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Shes alsoSuccessions sole long-running Black character and usually the only non-white presence in the room.
But inepisode eightof the shows fourth and final season, Jess suddenly pulls focus.
It was a really big day.
I was like, Its a funny scene?
It had never occurred to me that it was written to be funny.
I saw it as deadly serious, existentially chilling, and reminiscent of the 2016 election.
There are so few times in the show where you see millennials who are peers interacting.
On top of that for Jess is the feeling that she has something to do with it.
Of any non-white person in this whole show, Jess has appeared in the most episodes.
And Jess is a character who is willing to be invisible.
Thats so rare in this universe.Shes a big watcher.
There are some people who really get ahead in life by the force of their personality.
She is quite smart and very competent.
Its not being invisible.
Its,I want to be indispensable.
I want to be the wiring in the walls.
If they want to turn on the lights, they need me to be there to do it.
This scene is one of the first times we see her without Ken.Wow.
It feels like she is feistier.
I dont know if thats because shes scared or if its the lack of Ken.Its probably both.
But that scene wouldnt have happened if Id run into Kendall.
That scene happened because I dont feel deferential toward Greg in the way I feel deferential toward Kendall.
When I see Greg, its like,Hey man, can we like, level on this?
This is fucking insane.
What does she want Greg to do?The desired outcome feels a little unclear.
She wants to acknowledge with someone else that something really horrible and wrong is happening.
Shes grasping at straws.
Shes hoping shell spook him and hell run out of the building and go home.
Hes a shitbag.Hes major Darth Greg.
You see it with Shiv, too.
Some other characters dont have that same reaction.
Gregs soul has been slowly eroding over the course of the show, but this feels different.
Do you think Jesss integrity has been eroded?I do.
But there were many nights where she said,Well, I dont really work for ATN.
I work for Waystar, and I work for Kendall.
Romans off the rails politically and in bed with Mencken, but Kendall has this liberal side.
And if he gives me a good role, I would be able to implement other sorts of policies.
Maybe I could help change the face of the company.
How does this episode affect Jesss relationship with Kendall moving forward?It puts her in a tricky situation.
Kendall is not the warmest, fuzziest boss.
He doesnt express or articulate much care about who she is as a person.
He very clearly relies on her, appreciates her, and values certain things about her.
But it doesnt occur to him what this election might mean for Jess personally.
There was a scene that was supposed to be earlier in the season that got cut.
Hes like, Jess, get to the office right now.
That was supposed to illustrate his disregard for who she is when shes not at the office.
Theres a parallel between Jess and Kendalls daughter, Sophie.
Maybe he thinks that makes him a better person.
Why do you laugh at that?Jess is in deep with Kendall.
She has no illusions about his ability to engage with her personally.
She can see his attempts to be enlightened and woke and how they fail.
I dont think his involvement in this is necessarily surprising.
It is an escalation of behavior shes familiar with.
It helped justify her loyalty to him.
So then whats the disappointment like?Its pretty massive.
It was like,I cant believe Im here.
There are a lot of big daddy-size holes to fill in his heart.
I dont have any.
Why am I here on this night?
Youve said Jeremy Stronghas given you assignments.
How does that inform your take on their relationship?Jeremy is such a prepared actor.
He has read every book; he understands every financial term.
The scripts are beautifully written, but he can riff on anything and be very in character.
When he goes, Jess, wait, what are the things again?
I have three really fresh answers I knew to look up right before we started rolling.
We were standing there getting ready to film, and he was talking about flowers.
What kind of flowers should I get for Naomi?
Is there a florist where I can get peonies down there?
And you know that poem by Frank OHara.
What collection is that in?
Then we started rolling, and I was looking up Frank OHara collections I could send to New York.
I was really doing that on my phone!
And IlikeFrank OHara, so I was like, Maybe you should send her this one.
And he was like [does a Jeremy Strong impression], Oh, good idea.
Without him, I would have been daffier or more hapless.
He was like, This is kind of fucked, isnt it?
I was like, Yeah.
He was like, I think you’ve got the option to be a little pissed today.
you might let the guard come down a bit.
Not fully, but I think youre not happy to be here.
And it’s possible for you to let it show.
What does this feistiness look like going forward?Its not in her nature.
Its learned, and maybe shes starting to pick up on it.
I cant say too much.
Whats amazing about the show is the joyous, careless cruelty of all these characters.
Jess doesnt have that.
It actually would have served her if she could dish it back a little bit more.
I look atZoe Winterss character, Kerry, in some of the episodes.
The way she can bling the knife back is so impressive to Jess.
Zoe told us the two of you have talked about a spinoff for the assistants.
What does that look like?First of all, I just love Zoe.
Shes one of my best friends.
Its a true disappointment to me that we never had a scene together.
It would have been hilarious.
Kerry and Jess are jockeying for power on the lowest rung.
