The Waystar Royco board vote on the GoJo sale comes down to Shiv Roy as the deciding ballot. Lukas Matsson has already cut Shiv out, quietly offering the American CEO role to Tom Wambsgans — her estranged husband — who accepts without telling her. A tip from Greg Hirsch briefly unites all three Roy siblings for the first time all season: they fly to Barbados, back Kendall as their candidate, and return to New York as a coalition. That coalition collapses in a hallway outside the boardroom, where Kendall denies a drowning confession both siblings witnessed, then physically attacks Roman when the birthright argument fails. Shiv watches and casts the deciding vote for the deal. Tom becomes CEO. The company passes out of Roy hands entirely.

The finale settles the show's central argument: the succession contest was never a real transfer of power. Matsson wanted a compliant instrument, not a partner, and Logan's children were always competing for something their father never intended to give them. Roman arrives at this conclusion openly and without bitterness; Kendall ends alone at Battery Park; Shiv and Tom reach across a car seat in silence with nothing resolved. The episode is the key to reading the entire series — understanding it clarifies why none of the siblings' strategies were ever going to work.

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Part of the Explained Podcasts network. More shows: https://explainedpodcasts.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/succession-s04e10-with-open-eyes/id1874406661?i=1000766401627

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QidRoiTeBHnYeF4UT7tAh

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/

TVDB: https://thetvdb.com/dereferrer/series/338186

TMDB: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/76331