Succession Season 4 Power Ranking: The Ticking Time Bombs Finally Explode In Tailgate Party
(The bid for power has not only intensified in season 4 of "Succession," but is approaching its end: now more than ever, anyone can come out on top. As the series comes to a close, we'll be tracking the rise and fall of the Roys, their allies, and their never-ending list of enemies.)
Alright, I'll bite: do any of these people even know what a tailgate party is?! They're not exactly serving food out of pickup trucks at the Wambsgans-Roy pre-election party; instead of ice cooler beer, they've got champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and thousand-dollar bottles of German wine. But what this so-called tailgate party lacks in realism, it makes up for in plenty of juicy drama!
"Tailgate Party" takes advantage of a classic "Succession" setup: like "Prague" or "Retired Janitors of Idaho," it largely takes place at a single event, where various plotlines entangle for maximum entertainment. So in between Tom's (Matthew Macfadyen) yawns, Connor (Alan Ruck) wields the influence of his pivotal 5%, Shiv (Sarah Snook) schemes with her bestie Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard), Kendall (Jeremy Strong) basks in the afterglow of last week's victory and Roman (Kieran Culkin) oozes his unhappiness everywhere. Oh, and somewhere in the background of all that, the American republic is crumbling — but I wouldn't worry too much about that. The Roys certainly don't!
Paying attention to the historic election or to ATN spewing fascist vitriol or even to Kendall's daughter being harassed by racists would require any of the three main sibs to take responsibility for the damage that their actions can do — something they refuse to do at every turn. But try as they might, consequences are always creeping around the corner.
Ain't no party like a Roy party
Speaking of things waiting just around the bend, before the tailgate festivities can commence, we spent an extremely short breakfast with Logan's funeral management committee. After agreeing to overrule Marcia's decision-making (good luck with that one), they consider who should deliver the eulogy. Eventually, it's Roman who volunteers (an inspired choice, given he's spent the past few episodes spewing unchecked manic vitriol). They then move on to the business of stopping the GoJo deal with a regulatory angle that earns Shiv's ex (and the man she cheated on Tom with) an invite to her house party.
So no, it was not a surprise when a night of scheming, schmoozing, backstabbing, and thinly veiled insults culminated with Tom and Shiv stepping out onto the balcony for an argument that they've been putting off for months.
Plenty of other confrontations scattered throughout "Tailgate Party" have been a long time coming: like Gerri severing her partnership with Roman. But what I didn't see coming was the quiet hallways conversation that Kendall shared with Nate Sofretti (Ashley Zukerman) of all people, who says something that all three of them ought to hear: "You're not Logan. That's a good thing." Alas, no amount of harsh reality can break through the Roy family's penchant for delusion. That denial aside, things aren't really looking good for any of them in the long one... save for one exception.
10. The Masses
Take your pick of the bleakest moment of the episode: is it when a random partygoer reveals that ATN is calling the Democrat-leaning polling numbers a conspiracy? Is it when Greg jokes about firing 100 people in 3 days? Is it when we actually see him do it, via Zoom, while Tom sexts his wife? Or is it Roman jokingly dismissing reports of a campaign office firebombing? There are so many options, each more distressing than the last! And they all come courtesy of this extremely f***ed-up influential family!
Thanks to the fascist they backed back in season 3, America is now entrenched in turmoil with election day just hours away. Guess what, Roys? It turns out that your daddy issues are having a real, tangible impact on the world in the worst possible way! The closest they get to realizing that is Kendall finding out that his daughter was the target of a racist attack. But even a threat to Sophie's well-being amounts to absolutely nothing. For half a second, Ken considers condemning Mencken — a man he himself refers to as a Nazi — but once Roman reminds him that the dangerously conservative candidate could be a powerful ally, all morals go straight out the window.
9. Future divorcés, Tom and Shiv
In every conceivable way, Tom and Shiv are f***ed.
Last week, they were thriving: strategizing like the power couple they once were. They even kick off the episode with breakfast, sexts, and strategy! But they've also been coasting off a fantasy. Months after Tom betrayed her trust, they still haven't unpacked their baggage, Tom doesn't know that she's pregnant, and all the problems that plagued their marriage are right where they left them. So it was only a matter of time before all of that bubbled over.
