‘Succession’ Season 4: How does episode 9 set up the show’s grand finale?

The Roys sure know how to ruin a funeral.

successorIn the penultimate episode of Church and State, the Roys finally get together Logan’s (Brian Cox) funeral. Of course it’s worth an hour the most harrowing emotional stuff on tv. While the siblings mourn, they’re also (as always) in business mode, throwing all decency to the side as they willingly treat Logan’s funeral as yet another playground for their own affairs. Even the funeral eulogies become a means for the Roys to assert their claim to the Waystar throne as they compete for the most tear-jerking yet powerful speech.

Things get even worse at the funeral reception when the Roys literally crowd around their most important visitor, Jeryd MenckenJustin Kirkto win him over for both sides (aka Team Roy-Bros vs. Team Sweden). The result is a funeral full of witty one-liners and sibling betrayals that create a tense atmosphere successoris the last episode ever. Based on everything that happened in this episode, here’s what we can expect successoris the finale.

Roman is back on the sidelines.

Credit: Macall Polay/HBO

Kendall (Jeremy Strong) puts it bluntly, “You screwed it up.” While Roman (Kieran Culkin) was in overdrive election sequence of the last weekRoman finally broke down this week as he pursued his own ambitions by pressuring ATN to vouch for Mencken’s win. When Roman stepped forward to deliver his father’s eulogy on behalf of the siblings, he broke down and cried publicly on national television, forcing Kendall to speak in his place.

On the one hand, it’s perfectly normal to cry at your father’s funeral. On the other hand, in the patriarchal world of business tycoons and fascist presidential candidates, crying is a sign of weakness. Roman’s collapse was seen as his inability to cope with the tasks asked of him. It’s totally unfair to expect a son not to cry at his father’s funeral. let alone any man in any situationbut this is successoris the world, and it’s notoriously reckless and gender biased.

Roman’s outburst quickly becomes a meme, starring Frank (Peter Friedman), Karl (David Rasche) and Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) rewatches clips of it online and makes fun of him. The damage also affected Roman’s relationships with Mencken, who is clearly becoming more Kendall-friendly, and even with Shiv (Sarah Snook). That could mean Kendall will stand in for him in the finals — to the point that he completely outshines him. Here’s why.

Kendall is in on it.

Credit: Macall Polay/HBO

Kendall won in many ways in this episode. His impromptu eulogy won the prestigious award for “Best Roy” at the funeral. He’s also transitioned into “become Logan” mode, hiring Logan’s former bodyguard and close friend Colin (Scott Nicholson) and recruiting Hugo (Fisher Stevens) to accommodate his wishes and keep an eye on Shiv. Mencken even congratulated Kendall on his eulogy, calling it “perfect” and officially handing him his seal of approval. But of course, Kendall has plans of his own.

It’s not far-fetched to assume that Kendall would want to be the sole CEO of Waystar and only temporarily forces Roman to supplant and let go of Shiv the GoJo deal Tank. Hell, as it appears in this episode, that’s exactly his plan. While Kendall was there for Roman as a brother during his breakout, he wasn’t necessarily there for him as a business partner. When Kendall confronts Roman at the funeral reception, shouting “You screwed it up” (plus the ruthless tinge of Roman who thinks he’s Logan but really isn’t), it’s clear he’s ready , taking on the role of Roy’s No. 1 brother will reestablish her claim to the throne—regardless of whether Roman is up to the task or not.

We could see Kendall pulling the strings in the finale, with or without Roman’s consent, and it’s possible their loyalty may run into an obstacle. Roman has his own ambitions as CEO. So if he gets back on his feet, it’s also possible that he’ll put his own plans into action. Either way, it feels like the Roy brother situation is nearing its end. While the siblings may still surprise us with a Roy brother reunion, it feels like it’s going to be Kendall’s world vs. Roman’s world again.

Shiv is back in the ring.

Credit: Macall Polay/HBO

After the explosive revelations in last week’s election episodeIt seemed like Shiv was out of the CEO ring, but she managed to bounce back. Realizing that Mencken could actually win, Shiv devises a new plan tailored for him. Instead of using Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) as CEO, a foreigner who disagrees with Mencken’s belief in basically making America great again, Shiv suggests let the GoJo deal go through with an American CEO at the helm – herself. While it’s initially unclear whether Mencken likes the idea, the episode ends with Matsson calling Shiv and confirming it’s a try.

There is a first chance that Mencken will play against both, but there is a safer chance Shiv’s pregnancy could change Mencken’s decision. I doubt anyone as conservative as Mencken would believe that new moms can be CEOs, and now that Kendall and Roman know about Shiv’s pregnancy, they’re likely to reinforce his beliefs at every opportunity. There’s also the possibility that Kendall and Roman will hatch a new plan to counter Shiv’s plan. And Mencken might not even win the election. Although Shiv feels safe in this temporary agreement, there can be numerous hurdles in the finals that could result in it being overturned.

It appears that successorThe final episode of Roy vs. Roy vs. Roy focuses on a fight between Roy and Roy. While The siblings started the season togetherin just two weeks (Season 4 takes place on consecutive days) they are back where they were last season. We can expect either a lone Roy (probably Kendall) on his surefire way to the Waystar throne in the finale, or none of them at all when fate takes a turn and Matsson takes it all in the end. Whatever the CEO’s conclusion, one thing is certain: the siblings have officially done irreparable damage to one another, and it doesn’t look like things are going to get better anytime soon.

The last season of successor is now streaming on HBO Max(opens in a new tab)with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.