Summary
- Succession season 4, episode 9 sets the stage for the series finale, featuring shocking events at Logan's funeral that change everything.
- Kendall's custody battle reveals his similarities to Logan, while Roman's emotional breakdown hurts his chances at Waystar Royco.
- The speeches at the funeral reveal the Roy siblings' disdain for their father, and the finale sets up the Kendall and Roman vs. Shiv ending.
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Succession season 4, episode 9 and the finale!
Succession season 4, episode 9 is the penultimate episode of the groundbreaking dramedy series, and it sets the stage for the series' epic conclusion. Debuting in 2018 on HBO, Succession follows the machinations of the extremely wealthy Roy family as they con and backstab their way through the world of high-stakes business. Developed for the screen by Jesse Armstrong, Succession practically drips with biting satire that lampoons the ultra-wealthy and has a lot to say about the corporate state of the world. Though a lot was left for the final episode of the show, episode 9 of season 4 was just as important in the grand scheme of things.
HBO has long been the home of amazing original content but shows like Succession take things a step further by making each episode a must-see event. Season 4 was already a wild ride, featuring massive changes in the GoJo deal, and turmoil between Shiv and Tom, but the death of Succession's antagonist Logan Roy changed everything. Succession season 4, episode 9 continued that storyline, taking place at Logan's funeral. For a family as conflicted as the Roys, Logan's funeral was never going to go well. Still, Succession season 4, episode 9 made the event more shocking than anyone could have ever imagined.
10 Kendall’s Custody Battle Proves He’s Just Like Logan
Kendall's relationship with his kids and his ex-wife Rava has been a minor storyline throughout season 4, but it becomes a major part of his character in episode 9. In the episode, it is revealed that Kendall wants to take full custody of his kids, with him even setting up an appointment with a family lawyer. Although Kendall has purportedly wanted to be different from his father, Kendall's actions regarding his kids show that he has become just like him, with Logan having similarly ripped his children away from their mother only to neglect them himself.
On top of that, Logan's demeanor towards his children is reflected through Kendall's actions towards his siblings, and he has patterned his abusive behavior after Logan's classic barbs. Unlike Logan though, Kendall doesn't have a sly answer for every challenge, and in Succession's finale, he illustrates that he isn't really as clever as his late old man. Kendall wanted full custody because he thought it would make him more like his unflinchingly ruthless father, but he was not nearly as well-equipped to take over the corporate world.
9 Why Marcia Supports Kerry At Logan's Funeral Despite Kicking Her Out Of His House
Succession season 4 all but confirmed that Kerry was sleeping with Logan before his death. This was the source of some conflict, with Marcia angrily kicking Kerry out of Logan's house after his death. However, their paths cross again at Logan Roy's funeral, and Marcia's tune has changed. This time, Marcia is supportive of Kerry, which is due to both of them realizing that they were only used by Logan. As Shiv points out, Logan Roy was terrible towards women, with an entire pew consisting of Logan's former wives and lovers at the funeral. Although they fought at first, Marcia and Kerry joined forces.
8 Roman's Speech & How It Ruined His Waystar Chances
Roman Roy was supposed to deliver a eulogy at Logan Roy's funeral in Succession season 4, episode 9, but this didn't happen. Once he got on stage, Roman immediately broke down, with his brother taking his place. It's understandable to be emotional at a father's funeral, but in the cutthroat world of Succession, that moment ruined Roman's chances of success at Waystar Royco. The video of Roman's eulogy is leaked after the funeral, and not only are Waystar employees laughing, but President Mencken is too. To them, Roman came off as weak, seriously hurting his perception.
This perception was proven correct in the finale, as his retreat to the villa was further proof that Roman just didn't have what it took to run with the big dogs in corporate America. His funeral humiliation was further compounded in the last episode when Kendall hugged him so tight his stitches popped, which was a symbol of Roman's splitting at the seams. Roman was one of Succession's more likable characters, and it was due in large part to Culkin's stunning performance. For the final season of the show, Culkin was upgraded from supporting to lead at the Emmy's which was further proof of his rise as a brilliant actor.
7 What Ewan Roy's Speech Reveals About Logan
Logan's brother Ewan delivered a surprise eulogy at Logan's funeral, and it revealed a lot about Logan. Despite the setting, Ewan doesn't hold back, putting his brother on blast. Ewan points out that Logan wanted to be perceived as generous, although he was immensely greedy, with Logan Roy's wealth far outweighing his charitable contributions. Most importantly, however, Ewan highlights that Logan stopped trying to be a good person at the end of his life, leading to immense amounts of hurt and darkness in the world.
