A Eulogy For Logan Roy: Father, Monster, Instant TV Legend

Logan Roy was many things — a media titan, the patriarch of the Roy family, and a business genius. He was a self-made man who grew up in difficult circumstances and yet made himself one of the most successful businessmen in the entire world. He was born on October 14, 1938 in Dundee, Scotland, and his father died when he was young, leaving his mother Helen alone to raise Logan, his older brother, Ewan, and his younger sister, Rose. Logan and his siblings were sent to be raised by their uncle Noah in Quebec, where they learned under their uncle's tough tutelage the importance of a good work ethic — one that he would later impart on his own children. From these humble beginnings, Logan Roy ended up founding Waystar-Royco, one of the largest global media conglomerates, making him an incredibly powerful man who rubbed shoulders with presidents, prime ministers, and royalty. He was a brilliant but complicated man who made an impact on everyone he met. 

Logan Roy was many things, but none of them were very nice. Played with aplomb by Brian Cox, he almost instantly became a part of TV history by bellowing and roaring his way into our minds and hearts. Like many of the great TV monsters before him, he's charismatic enough for audiences to kind of like while still being absolutely detestable. He's collectively the rage of Tony Soprano without James Gandolfini's inner teddy bear sadness; the cruel calculations of Walter White without the delusions of grandeur; and the bitter brutality of Tywin Lannister with a much worse temper. Logan Roy is the bogeyman of late-stage capitalism and a last bastion of the patriarchy, but he's also one deeply compelling character that has been a joy to watch over three-and-a-half seasons.

Logan will be reunited in death with his sister Rose, who died when the siblings were young, forever forcing Logan to reckon with the random nature of mortality. This may have been what pushed him to live such a big life, and have a family of his own. After a tragic first marriage that ended with his young wife being institutionalized due to severe mental illness, leaving Logan alone with their son, Connor. Later, Logan married Lady Caroline Collingwood, and the pair had three beautiful children: Kendall, Siobhan, and Roman. Despite being incredibly busy running his empire of billions, he was hands-on with his children whenever possible, helping to shape them into heirs who could take over his power and fortunes. He also took the time to mentor his nephew, Gregory Hirsch, and play games and read to his grandchildren, Iverson and Sophie.

While Logan was an adept (if unconventional) businessman, he was an abhorrent father. He ranks near the top of the list of bad TV dads, hovering somewhere around Frank Reynolds from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and Gendo from "Neon Genesis Evangelion." His cruelty to those around him was impressive, but his cruelty to his children and grandchildren was truly next-level. He could try to be kind, like when he read to Iverson, but he also clocked Iverson with a can of cranberry sauce for "failing" during a game of "I Went to Market," so that kindness only went so far. His rages got worse as he aged and dealt with health issues, but Shiv's (Sarah Snook) eulogy makes it clear that Logan has always been terrifying to his children, who knew that abuse was always around the corner if they didn't meet his standards. He's one bad dad.