Succession (Season 4), Episode 1: HBO’s hit series is back for its final season. The curtains rise in a tense opening episode, seeing an instant rivalry emerge between Logan and his three kids. Characteristic elements of the show were back in business with some new character introductions. This season seems set to focus on our main characters and not veer beyond them, unlike the previous seasons. Emotional clarity is something the Roys have never had, and this might be their final chance to make things right.
Whatever happens in business cannot dictate their relationships, and we see the first realization of how something broken cannot be undone in episode 1 of Succession’s season 4. Below is a recap of episode 1 and an explanation of the foreboding ending that cannot lead to anything cheery for now.
Succession (Season 4), Episode 1 ‘The Munsters’ Recap:
We open the premiere of Succession’s season 4 at Logan’s birthday party. Usually, in the previous seasons, all the children are present. They might occasionally arrive late, but they are always there. But, as we know, after the third season’s ending, that might be a little problematic.
We see Connor greet Logan on his birthday and him quietly acknowledging it, almost like it is a business obligation. Roman, Kendall, and Shiv have joined hands to produce a new venture to compete with their father’s media empire, WayStar. Well, right now, it seems the brothers are more involved than the sister, who they accuse of strutting around the Jimenez transition team. She might be snaking again?!
She pleads innocence at first and then proceeds to establish her reasoning. Jimenez has not currently won the election, Roy might not end up selling after all, and her brothers might bail on her at any time: Shiv is just being smart and looking out for herself like she always does. The brothers get on her nerves about it.
Roman feels it is a done deal since he was the one who drafted the resignation letter for WayStar. Kendall jumps in funnily and says he has “smoked horse,” which is insanely addictive but not as much as the excitement of creating something of their own. If Shiv wants to bail, she should say it out loud, and Kendall can go back to being a junkie.
By the way, the new venture that they are starting is called “The Hundred.” People gather around Logan and sing “happy birthday” to him, which, of course, annoys the living sh*t out of him. He makes no attempts to hide his repulsiveness at “The Munsters” and confides in Cary about it.
Logan gets even more annoyed when he sees Greg walking in with a new character this season. He introduces her as Bridgette, his date for the night. Greg argues that he should be permitted a plus one because he is the cousin. But Cary does not take the comment lightly and reprimands Greg for acting carelessly.
They are in the middle of a hotly contested election and cannot afford to have things go wrong. For all they know, the opposition might have planted Bridgette there. Is Greg sure “Bridgette is not a hostile corporate asset?” By the looks of it, Greg clearly does not know. When has he ever?
The siblings are now looking for investors to take off their media brand. While they are in the middle of a meeting, Shiv receives a call from Tom, who snobbishly informs Shiv that he is having dinner with Naomi Pierce. To refresh your memory, the Pierce family appeared first in episode 5 of season 2.
Nan Pierce, the family matriarch, decided to sell PGM to the Roys to make Logan announce Shiv as the successor. But the old fart refused the offer to stay on as the head stubbornly.
Tom taunts Shiv by saying she might hear rumors about them as he bumped into Marlinda, perhaps a journalist, and she will buzz up the gossip mill with rumors. Shiv is not impressed and says Tom should have told her before it actually happened. She is clearly jealous, but that is what she did to Tom before. Karma is hard-hitting.
Kendall is also taken aback by the news of her junkie friends’ romantic liaisons. Shiv seems disoriented as well but tries to focus on the task at hand. Kendall looks up for alerts from his team and finds another Pierce being tagged at Logan’s birthday party.
Is he lining up an acquisition? Of course, he is. But now the kids have a sense of it, something that Cary warned Greg about, but it is not his fault…right? There is doubt if Logan is doing it to play with their minds, but the suggestion of the accusation is stronger.
After being sidelined for most parts of the last season, we see more of Connor and his election race. He proudly flags his approvals at a healthy 1%, which Willa justifies as “squeezing down” at the last minute. Connor has been advised that he must aggressively pursue media markets to improve his ratings.
Bridgette sport a confused look as she hears this. So do we, Bridgette. Another $100 million and Connor would be “right in the conversation.” which is an important part of politics, according to him. Willa tries to look supportive of the idea but cannot come around to the idea that he would spend it all on literally nothing.
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As Tom walks in, Logan talks with Ray, another new ancillary character, about the deal. They discuss the deal. Tom informs him that Naomi has convinced Nan to sell, but the price is still an issue. The deal is very much on, and they should close it soon.
Quite awkwardly, Tom asks Logan what will be the road ahead for Shiv and his marriage. He also seeks reassurances from Logan that Tom and his dynamic will sustain whatever happens. But Logan’s shrug and the petty remark are certainly not that. What more does he want from Tom?
The siblings sit in silence. Roman breaks the ice – like he usually does – and asks them if they are thinking of buying Pierce instead of going ahead with their disruptor media brand, The Hundred. Shiv and Kendall do not seem repulsed by that idea, annoying Roman.
They have worked hard to get contributors and backers on the board, and it is something that they can manage financially. But buying PGM, a dying legacy conglomerate, would be going in the opposite direction. The siblings think it is manageable if they pool in their stake from the GoJo sale and get other investors on board using their name.
Shiv comes out with her opinion that The Hundred is too risky a bet to take right now. Roman is very much annoyed again. Tom gets on Greg’s case again, going after Bridgette. Their to and fro repartee has been the highlight of the show until now. Not only do they provide comedic reprieve, but Tom and Greg have also bonded through this dynamic.
