A post on Industrial Scripts identifies Succession’s Roman Roy as a truly original character and explains why. “For a Screenplay Reader or Development Executive an original character is an element of a script that shines through everything else,” the article says. “No matter how busy they are or no matter how much work other elements of the script need, the original characters stand out.”
Roman is the youngest son of Logan Roy, mega-CEO, and one of the characters in line for succession to the business. Less power hungry, more vulnerable, Roman stands out from his nakedly ambitious siblings. Nonetheless, like his siblings, he desperately seeks his father’s attention and approval. But what makes him original?
“He’s a fantastic case study of how behavior is shaped by the fundamental relationships in one’s life,” the article says. “Roman is visibly formed by the somewhat troublesome relationship with his father in a number of ways.” Roman uses humor as a defense mechanism, sometimes at the most uncomfortable moment and sometimes cruelly. He has both commitment and attachment issues, and he’s often physically awkward. Nonetheless, the audience has empathy for Roman. Despite his unlikeable behavior, the audience recognizes how and why he developed his negative traits.
The article examines Roman’s relationships with his father and siblings, including examples of key scenes where their complicated connections are put on display. “In the end, as with all the Roy children, the show implores us often to see Roman as little more than a child, helplessly beholden to his father’s manipulations,” the article concludes. “Ultimately, that palpable sense of the inner turmoil that makes a character tick is at the heart of great characterization.”