But before that fateful balcony encounter, another time bomb explodes: Lukas Matsson, the coding phony who holds their future in his palm. You thought the blood bricks were bad? Wait till you see his fake subscriber count in India! And on top of being one exposé away from various lawsuits, Matsson had very little to offer anyway. When Shiv finally presses for a spot within Waystar — a "very very very" significant role within the company — he offers no guarantee. She's more than proven herself and even betrayed her family for him, but she's still at the mercy of the guy who tweets out holocaust jokes. And Tom? He never even stood a chance with the blunt tech billionaire, who doesn't care for his sucking up and already has ideas (which he gladly shares with everyone at the party) to transform ATN without Logan's son-in-law.
After hours of Tom listening to rumors about his inevitable sacking (and watching Nate strut around his apartment), he decides to call it a night only for Shiv to protest. At last, they storm out onto the balcony to have it all out. For months, they've been putting this off: they agreed to divorce before talking things out, then rekindled their flame with Shiv still refusing a real conversation. But throughout it all, their hurt has still been bubbling inside. Need I mention the scorpion Tom gifts her with breakfast?
It's hard to sum up their fight. It encapsulates so much of the pain running through their marriage — going all the way back to Tom proposing while her dad lay on his deathbed to Shiv's disinterest in having Tom's baby. This is their "Marriage Story" moment: they say the absolute harshest things they've been clinging to. Shiv calls him servile, Tom calls her selfish. Tom furiously says that she wasn't meant to be a mother, so Shiv blinks back tears, telling him that she has never really cared about him. Is it all real, or just heat of the moment anger? Or is there no difference, now that it's been said aloud?
I'm still holding out hope for these two. At the end of the night, they're each in bed alone but there's no relief to that separation. Is whatever remains between them strong enough to trump the awful words they flung at each other? I'm not sure yet. But they have a few episodes left to figure it out.
8. Lukas Matsson
With each passing episode, Lukas Matsson finds new ways to alarm me. But at the same time, he's never been a less threatening foe for the Roys. When Ebba casually tells the CEO-Bros that the frozen blood he's been mailing her is the least of his worries, my brain short-circuited. How could it possibly get worse?!
Well, as it turns out, Matsson's numbers are just as screwy as his brain. His company has been falsely reporting metrics in India and pretending that GoJo has doubled its actual subscriber count. It's a time bomb, according to Shiv, who immediately begins rethinking the side she's thrown her allegiance to. And it's bound to go off soon now that Roman and Kendall are in the know and beyond thrilled for a legitimate excuse to tank the deal. It's so compelling that even Frank has reason to second-guess the deal. If things go Kendall's way, GoJo will become Waystar's lunch rather than its buyer.
7. Kendall's family! Sophie, Iverson & Rava
Oh, hey, remember Kendall's kids? It's okay if not — he tends to forget about them too. And maybe that's for the best. Iverson's (Quentin Morales) most memorable appearances include being slapped by his grandfather and eating potentially poisoned food ... also courtesy of his grandfather. Hey, maybe they should let this kid give the eulogy instead, he's got stories for days!
Iverson luckily gets to sit this one out, as does Sophie (Swayam Bhatia), but we do get to hear about the emotional crisis currently plaguing Kendall's forgotten teen daughter: she's being harassed by racist strangers who wear merch for her dad's company, the upcoming election terrifies her and the kids at school are starting an anti-ATN campaign which is forcing her to confront the garbage politics of her extended family and their not-so-insignificant influence on American politics. Typical teenage dramatics, amirite?
Meanwhile, Rava (Natalie Gold) has to start her day by chatting with her horrifically insensitive ex-husband whose response to learning his daughter was shoved boils down to "Why did you let her go outside? There are racist people out there!" So no, things are not and have never been great for these three. I'd use the sporadic presence of Kendall in their lives as a bright side but since the kids will inevitably have to unpack this relationship in therapy, it's a bit hard to see the positive.
