Roman may be the blunt and sarcastic little brother in Succession but his life hasn't been easy, and growing up as a Roy has taken its toll.
Roman Roy might be known for being the blunt and sarcastic little brother in Succession but his life hasn't been easy. As the youngest of all four siblings, Roman has had to deal with the expectation that he will be just as knowledgeable and successful while having very little chance of being in a position of power in the company.
Throughout the show, Roman has been a rather polarizing character, defined by his intense relationship with Gerri, his inability to betray his father, and his ever-changing loyalty to his siblings. Although some might argue it's hard to feel sorry for him, he really is the rebel of the family, and deep down his constant attempts to provoke seem to be an expression of his desire to be acknowledged.
Although this story was treated as a joke by the Roy family (in typical Succession fashion), it is actually a very disturbing situation. The Roys continue to insist it was fine because four-year-old Roman enjoyed it but it's clear that he was deeply traumatized. The fact that he chose to confront his siblings about what they did shows that he was never actually okay with the situation.
Growing up with two older brothers and a strict father can't have been easy for Roman, and the cage story (especially in combination with his accusation of being force-fed dog food) is just one example of the difficulties he faced as a child.
As a result of him being locked up in a cage and the trauma he received from it, Roman began wetting himself. Instead of being a comforting father, Logan saw this as him being "the weaker dog." As a result, he was sent to military school even though he didn't want to go, as a way to remove the weakness.
Unfortunately, this shows that Roman was taught from a young age that being "weak" and expressing emotion is undesirable, which in and of itself explains his emotional issues in the series. Logan's worst traits in his Succession--being ruthless and cruel--were particularly present in Roman's upbringing, which inevitably influences how he behaves to his siblings and other characters on the show.
Once again, his kidnapping experience is not really seen as all that serious by his family. However, it seems that being taken hostage by armed assailants changes Roman quite a bit. While his siblings and friends joke around about him escaping the situation, his demeanor is not his usual — he is sullen and quiet. He doesn't even react to the out-of-line joke about his trauma by Gerri, one of Succession's scheming low-key villains.
Later on, when Roman is talking with his siblings about the congressional hearings, he gives Ken a genuine compliment about his performance, which is highly unusual for their relationship and further serves as proof of how shaken up he was over the whole ordeal.
Now, most fans adore the concept of Roman and Gerri. In an interview with IndieWire, Culkin revealed that their characters' flirty on-set chemistry is the reason why the writers began considering the possibility. However, the rest of Roman's relationship history is rather bleak. From his constant bickering with Grace to his rather weird relationship with Tabitha who is known for her infamous encounter with Tom at his bachelor party — all of Roman's relationships seem to be wrought with tension and uneven dynamics.
Considering his unstable home life when he was a child and his constant need for Logan's approval (a trait he shares with all of his siblings), it's ultimately quite understandable that his love life has suffered. He's too busy focusing on his own past problems to devote any kind of attention to a significant other.
The fans know how cruel the Roys can be, and their trademark twisted sense of humor often crosses the line. As the youngest Roy, Roman has had to endure mocking and pranks from his siblings, as seen in the aforementioned cage accident. However, the true issue stems from the constant competition between Roman, Kendall, Shiv, and Connor, which seems to define him as a character.
This likely affected his self-worth and his emotional maturity, as it is generally quite unhealthy for a child to grow up in an environment like that. The show doesn't shy away from showing the gritty parts of Roman, and some of those less than savory characteristics speak a lot about the consequences of his bringing up.
Who can forget the spaceship fiasco? Roman's attempt at entering the space industry ends with a literal bang after the Japanese spaceship he invested in explodes, and he once again can't find the validation he wants from his father. When attempting to please Logan by buying his favorite soccer team, he not only fails by choosing the wrong team (which leads to some of Logan's most hilarious lines in Succession), but he also manages to land himself in serious trouble.
Roman's countless attempts and ventures almost seem like a cry for attention but his efforts make sense when one takes into consideration the siblings' obsession with making their father proud.
From slaps to insults, it's no secret that Logan's methods of dealing with his children can be abusive. His behavior towards Roman in particular shows just how little he values his input and his abilities. It also explains why Roman is so deeply reluctant to turn on his father since he has been conditioned to seek his approval in order to avoid conflict.
As the series develops, the fans get to see Roman's unique style of escaping the wrath of his father — he stays on the sidelines, trying to make himself disappear from view as if to redirect the attention to his older siblings. This avoidance says a lot about the fear that he still feels, even though he is not a child anymore.
As if to compound an already complex problem created by their dad, Roman's siblings often treat him like he is still a little boy. He isn't seen as competent or capable of thriving in the company, and it clearly affected his personality. It is quite telling that when Logan is looking for a person to appoint as CEO of Waystar, Roman's first response is to downplay his own abilities while pointing towards Gerri as the suitable candidate.
There is no doubt that Roman's relationship with his siblings is very complicated, but their refusal to take him seriously and to allow him to grow doesn't help either. It's what makes Roman a less powerful character in Succession and the primary obstacle he needs to overcome in order to take control of Waystar.
Although the beauty of lies in its unpredictability, the fandoms seem to think that Roman is not likely to come out on top in the succession battle. Even if his failures in his business ventures are ignored, his lack of self-esteem and his inability to believe in himself will probably result in loss.
His indecisive behavior towards Kendall is understandable, but he doesn't trust his father either (who sees this as a weakness), which means that Roman is left without any true allies in the war for Waystar.
As a consequence of growing up as a Roy, Roman seems to suffer from the same issues as his siblings as none of them have reached actual emotional maturity. He seems unable to express his feelings without resorting to crude jokes, and his response to physical violence is to goad and make light of an otherwise serious situation.
However, unlike his siblings, Roman seems to desire emotional growth even if he fails to reach it. His reaction to being taken hostage, and his confrontation regarding the case incident point towards the fact that he does realize how dire their collective situation is, and that it calls for some serious therapy.
