Succession is finally back on our screens for its fourth and final season, marking the beginning of the end for the Roys.
As a way of mourning celebrating one of our favourite shows coming to a close, each week we'll be recapping the key moments of the episode, plus analysing how each character fared with our power rankings.
In a full circle moment, Episode 1: The Munsters mirrors the series pilot, with Logan celebrating another lap around the sun.
But this time, the guest list couldn't be more different, with the majority of his children absent (and no, "honorary kid" Cousin Greg doesn't count.)
While the Waystar Royco patriarch contemplates the fact he's another year closer to death (arguably a preferable alternative to mingling at his own birthday party) Kendall, Roman and Shiv are a world away from Logan's mahogany-walled, New York apartment, instead plotting their revenge in a sun-drenched location on the West coast.
Speaking of…
We need to talk about the Roy kids screwing over Logan
Our golden trio went full beast when they got wind that Papa Roy was just about to acquire Waystar's longtime competitor Pierce Global Media (PGM), helmed by matriarch Nan Pierce.
Even though Tom betrayed Shiv at the end of season three, he (deliberately?) gave her the intel on PGM deal when he told her he was having drinks with Naomi Pierce, Kendall's ex (messy!).
A stressful bidding war commences, with the warring Roys throwing around billions like handballs.
But it's the kids who ultimately say the bigger number, prying PGM out of Logan's grip for a whopping $10 billion.
We can't not talk about Greg's 'accidental sex tape'
Whether Logan really does have cameras installed up the whazoo doesn't matter.
What matters is that Tom made Greg think he does, allowing him to well and truly mess with the other half of "the disgusting brothers" after Greg reveals he hooked up with his new girlfriend, Bridget, in a guest bedroom during the party.
In true Succession style, the situation gets more shambolic when Greg natively demands, in the middle of the bidding war, that he owns up to the tape.
"[Logan] says he finds me disgusting and despicable, but he kind of smiled," Greg tells Tom afterwards, before giving us one of the best lines of the episode:
"I said ... maybe she'd had a bit of the ol' whacky-tobacky or worse, and that I never intended to soil these halls."
Let's talk power rankings
Succession is all about shifting power dynamics, so here's where we think each character ended up after episode 1, from most to least powerful.
For the record: Logan is still arguably more powerful than his children, but he's also miserable.
Shiv
Sure, her personal life is in tatters, and she more than likely overpaid for PGM just out of spite, but Shiv can still call this a win. Interestingly, while she has always navigated male-dominated spaces, it was Nan who wanted to speak to Shiv and Shiv only about the deal at first, allowing her to lead the negotiations instead of her brothers.
Kendall
Kendall loves nothing more than getting back at Logan, and he came out on the winning side despite probably not fully thinking the deal through. But on a personal note, Kendall seems closer than ever to his siblings — despite Shiv saying he could go on a killing spree in a 7-11 at any moment.
Roman
Roman said it best when he said he just wanted to start a business to run a business, not get back at Logan or Tom. But being in a trio means he'll continue to get outnumbered by Shiv and Kendall, which could lead him to go crawling back to his Dad. After all, he hates conflict.
Gerri
With respect, Gerri, Karl and Frank are interchangeable in this sense. But this week's special mention goes to Gerri, our unproblematic queen who wields corporate language to deflect conflict as only a seasoned professional can. When the boys try to rope her into negotiations? "This is beyond my purview, and I'm walking away." She also appeared to escape The Roast of Logan Roy scot-free (no one else would know Logan was referring to those photos from Roman), which is more than Greg can say.
Greg
Despite Tom telling Greg his girlfriend made him "a laughing stock of polite society", Greg survived the "tape" scandal relatively well, until Logan demanded he roasts him. "Where are your kids, Uncle Logan, on your big birthday?" Greg attempts, only to be shot down when Logan replies: "Where's your old man?" Could we learn more about Greg's background this season?
Kerry
There's nothing like the grown children of your boss, who you're currently in a relationship with, tearing strips off you in a group call. Kerry is languishing near the bottom this week, but she's one of the closest people to Logan and can't be underestimated – until Logan decides he's done with her.
Tom
Tom lost the deal Logan really didn't want to lose, his wife asked for a divorce in their devastating yet terribly communicated exchange, and Greg decided to break up their bromance by bringing his new girlfriend to Logan's birthday. Not a good week to be a Wambsgans.
Connor
The oldest Roy son has 1 per cent of support for his presidential campaign and he's clinging to it with his fingernails. He cements himself on the second-lowest rung this week when he considers throwing another $100 million at his campaign because "if I were to fall under 1 per cent I would become a laughing stock". Willa bites her tongue, even though she's staring down the barrel of a wedding under the Statue of Liberty in a bid for free publicity.
Logan
If it wasn't already obvious that a show called Succession is ending, this episode drove home the fact that the sun is setting on Logan's time at the top. He contemplated what comes after death (he doesn't think there's much) and tried to find a sense of control after losing the PGM deal by ending his birthday watching ATN News and barking orders at an executive. He may have lost this battle, but there's still a war to win.
Notes and observations:
- New season, new opening title sequence clips! That shot of the swimming pool gives huge Mar-a-Lago vibes, and the looming election was mentioned multiple times in this episode, giving this season a more political edge than ever before.
- Naomi's new hair is giving Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown.
- Did you know that every season finale episode of Succession is named after a line from this John Berryman poem from 1964? While we don't yet know the name of the final episode, it's an interesting creative choice that we thought was worth investigating.
- Calling it now: Sarah Snook is getting that Emmy.
Before we go, test yourself with our weekly quiz
In honour of Succession's scriptwriting, can you remember who said this line? Test yourself, and we'll catch you next week for episode 2!
