Brian Cox as Logan Roy in Succession
28 March 2023

The Roy kids could lose it all in Succession Season 4

With 13 Emmys under its belt already, including Outstanding Drama Series in both 2020 and 2022, HBO’s hit series Succession is back on Showmax for its fourth and final season, with new episodes releasing every Monday.

One of IMDb’s highest-rated series of all-time, with an 8.8/10 score from more than 150 000 fans, Succession is the story of four very rich siblings behaving very badly while trying to win their father’s approval – and control of his company, a global media and entertainment empire.

Season 4 has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes - its highest yet - with the critics’ consensus calling the show “as compulsively watchable as ever… typically brilliant.”

Matthew Macfadyen and Jeremy Strong return to their Emmy-winning roles as Tom Wambsgans and Kendall Roy respectively this season, alongside Brian Cox as patriarch Logan Roy, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin as Roy siblings Shiv and Roman, Nicholas Braun as cousin Greg, and J Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman - all Emmy-nominated performances. As The Hollywood Reporter says, “You know who’s great this season? All the people who are always great.”

The new season opens with the sale of Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Emmy winner Alexander Skarsgård from Big Little Lies) looming ever closer. It’s a prospect that provokes existential angst and familial division among the would-be heirs as they anticipate their diminished influence once the deal is completed.

“[Logan's] been looking for the successor,” says Cox. “He's really wanted his own family [to take over]. I mean, that's his Achilles heel. He loves his children. If he didn't love his children, he'd be a much freer man… But none of the children have been able to step up to the plate. They've all proved massively disappointing… With these kids, their sense of entitlement is so beyond the pale.”

To be fair, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “Of course,” admits Cox, “[Logan's] got this temperament. And he's got this sense of absolutism. And also… he’s disillusioned. He’s not happy. He’s a misanthrope. He really doesn’t like where human beings are going and he feels that they are not worth respecting.”

Succession Season 4 is only on Showmax in Africa

So earning Logan’s stamp of approval isn’t going to be easy for anyone, but Matsson, at least, is on the right track. “I think Matsson reminds Logan of who Logan was, as a young man,” says Cox. “And he feels that the business would be safe in his hands.”

Of course, after the dramatic Season 3 finale, the wild card in the succession race is Tom. “Logan’s witnessed Tom's abuse, from Shiv. And he's witnessed the result of that abuse… But also there were elements, a few moments, when Tom stepped up to the plate to take care of Logan. Nobody's ever taken care of Logan. But he did. Tom showed that care and attention… In a sense, Logan’s seen Tom as a possible future.”

If previous seasons are anything to go by, there are twists coming. As Times (UK) puts it, “Be assured, rugs are pulled, sharply, and you won’t be disappointed.”

But as Vulture points out, “As ever on Succession, the question is less about who will end up on top and more about whether any of them will make peace with what they’ve had to do in order to get there.”

“The minutiae barely matters,” agrees Observer. “We’re here for the backstabbing, the internal conflict, and the long strings of obscenity that remind us that if Shakespeare were writing today, he’d probably be writing Succession.”

Share:

More like this

Youngins S3 on Showmax

Kealeboga Masango’s wild ride in Youngins' final season

Kealeboga Masango talks about Buhle's wild ride in the final season of Youngins, premiering Friday, 19 September on Showmax.

Original South Africa
Chicago PD S12 on Showmax

Chicago PD S12

Action-packed spin-off of the Chicago series, following two different units at the Chicago police department: uniformed cops and the Intelligence Unit.

Lunathi Mampofu in Levels Season 1 on Mzansi Magic

Where to see the cast of Levels on Showmax

From Bonko Khoza as Steve to Lunathi Mampofu as Bongi and Melusi Mbele as Frans, see the cast of Levels in some of their acclaimed roles on Showmax.

Made in South Africa
Married at First Sight S2 on Showmax

Married at First Sight's Bongani on Portia, therapy and more

Bongani reflects on his journey on Married at First Sight Season 2. Catch new episodes every Sunday on Mzansi Magic and Showmax.

South Africa
Nerens Noord Kaap S2 is on Showmax

Nêrens, Noord-Kaap S1-2

When three estranged brothers reunite, secrets, heartbreak and the truth surrounding their mother’s death threaten the path to redemption.

Made in South Africa
Youngins S3 on Showmax

Lebohang Lephatsoana on Tumelo’s journey in Youngins

Rising star Lebohang Lephatsoana delves into Tumelo's turbulent journey in Youngins Season 3, premiering on Showmax on Friday, 19 September 2025.

Original South Africa
2025 Primetime Emmys winners on Showmax

Stream the biggest 2025 Emmy winners on Showmax

The Pitt, Hacks and Somebody Somewhere are among the stand-outs of the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards - all available to stream on Showmax.

Showmax is proud to announce the exclusive streaming premiere of September 5, a gripping documentary that has earned a remarkable list of accolades.

Showmax presents September 5: A riveting look at a pivotal moment in news history

Showmax is proud to announce the streaming premiere of September 5, a gripping documentary that has earned a remarkable list of accolades.

Made in South Africa

Succession: Who said it?

Succession: The Roy family food chain