Succession is an American satiricalcomedy-drama television series created by Jesse Armstrong that premiered on HBO on June 3, 2018. The series centers on the Roy family, the owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch.
At his 80th birthday, Logan Roy, CEO of Waystar Royco, presents to his children a document that gives the voting rights to his company to his wife, Marcia. Kendall is disappointed and confronts his father, who tells him that he did not make him CEO as he is too soft, as made clear by the fact that he took a break from a deal to attend his father's birthday. Shortly afterward, Logan suffers from a stroke. The board, consisting of Gerri, Frank, Karl and Hugo, suggests naming Kendall acting CEO, which the family allows with Roman as COO. Gerri privately reveals to Kendall that the company is in massive debt because of loans Logan took in the 1980s. Kendall tries to negotiate with the bank but is unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Greg, the grandson of Logan's estranged brother Ewan, tries to make his way into the company on his mother's advice as he cannot find a job. The family ignores him, but Shiv's fiance Tom intends to mentor Greg, making him serve as both an assistant and a target for his bullying and humiliation. Shiv is working as a political consultant to presidential candidate Gil Eavis, who is against Logan. She also has an affair with Gil's employee Nate.
After Logan recovers, he seems dissatisfied toward Kendall for what he views as an attempt to take over his power. With the help of Frank, Tom and other board members, Kendall stages a motion of no confidence against Logan. However, he is unable to be present at the building due to being stuck in traffic, leading to some members refraining from voting. Enraged, Logan fires half the board including Kendall. Logan injects false stories about Kendall relapsing onto drugs into the media, leading to the latter's ex-wife Rava mistrusting him. In grief, Kendall does relapse. At Tom's bachelor party, board member Stewy and Sandy get Kendall in their plan for a hostile takeover of Waystar.
At Shiv and Tom's wedding, Tom is faced with her infidelity, which devastates him. Shiv admits to it and asks Tom for an open relationship, to which Tom reluctantly agrees. Kendall presents Logan with the takeover. The family is angry at him and Logan demeans him by saying that he is nothing but a spoiled brat. Upset, Kendall leaves the venue and finds Andrew Dodds, a waiter who had been ousted from the event by Logan. He befriends him and drives his car to a friend of Andrew's where Kendall can get drugs. Andrew spots a deer on the road and quickly turns the wheel, causing the car to crash and killing Andrew. Confused and inebriated, Kendall flees the site. The next morning, Logan calls Kendall to his room. The son breaks down and apologizes, while the father saves him in exchange of him withdrawing from Sandy and Stewy.
Kendall is now distraught with guilt over the waiter's death, as a result of which he is totally in the control of Logan. Logan calls Shiv for a private meeting where he proposes her the offer to be his successor. She is elated and leaves her job for Gil. Inexperienced, Shiv tries to understand the business but is conflicted due to Logan's apparent favoring of Kendall, who starts having suicidal tendencies. Logan decides to buy the rival media brand, Pierce, using its owner Nan Pierce's close ally, Rhea Jarrell, as a double agent. The board disagrees but continues out of fear of Logan. Tom gets humiliated by Logan in a game of "boar on the floor".
The Roys have a dinner with the Pierce family. Nan Pierce asks Logan in jest about who he plans to succeed him, to which Shiv impatiently reveals that it is her, upsetting Logan. Kendall develops a relationship with fellow addict Naomi Pierce, cousin of Nan. Naomi convinces Nan to accept the deal. Meanwhile, Roman starts a pseudo-sexual relationship with Gerri.
Marcia suspects Logan of having an affair with Rhea and leaves him. It then leaks to the press that the cruise division of Waystar had cases of sexual misconduct by prominent players like Lester McClintock. The Roy family testifies before the U.S. Senate. Tom botches up the defense, but Kendall manages to defend Logan against Gil. Shiv also talks down a victim into testifying against Waystar, promising her that she'll get rid of these corrupt men once she takes over. Rhea gets afraid of taking over the company in this state and leaves.
The situation comes to a member of the company being sacrificed and taking the blame for the scandal. After much discussion, Shiv begs Logan to not let it be Tom. Logan chooses Kendall, who accepts it out of guilt over the accident. But when he asks Logan if he could ever become the CEO, Logan tells him that he couldn't as he is "not a killer". In the morning, Kendall has a press conference where he is supposed to admit guilt for the cruise scandal. However, he goes against the plan by revealing to the media that Logan is a malicious presence in the company, and that he was responsible for overseeing the abuse.
Logan and Kendall set up their respective defenses for war. Logan's preferred lawyer Lisa Arthur sides with Kendall. However, the rest of the Roy children opt to side with Logan due to hope that they may get to impress and succeed him. High on his popularity after the press conference, Kendall indulges in drug parties with Naomi and other wealthy personalities. But he is trolled in media over his privilege and performative wokeism. He fires Lisa Arthur when she rebukes him over his behavior. Shiv is named President of Domestic Operations. At her first speech, Kendall sabotages the event by playing Nirvana's "Rape Me" on speakers. Angered, Shiv publishes an open letter detailing Kendall's substance abuse and failed relationships, making the latter spiral into depression.