It is classical in the scheme of Succession, and seeing it again just gets those juices flowing. Tom calls Bridgette too simple, and Greg starts joking around. Bridgette is acting like a normie would and feels like a bird out of place. It was she who tagged Pierce in her Instagram post, alerting Kendall’s team. She may have done it inadvertently, but Tom reiterates Greg is the laughing stock due to her.
Nan still has a soft spot for Shiv. Tellis, a new character in this season, and the siblings’ advisor tell them that Nan wants a preferred bidder for the deal to sell PGM and might be interested in walking to Shiv. Cary checks in on Logan, who, in his own signature style, makes it clear how annoyed he is with everything.
He is worried about the deal, and Nan not calling him till now. He leaves the party with his bodyguard. Shiv confirms that the buyer is Logan. Nan does not particularly like Logan but thinks the siblings are not capable enough of buying them.
Roman is neutral about it. He feels Kendall and Shiv are vying for revenge by taking the deal – Logan and Tom, respectively – and making the wrong choice. Logan has dinner with Colin, his bodyguard, at a diner and indulges in a deep, strange conversation about people.
He calls Colin his best friend and rambles on about how everyone turned against him or whatever he did. He laments the changing times and feels an existential dread: is there anything after their mortal existence? Colin is stumped but still gives an honest reaction.
Cary calls Roman and checks in on them. She asks them to call Logan, but Shiv and Kendall are circumspect. Why should they call him? Cary is looking out for Logan and feels the father would feel nice if the children called him. Roman cuts her off.
Connor discusses marriage with Willa and says they should rethink their venue. If he can insert himself in the news cycle, it will save him paid money on the election. Connor is really scared of overspending and becoming a laughing stock. Willa is reluctant but says she will consider it.
A half laughing half bragging, Greg informs Tom that he just had sex with Bridgette. Tom once again plants seeds of doubt and fear by saying Logan has cameras all over the place. Tom says Logan watches the recordings every night. Greg is scared out of his mind, and Tom tries to manipulate Greg into telling Logan.
The big man calls a meeting to discuss the final details of the deal. Kendall and Naomi have an awkward reunion. Nan is having a little wobble about meeting the siblings and feels terrible. She might have a headache and needs time. Frank gets news that the siblings are rival bidders.
Gerri, Frank, and Karl debate who should tell Logan. The mantle falls on Karl, and he does it. He tries to calm Logan down, but he angrily asks Tom to call Shiv and stop pursuing their unoriginal idea. Greg awkwardly walks up to Logan at that moment to come clean about the sex.
He had a wry smile on his face, Greg tells Tom. It is a hilarious scene as they are interrupted by Colin, who tells Bridgette will have to leave. The real reason is her Instagram post. Greg chickens out and asks Colin to go alone and check out her phone.
Succession Episode 4 Ending, Explained:
Who wins the PGM deal?
Nan is ready to talk to the siblings. She clears the air about the deal and her position. Her mind is mostly made up, and she won’t change it for them. Kendall insists on their deal. He cites Logan’s hatred for nan and PGM.
Shiv joins in and says the Presidential elections might change the course of the organization, and the siblings would take better care of PGM. Nan says they need to find the best deal for the shareholders. She asks about the siblings’ positions, and they all say they will liquidate their positions after the sale to GoJo.
Nan asks for time with Naomi. It is not a “money question,” as Nan calls Logan. He stalls her and asks Karl to tell a joke out of nowhere. He turns to Frank when Karl can’t tell one. Frank makes a bizarre attempt. Greg isn’t too good, either, at first, but then things start to get dirty. Gerri chooses not to indulge.
Nan wants to close the deal by the end of the night and asks to renegotiate the price. Logan asks Cary for input. Tellis confirms to Shiv that they will be able to afford their bid. Logan says they start at six bil and settle at 7. The siblings are offering 8.
Shiv gives her offer to Nan, who is not impressed by either offer. Logan asks Tom to call Shiv. Naomi says Nan wants them to improve their bid. Tellis confirms they can go to 8.5 billion. Logan wants to discuss this, but he really wants to get a sense of where the kids are.
Shiv boldly says their ceiling is 12 billion, and Tom emotionally says the same number. Tellis is unsure about going more than that number. Kendall suggests 10 billion, but Roman is not sure. Shiv sides with Kendall, and they debate the issue.
They land on 10 in the end. Shiv communicates their final number. Nan is still not sure but is impressed by their offer. But then, she finally says to Tom that the deal has been finalized, and she won’t invite another bid from Logan. The father calls the kids and berates them for making a mistake. Roman isn’t too sure, but Shiv and Kendall have fun spitting at Logan.
What is the future of Shiv and Tom’s marriage?
Shiv goes back to her house, and Tom is surprised. She says she wants access to her wardrobe, and Tom asks if she wants to talk. Shiv is bitter about Tom’s romantic entanglements but does not back down. There is tension in the air, and Shiv mentions the possibility of divorce.
Tom says he wants to iron out the issues, but Shiv does not want to discuss it. Shiv makes it final: they should go their separate ways. Tom gets emotional, but Shiv stubbornly resists. There is a hint of vulnerability in her voice. They both look at each other longingly and lie next to each other. The realization of the divorce dawns upon them as they try to process their feelings.
Logan sits alone at night watching ATN. He calls Cyd and asks her to sort out the mess of the late-night coverage. She reassures him she will look into it. But Logan disapprovingly shakes his head.
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Succession (Season 4) Episode 1 External Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia
Succession (Season 4) Episode 1 Cast: Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin
Where to watch Succession
