Why did Shiv do that in Succession’s final ever episode?

Succession finale spoilers follow.

We’re all grieving. The Roys are still grieving their father after his surprise death earlier in the season, and now we’re also grieving the end of Succession itself, one of the greatest shows to ever air on TV.

But even before Logan’s death, grief was always the driving factor here.

Over four seasons, the unholy trio at the heart of this story have always been mourning what they don’t have, be it the childhood they never got to enjoy or the love that was held back by their mother and father alike.

That’s why they all wanted to take over the family company so badly, especially in these final episodes leading up to the Waystar-GoJo Deal. To lose now would be to lose the one thing that still mattered in their father’s legacy, the one thing that could truly fill the absence of his love that was first felt long before he died.

Nothing else matters at this point.

And it’s at this desperate moment we reunite with the Roys one last time, weeks after the funeral and just one day before the deal is supposed to go through.

Succession series ending explained

HBO

While Kendall scrambles his forces in a desperate bid to stop the deal from being finalised, Shiv is on a mission to do the exact opposite. By helping Matsson secure the Roy empire, she’ll have an important seat at the table thanks to her new pending position as US CEO. “Pending” is the operative word here though, as Matsson clearly has doubts about her in this role.

And regardless of the reasons he will give later, we all know it’s because Matsson’s pathetic grip on manhood can’t handle the wider perception that Shiv is in control here, pulling strings like the cartoon he apparently has no issues with.

Meanwhile, Roman is hiding away with his mum following a breakdown after the funeral and that sadomasochistic leap into the protest. Caroline calls Shiv up to let her know, and after Kendall gets wind of this too, the siblings all converge to try and sway Roman over to secure the vote they need.

“Let’s bag him and tag him,” says Kendall in perhaps the most callous throwaway line this show has ever seen. And that’s saying something.

With her children reunited together under her roof for once, Caroline doesn’t want the “thumbscrews” out, but Kendall goes in all guns blazing anyway, thumbscrew at the ready.

Shiv and Kendall quickly get into it, with Shiv (rightly!) pointing out that “you grabbed the crown and pushed me out, so I don’t know why I’m the c**t here?”

To which Ken replies, “C**t is as c**t does,” which really is one for the history books, however you look at it. This misogyny will come into play later in a big way of course, but for now, Shiv declares that she’s already won, which means of course that she won’t win. Not in a traditional sense, anyhow.

Because just as this Roy sibling fight gets underway, Matsson is meeting up with Tom to suggest a proposition:

“[Shiv’s] smart, but I have plenty of ideas. I don’t know if I need more ideas.”

Translated from Swedish into English, this essentially reads as, “Shiv has too many ideas and I don’t like it because she’s a woman. I’d rather just have sex with her.”

So instead, Matsson says, “Why don’t I get the guy who put the baby inside of her instead of the baby lady?”

Home Box Office

Yep, Matsson wants Tom to replace Shiv as the new frontrunner for this new CEO position, and slimy old Tom doesn’t even hesitate. Not for one second. He’s practically salivating as the words, “I could do it, I could definitely do it,” escape his thin lips.

Afterwards, the “pain sponge” as he will be referred to from here on out tells Greg that their futures are looking safe moving forward, although Greg will be “castrated on pay.”

Greedy Greg — “the world’s highest paid assistant” — doesn’t love the sound of that, so he calls Kendall to tell him that Shiv’s out of the running and take down some solar systems “in the centre of the fucking universe”. His words, not ours. And it’s all thanks to some sneaky Google Translating.

Not only does this help Ken avoid an award business pitch during dinner, one with the “creamiest” of margins, but it also gives him the upper hand he needs over Shiv.

Sidebar: Remember that guy at the end of the very first episode? The one who said to Ken “I’ll eat you all” in revenge for what the Roys did to him? Well, apparently Lawrence Yee, as he’s known, is now also in the running for Matsson’s US CEO.

For now though, let’s focus on how Shiv’s actual soul is destroyed by the news that Matsson is preparing to betray her. Shiv doesn’t actually believe Ken though until a draft announcement is revealed with her name retracted. It’s there in black and white, as clear as day.

It’s then that a new plan forms, one where the Roys will form a united front. Again. But this time, Ken has to be the one voted in to lead and him alone. Shiv isn’t a realistic choice because she was singing Matsson’s praises right up until the very last moment, and Roman isn’t viable either because he’s “pathetic,” in the words of Kendall, brother of the year.

It’s then we hear that Logan promised Roman the keys to the kingdom before he died, but Shiv points out that no one was actually around to hear that. That’s when Kendall reveals he was told he’d take over at the tender age of 7, which honestly explains so much about his twisted neuroses and sad boy energy.

