What to expect from season four of Succession

HBO has announced that season four of Succession will return on 26 March.

The critically acclaimed black comedy centres around the dysfunctional Roy family as they struggle for control over the Waystar Royco media conglomerate.

A teaser trailer has also been released, giving fans some clues about where the hit series will go next.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Here is what we know so far about season four.

Where did we get to?

Viewers had been “left in suspense” after a dramatic season three finale in which patriarch Logan Roy “betrayed his adult kids” by secretly selling Waystar Royco to tech mogul Lukas Matsson, said Variety.

By doing this, he also prevented an attempted coup by siblings Kendall, Shiv and Roman.

The final shot of the season appeared to show Shiv realising that she had been double-crossed by her husband Tom, who had warned Logan of her and her brothers’ plan.

What will happen next?

An official synopsis for season four released in June hints at the fallout of Waystar’s impending sale.

“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,” it said.

The teaser trailer shows Tom starting to ingratiate himself into Logan’s inner circle, further raising questions regarding his relationship with Shiv.

One of the most popular duos in Succession, Tom and the hapless “cousin Greg”, is also expected to remain a central part of the show.

Nicholas Braun, who plays Greg, told Deadline: “He and Tom have a new frequency.”

“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!'”

Some fans have even theorised that Greg may play a part in Tom’s downfall, “a theory that delves into Russian history”, said Digital Spy.

What else can we expect?

However the family drama plays out, the trailer promises that “the usual Succession staples” will remain, said The Guardian, “private jets and luxury homes, black cars, fancy dinners, Greg and Tom in an office and Kendall referring glumly to a ‘500-foot reputational drop’.”

With regards to casting, “all the major players” are set to return too, said Digital Spy.

This includes Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong as father and son Logan and Kendall Roy, who have both won Golden Globes for best actor for their performances on the show, in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

We should also “expect more Alexander Skarsgård” in season four, said AV Club, as his character Lukas Mattson is set for an expanded role.

Ahead of the new season’s release, Skarsgård described the series as “manicured”, while Braun has called it an “absolute banger”.

Jesse Armstrong, the British writer who created the show and remains executive producer, ​​​​​​has kept quiet about season four, stating: “I think I could tell you everything that’s gonna happen, but it will only make it worse when you watch it.”