The Roys debate over which presidential candidate to back. While Shiv prefers Democrat Daniel Jiménez, Roman wants to support Jeryd Mencken, a Republican with far-right beliefs. Logan chooses the latter, alienating Shiv and making Roman closer to Logan. Logan now wishes to acquire Gojo, a tech brand owned by eccentric entrepreneur Lukas Mattsson. Caroline Collingwood (Kendall, Roman and Shiv's mother and Logan's ex-wife) announces her marriage to Peter Munion. The siblings and Logan attend the wedding. There, Logan invites Kendall for a private conservation. Kendall expresses his wishes to quit Waystar and start a fresh life, as he does not want to become corrupt like his father. Logan, however, disapproves, and reminds him of the accident, questioning his claim of being a good person. The next day, Kendall tries drowning himself in the pool.
Logan and Roman meet Mattsson. Mattsson asks to have a private talk with Logan. Confused, Roman talks to Shiv, who immediately gets suspicious and realizes that Mattsson has talked Logan into selling Waystar to Gojo. Kendall breaks down and confesses his role in the waiter's death. Surprisingly, Shiv and Roman reassure him that his guilt was not as massive as he's telling himself. The siblings put their differences aside and team up to confront Logan. Logan attempts to turn the siblings against each other again, making them understand the true nature of their father. It's then revealed that Caroline had agreed to sell the siblings' share in return of a palace for her new husband, and that Tom betrayed Shiv by telling Logan about her arrival beforehand.
The siblings, except Connor, have totally left Logan's side and are working on their own media outlet called The Hundred. Logan is lonely on his birthday with only his bodyguard, Colin, for company. Tom and Shiv decide to divorce. Connor proposes to Willa and invites his family to the wedding. The siblings arrive but Logan refuses. While at the event, Tom calls them to tell that Logan collapsed in the bathroom and that his health is very poor. The kids tearfully bid their father farewell on phone while not knowing if he's even listening. Logan's death is confirmed, devastating the siblings. The company gathers at his house, where the old guard discover a document that Logan wrote at some point, which instructs Kendall to be his successor and take over Waystar in the event of his death. Ultimately, Roman and Kendall become co-CEOs until the shareholder vote, which makes Shiv jealous.
Mattsson calls the siblings to a retreat. He talks with Shiv and expresses interest in having a relationship with her. But Roman and Kendall work against the deal and berate Mattsson for his hastiness to make the purchase so soon after Logan's death. Shiv finds out that she is pregnant. On election night, Jiménez appears to be the winning candidate, to the delight of Shiv and Kendall. However, Mencken lures Roman into making ATN call for him, so he can block the Mattsson deal. Being in a dilemma, Kendall asks Shiv to ask Nate if he can block the deal, to which she agrees but doesn't actually do it as she's with Mattsson. Once Kendall knows it, he's outraged and calls for Mencken.
ATN's call tarnishes Waystar's reputation. Worried for their safety, Rava takes the kids away. Kendall's assistant, Jess, also resigns. At Logan's funeral, Roman breaks down and is unable to give the eulogy. With his siblings devastated, Kendall takes charge and gives a powerful speech, impressing Mencken. Mattsson tells Shiv that he plans for a US CEO for Waystar, for which Shiv recommends her name. Mattsson has a conversation with Tom over his potential role after the purchase. Tom tells him that he is ready to do any work for whoever controls him, satisfying Mattsson, who is actually looking for a puppet in the form of CEO. Greg overhears it and phones Kendall to tell him that Mattsson is betraying Shiv. Soon, Tom tells Shiv that Mattsson has planned him to be the new CEO. He beats up Greg for telling on him. When Shiv is faced with the news, she is furious and sides with her brothers. After some discourse, the siblings agree to vote as a bloc against the deal and make Kendall CEO.
At the shareholder vote, there is a tie and Shiv's vote becomes the deciding factor. At the last minute, she leaves the room and admits that she has changed her mind. Kendall claims the position as his birthright as the "eldest boy", to which Shiv sneers and says that he cannot have it as he is responsible for a death. In desperation, Kendall acts violently toward Roman, cementing Shiv's decision. The company is sold to Gojo and Tom becomes CEO. He forgives Greg by marking him with a sticker. Roman signs the purchase and leaves in humiliation, while Shiv watches on melancholically. Tom invites Shiv for a ride back home. He offers her his hand and she emotionlessly holds it, now a subordinate in the relationship she used to control. Alone and defeated, Kendall walks in Battery Park with Colin following him.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
