Succession season 4: next episode, recaps and everything we know about the series

Justine Lupe, Alan Ruck, Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook in Succession
Justine Lupe, Alan Ruck, Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook in Succession (Image credit: Macall Polay/HBO)

After a dramatic season 3 finale filled with plenty of backstabbing (perhaps even more so than usual), Succession season 4, the final season for the drama, arrives.

The Roys are coming back to continue their fight to either stay on top (in the case of patriarch Logan Roy) or carve out a chunk of their media empire for themselves in the case of his children, Kendall, Shiv, Roman, as well as others. 

Critics and fans alike have enjoyed the darkly comic tone of Succession, with the show scoring a 94% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes overall (season 3 earned a 97%), and it has been feted with nine Emmy wins throughout its first two seasons, including Outstanding Drama Series for season 2; season 3, meanwhile, is expected to perform well at the 2022 Emmys.

With all of that, here's everything you need to know about Succession season 4.

When is the next Succession season 4 episode?

The series finale of Succession airs on Sunday, May 28, at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO, while streaming simultaneously on Max. It then arrives for UK viewers on Monday, May 29.

The episode is titled "With Open Eyes," here is the synopsis:

"Ahead of the final board meeting on the Waystar-Gojo Deal, Kendall and Shiv try to shore up their opposing interests... and get a fix on the whereabouts of a physically and emotionally bruised Roman."

Watch the promo for the episode right here:

Succession season 4 episode recaps

Here is the synopses for all of the Succession season 4 episodes that have aired to date:

Succession season 4 episode 1, "The Munsters"
"As Kendall, Shiv, and Roman hone their pitch for investors in LA, Logan learns of a rival bid on a long-coveted acquisition." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 1 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 2, "Rehearsal"
"While Kendall, Shiv, and Roman consider an aggressive play on the Matsson deal, Connor tries to make the most of his rehearsal dinner." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 2 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 3, "Connor's Wedding"
"While Logan doles out an unsavory task ahead of his trip to meet Matsson, Connor fixates on minutiae at his wedding." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 3 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 4, "Honeymoon States"
"As the Waystar team discusses a pivotal recommendation to the board, Roman, Kendall, and Shiv navigate a misstep with Matsson." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 4 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 5, "Kill List"
"After the Waystar team heads to Norway, Shiv, Kendall, and Roman consider whether to fight for Logan's crown jewel." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 5 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 6, "Living+"
"Ahead of Investor Day, Shiv weighs a proposal from Matsson, while Kendall and Roman each try to match Logan's volatile leadership style." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 6 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 7, "Tailgate Party"
"Hoping to work the angles, Kendall and Roman ask Shiv to invite a campaign insider to Logan's pre-election day party." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 7 recap.

Succession season 4 episode 8, "America Decides"
"On election night, Tom tries to manage an increasingly chaotic newsroom, while Kendall, Shiv, and Roman spar over the consequences of the result for themselves, the company, and the country." Read WTW's Succession season 4 episode 8 recap.

Succession season 4 cast

Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfayden in Succession

Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfayden in Succession (Image credit: Macall B. Polay/HBO)

As part of the announcement that production is underway, the main cast for Succession season 4 was also shared. No worries on any of your favorite characters going away, as Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Matthew Macfayden, Nicholas Braun, J. Smith-Cameron, Alan Ruck and more are all back for the new batch of episodes.

Here’s a breakdown of the confirmed cast and who plays who:

  • Brian Cox as Logan Roy 
  • Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy 
  • Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy 
  • Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy 
  • Matthew Macfayden as Tom Wambsgans 
  • Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch 
  • J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman 
  • Alan Ruck as Connor Roy 
  • Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy 
  • Peter Friedman as Frank Vernon 
  • David Rasche as Karl Muller 
  • Fisher Stevens as Hugo Baker 
  • Justine Lupe as Willa Ferreyra 
  • Scott Nicholson as Colin 
  • Zoë Winters as Kerry 
  • Jeannie Berlin as Cyd Peach 

Deadline has also reported that a number of other familiar faces are coming back for the new season. This includes Dagmara Domińczyk as Karolina Novotney; Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Mattson; Arian Moayes as Stewy Hosseini; Juliana Canfield as Jess Jordan; Annabelle Dexter-Jones as Naomi Pierce; Hope Davis as Sandi Furness; Cherry Jones as Nan Pierce; Justin Kirk as Congressman Jeryd Mencken; and Stephen Root as Ron Petkus.

While not cast, fans of the show likely also spotted in the picture above that the director for season 4 episode 1 is going to be Mark Mylod, who has directed 12 episodes of the series, more than any other director through the show’s three seasons.

Succession season 4 plot

Here is the official plot for Succession season 4, per Warner Media:

"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."

Succession season 4 is going to consist of 10 episodes.

Succession season 4 trailer

HBO has dropped an all new trailer for Succession season 4, and it sure ratchets up the stakes as we know that these are the final episodes of the fan-favorite and critically acclaimed series. Check out the official trailer directly below, as well as the previously released teaser trailer:

Succession season 3 recap

You’ve likely got plenty of time to catch up with Succession season 3 if you haven’t watched it yet before season 4, but if you want a refresh, What to Watch has individual episode recaps of Succession season 3 available to read. Right here, though, we’ll go over a broad review of what happened in season 3 (SPOILER ALERT).

Succession season 3 kicked off in the aftermath of Kendall’s surprising pivot in front of Congress. Instead of taking the blame for Waystar Royco’s cruise ship fiasco, Kendall points the finger at Logan. This puts Kendall in direct competition with his dad yet again.

Kendall’s first move is to try and secure his siblings, but they all still have trouble trusting each other, with Shiv and Roman both opting to try and prove themselves the better heir apparent now that Kendall is officially out of the running. The other Roy sibling, Alan, meanwhile, is pushing for himself to be the next president of the US.

It’s not only the investigation and his ladder climbing children that have Logan riled up, as he continues to battle a hostile takeover of the company from rivals Stewie (Arian Moayed) and Sandy (Larry Pine). To quell it he brings in some new blood (in the form of Holly Hunter’s new CEO) and tries to lock up investors and new partners (Adrien Brody and Alexander Skarsgaard in guest roles).

After surviving the takeover by making a few concessions, Logan makes a surprising turn as he begins to show interest in selling the company. This is a major red flag to the kids, who finally realize that it’s each other they have to rely on, not their dad. While they try to make a move that will prevent the sale and give them more power, Tom goes against his wife and the others by informing Logan, therefore putting him in his good graces.

Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Brian Cox in Succession

Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Brian Cox in Succession (Image credit: Graeme Hunter/HBO)

How to watch Succession

Succession airs on HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic in the UK. But until new episodes are available to watch, the best place to watch previous seasons of Succession is Max for US audiences and Now TV in the UK.  

Succession season 4 poster

(Image credit: HBO)
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.