Succession’s final season delivered.
The much-anticipated series finale of HBO’s masterful series brought to a close the fourth and final season of the show, which had already given viewers some tremendous moments. This means it’s time to go ahead and rank the last 10 episodes of the beloved Jesse Armstrong comedy-drama series.
It wouldn’t be Succession without some jockeying and competition and we can definitively state that Season 4 is among the series’ best. Ending a series in its prime is a bold choice but it’s better to go out on top than to overstay your welcome.
None of the episodes in this season were bad per se, as even the quieter episodes were setting us up for an explosive and powerful ending. So if the ones you loved end up further down the list than you may personally like, it doesn’t mean they didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The writers and creators made each second count this season.
With that context aside, here’s our ranking of all the Season 4 episodes, from worst to best. Oh, and it goes without saying, but anticipate massive spoilers for the show below.
10. “Rehearsal” (Season 4, Episode 2)
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The One Where: The kids go to karaoke
As energizing as Logan’s final moments in ATN are—and it does provide Brian Cox with one last blusterous speech—what stands out about “Rehearsal” are the quiet moments with the Roy patriarch and his kids. It’s here where Logan, for maybe the first (and certainly the last) moment in his life, tries to do right by Connor (Alan Ruck), Ken (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin).
The scene in the karaoke room where he states that his kids (btw, it’s nice to have them together and getting along—really for the first time since Shiv’s wedding) are not “serious people” is one hell of a final goodbye, but in the wake of everything that’s followed since Logan’s death, was he entirely wrong?
The One Where: The kids buy Pierce
Succession premieres are typically propulsive affairs, and “The Munsters” is no exception as audiences pick up with the full Roy group a few months after the incredible triumph of the Season 3 finale.
While it’s difficult to follow that previous episode and also successfully start a final season, “The Munsters” feels like Succession’s version of an Ocean’s movie; the kids working to outmaneuver Logan conveys the same tension and thrills of a good heist flick. Bold, fresh, and exciting, it’s hard to continue to find new gears in a fourth season premiere, but “The Munsters” makes that effort feel breezy.
The One Where: The Roys go to California
An absolute standout episode for Jeremy Strong, “Living+” is the first real public-facing outing for Kendall as CEO…and he kind of nails it? The most cringe-inducing episode of the season (like many viewers, I watched it through my fingers), Kendall and Roman scheme and plan ways to make Waystar strong enough to withstand the impending GoJo deal. It’s Roy shit-shoveling at its finest.
The One Where: Everyone attends Logan’s wake
While “Connor’s Wedding” deals with the immediate emotional fallout from Logan’s death, “Honeymoon States” deals with the professional stakes as Schrödinger’s pencil mark on a piece of paper left by Logan determines the fate of Waystar. The two concurrent plots in this episode—the matter of succession (ayyyy) and seeing how the whole of the show’s characters continue to react to Logan’s passing—set the table for the remaining part of the season in a grippingly entertaining fashion.
6. “Kill List” (Season 4, Episode 5)
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The One Where: The Roys go on a retreat
Any culture shock is always ripe for exploration if tackled in a savvy way. Needless to say, dropping all of the movers and shakers of Waystar into the Norwegian woods in “Kill List” results in some of the season’s funniest moments. But it also provides a standout sequence for Kieran Culkin as his character Roman takes Matsson to task on the mountaintop. It also provides our first look into Matsson’s bizarro behavior and an indication that he’s hiding some skeletons of his own. Even with a few weeks of hindsight, “Kill List” is proving to be a critical piece to understanding the arc of this final season.
5. “Tailgate Party” (Season 4, Episode 7)
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The One Where: Shiv and Tom have it out
Sure, there might be a bit of recency bias here, but Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook’s work in the last 15 minutes of “Tailgate Party” will likely score them both Emmys, as Shiv and Tom have their Marriage Story moment on the penthouse patio. Bolstered by some truly incredible writing, the pair go for the jugular, trading barbs in a fight where both sides have some solid points about the other.
It’s the kind of a fight that’s only possible if you intimately know someone and the resulting emotional chaos is devastating. Oh, and it’s also the episode where audiences finally get a look into the shady dealings of Matsson. The result is an all-killer, no-filler installment that will loom large as the series draws to a close.
4. “Church and State” (Season 4, Episode 9)
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The One Where: Logan has his funeral
“Church and State” is another masterclass in acting performances from Culkin, Snook, and Strong, each of whom turns in some of their absolute finest as the day finally arrives to bury their father. What unfolds is the Roys at their most cutthroat: Kendall pulling aside an openly (emotionally) wounded Roman to tell him how much he messed up in getting worked up at the funeral is brutal, even by Succession standards. Plus, it elegantly sets the stage for the explosive finale with a masterful stroke.
3. “America Decides” (Season 4, Episode 8)
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The One Where: Roman and Kendall elect a fascist
We’ve always seen how the Roy family was able to wield their power, but the most egregious display comes in “America Decides.” It’s election night in America, and the impending GoJo deal needs to be snuffed out, which means that Roman, Kendall, and Shiv have to back the horse most willing to acquiesce to their desires to kill the deal. Once Mencken (Justin Kirk) appears to have the lead (or enough of a lead that a credible news organization like ATN can use to make the win a reality), it comes down to whether or not Kendall and Shiv are comfortable enough to get in bed with a fascist. The way their decision comes down is tense and stomach-turning, bearing forth the worst aspects of what those in power due to ensure that they will continue to hold onto it.
2. “With Open Eyes” (Season 4, Episode 10)
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The One Where: A successor is chosen
It’s always hard to judge where a series finale will rank within the pantheon of other finales and within the ranking of the show itself, so “With Open Eyes” may ultimately find itself worthy of top placement on this list—but it’s a little too early to tell whether or not that’s the case. Without a doubt, however, “Eyes” is a deeply satisfying conclusion to Armstrong’s story that also highlights the series’ cyclical nature and shows what happens when that repetition finally breaks. The resulting fates of Kendall, Roman, and Shiv are darkly fitting, each trapped in prisons of their own making. In this way, “Eyes” is a captivating mirror for its characters and the whole series itself.
1. “Connor’s Wedding” (Season 4, Episode 3)
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The One Where: Logan Dies
Whew. Where to start with “Connor’s Wedding?” Easily Succession’s finest hour, the death of Logan Roy is the defining event of the series—the moment that’s loomed largest over the series. We all knew this moment would eventually arrive, but who could have guessed that it would come so early in the final season and be executed in such an affecting way? Logan’s death doesn’t follow the traditional trappings of a television death. There’s no goodbye, no big montage, no lingering shot over the body. It’s quick, sudden, and unexpected, and denies viewers and the kids any sort of closure. But it was always inevitable. And in that regard, it feels the closest to real life that Succession has ever felt.
With masterful direction from Mark Mylod, Armstrong’s finest script, and top-notch performances, this is Succession at its absolute best.
