Succession's tragic Shiv and Tom scene was more important than you thought
Succession season 4 episode 1 spoilers follow.
Succession roared back into our lives for the first episode of its swansong season this week, complete with underhand phone calls, drop-of-the-hat jets to California's wine country and, to bring the whole show full circle, a sad little birthday party for Logan Roy (Brian Cox).
We pick up mere months on from the Shakespearian finale of the third season, which saw Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) firmly plant a hefty knife in wife Shiv Roy's (Sarah Snook) back. In the intervening period, the unhappily-married couple have agreed to a trial separation, in which Tom seems to have become a man about town with fellow 'Disgusting Brother' cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun). Meanwhile, Shiv is noticeably still wearing her wedding ring as she plots with her siblings.
Shiv and Tom's fractured relationship post-betrayal is put on display in a fierce bidding war between Logan and his children, who he endearingly refers to as "the rats". Ah, family. In these scenes, Tom becomes clearly aware and unconvincingly "heartened" that his sole use to Logan is as an inside track to estranged Shiv, with whom he exchanges a series of horrifically awkward phone calls to test out the water on each other's bids.
The trio of Shiv, Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Kendall (Jeremy Strong) manage to score a goal against their fearsome father – although, it could turn out to be an own goal – when they outbid him for the Pierce media empire. At the princely sum of $10 billion.
Wedding ring or not, Shiv makes it clear she's willing to go to any lengths to clinch the deal with Nan Pierce when she assures her she's getting a divorce from her morally-dubious ATN head husband. "Yes, it's a sad day when love dies," Roman chirps with characteristic sarcasm.
Except it does indeed turn out to be sad. Succession later serves up one of its most devastating scenes of the show's run to date, setting up Shiv and Tom as tragic figures in the unfolding drama, albeit with a possible silver lining.
Shiv returns to their New York apartment and tepidly greets their dog Mondale, trapped in the dark. Spare a thought for poor Mondale, who never seems to be let out of their swanky apartment, let alone the doggy pen. Who knows what will become of him after the divorce.
As Tom walks in on Shiv, the pair have it out in a sparring match discussion, dodging all their major relationship missiles in favour of superficial blows. Shiv takes a jab at Tom dating models. Tom takes a jab at her absentee dog parentage of Mondale. Touché.
Shiv then says they "might have run out of road", stopping Tom from taking on an unwieldy account of their marriage with the simple assertion it's all over. A downcast Tom sits on the bed. "That makes me sad," he says. Roman was right. Shiv sits with him and rebuffs Tom's tentative suggestion they sleep together in a last-ditch effort to set the spark alight again.
Instead, they lie down at a right angle from each other and hold hands, bringing the rollicking ride of an episode to a quiet end. "We gave it a go," Tom and Shiv agree. They then rest, in a rare moment of silence on a show that is all about the gift of the gab.
Only then does the raw tragedy of what they have done hit home. Yes, Tom is a bully. Yes, Shiv asked for an open marriage on their wedding night. But their overtly-pained reactions at a mess of their own making manage to tug at the heartstrings.
While Kendall was the most tragic character of the third season, this poignant final scene hints at a possible shift to Tom and, specifically, Shiv. Despite starting the show as a 'you can have it all' girlboss vision in monochromatic suits, it's all fallen away piece by piece as the series rolled on. Despite constantly thinking she's on the brink of being the business powerhouse she sees herself as, it's Shiv who Logan singles out in a tirade for lacking originality.
So, is this the tragic end for doomed Shiv and Tom? Perhaps not. While their romantic prospects could be off the table for good, a business union may not be. The ever-calculating Tom could once again prove crucial in deciding who comes out on top, just as he did last season. Particularly if his obvious unease at being a mere cog in Logan's Shiv reconnaissance machine continues to play on his mind.
Just as the first episode's other quietly-intimate scene, which saw Logan muse over mortality in a diner, hints at a bigger storyline coming down the pipe, the silent communion between the estranged couple could also be setting up some kind of coming Shiv and Tom reunion against Logan.
Succession airs on HBO in the US, and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
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