The Succession series finale just aired on Max, and what an ending it gave to viewers of the show. Throughout its whole run, the episode took the hearts of many and broke them all with the conclusion. Along the way, fans finally saw who ultimately won and those left in the gutter to lose. We take a look below at the biggest winners and losers of Succession
8 biggest winners and losers to come out of Succession series finale
8. Winner: Lukas Matsson
Ever since his first appearance in season 3, Alexander Skarsgård's Lukas Matsson has always given viewers a sense of enigma. Ultimately, the Odin of Coding will get what he wants in the form of Waystar Royco and its entirety. But before that, Matsson himself played the game and overcame all three Roy siblings through sheer cunning, especially in choosing Tom over Shiv as the American CEO. Even with the tides changing, such as Roman and Kendall turning on him and a Mencken win initially favoring his opponents, Matsson fights his way against these adversities to finally get that big dub in the Succession finale.
7. Loser: Greg Hirsch
Speaking of turning tides, a lot of viewers were definitely shocked when Greg finally fought back and hit Tom after the latter found out that he leaked a crucial piece of information to Kendall. And even though Tom was still named CEO and chose to keep Greg into the fold, the final interaction between the two and the acknowledgment from Matsson that he did betray them isn't looking good for everyone's favorite cousin.
It's easy to imagine Greg's fate turning for the worse under Tom and Matsson. If he had any sense of power before the GoJo deal pushed through, that won't be the case anymore now that he's under tight scrutiny from his superiors. If anything, it looks like he's going to be verbally, emotionally, and mentally abused under the new regime. Add Matsson's sadistic tendencies and Tom's vindictive new look and things won't be looking good for Greg, even if he gets to keep his job at Waystar after Succession season 4 episode 10.
6. Winner: Karolina Novotney
Working for Logan and his kids will certainly transform anyone due to the immense pressure the responsibility brings. But of all the individuals that belonged to Waystar's senior management team, it's only Karolina Novotney that comes out of the GoJo deal better than where she was when it started. Frank Vernon, Karl Muller, Gerri Kellman, and Hugo Baker are on their way out and it's only her who'll have a secure place in the new management moving forward. Add her incredible sense of composure and ability to deliver results when it matters and you've got one of the few winners of the Succession finale on Max.
5. Loser: Roman Roy
Roman started out as a strong player for the throne, especially after Mencken won the presidency. But even with the backing of the president-elect, Logan's youngest son managed to mess it all up by breaking down during his father's funeral. As a result, Mencken lost confidence in him, leading to Shiv and Matsson securing a commitment that will help the GoJo deal to push through. This led to Roman breaking down, especially after several protesters roughed him up and seeing Gerri again in the office, which sent him over the edge right before the board meeting. With Waystar now out of the Roys' control, it looks like Roman's downward spiral can be further than what the fans saw in the Succession ending.
4. Loser: Shiv Roy
Shiv always fancied herself as superior to her brothers, especially since Logan promised she'd be CEO during the second season. From that time to the Succession series finale, Shiv has transformed into an entitled heir-potential that has allowed her sense of self to sabotage any opportunity to actually land the throne. This personality flaw has led those around Shiv to make full use of Logan's daughter and drop her at the first sign she'd cash in, much like what Matsson did.
Instead of sticking to the plan and giving Kendall her vote, Shiv changed her mind at the last minute and decided to push through with the GoJo deal. But instead of having some sense of power with her brothers, Shiv has reluctantly sided back with Tom, Matsson's new CEO, to maintain what relevance was left to her. That's a far cry from the ambitious and talented woman that fought her way throughout the four seasons of Succession on Max.
3. Winner: Jeryd Mencken
What started out as a statistical impossibility has now become a reality as Jeryd Mencken is now the president of the United States in Succession. While many scoffed at the idea of a right-wing radical candidate winning the White House, Shiv Roy included, the Republican has now won the most electoral votes in the most recent elections. As a result, he is now the center of gravity that Kendall and his team must win to their side to keep Waystar. Unfortunately, the president-elect chose to forego any previous agreement with Roman and allowed Matsson to own Logan's company, as along as an American is named CEO. With those details alone, it's clear Mencken is among the select few that survived Succession season 4 episode 10.
2. Loser: Kendall Roy
Looking back at it all, Kendall's ending in the Succession series finale is definitely as tragic as it gets. After working his way from every loss, including his father's demise, Logan's most obvious successor finally received his siblings' anointing to become the CEO. What turned out to be his deepest desire turned into an ugly nightmare as Shiv's sudden change of heart took everything from Logan. As a result, Kendall goes through the finale of Succession with nothing left, as he himself said that he would die if the position didn't go to him. Even with a large sum of money left to his name, it's easy to imagine Kendall living without any purpose in the years left to his life after the series ends.
1. Winner: Tom Wambsgans
Perhaps the biggest winner of Succession is no other than Shiv's estranged husband and ATN chief, Tom Wambsgans. What started out as a servile individual only out to please his wife and her family has transformed into a potential Logan Roy looking over Waystar and all of its assets for Matsson. During the few moments after he was named CEO, viewers can already see the shift of his personality from a bumbling servant to an ice-cold king. It's not hard to imagine Tom adapting Logan's killer instinct, especially now that his role with Shiv has now been reversed.
With Succession season 4 episode 10 marking the end of the series, it seems fans will have to settle with the ending everyone got. Nevertheless, it's still a strong conclusion to a four-season run that has delivered quality entertainment for the past few years on Max.