This Succession Easter Egg Calls Back To The Pilot Episode

Kendall Roy has been through a lot on Succession — but during the Episode 5 of the show’s fourth and final season, he proved that he’s still the same Number 1 Boy he’s always been. As Waystar Royco’s newly-named interim co-CEO, Kendall pulled up to the office with a renewed pep in his step. He listened to Jay-Z’s “Takeover” in the car, the lyrics of which, like “the takeover, the break’s over,” definitely seem to track with Kendall’s newfound position of power. (Jeremy Strong previously told James Corden he listened to Jay-Z to get back into character for Kendall during lockdown — so, meta!) And before getting out of the car, Kendall thanked his driver Fikret.

If that all sounds familiar to you, it’s because virtually the same scene played out five years ago — in Kendall’s first introduction to the series, actually. In the Succession pilot episode, viewers met Kendall en route to the same office, where he thought he’d be named the next CEO of Waystar Royco. He was listening to music then, too: “An Open Letter to NYC” by the Beastie Boys. And of course, his trusted driver was there. “This is the day we make it happen, Fikret,” Kendall said. “You’re the man, Mr. Roy,” Fikret responded. “You’re the man.”

Naturally, fans on Twitter loved the nod to the 2018 pilot.

While it was fun to see Kendall back in his pilot era, several viewers were concerned — and rightfully so! Last time he was this confident about his job, things went downhill fast.

Following Logan’s passing, his kids have been reaching for all kinds of nostalgic comforts. For Roman that’s meant wearing one of his dad’s old sweaters (or one that’s very similar), while for Kendall, that’s apparently involved revisiting happier times with his driver.

Of course, it’s not clear whether or not Kendall and Fikret are actually close — and Fikret hyping him up could simply be a means of appeasing his rap-loving boss. But Kendall definitely seems to have a soft spot for his longtime driver. At the end of Season 3, during that tense conversation with Logan about leaving the company, Kendall asked for just a few things on his way out: $2 billion, his assistant Jess, and Fikret.