'Succession' Season 4 Premiere Review: The War TRULY begins in ominous opening chapter

The Roy siblings are ready for a fight and Logan is ready as well, so it's time for everyone to gear up and come out all gun blazing
PUBLISHED MAR 27, 2023
Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong in a still from 'Succession' Season 4 (HBO)
Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong in a still from 'Succession' Season 4 (HBO)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Viewers were really shocked when HBO announced that ‘Succession’ will be ending with its fourth season. However, with the abrupt ending of Season 3, there were a lot of things that could have been explored in the drama series. The show’s creator didn’t want to tell a story that overstayed its welcome, which means, Season 4 will be as enthralling as it can get and you can get that vibe with the premiere of the latest edition. The Roy siblings were in distress after the shocking Season 3 ending and their father is on cloud nine after betraying his own children. But it’s ‘Succession’, so a betrayal was definitely on the cards here.

The conclusion of the third edition was really devastating for Siobhan Roy (Sarah Snook) because her husband, Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) was the person who told Logan Roy (Brian Cox) about the clause that his children had put in their parents’ divorce that would give them the powers to “veto” the changes in company’s ownership. But Logon renegotiated his divorce contract and beat his children in their own game. The good thing for the Roy siblings is that this incident has united them and they are now a team. They all are trying to set up their media company so that they compete with ATN because the presidential elections are coming up. ATN is owned by Waystar Royco and a man named Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) is trying to become its CEO and that’s why the Roy siblings attempt to enact the aforementioned clause.

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Brian Cox and Matthew Macfadyen in a still from 'Succession' Season 4 (HBO)
Brian Cox and Matthew Macfadyen in a still from 'Succession' Season 4 (HBO)

From the premiere, we get an idea that the Roy siblings will be fighting fascism here, but it won’t come as a shock if it turns too personal because the HBO series is known for taking a step back when it comes to tackling politics. It has always been about personal ambitions on ‘Succession’ and that’s why the show has been so successful. Also, one thing that makes the Season 4 premiere even more substantial is how it manages to steer away from all the chaos that started in the finale of the previous edition. The premiere felt like all the major players are getting ready for the final battle and no one wants to lose. Logan was celebrating his birthday with the people that care for him, but he didn’t look much happy because outsmarting his kids wasn’t enough for him, he wanted something more. He was disappointed until the time he got to know that his children have gotten together and are planning to put up a fight against their father.

It's the calm before the storm

Everything seems to be pretty calm right now and we know that it’s the calm before the storm. All the major characters are working peacefully at the moment, but soon they will become a part of a fight that will be brutal and severely injure each and every one of them. The final scene will leave viewers heartbroken because of how disturbed some of the characters are. The entire situation has taken a toll on them and they are absolutely tired of everything that’s been taking place. All the pressure of winning a game that will suck all the air out of them has overwhelmed them and it’s just the beginning. Things will only get worse from here.

Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook in a still from 'Succession' Season 4 (HBO)
Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook in a still from 'Succession' Season 4 (HBO)

The conversation between Tom and Siobhan was really emotional. Siobhan is upset with how Tom betrayed her to please her father and doesn’t want to divorce him because she truly loves him. Tom wouldn’t want to separate from Siobhan because he would be banished from Logan’s inner circle and he doesn’t want that. The conversation about their future will leave viewers shattered. Talks like these are one of the reasons why this show has become so popular. In between all the sarcasm, and all the digs, ‘Succession’ has always been about human emotions and it shines the brightest when it delves deeper into that territory. But viewers know that anything can happen and these conversations can also be a part of the plan.

Is 'Succession' Season 4 premiere worth watching?

All in all, the premiere of ‘Succession’ Season 4 is just the beginning of a game that has way too many layers and as the season progresses we will get to see them in the most riveting possible fashion. It’s a slow burn, but things will get more and more intense as the show moves forward. Strap yourself because it’s going to get BUMPY really soon.

****&1/2 stars for ‘Succession’ Season 4 premiere.

'Succession' Season 4 returns to HBO with a new episode every Sunday at 9 PM EST.

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