6 What Kendall & Shiv's Funeral Speeches Really Mean
Kendall and Shiv both give speeches about their father at the funeral as well, and they are immensely revealing. Both of the Roy siblings despised their father, with them having plenty of unkind words to say about them. While their distaste for Logan seeped into their speeches, it was overpowered by a much bigger motivator: money. Kendall and Shiv's speeches are dishonest PR stunts for Waystar Royco, with them falsely hailing Logan Roy as a hero and titan of industry.
5 Connor's Tomb Reveal Makes His Funeral Speech Cut Even Sadder
At Logan's burial, Connor reveals that he knew about Logan's $5 million dollar tomb, with him being surprised that Logan didn't tell the other Roy siblings about it. Connor wanted to give a speech at the funeral, but it was cut by Shiv, and the burial detail makes this even sadder. It seems that Logan only talked about his death with Connor, showing that they may have had a stronger relationship than the other Roy siblings did.
4 Tom's Breakdown & His Relationship With Shiv
Tom also had an emotional breakdown in Succession season 4, episode 9, and it seemingly spelled a revival in his relationship with Shiv. Tom and Shiv had been struggling throughout season 4, and this emotional moment of connection temporarily fixed their relationship, with Shiv allowing Tom to sleep at the apartment. However, no good deed goes unpunished in the world of Succession which meant that none of the Roy children could really form a strong connection with anyone for too long.
Their reconnection made Tom's broadside in the last episode all the more shocking, as he essentially used sexism to oust Shiv and push himself to the top. Though it was his weakness on full display in the penultimate episode, he slyly twisted things to accentuate Shiv's perceived weaknesses, especially regarding her pregnancy. It almost came as a lesson for Shiv that opening her heart for one moment could spell doom. Much like Roman's heartfelt breakdown, Shiv brought her walls down which allowed Tom to strike.
3 Why Mencken Supports Shiv & Matsson's CEO Plan
Kendall and Roman wanted Jeryd Mencken to become Succession's president so that he would block GoJo's buyout of Waystar Royco. However, Shiv and GoJo CEO Lukas Matsson devise a way to keep the deal going. They propose to Mencken that Shiv becomes the CEO of GoJo's American operations, and Mencken seemingly supports this. Mencken's presidential platform runs on propping up American businesses and xenophobic fears of foreign tech, and this plan allows Mencken to seem like his making GoJo a strong part of America.
2 How Succession Season 4, Episode 9 Set Up For The Finale
Succession season 4, episode 9 is set against the backdrop of political unrest in the wake of Mencken's presidential election, with protestors constantly filling the streets of New York City. The episode's final scene sees Roman Roy infiltrate a crowd of protestors, with him verbally abusing and even physically assaulting some of the demonstrators. This is just a sign that the worst is yet to come, as the growing political instability and increasing likelihood of the Roys making unhinged moves means that scary things will happen in the Succession finale.
With Logan dead and buried, the penultimate episode sets up for a raucous finale by establishing all the players and positioning them for the final push for supremacy. Seeds planted throughout the episode pay off in the finale, such as Roman's emotional breakdown which hamstrings his move, and Shiv's return to Tom which is part of her undoing. Most importantly, season 4, episode 9, teaches each of the Roy siblings their most valuable lesson and ultimately inspires their choice to betray Kendall in the end.
1 Succession Set Up Its Kendall & Roman Vs Shiv Ending
While they have been constantly joining and breaking alliances with one another, Succession season 4, episode 9 finally set up the finale's Kendall and Roman vs. Shiv ending. Kendall and Roman have been firmly against the GoJo deal, but now that Shiv has seemingly kept the deal going, the two brothers are forced to fight her. Kendall and Roman decide to go to the board to take action against Shiv, and this exciting face-off is the stage for the shocking conclusion of the Succession series finale.
Of course, because Successionseason 4, episode 9 is the penultimate episode, the finale was not going to be robbed of its shocking twists and turns. In the last episode, Kendall does everything he can to undermine his alliance with Roman by treating him just as poorly as Logan did, and the final humiliation is clearly what flipped him to the other side. The siblings temporarily form a triumvirate out of solidarity, but Kendall is betrayed in the end by his siblings both because of his own doing and as a measure of revenge against their father.