Succession Season 4, Episode 4 Ending Explained
Succession season 4, episode 4 follows up on the massive episode 3 twist, answering the show’s biggest question and how Waystar will move forward.
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Succession season 4, episode 4 picks off where the last episode left off, with a shocking twist: Logan Roy’s death. Logan Roy has been the major adversary and CEO of Waystar Royco so far in Succession, and his death has changed everything. While Succession, season 4, episode 3 focused on the immediate aftermath of Logan’s death, including the emotional reactions of his children, episode 4 goes further, revealing Waystar Royco’s next plans. The emotionally packed episode does, however, continue to depict how Succession’s many characters react to the loss of Logan Roy, providing a nuanced thematic overtone to the Roy family’s customary cynical business operations.
Succession Power Rankings: Season 4 Episode 4 Winners and Losers
Succession season 4’s events have led the power ranks to move more quickly than ever before, with the various players’ positions at Waystar Royco altering from episode to episode. Numerous circumstances in Succession season 4, episode 4, significantly altered the power rankings, including the discovery of Logan Roy’s final wish list, Waystar Royco’s revised vote allocation, and the company’s board members’ new roles. Furthermore, new CEOs have been appointed, but the struggle for Waystar Royco’s heart is far from done. Thus, from least powerful to most powerful, these are the current Succession power rankings.
1. Kendall – After living in his father’s shadow for several seasons, Kendall has emerged as one of Waystar Royco’s new co-CEOs. While he shares this obligation with his brother, Kendall was expressly mentioned in Logan’s last wishes, giving him far greater clout inside the corporation.
2. Roman – Roman was chosen as one of Waystar Royco’s two co-CEOs, serving as an interim replacement until the board decides on an actual successor. This offers Roman some power, albeit not as much as Kendall.
3. Gerri – Despite Logan’s intention to fire Gerri in episode 3, his death has strengthened Gerri’s confidence, putting her back in the big leagues. Gerri has had an excellent relationship with the board since she served as temporary CEO.
4. Karl – As Karl discusses in episode 4, the CFO is frequently the first in line to become CEO. Hence, while Karl was not named temporary CEO, his position as CFO and excellent standing with the board allow him a chance to take over the firm in the future.
5. Tom – Tom is at the bottom of the list of potential CEO candidates. Nevertheless, Season 4, Episode 3 implies that Tom is working on a scheme in the background that may be effective enough to return him to the top.
6. Shiv – Until Season 4, Episode 4, Shiv was at the top of the power rankings. She no longer has much power at Waystar Royco now that her siblings are co-CEOs and Shiv has been left in the dust.
7. Greg – Greg has always been at the bottom of Waystar Royco’s corporate ladder, and while his name appears in Logan Roy’s dying wishes, he still lacks influence.
Why does Kendall collaborate with Hugo to smear Logan’s name?
Kendall approaches Hugo in the closing scene of Succession season 4, episode 4, and asks him to ruin Logan’s name. Hugo is in charge of Waystar Royco’s Parks and Cruises section, which has previously come under scrutiny owing to some of Logan Roy’s previous issues. Although Hugo appears hesitant to participate in this scam, Kendall discovers Hugo’s insider trading earlier in the episode, which the new CEO uses to blackmail Hugo. Kendall has always despised his father, and now that he is CEO, he is using his newfound authority to damage Logan’s image one more time.
The CEO positions of Kendall and Roman risk tearing the Roys apart.
In Succession season 4, episode 4, Kendall and Roman Roy were named interim co-CEOs. While this resolved the long-standing question of who will follow Logan Roy, it also threatens to drive the Roys apart. While Kendall and Roman are content to work together for the time being, the two powerful men with big egos will undoubtedly clash at some point. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the Waystar Royco board would select two CEOs on a permanent basis, implying that one of them will have to stand down – and neither wants to.
Apart from the inevitable tension between Kendall and Roman, there is a third issue to consider: Shiv. Shiv looked more anxious to manage the firm than her siblings throughout Succession, thus her exclusion from the co-CEO arrangement came as a surprise. She was irritated, and Shiv and her brothers may have a falling out as a result of her choice. Shiv was arguably the most competent of the three Roy siblings to head the firm, making the decision to exclude her even more contentious.
Logan Roy’s Last Wishes May Ruin Waystar
Gerri, Frank, and Karl find a list of dying wishes written by Logan Roy at an undisclosed period in the past in Succession season 4, episode 4. Kendall Roy gets hired as CEO as a result of this list, but other portions of the list might have a significant influence on Waystar Royco. The advice on this list may no longer be valid, and following them might lead the organization down a disastrous road. One penciled-in addition, for example, has “Greg” with a question mark. Although the contents of the list have not been completely revealed, they may be terrible news.
Succession Teases Two Pregnant Subplots That Might Impact Everything
Succession season 4, episode 4 also teases two big pregnancy stories that might drastically alter the show’s trajectory. The first of them is centered on Shiv. Succession season 4 has been heavily indicating that Shiv is pregnant, with one sign being her lack of alcohol consumption throughout the season. Shiv receives a phone call from a doctor early in the episode, which significantly implies her pregnancy, which adds to the evidence. Also, Shiv actor Sarah Snook is pregnant in real life, so including that in the series would make sense.
Karolina, Logan’s assistant, is the focus of the second pregnancy narrative in Succession season 4, episode 4. Throughout Karolina’s tenure on Succession, there have been whispers of her sleeping with Logan, and it appears the plot has come to a climax. Karolina appears in Succession season 4, episode 4 to pick up several drugs that she had kept in Logan’s room. Karolina then mentions some arrangements Logan had prepared for Karolina, although this conversation with Roman is mostly drowned out. While nothing is confirmed, Karolina’s pregnancy seems pretty likely.
What is the status of GoJo’s acquisition of Waystar?
Although GoJo’s acquisition of Waystar Royco has been the major overarching narrative of the program since season 3, it has been pushed to the sidelines in prior episodes. The acquisition was put on hold following Logan Roy’s death, but the Roy siblings are already pushing to rev up the transaction. The three siblings try to phone Lukas Matsson to see whether the agreement is still on, but they are disconnected. Waystar Royco is interested in the purchase once more, but Logan’s death may have shattered GoJo’s faith in the firm, perhaps changing the primary Waystar narrative in Succession season 4.
Succession season 4 premieres on HBO on Sundays.