By June Evins  

Brian Cox as Logan Roy. Photo credit: HBO.

Tonight, at 9 p.m. EDT, the fourth season and series finale of the hit series Succession will air on HBO. The show’s creator Jesse Armstrong wants to end the series strong, rather than stretch its life capacity with another season. 

(For those who have not watched the show or are not caught up, spoilers ahead.)

This satirical and dark comedy/drama follows Logan Roy, played by renowned actor Brian Cox, as “head of one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates,” Waystar-Royco, and his family as his children fight to become Logan’s successor. 

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy. Photo credit: HBO.

Logan, the patriarch, is a power-hungry narcissist whose health declined over the course of the series. An example of Logan’s pathological behavior is in the third episode of the second season, called “Hunting,” where Logan makes some of his employees who have crossed him play a twisted game titled “Boar on the Floor.” Logan has them oink like pigs for their sausages. The only point of this sick game that Logan refers to as “fun” is for his enjoyment, to see how far people will go to be in his good graces. This scene is the epitome of Logan’s character; he is constantly testing people’s limits and playing twisted games for his own amusement and to test those around him. These games often are at the humiliation of his own children, testing how much they love him, and if they will betray their own siblings. 

Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy. Photo credit: HBO.

Kendall Roy, played by method actor Jeremy Strong, is the oldest of Logan and Lady Caroline’s three children. He starts off season one thinking he is going to be announced as Logan’s successor, until in typical fashion Logan changes his mind and then has a heart attack. Kendall is a complex character; he suffers from addiction, a constant yearning for his father’s love and approval, and a love for rapping. Kendall has attempted numerous coups and revolutions to take over the company, all of which have failed. 

Romulus (Roman), played by Kieran Culkin, brother of child star Macaulay Culkin, is the youngest son. Despite his immature personality and extensively vulgar humor, this seems to be an exterior. Roman was abused by Logan growing up, and his trauma shows. This facade is a defense mechanism and is most likely a result of the abuse and being sent to military school by Logan as a child because he was “too weak.” Logan punished any displays of emotion from his children. 

Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy. Photo credit: HBO.

Siobhan (Shiv), played by Australian actress Sarah Snook, is the only daughter of Logan. Unlike her brothers, Shiv initially tries to separate herself from Waystar, working as a political strategist. At the start of the show, Shiv seemed to be the most grounded Roy, but when she is given a glimpse of power she becomes just like the rest of her family: power-hungry and willing to destroy anything in her way. 

Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans. Photo credit: HBO.

Tom Wambsgans, played by Mr. Darcy himself Matthew Macfadyen, is the overcompensating husband of Shiv who is constantly trying to win approval from his boss, who is also his father-in-law. On the surface, he is the show’s comedic relief, but as the series progresses he is revealed to be one of the show’s largest power players. The head of the amusement park and cruise division of the company at the start of the series, he finds himself dealing with Waystar-Royco’s dirty laundry, the “cover-up” of sexual assault and murder allegations. This puts Tom in a tricky situation and makes him an accessory. Tom’s solution to keep his job safe and to prevent incarceration is to employ Roy cousin Greg to “cover up” the “cover-up.” 

Nicolas Braun as Greg Hirsch. Photo credit: HBO.

Cousin Greg, played by Disney Channel Original Movie star Nicolas Braun, is the second half of the comedic duo with Tom. He started the show as an unexpecting lost lamb, who had just been fired from his job as a theme park employee, when he finds himself getting quite the promotion working for Tom. Greg is the prime example of how power, greed, and money can corrupt a person. Tom quickly takes Greg under his wing and helps him succeed on the corporate ladder, but this also leads Greg to lose his pure nature. Even as he becomes more corrupted, he still retains parts of his innocence, from referring to the crimes that he is helping Tom “cover-up” as “the bad ones” or his “fumbling” of a congressional hearing. While he may still seem to be Tom’s puppet, in more recent episodes Greg has seemed to be searching for a more advantageous alliance, as Tom’s place in the company is at risk. 

Alan Ruck as Connor Roy. Photo credit: HBO.

