‘Succession’ Recap: Season 4, Episode 4 — ‘Honeymoon States’
A death in the family is still sending shockwaves through Succession this week, but the Roy siblings are starting to plot out their next chess moves, too.
In the wake of Logan’s abrupt demise, Kendall, Roman and Shiv are still in a daze as Sunday’s episode opens — and we learn that Shiv is pregnant, too! (Congratulations…?) Kendall heads to Logan’s townhouse for a family memorial and finds Marcia there, who surprises Kendall by claiming that she and Logan still spoke every day. Roman and Shiv doubt that, though, and Roman scoffs when he sees Cyd and the ATN anchors there: “He was gonna fire half that room.” Shiv senses they’re about to witness a “coronation demolition derby,” and sure enough, while Frank and Karl are discussing who should be interim CEO, Tom throws his hat in the ring, “respectfully.” But Karl swiftly cuts him down, pointing out that the board might view him as “a clumsy interloper” whose biggest advocate is dead and whose own wife doesn’t even like him. He’s just saying what the board would say, of course!
Roman tries to call Matsson but gets the run-around from a guy named Oskar, who relays that GoJo isn’t sure who’s running Waystar now. Connor arrives with his new bride Willa, sharing that they’re taking a honeymoon tour of a few swing states to boost his electoral chances — and he wants to buy Logan’s townhouse, too! Marcia says she’d want between 60 and 70 million, so they shake on 63. Done! Frank, meanwhile, has found a “worrying piece of paper” in Logan’s private safe: a signed letter detailing Logan’s final wishes, with a penciled-in addendum. Hmmm. Logan’s kids share a hug and marvel at his glowing obituaries. (“Dad sounds amazing. I’d like to have met Dad.”) But Hugo pulls Kendall aside with a potential problem: Hugo’s daughter sold a bunch of Waystar stock just before Logan’s death became public… and Hugo can’t remember if he talked to her that day or not. Yeah, that sounds like it might be a problem.
Frank calls the Roy kids in to show them the letter with Logan’s final wishes… and it says he wanted Kendall to take over as CEO (!). Gerri notes it’s not legally binding, and the board will decide anyway — and it looks like Kendall’s name may have later been crossed out? (Or underlined?) But Kendall is bolstered by the revelation and now wants to be named interim CEO at least. When Shiv objects, he snaps, “It sure as f—king s—t doesn’t say Shiv.” (Greg is in the will, too, with a question mark by his name.) Kendall is left reeling, musing to Frank: “My dad wants me to take over… He made me hate him, and then he died.” But he is now picturing himself in the big CEO chair. Shiv worries that this will split the three siblings apart, and when Tom tries to comfort her, she pulls away from him. He reminisces about sending her handwritten love notes when they first started dating, but she coldly replies: “That was a while ago, wasn’t it?”
Presidential frontrunner Jeryd Mencken drops by to pay his respects, along with Sandi and Stewy, who are joined by Sandi’s dad and Logan’s old rival Sandy Furness, in a wheelchair but still alive and kicking. Kerri shows up, too, and has an awkward altercation with Marcia when she tries to go upstairs to get her things and Marcia has security physically stop her, handing her a bag of her things that spills all over the floor. Kerri weeps that she and Logan were going to get married… and Marcia says she can now go home to “her little apartment.” (Ouch.) Stewy comforts Kendall, who tells him about Logan’s wishes and asks for his backing as CEO. “What’s in it for me, Ken?” Stewy pointedly asks. Kendall pulls Roman and Shiv aside, and they both want to be CEO themselves, and neither of them wants Ken to be CEO. Well, then. Kendall is OK with sharing the CEO title with Roman, but he hesitates to bring in Shiv, too. “Three is a bit wonky,” Roman agrees. They promise to bring her in on all big decisions, though; it’ll be “equal as f—k,” Kendall vows. Yeah, right.
Kendall and Roman inform the Waystar brass that they’ll step up to lead the company. There’s some spirited debate, and Shiv just looks forlorn, but before you know it, the board votes it through: Kendall and Roman are officially co-CEOs. They bask in the applause as an angry Shiv storms off, tripping on the steps on her way out. As Kendall and Roman settle in, Hugo tells them they could solidify their position by trashing Logan’s reputation and selling themselves as a clean slate, bringing up his treatment of Connor’s mom, among other sins. Roman bristles at that, and he and Kendall agree not to torch their dad’s legacy. But then Kendall looks again at a photo of his dad’s letter, where it looks like Logan may have crossed his name out, and he corners Hugo, telling him to put the “bad dad” stuff out there after all without telling Roman: “It’s what he would do.” And when Hugo wavers, Kendall brings up his daughter’s suspicious stock sale as leverage. Well, well, well… meet the new Logan Roy, same as the old Logan Roy.
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