook), maybe he’ll end up leading the opposition to Logan’s kids for control of the company?
Succession is now streaming on HBO Max(opens in a new tab), with new episodes airing at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
