Because the very begin of Succession, one of many questions driving the present has been who will succeed Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as CEO of Waystar Royco. And now, within the wake of Logan’s surprising Season 4 dying, Succession lastly solutions that query. Type of.
Season 4, episode 4, “Honeymoon States,” dives into the fallout of Logan’s passing, together with urgent points like whether or not the GoJo deal remains to be on. In fact, the most important matter at hand is who will lead Waystar subsequent. With a board name swiftly approaching, the clock is ticking for the Waystar crew to decide on the brand new interim CEO.
It is a job everyone seems to be gunning for, from Waystar’s previous guard like Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) and Karl (David Rasche) to the Roy siblings Kendall (Jeremy Sturdy), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin). By the episode’s finish, we formally have a brand new, non-Logan CEO, however bear in mind: That is solely a brief association. Something might occur within the coming weeks.
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Who’s the brand new CEO of Waystar Royco?
Behold the brand new CEOs.
Credit score: David Russell/HBO
In a stunning flip of occasions, Waystar Royco will get two interim CEOs for the value of 1: Kendall and Roman. Whereas the brothers step up collectively, they get there in various methods.
The query of Kendall’s appointment is likely one of the main dilemmas of the episode. Frank (Peter Friedman), appearing as considered one of Logan’s executors, finds a bit of paper in Logan’s non-public secure that dictates his final needs, like funeral preparations and who he needs to succeed him as CEO. Based on the paper, Logan named Kendall. Nonetheless, mainly everybody needs this function, so the episode options a variety of hand-wringing in regards to the validity of the paper.
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One argument towards this omnipotent piece of paper is that it is undated. Frank estimates it could possibly be from 4 years in the past…, again earlier than Kendall and Logan’s extraordinarily public feud. Shiv additionally factors out that the markings round Kendall’s title — which many individuals interpret as an emphatic underlining — may truly be Logan crossing his title out completely. In true Succession trend, the scene balances brutal hilarity and complete cringe-worthiness as everybody makes an attempt to twist these trivialities to their profit. The award for many embarrassing transfer has to go to Greg (Nicholas Braun) although, as he tries to persuade everybody current that Logan’s annotation of “Greg???” meant he wished him as Kendall’s second. Maintain dreaming, Disgusting Brother.
Having his title on this piece of paper bolsters Kendall to combat tougher for the interim CEO place. He cozies as much as key shareholder Sandy Furness (Larry Pine) and tells shut buddy (and one other key shareholder) Stewy (Arian Moayed) in regards to the paper. In flip, he forces his siblings to contemplate their choices: Both of them (seemingly him) turns into CEO, or a member of the previous guard who doubts their capabilities takes over.
It is at this level that Roman totally places his hat within the ring. As Waystar’s COO, he’s listed on the corporate’s draft plan as the one who ought to step up. He is shut with GoJo’s Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) and was talking to Logan greater than Kendall and Shiv have been earlier than his dying.
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Kendall instantly sides with Roman, saying the 2 of them can take the place collectively. Their deal leaves Shiv out within the chilly, however with two siblings towards one, Kendall and Roman have a majority. They persuade the board of their imaginative and prescient — bear in mind, that is all non permanent for now, simply sufficient to ensure the GoJo deal goes by way of — and shoulder their dad’s former mantle collectively.
With Kendall and Roman as CEO, what occurs to Shiv?
What about Shivvy?
Credit score: David Russell/HBO
Kendall and Roman inform Shiv that the pair of them as CEO is clear. Add her as a 3rd, and it turns into messy — or, as Roman places it, it turns into “some orgy for hippies.” Nonetheless, the 2 insist that she would nonetheless be inside the corporate, and that she can be concerned in all the things.
“And that is all equal?” Shiv asks.
“Equal as fuck,” Kendall replies. “To the gram.”
The brothers promise on the occasions of the day prior — Logan’s dying — that they will not screw Shiv over. Nonetheless, that is Succession, a present the place you’ll be able to rely simply as a lot on individuals screwing one another over as you’ll be able to rely on the opening credit enjoying each week. The siblings could also be grieving their father collectively, however they’re additionally Roys. The probability that Kendall and Roman keep on with their phrase shouldn’t be nice.
We will already see the Roy-on-Roy backstabbing in direction of the tip of the episode, when Kendall tells Hugo (Fisher Stevens) to organize hit items about Logan for when Kendall and Roman turn out to be CEO. It is a transfer that goes instantly behind Roman’s again, as he wished nothing to do with the plan to “shit on Dad.” And if this underhanded plot is simply Kendall’s first transfer as interim CEO, what can we count on going ahead? Positively not the sibling unity Kendall peddled initially.
Succession is now streaming on HBO Max(opens in a brand new tab), with new episodes airing at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.