Succession spoilers follow.
There are few dramas on TV that unite the world more than Succession.
The hit HBO drama (which could equally be called a satirical black comedy) follows billionaire Roy and his dysfunctional offspring, who spend their days stabbing each other in the back in a bid to be named the new CEO of their family’s global media empire.
Season three went “full beast mode”, with son Kendall’s attempt at a revolution over his father being televised.
Tragically, Kendall’s destruction was televised too.
By the time the season three finale hit us in December 2021, the writers blew the show wide open, with a dramatic climax that left people desperate for answers immediately.
Sadly, we’ve got to be patient and wait.
Here’s everything we know about it so far.
Succession season 4 release date: When will it air?
Thankfully, we know that Succession is at least returning, with season four being confirmed days before the launch of the new season.
Unfortunately, a release date is not yet slated, though filming has commenced. As a result, don’t expect it until at least late 2022.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other press at the BAFTA TV Awards in May, the show’s boss Jesse Armstrong gave a promising update, saying: “We’re almost done with the writing for season four, here in London, with the American writers coming over.
“They’re a really great group of people to talk about the nuances of character and the world and what we’re doing on the show.”
Armstrong was also asked about when the show could come to an end.
“I won’t answer that one precisely,” he replied. “I don’t think it should go on forever. But we’re still having fun at the moment.”
The first two seasons premiered on HBO in the summers of 2018 and 2019 respectively, but season three’s production was disrupted by the pandemic. As a result, it launched in October 2021.
It’s yet to be seen if they will maintain this later slot, or return to their original position within the summer schedule.
Succession season 4 plot: What will happen?
The official synopsis for the fourth season was released in June, reading: “In the 10-episode Season 4, the sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson moves ever closer.
“The prospect of this seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal is completed.
“A power struggle ensues as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is severely curtailed.”
Though a brief summary, it’s pretty obvious that there’s only one thing for it with Succession season four: all-out war among the family and business unit alike.
With Logan selling out his family and agreeing to a buyout of Waystar Royco, a major piece of what keeps him going will no longer be there. So what will he do instead?
Likewise, what will become of Shiv, Roman and Kendall now they’ve been left with nothing but each other to get them through this rough patch in their lives?
All of the key players have been let down by their most significant other. With Shiv, her beaten-down husband Tom has finally bitten back and left her dead in the water. For Roman, the only person he seemingly confided in, Gerri, has turned her back on him. Kendall is hanging on to his mental health by a very, very thin thread.
Season four will see the siblings have to come up with their next power play before it’s too late. Either way, it’s going to be messy.
And with Succession’s art occasionally mimicking life, there’s a chance the writers will reference Jeremy Strong’s New Yorker interview, which saw the line between the actor and the character he plays on the show became a little blurry.
“To me, the stakes are life and death,” Strong said. “I take [Kendall] as seriously as I take my own life.”
Sadly, the article led to much online derision, with several celebrities coming forward to defend the actor. Cox was one of them (via Deadline).
“It was Jeremy’s idea, the whole article,” Cox said. “He pushed for it, you know, and people kept warning him about it. In a sense, he got hoisted by it, and I think it was unfortunate. I think he should never have gone down that road because playing Kendall has put him in a very vulnerable position.
“He does what he does and he does it brilliantly, but it’s also exhausting. Particularly exhausting for him, but it’s also exhausting for the rest of us from time to time. But we weather it because we love him and because the result is always extraordinary, what he does, but at the same time, there is the double-edged sword that goes with it.
“Let me tell you, I have such respect for Jeremy as an actor, and I just wish him well. I think he lives in a lot of pain. I mean, he creates the pain in the role he plays. That doesn’t necessarily help, but he does.
“There is a certain amount of pain at the root of Jeremy, and I just feel for that pain. I think that he puts himself in vulnerable positions and with that New Yorker article, he placed himself in a very, very vulnerable position, and I think that he didn’t need to do that.”
Succession star Nicholas Braun has also teased his character Greg Hirsch’s upcoming storylines with Matthew Macfadyen’s Tom Wambsgans in season four.
At the end of season three, Greg’s mentor Tom threw Logan’s children under the bus and informed Logan that they’d been plotting against him this whole time, causing Logan to shaft his children out of company control.
Braun told Deadline that “Greg shifts into another gear” as “he and Tom have a new frequency”.
Following Tom’s actions in season three, Greg apparently has “so much release. He’s like ‘take me to the dark side.’ Playing Greg, he’s a fear-based guy, always questioning whether he’s doing right or wrong. It feels like the next chapter is ‘Let’s go!'”
There’s a big fan theory that it’s going to be none other than Cousin Greg who will be responsible for Tom getting his (inevitable and much-deserved) comeuppance, a theory that delves into Russian history.
Succession season 4 cast: Who’s returning?
Considering the family is now at war, it’s highly likely you can expect all the major players to return.
Team Logan now seemingly consists of the big man himself (Brian Cox), allies Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), and his long-standing business next-in-commands Gerri (J Smith Cameron), Frank (Peter Friedman) and Karl (David Rasche).
There’s also the surprise addition of his ex-wife, Caroline (Harriet Walter) who sold out her children in the season three finale.
Then there’s the new team, formed of Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin).
It’s not yet known which team eldest son Connor (Alan Ruck) will side with, but it’s likely he’ll have his new fianceé Willa (Justine Lupe) in tow.
But there’s one person who’s likely to become a rather big member of the cast in season four, and that’s Alexander Skarsgard, who plays Matsson, the tech entrepreneur whose buyout succeeded in completely torpedoing the Roy family unit.
Succession season 4 trailer: When will it arrive?
Like the Roy siblings, you’re going to have to be patient.
In the meantime, as Logan would say, f**k off!
(Just kidding. Keep checking in and we promise to’ let you know as soon as we do!)
Succession seasons 1 to 3 are available on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK and HBO in the US.