HBO Max’s Succession is a show that chronicles bad decisions, both in business and personal matters. For the Roy family, headed by media conglomerate Waystar CEO Logan Roy and his litter of emotionally neglected children, these two realms often intersect, thereby forcing the characters to choose between their aspirations and each other. More often than not, they choose incorrectly.
Sometimes the mistakes the ensemble makes are humorous even while the viewer witnesses their fallout. Some of the mistakes are likely to haunt their executor til the end of time. Presenting a mash-up of the funny and the tragic, here are ten of Succession’s worse calls.
10 Kendall Driving Under The Influence
In a series littered with characters making bad choices, Kendall’s ill-fated drive stands out by having the most dire repercussions and, consequently, the most intense impact. With plans to launch a hostile takeover of Waystar, a high Kendall leaves Shiv’s wedding with a caterer only to end up with his car in a lake.
Kendall does attempt to rescue the caterer, but when his efforts are fruitless, he goes running into his far too eager father’s arms. Not only are Kendall’s plans to seize Waystar crushed at this moment, but so is he as a human being.
9 Connor Spending Over Half A Million On A Fake Antique
Connor is easily the most outwardly eccentric of his siblings, who are quite offbeat in their own right, and his acquisition of what was supposed to be Napoleon's preserved penis encapsulates this. With the family already writing off this pricey purchase as yet another example of Connor’s trademark absurdity, the discovery that he lost a massive amount of money over a worthless object just cements his image in their minds as an absolute fool.
Connor invests in many other bad (and expensive) ventures, but this one stands out as truly ridiculous. Though not unrealistic, given that Napoleon's appendage actually was auctioned off and remains in the possession of the purchaser’s family to this day.
8 Shiv Abandoning Her Political Career
Logan often condescends to his children about their lack of independence and unsuitability to head Waystar, yet in this case, the viewers see that Logan can’t resist clipping his children’s wings when they try to leave the nest. After learning that her father has no plans to retire and has named his third wife, Marcia, as his successor, Shiv pursues a position on U.S. Senator Gil Davis’ team, where she is soon offered a promotion as his Chief of Staff.
As soon as Shiv gets a chance to create her own legacy, Logan swoops in with (false) promises to make her Waystar’s CEO. Falling for his lies, Shiv torpedoes her professional relationship with Gil and eventually muddies her reputation in an effort to protect her father’s company.
7 Nicknaming Lester “Mo”
While it’s understandable why it would be hard to resist a perfect opportunity for some darkly comedic (and very apt) wordplay, the Roy family’s nickname for Lester McClintock, a former Waystar board member, comes back to bite them.
The struggle to explain why they would refer to Lester as “Mo” if they didn’t have an inkling that he was indeed a molester is one of the most hilarious plot points in the series but comes at the complete expense of Waystar and the Roy family’s credibility. Perhaps their cover-ups should be conducted with less humor in the future.
6 Logan Naming Rhea His Successor
Before he even officially declares that the former head of a competitor will be Waystar’s new CEO, Logan’s favor of Rhea puts him at odds with Shiv, who not only is suspicious of Rhea but resents that a stranger has taken what she considers to be her place as her father’s successor.
Logan’s fixation with Rhea additionally strains his relationship with Marcia, who suspects the two are having an affair. If flared familial tensions weren’t enough, Rhea abandons ship when Waystar’s sexual misconduct scandal takes an ugly turn, leaving Logan in the lurch and Waystar looking as unsteady as ever.
5 Logan Attempting To Scapegoat Kendall
Kendall spends nearly the entirety of season two as Logan’s puppet, partly due to being in Logan’s debt and partly because the fire in him has been drowned. However, the ambition in Kendall is reignited when Logan tells him that he must fall on his sword for Waystar and that he was never going to be CEO.
While this might have been an intentional test on Logan’s part to see if Kendall actually did have a “killer” in him, the backlash of Kendall’s rebellion destabilizes an already teetering Waystar to the point where even Logan is left scrambling to try and keep his company afloat.
4 Greg Choosing Logan Over Ewan
Although Logan’s older brother Ewan prides himself on upholding strong morals in contrast to his brother, he threatens to slash his grandson’s 250 million inheritance if Greg doesn’t quit working in the devil’s den, aka Waystar. After Greg not only continues at Waystar but turns over incriminating documents to Logan in favor of a higher position, Ewan follows through on his threat.
Not only has Greg chosen a morally darker path, but one where the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t guaranteed, especially with the Roy family as the architects.
3 Roman Accidentally Sexting His Father
In a scene that made many a viewer cringe, Roman accidentally sends a picture of his dick that was intended for Waystar’s general counsel, Gerri, to his father. Humiliation in the form of a worst-case sexting scenario aside, Roman’s mistext results in him losing his temporary place as Logan’s ever-changing favored child.
Although it’s debatable whether Logan truly planned to name one of his children as his successor, seeing his son’s penis in the middle of a meeting certainly convinced him that Roman wasn’t fit to be Waystar’s CEO.
2 Shiv Mistreating Tom
While Tom is no saint, Shiv’s borderline emotionally abusive behavior towards him has garnered him much sympathy from viewers. Over the course of the show, she cheats on him, pressures him into a nonmonogamous marriage that he doesn’t want, and even tells him that she doesn’t love him under the guise of dirty talk.
Although there are moments she feels guilty about hurting Tom, she continues to prioritize herself over his needs. Karma comes for Shiv when Tom, having had enough, reveals her and her siblings' plan to override Waystar’s sale to Logan. Shiv is completely blindsided, in a poetic parallel to Tom’s emotions on their wedding night.
1 Logan Not Sacrificing Himself
A nearly perfect solution to Waystar’s cruise scandal is presented to Logan by his shareholders, claiming responsibility for the coverup himself and handing the reins over. It was an opportunity to dismiss the misconduct as the ways of the old and outdated, to usher in a new and progressive era for Waystar. However, in a fashion that defines the series, Logan cannot bear to give up his power.
Although his company is floundering, all his familial relationships are a mess, and his own body deteriorating, Logan still clings to the foundation of his authority. Ironically, his inability to loosen his grip backlashes in loss of control over his children and his true golden child, Waystar.