Succession Season 4 Review: The Modern Shakespearean Tragedy Lives Up To The Hype With One Last Hurrah

In the wake of a disastrous dinner scene — packed with mortifying mistakes, withering stares, and strategic fumbles — a smirking Naomi Pierce once summed up the appeal of "Succession" in a single sentence: "Watching you people meltdown is the most deeply satisfying activity on planet Earth." She certainly wasn't wrong. The Roy family is indeed a trainwreck, constantly on the verge of imploding. A scathing satire of wealth and media, this series revels in their frequent stupidity. Along with the one-liners and full-throttle drama, watching them fall apart at the seams is deeply entertaining. But as the series enters its fourth and final season, Naomi's statement grows more complex. Is it still satisfying to watch the Roys meltdown?

Satisfaction is not the way I'd describe the feeling that rippled through the audience when the third season came to a close. After years of seeing one another as competition for the throne, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) finally banded together — but before their brighter future was realized, their scheme turned to ash in their hands. Season 3 concluded with the trio defeated by their father, emotionally devastated by the loss, and barely able to swallow the reality of Waystar being taken out of family hands. Watching them lose was an emotional rollercoaster. The closest we came to satisfaction was not in the meltdown, but in the lead-up: when they decided to join forces and their future seemed, briefly, bright.

The real appeal of "Succession" is that this show, which never ceases to eviscerate the Roys and everything they represent, is also capable of immense pathos. Against all odds, we are rooting for them. Though this show has always been about wealth, media conglomerates, and the hollow hope of American capitalism, it's mostly about a family: a tyrant father and his quartet of disappointing children.

With each episode digging deeper into the dysfunctional Roy family, the fourth and final season of "Succession" proves what we assuredly already knew: this is one of the greatest shows currently on TV. The writing is sharp, the performances are breathtaking, and the direction is stunning. Everything is effective and precise, not a single aspect is out of step. And if you think you know where it's going, just remember that the writers are always 10 steps ahead. Only the first four episodes of the final season were made available to critics and amongst them is one of the greatest episodes this show has ever produced. Tragic as it may be to bid "Succession" farewell, the season gives off the impression that it was destined to end here, like this. And for our troubles, no punches are pulled, no territory unexplored, not a single breath is wasted. If this show is going out, it's with an unforgettable bang.

When the season begins, Kendall, Shiv, and Roman are more of a united force than ever before... which is to say, that although they are putting their heads together, making plans for the future, and trying to crawl out from beneath their dad's shadow, they are still taking other calls. They are making backup plans, securing lifeboats, and considering what they might do if it all falls apart. They are their father's children: scarred, untrustworthy, and deeply selfish. Speaking of Logan (Brian Cox), they are also under the delusion that they've already escaped his grasp. By enacting their plan in the first place, they have severed ties and given up all hope of being chosen as his successor — but even so, every maneuver they make is with him in mind. Every opportunity to screw him over is seized without a second thought.

Unbeknownst to the trio, they are so far from being free. So goes the cycle of abuse. Whatever else they are, they never stop being his children. Logan Roy may be a titan in their media landscape and a beast in every boardroom, but he is first and foremost the abrasive father who his children resent, cower before, and desperately seek the approval of. He is inescapable.

This is our fourth time around this bend: once again, the Roys are at war, trying to seize control and prove their father wrong. But everything is much more visceral now. More than anything else, this season feels bleak. Between the division and dread of losing who they were, life as they knew it is slipping away. Thanks to his deal with Lukas Mattson, Logan is on the verge of upending the status quo of his family. Soon, Waystar Royco will be sold to a random tech visionary, with only ATN left in the patriarch's hands. While the payout will be huge, it's not the same as inheriting an empire. The children are in an existential crisis and frankly, so is their father. Feelings that are usually buried four layers deep are finally spoken aloud. The time for implications is behind us now: all the chips are down.

It's hard to name a standout in a series with this level of talent. As Logan, Brian Cox still sucks up the oxygen in every room; Kieran Culkin communicates an avalanche of emotions with a single expression; and Nicholas Braun's comedic timing hits better than ever. But the most illustrative performance might be that of Alan Ruck, who steals every scene he's given. Usually the butt of every joke, even Connor Roy has gone from a walking laceration of wealth to a painfully tragic figure. No one is immune to the turmoil.

Winning the top job was never really the point, though it is the promise that the title makes. More important is what the pressure of a looming succession does to everyone in proximity: Logan, the aging patriarch plagued by legacy; the children, crumbling under the weight of that pressure; and everyone else, power-hungry pawns in their game. There's always been an angle of Shakespearean drama to this story — Logan as a King Lear figure, with his children doomed from the start — and with the end nigh, that aspect finally slots into place. Despite the darkly comedic overtones and soaring success of the satire, "Succession" is a family tragedy, through and through.

The final season of "Succession" airs new episodes every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max starting March 26, 2023.