REVIEW: ‘Succession,’ Season 4 Episode 1 — “The Munsters”

Succession Season 4 Episode 1 absolutely lived up to my hopes. Jesse Armstrong (series writer) left fans in the emotional ruin of the Roy siblings finally coming together to stand up to their cruel, capitalist dad Logan Roy and losing. The loss transcended familial dynamics and worried us all about Kendall Roy’s (Jeremy Strong)  sobriety, Shiv Roy’s (Sarah Snook) marriage, and the fate of the next US election.

The stakes had never been higher than in Season 3 but Succession Season 4 Episode 1 reminds us that this show will continue to surprise and stress you out. It’s Logan’s birthday again, taking us full circle at the start of the series’ final season, and it’s anything but happy. An unknown amount of time has passed since Season 3, but this does not upset the narrative. For the premiere episode, Logan is at odds with his children as Kendall, Shiv, and Roman hone their pitch for investors. All while Logan deals with an impending rival bid.

To start the season, director Mark Mylod captured the distinct documentary style that seemed to fizzle out last season. The setting is brighter with the Roy siblings in LA. Clearly, the bright colors signify the potential of something better for Kendall, Shiv, and Roy. They are divorcing their dad’s number one media conglomerate roles to take up a new project called The Hundred. Half-Baked and a Frankenstein of familiar social media platforms, they take up attempting to be their father. Despite all the time that has passed, the siblings have a clear conversation about what they want and what they’re willing to do with and for their new company.

It does not take long to see how the Roy family completely destabilizes their current work project to get into a bidding war with Logan. I wish I could tell you that I grow tired of seeing the Roy siblings engaged in out-pissing their father, but it doesn’t. The fresh dialogue is riddled with so many sharp social commentaries on how the ‘next gen’ Roys are better than Logan but still deserve to be made fun of. Words like “Substack… meet the Economist meets the New Yorker” makes you wonder what exactly is the greater good that Kendall Roy is fighting for.

This episode is much more than setting the stage for another big fight between Logan and his kids. It’s a deep dive into the very broken psyches of people attempting to gain or keep their power. Within Shiv, played by the talented Sarah Snook, and Tom, portrayed by Michael Macfadyen, we witness their devastating and heartbreaking relationship. Snook’s portrayal of the internal struggle of Shiv Roy is emotionally moving despite Shiv being one of the most powerful and greedy characters in the whole show. Macfadyen excels in keeping Tom’s pushy and overbearing nature as the central glue between the world of Logan and his children. I almost cried at how much I pitied both Shiv and Tom when they discussed how their love couldn’t seem to survive the way things were going.

Succession Season 4 Episode 1 was tense, emotional, and well worth the wait. This episode displays a nuanced portrayal of the passing of time and the way that jealousy, power, and betrayal affect how people move forward in business and in their personal lives. From Greg calling Tom and him the ‘disgusting brothers’ to the Roy children sharing a brief moment of happiness a6 their first collective win, I have no idea where this season is heading, but I am strapped in for the ride.

Succession Season 4 Episode 1 is now streaming on HBO Max with new episodes every Sunday.