This article contains SPOILERS for HBO’s television seriesSuccession!Ties were cut. Deals were made. Backs were stabbed. Love was lost. Don’t feel betrayed if your favorite episode did not crack the top 10. There are simply too many gems in the concluded, and now commemorated, HBO mega series.Successionwas created by showrunner Jesse Armstrong and contains a star-studded cast of Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfayden, Nicholas Braun, and many more.
What makesSuccessionso special goes beyond the terrific character writing, the hectic pan-and-zoom film style, the absolutely hilarious and spontaneous lines and quotes from your favorite characters,the fact that they shoot on filmto let these spontaneous improv moments happen, or that we as an audience can’t help but to root for winners and losers. It’s that, much like a great musical album containing a dozen perfect songs, each season is filled top to bottom with epic hour-long installments that set the bar so incredibly high for the next episode that would have aired Sundays at 9PM.
Out of all 39 episodes, there were 39 good ones, some better than others, some stand alone as all-time great television, and decisions had to be made. Here are the top 10 episodes of HBO’sSuccession:
10Too Much Birthday (Season 3, Episode 7)
Kendall Roy’s massive 40th-birthday party mega bash! The wildest, most absurdly over-the-top New York City party of the year! It must have all went to planned and been the best, most unforgettable night of all time… right? Well, unforgettable it was. This episode occurs during the heart of season three. A season revolved around perhaps Kendall’s greatest play to become CEO: the betrayal and backstabbing of his father Logan (will go more in-depth later). This is important because his siblings, Roman and Shiv, essentially ostracized Kendall and are only attending the party to hunt down billionaire tech aficionado Lukas Matsson, played by Alexander Skarsgård.
This episode is huge for Kendall’s rollercoaster of a character arc, where his self-destructing God complex comes spiraling to a devastating crash by the end of the installment. It is only fitting that for a character who believes that every day should be about him, then when the day actually comes for it to actually be about him, he makes a gigantic fool of himself. “Too Much Birthday” is absolutely a must-watch, with sequential moments that should be considered “all bangers, all the time.”
9Chiantishire (Season 3, Episode 8)
This episode epitomizes the demise of the entire Roy dynasty. You have Kendall Roy admitting defeat, Roman sending unsolicited groin shots to the wrong number, Shiv struggling to build back the relationship with her mother, and Greg having an internal conflict about which beautiful women he should pursue. All of this comes to fruition in this stunning Tuscany backdrop. Throughout the series, there are many signs pointing that Kendall is not capable of handling the burden of CEO, despite his resilient pursuance of the title. In “Chiantishire”, he almost drowns in a pool while pissed drunk. In order to be CEO, you need a clean mind, a strong mind, and at times it seems Kendall’s demons remain too strong for him to handle.
8Which Side Are You On? (Season 1, Episode 6)
In an episode that foreshadows many of the feelings that hit home in the series finale, “Which side Are You On?” is critically acclaimed as the episode that propelledSuccessionto new heights. This is the show’s “Baelor” (Game of ThronesSeason 1, Episode 9) episode, meaning if this doesn’t get you hooked, then the show may not be for you. Centered around a board vote of no confidence against Logan Roy and Waystar, the audience is thrown into a panic-stricken frenzy of Kendall’s discombobulated, congested mind as he is running late for the board meeting. And of course, it contains some terrific Logan Roy expletives.
7Safe Room (Season 2, Episode 4)
During the aftermath of the car crash that lead to the death of the cater waiter, Logan is holding this little secret over Kendall’s head, and Kendall’s mental health has taken a plummet to rock bottom. Although the real essence of the episode is centered around Kendall, there is quite a lot that happens throughout “Safe Room”. For example, it showcases Shiv’s very first day as the apparent Waystar heir. Roman and Gerri’s fun, yet awfully weird, side relationship kicks off. But the real crowning moment is Kendall’s escape to the rooftop and perhaps maybe a little disappointed to find a glass pane surrounding the perimeter.
6Church and State (Season 4, Episode 9)
Who had the best eulogy? InSuccession’s penultimate episode,Logan Roy’s funeral takes place. Ewan’s (Logan’s brother) eulogy was a favorite among the fans, being the long speaker who spoke not with emotion, but with conviction and with truth. His truth. “He was mean. And he made but a mean estimation of the world. And he fed a certain kind of meagerness in men.” While the Roy children sweat and cried all over the podium, those in attendance knew what Ewan was saying was true and that he was the only one unapologetic about saying it.
Aside from a terrific performance from Kieran Culkin, sobbing like a little child up on the podium, the spotlight landed brightly on the problem child, Kendall. He goes on to address that Logan’s legacy was not family, but his wealth. Nobody would be at the funeral i it wasn’t for the empire of money Logan built over the years. Kendall is well aware of this, making for a powerful speech.
5Nobody Is Ever Missing (Season 1, Episode 10)
There is nothing HBO loves more than disastrous weddings. Seriously. Nothing. Let’s all take a moment and congratulate Shiv and Tom and wish them a happy, loving, lifetime marriage! “Nobody Is Ever Missing” is Kendall’s true turn to darkness. Having had a drug problem before the pilot takes place, Kendall decides to dabble back into it and convinces one of the cater waiters to help him buy drugs. During this event containsSuccession’s one truly tragic event: the death of the kid. It was so devastating to see Kendall, scared out of his mind, make his way back to the mansion without being seen, change into dry clothes, and put on a straight face while acting like nothing just happened. Narcissistic capitalism really is mind-altering.
On top of that, although they literally just got married, Shiv tells Tom that she desires an open relationship. Again, let’s wish them luck!
