The Succession season 2 teaser ups the guilt and zaps the morals

If the image of Logan Roy looming over his son Kendall’s shoulders like a literal gargoyle wasn’t enough to get you hyped for the second season of Succession, HBO has released a second teaser trailer that clears up what’s to come.

The fallout from Kendall’s actions in the first season (which I will leave ambiguous here in case anyone has yet to catch up on the show, though if that’s the case, log off now and go watch the dang show) seem to be front and center in the second. It doesn’t make sense to any of the Roy children exactly why their father has chosen to accept the once-rebellious Kendall, nor why Kendall seems so beholden to him now.

The series’ cutting wit is still intact — as is Cousin Greg’s place on the very bottom of the Roy food chain — and, if nothing else, the show seems poised to pick up exactly where it left off not just in terms of plot but in terms of just how grim it’s gotten. There’s a hint of what I’ll refer to as “Chekhov’s building’s edge” as the weight of Kendall’s guilt — and the cost of keeping it secret — worsens.

The second season begins on August 11 on HBO; mark your calendars if you haven’t already.