'Succession' Season 4: How does episode 9 arrange the present's grand finale?

The Roys certain know methods to destroy a funeral. 

Succession‘s penultimate episode, “Church and State,” sees the Roys lastly gathering for Logan’s (Brian Cox) funeral. Naturally, it is an hour’s value of the most jarringly emotional stuff on TV. Whereas the siblings are in mourning, they’re additionally in enterprise mode (as at all times), and so they throw all decorum away after they willingly deal with Logan’s funeral as one other playground for their very own affairs. Even the funeral’s eulogies turn into a method for the Roys to reaffirm their declare to the Waystar throne as they compete for probably the most tear-jerking but highly effective speech. 

Issues get even worse on the funeral’s reception, when the Roys actually crowd over their most necessary attendee, Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk), to win him over to both facet (aka workforce Roy-bros vs. workforce Sweden). The result’s a funeral filled with jabbing one-liners and sibling betrayal, offering a tense set-up for Succession‘s ultimate episode ever. Primarily based on all the pieces that went down this episode, this is what we will count on from Succession‘s finale. 

Roman is again on the sidelines. 

Credit score: Macall Polay / HBO

As Kendall (Jeremy Sturdy) succinctly places it: “You fucked it.” Whereas Roman (Kieran Culkin) was on a excessive in final week’s election episode, seeing his personal aspirations by way of by pushing for ATN to vouch for Mencken’s win, this week, Roman lastly broke down. When stepping as much as give his dad’s eulogy on behalf of the siblings, Roman fell aside, publicly crying on nationwide tv and forcing Kendall to talk in his place. 

On the one hand, it is utterly regular to cry at your dad’s funeral. Then again, within the patriarchal world of enterprise tycoons and fascist presidential nominees, crying is an indication of weak spot. Roman breaking down was taken as his incapacity to step as much as the duties required of him. It is utterly unfair to count on a son to not cry at his father’s funeral, not to mention any man in any scenario, however that is Succession‘s world, and it is notoriously ruthless and gendered. 

Roman’s outburst rapidly turns into a meme, with Frank (Peter Friedman), Karl (David Rasche), and Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) rewatching clips of it on-line and making enjoyable of him. The injury trickled its means onto Roman’s relationship with Mencken, who clearly turns into extra pro-Kendall, and even Shiv (Sarah Snook). This would possibly imply we will see Kendall stepping up for him — to some extent of utterly eclipsing him — within the finale. Here is why. 

Kendall is all in. 

Credit score: Macall Polay / HBO

Kendall gained in loads of methods this episode. His impromptu eulogy gained the esteemed prize for “Greatest Roy” on the funeral. He is additionally gone into full “turn into Logan” mode by hiring Logan’s former bodyguard and shut good friend, Colin (Scott Nicholson), and recruiting Hugo (Fisher Stevens) to do his bidding and regulate Shiv. Mencken even congratulated Kendall on his eulogy, calling it “excellent,” and formally passing his seal of approval onto him. However naturally, Kendall has plans of his personal. 

It is not far-fetched to imagine that Kendall needs to be the only real CEO of Waystar and is barely stringing Roman alongside briefly to oust Shiv and let the GoJo deal tank. Heck, that is precisely his plan by the appears to be like of this episode. Whereas Kendall was there for Roman as a brother throughout his outburst, he wasn’t essentially there for him as a enterprise accomplice. When Kendall confronts Roman on the funeral’s reception and hits him with “You fucked it” (plus that ruthless roast of Roman considering he is Logan however really is not), it is visibly clear that he is able to take cost as Roy-bro #1 to reinstate their declare to the throne — whether or not or not Roman is as much as the duty. 

We would see Kendall pulling all of the strings within the finale, with or with out Roman’s consent, and it is attainable that their allegiance would possibly hit a roadblock. Roman has his personal CEO aspirations, so if he bounces again, it is also attainable he would possibly stand up to his personal plans. In both situation, it feels just like the Roy-bro scenario is nearing its finish. Though the siblings would possibly nonetheless shock us with a Roy-bro reunion, it is feeling like it may be Kendall’s world vs. Roman’s once more. 

Shiv is again within the ring. 

Credit score: Macall Polay / HBO

After the explosive revelations in final week’s election episode, it appeared that Shiv was out of the CEO ring, however she’s managed to bounce again. Recognizing that Mencken would possibly really win, Shiv whips up a brand new plan that caters to him. As a substitute of getting Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) as CEO, a foreigner who contradicts Mencken’s perception in mainly making America nice once more, Shiv suggests letting the GoJo deal undergo with an American CEO in cost — herself. Whereas it is initially unclear if Mencken likes the thought, the episode ends with Matsson calling Shiv and confirming it is a go.

There’s the primary off-chance that Mencken’s taking part in them each, however there’s the extra certain probability that Shiv’s being pregnant would possibly change Mencken’s choice. I doubt somebody as conservative as Mencken would imagine that new mothers may be CEOs, and with Kendall and Roman now conscious of Shiv’s being pregnant, they will most likely reaffirm his beliefs any probability they get. There’s additionally the possibility that Kendall and Roman would possibly whip up a brand new plan to counter Shiv’s plan. And Mencken may not even win the election. Regardless of Shiv feeling safe on this non permanent settlement, there are many hurdles that may occur within the finale to overturn it. 

Evidently Succession‘s ultimate episode is gearing towards a Roy vs. Roy vs. Roy battle. Whereas the siblings began off the season collectively, in a mere two weeks (Season 4 is happening on consecutive days) they’re again to the place they had been final season. We will assume that the finale will see both a lone Roy (most likely Kendall) on a sure-fire path to the Waystar throne, or none of them in any respect, if there is a coincidence and Matsson finally ends up taking up all the pieces. Regardless of the CEO end result is, one factor’s for sure: The siblings have formally performed irreparable injury to at least one one other, and it would not seem like that’ll be mending anytime quickly. 

The ultimate season of Succession is now streaming on HBO Max(opens in a brand new tab), with new episodes airing weekly on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.