4With Open eyes (Season 4, Episode 10)
An all-time great capstone, one ofSuccession’s most gripping episodes,and a perfect ending to the saga, “With Open Eyes” finally gives us the fate of the Roy children: defeat. The finale revolves around the board’s decision to sell Waystar to GoJo’s Lukas Matsson. Kendall, over the course of the last few episodes, has scrambled, begged, and pleaded to gain as many shareholders on his side in order to vote “no” on selling Waystar to Matsson, ending the reign of the family-owned and operated Fortune 500 news company.
After finally getting Shiv and Roman on his side and appointing him CEO of the company (assuming the board votes a majority “no” on the deal), the three siblings celebrate (if that’s the word you want to use) the decision by having their most wholesome, happy, and lighthearted moment as a trio during the entire series, where Roman and Shiv combine every ingredient in the kitchen they are in to make the most disgusting smoothie known to man for Kendall to drink. He does so, and the moment is commemorated by Roman gifted Kendall a smoothie hat! How generous of him!
At the time of the board meeting, the very last vote is up to Shiv, where she storms out of the room, hyperventilating, and debates whether she should backstab Kendall and vote “yes” on the deal. Kendall, thinking he had the vote in the bag, completely breaks down and in a last minute plead of desperation, attacks Roman and has an all-time television outburst: “I am the eldest boy!”
Shiv votes yes and the series ends, showing the demise of the three Roy children: Roman, finally free of the RoyCo rollercoaster, sips a martini with a smirk on his face. Shiv, a ruthless bandwagon hopper, is now under another,new bloodthirsty CEO, her husband Tom. And Kendall, the eldest boy, wanders off, a look of devastation on his face, wondering if there is in fact a place in this world for him.
Related:Succession: 10 Signs That Kendall Was Always Going to Fail
3All the Bells Say (Season 3, Episode 9)
Did I mention HBO loves weddings? During their mother’s wedding, Kendall, Roman, and Shiv have an impromptu meeting with each other in an attempt to conceive of a plan to stop the GoJo deal and swoop the company from under their father’s feet, keeping control for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Kendall is at an all-time low and when he has no one and needs someone the most, he leans on his two siblings and completely breaks down emotionally, admitting to being responsible for the death of the waiter at Shiv and Tom’s wedding, which was largely kept under wraps.
What the Roy children have continuously failed to understand throughout this entire series is that while they come up with a plan, someone else might be planting seeds as well. This time it is the disregarded, innocuous Tom, who tips off Logan with information about Shiv and her brothers' plans in order to potentially propel himself up the corporate ladder. Shiv is suspicious of this, and we end the season three finale with an evil look of wisdom on her face as she hugs her backstabbing husband.
Related:Succesion: 11 Other Movies and TV Shows from Creator Jesse Armstrong to Watch Next
2Connor’s Wedding (Season 4, Episode 3)
“Connor’s Wedding” broke the internet upon its airing. For the first few hours, it held its own as one of only two perfectly rated (10.0/10.0) episodes of television based on IMDb user ratings, joining onlyBreaking Bad’s episode “Ozymandias”. Much likeGame of Thrones’s “Battle of the Bastards” episode, this episode ofSuccessionbecame such a talking point on social media that people experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out) finally caved and gave the HBO show a shot. It was THAT good.
The risk-taking of this episode is beyond comprehension. They killed off Logan Roy in the third episode of a 10 episode series. Worth noting, they did it off-screen. We are essentially thrown into a one-hour-long, uncut panic attack of the lead up and downfall of the death of the CEO and father. The children learn about their father’s death while on a massive yacht for Connor’s wedding. Meanwhile, Logan is practically dead on the floor of the bathroom in a private jet. Tom can’t seem to satisfy the demands of the Roy children, who must know everything happening to Logan, despite them not being there for it. On top of that, to further emphasize the billionaire family’s notion that the world revolves around them, they demand that the cruise ship hosting their oldest brother’s wedding be turned around immediately.
The audience is thrown into a stressful mayhem. On set, they shot the frantic sequence on the yacht in a27-minute one-take shot, only cutting away when they needed coverage on the plane. This allows the actors to react to the news of Logan in a more gradual, ascending fashion, learning about Logan as we learn about Logan. It feels genuine. What makes this episode even more devastating is the last thing Logan said to the three of them in the previous episode: “You are not serious people.”
1This Is Not for Tears (Season 2, Episode 10)
“You’re not a killer. You have to be a killer.” If seasons one and two are the build-up to war, then the finale of season two is the declaration for it, and war will wage on come season three.
The season two finale holds some all-time television tension moments. Seemingly, all of Logan Roy’s top soldiers are trapped on this luxurious, private yacht and have to hash out a life-altering dilemma: who will take the fall for Logan Roy amidst several allegations? It is hard to tell whether everyone is bringing up options, as if they believe they are the best option or if it is a way to save their own you-know-what. The first name brought up is Gerri, but Logan immediately shoots down the idea, claiming that Gerri is the most loyal servant in his army, including his children.Gerri then reflects to Frank, and Frank to Karl, before the conversation aims a massive nuclear missile at Tom.
Despite this whole discussion, Logan later requests to Kendall personally that he take the fall. Kendall, still struggling with the aftermath of the car crash and unsure why he isn’t next in line for CEO, contemplates the meaning of his own existence, which begs the question, “why not me?” Logan replies with one of the most truthfully cold lines of the entire show: “You’re not a killer. You have to be a killer.”
To end the episode and the season, Kendall addresses the press with the idea that he takes the fall. Instead, Kendall finally gets to hang his first head over his fireplace.
