HBO’s passion project, “Succession,” premiered the first episode of its fourth season last Sunday, and it’s already making fans curious to know who might come off as the winner in this billion-dollar gamble. The last we saw of the patriarch of Waystar Royco, Logan Roy went back to his ambitious dream of acquiring Pierce Media, but he had competitors in the shape of his three children: Ken, Shiv, and Roman. As the two parties gear up for what could be an all-out war, here’s a breakdown of the trailer ahead of the premiere of Episode 2 in just a few hours.
The trailer opens with Cousin Greg telling Tom over the phone that Waystar’s CEO and bad dad, Logan, is walking around the office with a rather sour face. When Greg says that based on Logan’s body language, it seems he might kill somebody, Tom is seen leaving his car in the basement and running off, although whether he heads to his “Disgusting Brothers” partner, Greg is not clear. Greg describes Logan as the monster from “Jaws,” while Siobhan “Shiv” Roy gives her soon-to-be ex-husband Tom a message to pass on to her father: Logan needs to stay out of his daughter’s life. On the other hand, a text from Logan on Roman’s phone makes Ken and Shiv question the brother’s loyalty. Roman shoots back in his characteristic style, saying that his allegiance is not to be doubted because he’s one with the team. Interestingly, we can also see Connor with them, which might suggest that the eldest half-brother to the three siblings has finally abandoned his autocratic father and joined forces with the kids.
In voiceover, Tom is heard saying Waystar is only a few days away from a very important election, and based on his frustrated body language, it’s clear the pressure is getting to him. He adds to Greg’s statement that Lukas Mattson, the CEO of GoJo and the possible new owner of Waystar, will be watching the election with a close eye. Kendall is seen telling Stewie Hosseini that he has plans for his siblings and asks if he can lend a hand to Ken to help execute his plans, and Stewie questions how this assistance is going to help him. Ken walks onto the stage and is greeted by a full crowd, so it’s possible that he’ll announce his plans on the stage, which could be a make-or-break moment for the siblings as well as Waystar.
As Logan congratulates someone—possibly one of his own children—for having guts in his characteristic style, a convoy drives up a hilly resort area. Shiv tells her brothers, Ken and Roman, that ATN has open access to Geryd Mencken’s campaign, who is the extremist right-wing candidate Waystar has been pushing as the next US president. Jeryd tries to strike a deal with Roman where the candidate is made into president by any means necessary, and Roman considers the deal, given how he talked him into trusting Waystar back when the falling out with Logan hadn’t happened. A previous character returns, and it’s none other than Shiv’s ex-boyfriend Nate, whom Tom had insultingly kicked out of his and Shiv’s wedding back in Season 1. Ken offers Nate help because he’s invested in the ‘game,’ which could possibly be the US election, since his colleague Senator Gil Eavis is also vying for a position of power. Shiv’s brother also adds that he has a few debts, but he’ll definitely repay them, as we see in the brief footage of Tom in panic. This could possibly mean Nate will be brought in to somehow adversely affect Tom and his father-in-law, and for Nate, it’s personal with Tom.
At a get-together at Shiv and Tom’s place, Mattson is invited, and he asks the couple with the dead relationship who will retain their beautiful home after they split, and Ken rubs salt in their wounds by cheering on Mattson for his insensitive comment. As the tension and the tempo pick up, Tom is heard saying there’s a lockdown situation as if a war will break out between Waystar and some rival. Shiv warns her husband that he needs to be careful, which makes sense given how tense the air is of late and also because she knows how much of a shark her father can be. There’s a possibility he might throw Tom under the bus, as soon as he stops being useful to the billionaire. Mattson alerts Roman that he’s just made a grave mistake, and Roman is unfazed, while Karl Muller warns Ken that if he messes with ‘his’ deal—possibly Logan’s deal—Ken will be “toast.” We can theorize that the siblings have dealt a blow to Mattson and Logan, and both parties are annoyed.
Ken and Roman almost come to blows, with the former trying to strangle his younger brother, while in the very next scene, the three siblings are seen embracing. As a protest marches on, Connor hugs a woman—possibly his partner Willa—who has just agreed to marry him. The interim CEO, Gerri Kellman, warns someone that “they’ve no idea what’s coming,” where ‘they’ might be the kids. The trailer ends with Logan menacingly wishing someone “Happy Christmas,” and it’s unclear towards whom he has directed his verbal bile.
In all probability, the second episode will be aimed at the kids’ attempts to complete the Pierce deal with the $10 billion they’d offered Nan Pierce in the previous episode while Logan plans something sinister. Thrown in the middle are several elements like Connor’s wedding, the deal with Mattson, Shiv, and Tom’s divorce, as well as the ascension to power for corrupt politicians like Jeryd Mencken. Based on the threats that Logan’s people hurl, it seems the patriarch has something horrible planned for his children, who might fall like dominoes before the magnitude of their father, as we’ve seen just how ruthless Logan can be when it comes to getting what he wants. However, to know for sure if the siblings are wiped out or if they offer a tough fight, we must tune into the episode this Sunday.