Kendall suggests going for a swim, because diving into water worked so well for him at the end of season one. This gives Roman and Shiv a chance to meet privately and talk while it also gives Jeremy Strong a chance to show off his pecs.

At this point, a key idea forms in their minds, that they could get out now, just “shut up shop and give away the keys.” But, for now at least, Kendall taking over the family business seems like the best option that’s available to them.

HBO/ David M. Russell

“I hate him, but I fear you,” Shiv tells Roman. “He would be unbearable and you would be a disaster.”

“It will be terrible,” Roman agrees, “it will, but unfortunately, I can see it.”

They then start to joke that they should just off Kendall by giving him a “bonk on the noggin with a coconut.” Those British roots are really coming through at this point. But as they rightly point out, Ken would be “so annoying” if he ended up surviving.

Yet more foreshadowing, methinks. For now though, the big takeaway is that Shiv and Roman are actually getting along for a change, laughing and joking in the way that only siblings or very close friends do.

That bond continues to firm up when they tell Ken that they are finally on side and wish to anoint him as “King”.

“You can smile, bitch,” says Shiv, and then something miraculous happens. Our resident sad boy actually does crack a smile, which makes what’s to come even more heartbreaking.

In the kitchen, Shiv and Roman prepare a f**ked up smoothie that’s “fit for a king”, combining tabasco sauce, smelly cheese – “I am so sorry mummy, I licked it all over!” — and even Shiv’s spit, which is extremely telling when it comes to the underlying tension that lurks behind even these rarer, happy moments.

The Roy kids all regress into the children they once were with silly voices and an even sillier game. They’ve always been giant immature babies at heart, incapable of actually leading anyone with any real skill, but crucially, this scene also reminds us of the childhood they lost and the joy that was robbed from them when Logan turned them all into rivals before they could even walk.

The next day, everyone heads over to their father’s house where Connor has arranged all of Logan’s belongings for them to claim using stickers. Well, everything except for daddy’s medals, which Connor shotgunned in the first walk-around AKA before everyone else showed up.

It’s during this visit that we learn Connor and his wife will soon be going long distance when he ends up working in Slovenia. This means their loveless arrangement will now continue on indefinitely as this is the last we’ll ever see of the pair.

HBO

There’s also a “virtual dinner with Pop” which appears on screen and reduces the kids to tears. You didn’t think we’d finish Succession without Daddy Roy popping up one last time?

Tears of a different kind threaten to come though when Tom wishes Shiv luck and inadvertently reveals that he’s going to be the one taking her job with Matsson. And what’s worse is he tries to convince Shiv to vote in his favour before she realises what’s really going on.

It wouldn’t be a season finale without some disgusting behaviour from one half of The Disgusting Brothers, eh?

Shiv, refusing to admit that she would have probably done the same thing had the tables been turned, storms off to tell the others what’s happening, which galvanises both sides into action.

Realising that this could give Shiv’s side the edge they need to win, Tom freaks out on Greg, and then things get physical when Greg slaps Tom back. All these years of pent-up resentment and maaaybe sexual tension finally come to a head.

Speaking of, when everyone arrives at Waystar HQ ahead of the vote, Ken’s old pal Stewy pops by and we get confirmation that he likes to kiss guys. Apparently, it’s only when he’s on molly, but it’s a win for Succession’s surprisingly large queer fandom, nonetheless.

Has Stewy made out with Ken in the past? Quite possibly, but there’s no time to dwell on this or even Karolina trying to get Hugo fired, because it’s time for another Kieran Culkin Emmy Showcase™ in the form of that breakdown Roman has in Ken’s arms.

What starts off as unsettling and then turns touching soon goes full circle into disturbing again when Roman, obsessed with how people will perceive his scar, has to deal with Ken suddenly rubbing his wound as hard as he can during their hug.

Bad vibes, man.

Speaking of bad vibes, the board meeting finally kicks off then, the one we’ve been building to all season, and it’s a doozy.

Ken makes his case as quick as he can, hoping for a round of no’s before anyone can change their mind. Stewy is “Team Ken, baby,” and so are half the other people in the room. With six yeses and six no’s, including one from Roman, everything then falls on Shiv’s shoulders.

And then she just walks out without giving an answer either way.

Why did Shiv betray Kendall?

HBO

Shiv holds the deciding vote, but despite agreeing to Ken’s plan, she runs out the first chance she can get to think and maybe reconsider her stance.

According to Ken, a vote against him would be a vote “against yourself,” but Shiv disagrees, telling him that she simply doesn’t think he would be a good CEO. Girl has a point, but that’s not the real reason why she’s beginning to change her mind.

“If I don’t get to do this, that’s it. I might die,” says Ken. Shiv doesn’t care about that though. She’s been betrayed one too many times herself, and the pressure of being the one who has to crown Ken with that final vote is just too much for her.