Connor, played by Alan Ruck, best known for his role as Cameron Frye in the John Hughes’ classic film Ferris Buller’s Day Off, is the oldest and forgotten son of Logan Roy. He is the half-brother of Logan’s other three children and is treated as less than. Unlike his siblings, Connor is not even in the race for succeeding to the throne. As a young child, Connor’s mother was shipped off to the “funny farm.” Connor was neglected by Logan as a child and is not involved in the family business, which accounts for his need to overcompensate for his standing by running for President of the United States. In episode three of season four, entitled “Connor’s Wedding,” when Connor hears the news of his father’s death, his response is “Oh man. He never even liked me.” 

Rupert Murdoch. Photo credit: David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons. 

The show was not created completely out of the genius of Armstrong but was inspired by the family of Rupert Murdoch, the Australian media billionaire who owns News Corp, which owns Fox News, Sky News Australia, and multiple major newspapers and publishers in the US, Australia, and the UK. Like Logan, Rupert turned a small newspaper business into one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. Murdoch also has spoken of his intent to pass his legacy to one of his children but has yet to name a successor. The show has structured its characters and many plot lines off of the Murdoch family, and even has Murdoch experts on the writing staff. In a Vanity Fair article, oldest son Lachlan Murdoch, co-chairman of News Corp and the CEO of Fox Corporation, even claimed his brother James has been leaking stories about his family to HBO.

Like most HBO series, the show’s fandom has a massive presence on social media. After every new episode airs Sunday night, my TikTok feed will start to fill with recaps of the latest episodes, fan theories, or funny scenes from the latest installment. There are also numerous character rankings, organized by power, likability, least-to-most despicable, shadiness, and more. There is also a large presence dedicated to talking about Succession fashion and how the characters dress in “stealth wealth.”

My brother Sam Evins (‘23) introduced my family to the series a few years ago, and subsequently, catching up on the most recent airing has become an integral part of our weekend routine. He shared with me that the reason he started watching was that “I saw the buzz about the show and heard from a lot of people that it was the best show on tv right now.” He said that “The writing is brilliant,” and “I think the dialogue is what really appeals to people and definitely what appeals to me.” Evins also shared that “I also like how it blends genres really well,” and that he heard that the show “started off as a satire of business dramas like Billions,” but has since evolved more into a dark comedy. 

Evins said “My favorite character is Greg. He is the viewer when the show starts. On the outside looking in, he’s clumsy and doesn’t understand the business. Like Greg, the viewer wants to be a part of the family and their lives.” Evins also shared that “this season I have really liked Carl and Frank,” who are taking Tom and Greg’s place as this season’s power couple. My dad, Sam Evins V, also shared that “I really like the scenery of the show and how impressive it is, especially in episodes that take place abroad.” I definitely agree with my dad, and I also particularly enjoy the show’s cinematography. 

Evins (VI) said, “I like the fact that it is ending where it is, and that it is not super drawn out.” He thinks that “the center plotline of the show is Shiv and Tom’s marriage, and the theme of love versus power.” I had never thought of it that way, but it ties in with the overarching themes of the show: corruption, greed, and other strong emotions that drive and blind people. Evins thinks the show will end with “none of the kids getting the company, and, instead, there will be a huge burnout or failure of sorts. Because Armstrong is a socialist, and he is not a fan of capitalism. Waystar-Royco is an example of late-stage capitalism, and it will not end up working out for the company in the long run.” 

My brother Sam and I both have found it hard to give our full attention to the show sometimes. This is necessary for understanding the plot, according to Evins, “Especially to season four, where I don’t want to miss a moment.” After watching an episode, Evins consumes media related to the show; something I do not do as much of. He listened to a podcast called “The Watch” on The Ringer Network about Succession. He thinks that consuming media aside from the show helps to enhance the experience and prompts him to digest the show in a different light. But he thinks someone like our dad, who consumes no outside media, “has a far purer viewing experience, because he is not being influenced by others’ opinions.” My opinions on characters have shifted due to the media I consume apart from the show. For instance, people elaborating on Kendall’s hardships and trials have caused me to sympathize with him more and have made him far more likable. Evins said, “I definitely think new viewers should watch the show.” Evins said, “Because this has been announced as the last season, it is definitely a unique experience to be able to watch the show weekly, knowing it is coming to an end.” 

Featured image credit: HBO.