Succession S4E4 Ending: Who Will Be Waystar Royco’s Next CEO?

This week’s episode of Succession, titled “Honeymoon States” brings us some major reveals, including who could be the next CEO, more than one pregnancy tease, and how the latest events will affect the storyline moving forward.

Succession season 4 is slated to be the final season of HBO’s family drama, and with the show nearing its end, things are starting to heat up. The last episode of Succession (season 4, episode 3) featured a shocking twist, Logan Roy’s sudden death.

Episode 4 picks up after the initial emotional reactions from the Roy children. Logan has been the CEO of Waystar Royco so far, but with his death, the Roy children must take up the responsibility in their hands. Episode 4 focuses on the next steps of the Roy children, and we finally get a hint at who Loganw anted as CEO.

For your convenience, we’ve broken down everything that happened in the latest episode of Succession and how it will affect the storyline going forward.

Who is the next CEO of Waystar Royco?

You won’t believe it, and neither could I. In Succession season 4, episode 4, Kendall and Roman Roy are appointed as interim co-CEOs of Waystar Royco as per Logan’s final wishes.

Though we finally have an answer to the most important question in the series, Logan’s last decision will also have consequences. In other words, though he is gone, he isn’t fully gone.

Now that Kendall and Roman are serving as co-CEOs, Shiv Roy has been stripped off her power. In season 2, Logan told Shiv that he would want her to succeed him as CEO.

Since then, Shiv has been one of the most powerful characters in the series. However, as of now, she holds little to no power compared to her brothers. This shows how Logan manipulated her when he needed to. This will also lead to a rift between her brothers and her, especially since Shiv has always been portrayed as the most able out of three siblings to run Waystar Royco.  

Moreover, while Kendall and Roman seem happy working together as of now, their egos are bound to clash at one point of time. We’ve seen several examples of this previously on the show.

Most importantly, the board of Waystar Royco will not want to appoint two CEOs permanently, so one of them will have to step down eventually. Knowing both Kendall and Roman, neither would want to do that.

Logan Roy’s Unofficial Final Wishlist

Apart from Logan’s last wishes to appoint Ken and Roman as co-CEOs, it seems like Logan also left us an interesting list of final wishes. In the latest episode, Karl, Gerri and Frank discover this Wishlist.

We’re not sure when Logan wrote this, so it could be anytime in the past, as per this list, Logan wishes for Kendall Roy alone to be appointed as CEO. This puts Ken in a more advantageous position compared to Roman.

The episode does not explain the contents of the list completely, but much of what Logan may have wished for could prove detrimental for Waystar Royco.

The most interesting part in the list is a short note written with a pencil which says “Greg” with a question mark. Though it is not clear why Logan mentions Greg in his final wishes, the big thing is that he does.

However, the list may not stand as per present requirements and the decision to follow it most likely rests with the board. We will definitely get more clarity about this list in future episodes.

Why Did Logan Roy Mention Greg in his Final Wishes?

Despite detesting Greg throughout the series and having a messed-up relationship with him, it is surprising that Logan mentions Greg’s name in his final wishes.

When Greg’s name is mentioned, Greg wonders if his uncle had bigger plans for him, such as wanting him in the second-in-command position after Kendall. However, it is very unlikely for Logan to want that, considering his dislike for Greg.

Logan may have mentioned Greg’s name in the list because he was planning to fire him. After Greg’s roast of Logan, and his confession to having sex in his penthouse, the relationship between the two had worsened.

Logan was clearly meaning to fire him already, so the note probably was meant to remind him to just get rid of him. However, it is strange that he would include his name in a list which he intended to be followed after his death.

If he wanted to fire Greg, he could easily have done it in his lifetime. Hopefully the next few episodes can give us some clarity.

Is Shiv Roy Pregnant in Succession?

Season 4, episode 4 hints at two major pregnancies. Both Shiv Roy and Logan’s assistant, Karolina, could be pregnant.

If you notice, Shiv has not been drinking alcohol throughout season 4, indicating that she may be pregnant. In the last episode, Shiv receives a call from a doctor which further hints at her pregnancy. Sara Snook, who plays Shiv in the series, is also pregnant in real life so it makes sense for her character to be portrayed that way.

Logan’s assistant Karolina also seems to be pregnant, and with Logan’s child. In episode 4, she visits Logan’s house to pick up some medicines she had left there. She also has a conversation with Roman where she vaguely mentions some arrangements that Logan had for her.

Though much of the conversation was vague and drained out, Karolina’s pregnancy seems pretty probable. This could change a lot of things, especially if the child is Logan’s.

Will Gojo Takeover Waystar Royco?

The fate of Waystar Royco hangs in the balance as GoJo reconsiders its takeover bid in the latest episode. The deal was put on hold after the sudden death of Logan Roy.

The Roy kids, who are eager to seal the deal, try to contact Lukas Matsson, the head of GoJo, but get no response. The Roys want to secure their future with GoJo, but they may have lost their leverage without their father, setting up a new challenge for Succession season 4.

Succession S4E4 Ending: Kendall Approaches Hugo

In the last scene of episode 4, Kendall approaches Hugo and asks him to smear Logan’s name. Kendall knows about Hugo’s insider trading, and he uses this information to blackmail him. He asks Hugo to tarnish Logan’s reputation one last time, despite being CEO now.

About Succession

Succession is a satirical comedy-drama TV series created by Jesse Armstrong for HBO. The American TV series first aired on HBO on June 3, 2018 and has four seasons. 

It follows the Roy family who are owners of the conglomerate media house WayStar RoyCo. With patriarch Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) health on a steady decline, the heirs of the family business rival against each other for their rightful succession.

Part of the ensemble cast as Logan Roy’s children are Jeremy Strong playing Kendall, Kieran Culkin playing Roman, and Sarah Snook playing Siobhan.