The cast of "Succession"

In what has proven to be the most highly anticipated series returning this fall, "Succession" premieres its third season on Sunday, Oct. 17, on HBO. Fans and critics alike have been teetering on the edge of the cliff left by the drama in its Season 2 finale way back in October 2019. Now, two full years in the making, all eyes are on the Roys.

For the uninitiated, Logan Roy is the ruthless CEO of the family media conglomerate, Waystar RoyCo. Portrayed by prolific Scottish TV and film actor Brian Cox ("Shetland"), the patriarch rules over the wide-reaching company with an incredibly strong grip. The series begins with Logan suffering a medical emergency and proceeds through the personal and business fallout of his decline.

Logan's shoes are sizable ones to fill, and though all four of his children believe they have been raised as the successor to his empire, Kendall, played by Jeremy Strong ("Masters of Sex"), is the one who negotiates himself into an acting CEO role while his father is recovering. (He wins out after a tense night in the hospital where all of the children double-cross each other for dominance.)

Connor Roy, portrayed by Alan Ruck ("The Exorcist"), is the oldest of Logan's children and clearly the furthest from the action. Whenever he throws his hat into the ring, it's often played for laughs.

Siobhan, who subtly goes by "Shiv," is Logan's only daughter and a cutthroat campaign manager in D.C. Played by Sarah Snook ("Predestination," 2014), Shiv appears to be Logan's favorite, which becomes complicated when she takes a job working for a presidential hopeful who is vocally against Logan's business tactics.

Finally, Roman, portrayed by Kieran Culkin ("Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," 2010), is the party boy no one takes seriously and who seems least likely to prove himself as necessary to the business.

Put in a tight spot with everyone worried about Logan and jumping ship on Waystar RoyCo, Kendall makes the wrong move and welcomes outside influence into the company's highest office. That decision sets off complications that plague the family and the company throughout the first season of "Succession."

After a swift return to his CEO throne, Logan takes on the issues created in his absence, inciting a rolling tumble for power between himself and Kendall. Logan repeatedly states — whether truthfully or not — that everything that he has done in his life while building his empire has been for his children. That ambition is passed on to Kendall, who stages a coup of the board in the first season and, not to spoil anything about Season 2, manages to pull another public stunt that humiliates his father.

While it is no surprise that a family of billionaires would be depicted as unlikable, selfish and bad people, "Succession" creator Jesse Armstrong doesn't see the Roys that way. In an interview with Bradford William Davis for HBO's website, Armstrong said "the Roys do lots of bad in the world, but when we're creating these stories, we're empathizing with them."

Brian Cox from "Succession"

Part of that empathy for the Roys is provided by two of the family's closest outsiders: cousin Greg Hirsch, played by Nicholas Braun ("Zola," 2020), and Tom Wambsgans, portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen ("Ripper Street").

In his breakthrough role, Braun is the perfect bumbling fringe relative who has managed to squeeze himself into the family and Waystar RoyCo as Tom's executive assistant in the amusement parks and cruises division. Despite his unmistakably tall presence, his unimportance within the company made him invisible and put him within earshot of key moves that members of the Roy family would use against each other.

Tom, meanwhile, is married to Logan's beloved Shiv and is given a high-ranking, surprisingly difficult position that forces him into orchestrating a coverup with Greg — one that comes back to bite everyone in the company. If that isn't enough pressure for one person, Tom is heartbreakingly informed on his wedding night that his marriage to Shiv is not what he thought it was, throwing him for a loop after everything he did for Waystar RoyCo.

Frequent "Game of Thrones" director Mark Mylod came on board the "Succession" mega yacht in Season 1 and has directed many of the drama's pivotal episodes, including the Season 2 finale. Slated as director of the Season 3 premiere, fans can expect some satisfying continuity following Kendall's shocking news conference stunt.

About constructing that scene, Mylod told Variety's Michael Schneider that "it felt almost like the whole season hinged on this one moment, which felt like a terrible kind of burden. But obviously massively exciting as well."

No one moves faster than the Roy family, so there is no telling who will come out on top when "Succession" returns. Logan has managed to stay not only alive but relevant thus far, but it seems likely one of his own children will have to deal him his final blow.

Tune in to HBO on Sunday, Oct. 17, for the Season 3 premiere of "Succession" and find out who (if anyone) is most likely to succeed.