Succession power rankings: Always leave 'em wanting more

The shocking twist in season four, episode three, radically changes the power dynamics for the remainder of the series

By Cindy White | April 11, 2023 | 12:00pm

TV Features Succession

Succession power rankings: Always leave 'em wanting more

Fisher Stevens, Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO

After such a magnificently heartbreaking episode of television, it feels a little strange to come back to these weekly Succession power rankings as if they have the same meaning in a world without Logan Roy (Brian Cox). But like the kids, we have to consider both the personal and business implications of his death. Who stands to gain the most from his absence? Who lost a valuable ally (or meal ticket)? What does this mean for Waystar Royco and the impending acquisition by GoJo? For sentimental reasons, we’re including the big man one last time in this ranking list—he did, after all, make a few final, dynamic moves in the episode’s opening minutes—before taking him off the board for good. Unless, of course, he turns out to be just as powerful in death as he was in life. If anyone could accomplish that, it would be Logan.

10. Kerry Castellabate

Previous ranking: 8 (down two spots)Barring a dramatic surprise, like a secretly amended will or a pregnancy, Logan’s death leaves poor Kerry (Zoe Winters) with nothing but a humiliating audition tape and wasted ambition. She stepped on a lot of toes to insinuate herself between him and the rest of the world, counting on his support. That support is now gone. Her reaction to his death was a natural mixture of disbelief and hysteria, but her inability to keep it together didn’t go over well with Logan’s seasoned inner circle. Kerry—or “Chuckles the Clown,” as Karl (David Rasche) dismissively called her—was clearly in no state to be part of the official response team. Whatever power her previous status as Logan’s “friend, assistant, and advisor” may have granted her while he was alive, that won’t mean a whole lot now.

9. Greg Hirsch

Previous ranking: 6 (down three spots)According to Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), Logan didn’t want Greg (Nicolas Braun) coming with them on the plane to Sweden because he found him “visually aggravating.” Even Tom had found some new “Greglets” to “Greg” for him on the trip, so Logan’s death may prove to be a setback for his great nephew’s career ambitions. It might actually be worse than that, since none of the other family members have any respect for him. Tom did call him later in the episode to ask him to delete some important files from his computer (did he not learn his lesson the last time he asked Greg to dispose of sensitive materials?) and get his side of the story out, so he may still be of some use to him. Tom seems inclined to continue bringing Greg up the ladder with him, though it’s not clear how much power either of them will have in a post-Logan world.

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8. Gerri Kellman

Previous ranking: NoneWelcome to the power list for the first time this season, Gerri (we honestly expected to see you here sooner). There’s no proof that Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) wished death upon Logan right after Roman (Kieran Culkin) awkwardly delivered the message that she was out, but the timing is interesting. Maybe Gerri is far more powerful than we realized. In any case, the firing may be irrelevant now. Roman was probably right about it being a loyalty test. Now they can both ignore it and pretend like it never happened. By the end of the episode, she was right there in the mix with Karolina (Dagmara Dominczyk), Karl, and the rest of the Old Guard coming up with a statement and figuring out the next steps for the company. To Gerri, this is “nothing at all.”

7. Tom Wambsgans

Previous ranking: 4 (down three spots)In his call with Greg, Tom admitted that he lost his “protector” when Logan died, and that he was “not okay.” Those two instincts represent the dueling impulses Tom’s working through during the whole ordeal. On a personal level, he’s deeply saddened. It’s traumatic watching someone you’re close to die, and listening to his family members struggle to find the right final words to say to him over a crappy cell phone connection. But Tom’s also got to think of the professional implications, too. He chose Logan over his wife at the end of the previous season. Now his marriage is ending, and for what? His position in the company has never been more tenuous. His saving throw is to try and get his story out and spread the word that he was with Logan at the end, but that might not make much of a difference when the knives come out. He’s going to need a better plan.

6. Siobhan “Shiv” Roy

Previous ranking: 5 (down one spot)Shiv (Sarah Snook) came out of the season premiere looking strong, but it’s been all downhill for her since then. She continues to sink this week, though this time it’s through no fault of her own. All of the kids dealt with Logan’s death in their own way; Shiv’s was to have a quietly intense meltdown (the way Snook folds and smoothes the tissues on her lap is an incredibly deft touch). She’s the last to hear, having been the sibling designated to deliver the news to Connor that their father was headed to Sweden instead of his wedding, and she won’t let them forget it. The emotional whiplash between losing a father to having to think of it as a “material event” that affects the company hits her the hardest. Of the three of them, she seems like the least equipped to compartmentalize the loss going forward.

5. Roman Roy

Previous ranking: 3 (down two spots)Roman’s reaction to the news mirrored that of many in the audience: denial. This couldn’t actually be happening, right? Not to Logan. It had to be some kind of trick. Roman wouldn’t believe his father was actually dead until he saw the body (he was the only one of the kids to actually do so). He may never know whether the last words his father heard from him were asking if he was a cunt. All that aside, Roman may have an advantage over his siblings when it comes to the business. Matsson likes him, or at least likes him better than his old man. We’ll see if that gives him an advantage moving forward.

4. Kendall Roy

Previous ranking: 2 (down two spots)We’re giving Kendall the edge over his siblings because he managed to keep the clearest head (relatively speaking) for most of the episode. Almost as soon as he gets the call from Tom, he goes into fact-finding mode. There’s not much he can do, so he asks questions and gathers information, to the point of getting Logan’s doctor on the phone and demanding to speak to the pilot. He’s the one to remind his siblings that their every move from this moment on will be scrutinized, and possibly misinterpreted. “What we do today will always be what we did the day our father died,” he says with conviction. He also gets points for not forgiving his father, even on his deathbed. Logan didn’t deserve it, and not even death could change that.

3. Lukas Matsson

Previous ranking: 9 (up six spots)While everyone is grieving the death of “an American titan” and “a beloved father” in their own special way, tech mogul Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) is probably celebrating his good fortune at his very comfortable home in Sweden. In a matter of hours, he went from having to play hardball over the details of the Waystar Royco deal to likely being able to pick it up for a bargain, with whatever terms and conditions he wants. He wasn’t that fond of Logan anyway. Now, instead of going up against him, he’ll be facing his lieutenants and an unserious trio of children playing at being big shots. He might end up being the person to benefit the most from Logan’s death, with zero emotional stakes.

2. Connor Roy

Previous ranking: 7 (up five spots)We know it’s weird to see Connor shoot up the ranking this week, but based on this episode alone we have to give him the advantage over the rest of the Roy clan. After a brief moment of regret that he’d never have a chance to make his father proud, Connor was ready to move on with his life and marry Willa. The event actually prompted an important and honest conversation they needed to have with each other, and they came out on the other end stronger for it. Their private marriage ceremony proved to be the one bright spot in an episode full of anguish. Maybe it won’t last, but as of the end of this episode, Connor is in a pretty good place.

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