6. Roman, dick pic connoisseiur
Between L.A. and this party, not much has changed for Roman. He's spiraling hard, living in denial and refusing to properly process his emotions. He isn't careening towards jail time like Matsson, but there might just be a lawsuit in his future if he doesn't do everything Gerri (J. Smith Cameron) asks of him. Despite his attempts to smooth things over, Gerri is still pissed about being fired... twice. But the shrewd businesswoman that she is, she's made it into an opportunity. Why go down with Waystar when she can walk away from the wreckage?
When Roman seeks Gerri out for advice, she not only dismisses him but delivers the bad news: she wants hundreds of millions of dollars and to set the narrative of her departure. And if they try to avoid her terms, she'll go public with what I will now refer to as Chekov's dick pics — all those unsolicited images that Roman spammed her with last season.
Needless to say, it's not a great day for Roman. The only other thing he's got going on is trying to reign Connor in with a deal that will give his 5% to Mencken. But even that blows up in his face. Or rather, he blows up in Connor's, yelling needlessly hurtful things in the middle of the party and reminding everyone (most notably Kendall) that he's a mess. And it's all made so much worse by Gerri's parting words: "I could've gotten you there," she told him. Roman has shown so much potential in the past few seasons, largely because of Gerri's tutelage. But that's all over now. The best he's got is Kendall, who's already making moves to snag the top job for himself.
Side note: Though this probably won't be a future win for Roman, the fact that he's volunteered to do the eulogy is great news for someone: namely, Kieran Culkin. Whether Roman crashes and burns or sincerely encapsulates his feelings for his father, that funeral will be something to behold. Does someone perhaps have an Emmy in their future?
5. Greg, a butcher with a smile
It would be a stretch to call Greg (Nicholas Braun) a social chameleon but somehow, against all odds, he always finds a way to weasel his way into decent standing with powerful people. Currently, he's got sway with Tom, the occasional interest of Kendall, and manages to better his reputation with Matsson's crew too. After rightfully being called the "backwash at the bottom of the gene pool," Greg ends up vaping with the Swede's inner circle. And why? Because they respect his ability to mass fire 100 people in 3 days. The future is bright!
I am always rooting for Greg's downfall but I think the probable reality of his ending is summed up by his performance in this episode. He's exactly the kind of guy meant to coast in this world. He's got no morals — though he pretends otherwise — and is willing to do whatever egregious, illegal, or s****y act is asked of him. Burning corporate proof of misconduct? Sure. Firing a clearly unamused PR person for s***s and giggles? Without hesitation. Mass fire a staff full of people via Zoom? Hell yeah. HR put it best: He's the right guy for the job because he looks like he cares, but he really really doesn't.
4. Nate
I have never been a fan of Shiv's old beau: something about Nate radiates pomp and smarm. Tom forcing him to awkwardly pour wine back into the bottle is one of the funniest things this show has ever done ... but it was still pretty nice to have Nate back in this episode. It's so fascinating to see the Roys around someone who knows them really well. In the wake of Logan's death, you can see Nate clocking their tactics and immediately understanding the shifting dynamics. "Man, I forgot how eager you were to get laid at a party," he says to Kendall, who fails at subtlety.
Jokes aside, Nate has no interest in entertaining the Roy's antics. He came to the party and lets them pitch, but when it comes down to firm plans he shuts Kendall down. "I'm not Gil," he says, recalling the Democrat who sold his soul for a deal with Logan. And props to him for that. The morality of refusing to help with a deal is nice and all, but this show has made me so pessimistic that I mostly appreciated the tactical right decision: neither Matsson nor Kendall are safe bets. He's smart to get some distance.
3. Kendall
One head, one crown, huh? Kendall has regressed in all the worst ways, and the worst part is that it's not even surprising.
