The Succession Season 4 premiere, “The Munsters” certainly shakes things up in the Roy family. Shiv (Sarah Snook), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) go toe-to-toe with their estranged father Logan (Brian Cox) in a bid to buy liberal-leaning news network Pierce. After a tense game of chicken, where Tom WaWuza8keQmbsgans (Matthew MacFadyen) acted as awkward Roy intermediary, the kids actually beat their malicious daddy. While the newly-minted triumvirate of Kendall, Roman, and Shiv might actually be able to beat their dad in business, it seems that the events of last season has killed Shiv and Tom’s marriage full stop.
While Succession Season 4 opens with Tom and Shiv “on a break,” they officially seem to split in one of the premiere’s final scenes. So does that men Tom and Shiv are done for good? And why does it make sense that their marriage can’t weather these latest storms?
When we last left the HBO show, Tom had betrayed his wife Shiv and her brothers’ plan to squeeze their father out of power to Logan himself. When Shiv, Kendall, and Roman showed up to make the kill, they were stunned to learn that Logan had managed to turn their own mother Caroline (Harriet Walter) against them in a new deal. Logan Roy was still on top, his three main heirs were crushed, and Shiv was smart enough to piece together that Tom was the one who had screwed them over. After all, Succession Season 3’s haunting final shot came from director Mark Mylod’s vision to let the cameras keep rolling so he could capture Shiv’s chilling realization.
Is that what broke Succession‘s most romantic toxic marriage? Let’s dive into it…
Succession Season 4 Premiere Ending Explained: Did Tom and Shiv Break Up?
While it’s clear from Tom’s call early in Succession Season 4 Episode 1 that the couple is on a break — and Shiv is jealous he’s spending time with Naomi Pierce (Annabelle Dexter-Jones) — it’s not until later on in the episode that their marriage truly and officially crumbles.
After wooing Nan Pierce (Cherry Jones) to sell her family’s media company, Shiv returns to her NYC home to pick up some clothes she needs. We learn that she’s been away from the house she shares with Tom for so long that their dog Mondale doesn’t recognize her anymore.
Shiv and Tom are surprised to find each other in the house. Tom assumed that she was “hoteling” and had already taken all of her favorite outfits from her wardrobe. What follows is an awkward conversation between two people whose relationship is essentially over. Shiv wonders if there’s any road left for them and if they should just make the breakup “official.” Tom wants to talk. Shiv does not, literally saying it’s not good for her “to hear all that.”
Tom makes one last meek offer to try to make love to Shiv, but she clearly is done with him. Since the tenor of their relationship up until now has been for Tom to behave as Shiv’s devoted lapdog, his betrayal has really upset the balance of it all.
Since Shiv is tired, she lays down in their bed at an angle and says Tom can stay where he is, in an opposite place. They lay down in silence, bodies apart. It looks officially over.
“So this is it, huh?” Tom asks.
“Yeah, I guess,” Shiv answers. “Gave it a go.”
They hold hands and Tom says, “Yeah, we gave it a go.”
Tom and Shiv are over. Now Tom and Greg (Nicholas Braun) can be together forever.
Succession Season 4 Episode 2 premieres on HBO and HBO Max next Sunday, April 2.
