‘Succession’: 3 Questions the HBO Show Needs to Answer After Season 3
Succession is known for its jaw-dropping drama, but the end of season 3 seriously ramped up the stakes for the Roy siblings. Following yet another attempted coup against Logan (Brian Cox), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kiernan Culkin) find themselves in a predicament heading into Succession Season 4. And their current circumstances raise a number of questions about future episodes.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Succession Season 3.]
1. What is Logan Roy’s next move?
The Succession Season 3 finale sees Logan Roy seriously considering selling Waystar Royco to GoJo. And following his interaction with his kids, it appears he intends to go through with Mattson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) proposed plan. However, that leaves questions regarding Logan’s own future at the company — and on the HBO show.
During their initial discussion about merging Waystar and GoJo, Mattson promises he’ll evaluate Logan’s current employees and do right by his legacy. But while he offers to give Roman a high-ranking position at the joint enterprise, there’s no discussion of what Logan would do next.
It’s difficult to picture Logan retiring, especially after he’s spent so much time and energy keeping himself at the top of Waystar. So, does he actually plan to hand the keys over to Mattson? Or is there a greater game at play here?
Only time will tell, but Logan’s future seems wide open after Succession Season 3. And there’s always a chance he’ll tell both Mattson and his children to f*** off.
2. How will Shiv handle Tom’s betrayal, and is he ready for it?
Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) hits Shiv with a major and unexpected betrayal at the end of Succession Season 3, and fans have to wonder how much worse their marriage will be after his big move.
The final moments of the finale suggest Shiv knows what Tom did, but she doesn’t clue him in on that. Instead, her expression turns stony, as though she’s already considering a countermove. And after growing up in the Roy family, it’s probably safe to assume that’s the case.
So, how will Shiv handle her marriage moving forward? It’s possible she’ll find a way to play the cards in her favor again. Although Tom made a smart call in the season 3 finale, he’s one of the Succession characters with the least experience playing the power game. And his feelings for Shiv leave him open to manipulation.
Will Tom lose his upper hand just as he gains some control over his situation?
3. Can the Roy siblings reclaim the company in ‘Succession’ Season 4?
Succession Season 3 concludes with the Roy siblings united, something fans of the HBO show haven’t seen up until now. Roman betrays Kendall during his attempted takeover in season 1, and Shiv has consistently been at odds with her brothers. Now that all three of them have been played by their father, they’re finally sticking together. That leaves two questions heading into season 4.
The first is whether or not their unity will last. It’s nice to see the Roys getting along, but their self-interest presents an obstacle when it comes to any long-term loyalty.
Secondly, will a united front be enough to reclaim Waystar? It didn’t work in the finale, but that doesn’t mean the trio won’t come up with another plan. Or will they create their own wealth and success as Logan suggested? That seems less likely, but they may not have a choice after the finale’s bombshell ending.
Succession Season 3 is currently streaming on HBO Max.