After proving everyone wrong by solving death with last week's Elizabeth Holmes impression, Kendall is riding high. And then even higher when he finds the bomb he needs to blow up Matsson's credibility. So conceivably, he should probably be on the top of this list. He's never been closer to achieving his dreams than he is right now! He's co-CEO, on the verge of eliminating his competition. Shiv isn't even in contention for his spot and if he waits a few hours, Roman will take himself out of the running by firing a few more women. It's all very shaky of course — the board only chose him for an interim position, he fudged the numbers on Living+ and basically all of his big ideas are manic nonsense — but that's not why Kendall isn't on top.
I can put all of that aside and entertain the possibility that Kendall might just pull through. But even then, achieving his dreams won't really be a win for Kendall. Let's not forget where this episode began.
Kendall is no longer standing at some grand life crossroads: he's chosen a path, and with each step, it's proving to have been a mistake. "Tailgate Party" begins with him making delusional claims to Rava about trying to save the world. He dares to say that everything he's done is for his kids and you don't need to have spent four seasons with this narcissist to spot the bulls***. But we have! And we also know that the "for my kids" refrain was a Logan Roy original.
"You're not Logan," Nate tells him. "That's a good thing." But Kendall takes those words as an insult — or worse, a challenge. He's still trying to be the killer his father never believed he was. He's thinking of ways to cut out his siblings, he's failing his children, and he's ruining all of his relationships. He's achieving his goals, sure, but what won't it cost him?
2. Power couple, Connor & Willa
Connor Roy, my new #1 boy, is the perfect illustration of how complex this power ranking has become. On one hand, he is neither CEO nor President of the United States — and despite his frequent claim that "anything can happen" I sincerely doubt that his 5% sympathy vote is gonna skyrocket into an election-winning value. But. Connor is by far the most emotionally healthy of all the Roy siblings.
After visiting their dad's body for, I assume, the fiftieth time in a single week ("woke up on the right side of the coffin today"), Connor admits to feeling consoled by his father's absence. Gee, I sure wish his siblings felt the same, but judging by the misery on Roman's face and Shiv's inability to look Con in the eye after that, I'm gonna go ahead and say that they're still plagued by the loss of their tormentor.
Connor is also thriving career-wise: somehow, he's garnered enough votes to earn bargaining power with Mencken. In fact, Connor has so much power that there was a brief (but very real moment) where I stopped being amused by him and got a little frightened for the American republic! Yes, it's the part where he considered becoming the American ambassador to North Korea. The only level-headed thing Roman says all episode is when he immediately dismisses this idea ("Con, they're not gonna put you anywhere with nukes.")
But emotional stability and power are small compared to Connor's greatest asset of all: the support of his wife. Willa, who once laughed at Connor's Presidential prospects, has been his loudest supporter for a while (closely followed by Maxim Pierce). She encourages him to stay in the race and sure, that might be influenced by her reluctance to be ruled by a Sultan, but she sweetly counters Roman's rudeness by laying out some real future prospects for her husband — he could write a book! Or do a speaker's circuit! Connor's greatest success is understanding that there's no point focusing on negativity when you have a loved one to lean on: "There's one person here who doesn't think I'm a joke," he tells Roman. "So that's who I'm gonna listen to."
1. Gerri
Hundreds of billions of dollars, control over her narrative, and airtight blackmail at her disposal? Yeah, Gerri is obviously the winner of "Tailgate Party," with one minor caveat: this isn't the outcome she wanted.
Being fired by a man-child whose success you helped foster is awful enough, but then consider the years of abuse she endured under Logan, decades of being underappreciated, and the absolute indignity of Roman saying "You're bad at your job." No wonder she's reached her limit. Even though the firing, per Roman, wasn't real, Gerri is taking the out. Her original plan was to go forth with Waystar after the purchase. Much like the rest of the Old Guard, she has long had the option of kicking back and enjoying retirement, but no matter how hard things got, she never walked away. Was it about the money? The proximity to power? The thrill of the intense corporate environment? Or maybe just the joy of being good at her job? Whatever the reason, it's no longer worth the bulls***. Gerri has reached her tipping point and decided to settle for a pretty sweet consolation prize: reputational safety and eye-watering sums of money.
The deal hasn't quite been sealed but for right now, Gerri is on the verge of the very happy ending that I've been rooting for the Roy kids to seize: take your money and get the hell out.