All season long, and for her entire life really, Shiv has fought to be recognised as someone powerful, someone worthy enough to succeed her father. But the patriarchy’s gonna patriarchy, so Ken wins out. Again. Except, Shiv realises this time that she holds the power to stop him for good. If Shiv can’t win, why should Ken?

Whether it’s all as petty as that or whether Shiv actually wants to break the cycle Waystar has long held over them will be debated for years to come, but what’s clear is that what happens next was the thing that tipped Shiv over the edge, confirming her vote against Ken.

When Shiv tells him “you can’t be CEO because you killed someone,” Ken answers: “Which one?” Like he’s killed multiple people.

In season three, Ken’s confession over the waiter’s death in season one is what finally bonds them, so for him to deny it now, not mention this new idea of another secret murder, is the thing that ends up severing this bond for good.

By walking back his confession, Kendall is proving that he cares more about the crown than them, so why should Shiv let him have it? If she’s losing anyway, she might as well pick the side which could benefit her most. And that’s her husband, even if he is also prone to a cheeky betrayal ever now and again too.

Earlier on in the episode, Shiv asks Tom if there were “any positives about the nightmare we shared?” AKA their marriage. Now that they’ve said the worst things to each other, they’re finally free to be their true selves together. At least, that’s what Shiv thought at the time.

With Tom’s new betrayal, that’s all up in the air again, but that doesn’t matter. Shiv clearly loves Tom still, and with their baby also on the way, the smartest move was to align herself with him, regardless of whether trust can ever be re-established or not.

You could also argue that by denying Ken the crown, Shiv’s saving him from becoming their father while also helping to end the cycle that almost consumed all three of them. Kendall then proves he was never worthy anyway by physically attacking Roman immediately after a jibe about his kids, threatening to rip his brother’s face open like a watermelon.

HBO

Clearly, Kendall wasn’t ready to take over, and the truth is that none of them were. Their childish bickering and playground bullying might have been instilled in them from a young age, but there’s no place for such immature behaviour at a professional workplace like Waystar, Boar on the Floor be damned!

With the votes now tallied, the deal goes through and Waystar ends up in Matsson’s grimy hands with Tom leading as US CEO. Ken leaves the building, a broken man, as Tom tells Greg who he’s keeping on board through this new transition.

Gerri is safe, because Gerri is an absolute queen, but Carl and Terry are out — “I don’t need those two old c**ts on my shoulder.” But what about Greg, the scourge of solar systems everywhere?

“You are a fucking piece of shit,” Tom tells Greg, “but I got you.” And with that, Tom literally claims Greg using one of the stickers Connor gave everyone to use for picking items in Logan’s home.

Reluctantly, Roman then signs the deal with Matsson in front of everyone, so is that it? Did everyone lose? Well, that depends on how you look at it.

Tom technically “won”, obviously, but this can only be a good thing for Roman too. His edges were starting to fray and the cracks have long shown, so being freed of this dynasty and the unbearable weight of it all is the best thing for him. Notice that smile when he takes a drink at the end? Roman knows it too.

Shiv’s ending is a bit more complicated for the reasons outlined above. In her final shot, she and Tom hold hands in the back of the car together, but it’s not a loving moment. You don’t need to be a tabloid body language expert to see that any bond they have is hanging by a thread. At least she’s decided this fate on her own terms though, holding onto the little power she’s managed to accumulate as a woman in this deeply misogynistic, messed up world.

And what about Kendall?

In an echo of Logan’s journey in the season four premiere, Ken walks through a nearby park and sits down on a bench with his father’s former bodyguard in tow.

He’s lost everything: his wife, his children, his father’s company, and most importantly of all, his belief in himself. Ken’s a shadow of his father, a faded, empty version that will never amount to the real thing. And as he suggested in his argument with Shiv, this could very well be the thing that kills him.

But we won’t get to see that, or even know if it will happen for certain, because that’s when the credits roll in, leaving all three children various states of mourning more intense than ever before. But at least now they’re free, whatever that might mean for each of them as individuals.

Succession season 4 airs on HBO in the US, and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

Warner Bros/HBO Succession: Season 1 [DVD]

Now 16% Off

Credit: HBOWarner Bros/HBO Succession: Season 2 [DVD]

Now 30% Off

Credit: HBOWarner Bros/HBO Succession Season 3 [DVD]

Now 30% Off

Credit: HBOQuercus Putting the Rabbit in the Hat by Brian Cox

Now 34% Off

Credit: Quercus

David Opie is a freelance entertainment journalist who has previously been Acting TV Editor and Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy. David’s passions include horror, superheroes and LGBTQ+ TV, which is why he longs to see a Buffy-themed Rusical on Drag Race.