Brian Cox in a scene from "Succession. " HBO via AP
Brian Cox in a scene from "Succession. " HBO via AP
Brian Cox in a scene from "Succession. " HBO via AP
Brian Cox in a scene from "Succession. " HBO via AP


Like so many powerful figures, Succession's Logan Roy is a man misunderstood


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April 17, 2023

Brian Cox, the Scottish actor who has seized the public imagination as Logan Roy, a media tycoon, in the serial Succession, has been seeking to overturn the largely negative consensus opinion on his character’s personality.

With the latest series gaining impetus from a surprise plot twist, Cox’s remarks question perspectives by introducing a new interpretation of Roy. His critiques could just as easily be applied in the way we look at powerful figures in the real world.

Cox does not judge his character as irredeemable and crazed by the pursuit of power and money. Instead, he cautions that Roy is a lonely and singular character.

Brian Cox at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, in Dubai, in February. Leslie Pableo for The National
Brian Cox at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, in Dubai, in February. Leslie Pableo for The National

How this manifests is that he is in many ways deprived as human being. To give just one example, he cannot do relationships. The failure of every one of his direct relationships across the whole serial is total.

For the most part, the critics make Roy the perpetrator of this cycle of breakdown. Few would say that it is in fact Roy who has been the victim of failed friendships or family bonds.

It is salutary to think of how all-encompassing this view of the series has become. It is also a tribute to good dramatic, creative writing that has by and large maintained its standards across each series.

It has been a gripping tale with some very close real-life analogies

But what if Roy is a destroyed romantic with a deeply cynical set of approaches to life and how he gets on with others? When cynicism reigns, Roy is successful in his drives and appetites. In the process, he carries the burden of being more and more isolated. He self-justifies each loss that wracks up along the way throughout the series. Even he does not consider that he may be misunderstood.

The case in point put forward by Cox lies in the quest for a successor that gives the hit drama its title. It is not his drive for a strong succession that is wrong. Rather, his children, who think of themselves as the sole candidates, are his Achilles heel. The children that he moves through in his bewildering attempts to promote and propel forward are, in Cox’s phrase, severely wanting.

They are in “an area of entitlement” that means they are out of touch and not wanting to be in touch with society – even though they are attempting to build businesses and profit from knowing popular tastes. The Roy children are not worthy in the first place of the extreme privilege that has been offered to them.

Consider the consequences of any moment that Roy may realise the full futility of what he is trying to achieve. Does it not say something about him that his long struggle could be all for naught? Would not a personality so comprehensively build on that titanium self-justification view this as defeat? Losing the game of perspectives would ultimately cost him all that core strength. What is left is not much more than a void, if anything at all.

Sarah Snook, from left, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin attend the premiere of HBO's "Succession" season 4 on March 20, in New York. AP
Sarah Snook, from left, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin attend the premiere of HBO's "Succession" season 4 on March 20, in New York. AP

The models for the Logan children were extremely well-sculpted by the show’s creator and writers. The female character Shiv has her own off-and-on relationship with the family and is flattered to appear as someone of substance, but was ultimately not a serious person.

Kendall, the most like a businessman yet riddled with weakness from badly regurgitated eastern philosophy, is full of self-pity that eventually leads to the death of another man. A younger boy, Roman, is the perpetual teen. The eldest, Connor, a wannabe manque, rounds out the quartet.

Roy’s ex-wife set the terms that characterised him when she observed he never met a dog he didn’t want to kick just to see if would come back to him.

In the audience, the ear was keenly attuned to the kick but not the animal’s return.

For the Roy children, the unplugging of their patriarch’s drive for them in the most recent episode is likely be formative and catastrophic. For it was the thing that prevented their descent.

Some of the biggest issues of our time are similarly overlaid with the perspective of the obvious narrative. Pressure to take away the driving force of the issue can often prevail, only for objectively worse conditions to take over pretty quickly.

For Succession, the slaps in the face, sometime literal but mostly blows to ambition, are rapidly reaching a conclusion. It has been a gripping tale with some very close real-life analogies, known especially to those of us in the media industry.

It is a great drama. The wise viewer would be well-advised to remember that the real morality tale is sometimes very far away from the dominant narrative that surrounds the plot.

For the rest of us, this is true in global politics as much as it is on the streaming screen.

Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

The team

Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory 
Videographer: Jear Valasquez 
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory 
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat 
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova 
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi 

 
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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Updated: April 26, 2023, 12:28 PM`