‘Succession’ S4E4 Power Rankings: A New Dawn

1. Lukas Matsson

Despite not making an appearance, Matsson debuts at number one simply because of how much leverage he holds at the moment. Waystar needs GoJo much more than GoJo needs Waystar, and Matsson knows it. He plays hard ball with the Roy kids the day after their father died and essentially forces them to meet on his turf within the next 24 hours. He holds most of the cards, and he’s not afraid to use them.

2. Kendall Roy

Just a few episodes ago, it would’ve been very difficult to imagine Kendall so high up the rankings. However, with Logan permanently out of the picture, he once again gets a run at the top spot. This time, he garners enough support to secure it. And even though he’s sharing the responsibility with Roman, his experience and current mental state gives him the edge. With that said, his position is rather precarious, so don’t be surprised to see him drop down at some point in the future.

3. Roman Roy

Roman rounds out the top 3 thanks to his appointment as interim co-CEO alongside Kendall. Roman’s competence has steadily risen over the past two seasons, so this seems like a natural fit for him. However, he remains fairly inexperienced and, more importantly, incapable of functioning under pressure. So, much like Kendall, he too could find himself in free fall under the wrong conditions.

4. Marcia Roy

Marcia made her return in emphatic fashion and made quick work of Kerry. In doing so, she sent a message to everyone that she’s not to be messed with. Since she was still technically Logan’s wife upon his death, she stands to gain quite a lot. It’s unclear if she’ll interfere in the decision making of the company, but she could if she wanted to. That makes her a potential threat to any and all of the Roy children.

5. Siobhan Roy

Shiv didn’t have the best of episodes. Kendall and Roman’s ascension leaves Shiv with no official role in the company. Sure, she is an “equal” contributor to all important decisions via an unofficial understanding with her brothers, but it’s just that: unofficial. And she’s no fool, so she knows she’s been cut out. It’s not all bad though, as Shiv has always preferred operating in the shadows where her options are maximized.

6. Frank Vernon

Frank holds the distinction of being the only person that’s trusted by both the family members and the “old guard.” What’s more, he was trusted by Logan in a way no one else was, despite their occasional differences. Furthermore, he brings a wealth of experience that will be critical to the successful navigation of the challenges ahead.

7. Karl Muller

Karl’s certainly not as well-rounded as Frank, but as CFO, he brings a ton of experience to the negotiating table. Also, he doesn’t have as much to lose as some of the other individuals on this list.

8. Gerri Kellman

Gerri rounds out the big three “old guard.” She’s similarly capable as general counsel, but the knowledge that Logan had planned on firing her coupled with her snaky personality makes her difficult to trust. She won’t be endearing herself to any of the Roys anytime soon, but she might have an angle with Matsson’s new-look executive suite should the deal go through.

9. Stewy Hosseini

Stewy’s a big investor, and that carries weight in everything from deciding the company’s CEO to ironing out the deal’s terms. His friendship with Kendall is another plus.

10. Sandi Furness

Sandi’s holds power for the same reasons Stewy does. She has a somewhat working relationship with Shiv, which isn’t quite as valuable as Stewy’s relationship with Kendall, but it’s still something.

11. Gregory Hirsch

Greg has a knack for hanging on. He’s team Tom, who was team Logan, who’s now dead. This doesn’t bode well for Greg, but he’s family and his name was on Logan’s list, so he’ll be OK.

12. Tom Wamsgans

Tom bet it all on Logan under the premise that Logan’s never lost. Well, not even Logan can stand up to father time, and now Tom finds himself isolated. He never quite earned the respect of the old guard, and he burned bridges with Kendall, Roman, and Shiv. With that said, good yes-men are always in demand when it comes to egotistical executives, so Tom isn’t quite done yet. Except someone to throw him a bone in the next couple of episodes.

13. Karolina Novotney

Karolina isn’t as prominent as Frank, Karl, or Gerri, but she’s close. As head of PR, she’s certainly critical to the company. Also, she’s one of the few who seem to actually be good at their job.

14. Hugo Baker

Hugo also seems fairly good at his job, but he lacks the composure that his boss, Karolina, has. That lack of composure lands him in some trouble that allows Kendall to bully him. Could he develop some sort of working relationship with Kendall where he becomes his go-to man? Sure, but he’s just as likely to be tossed aside by GoJo’s restructuring.

15. Connor Roy

I have Connor here simply because he’s a Roy. I don’t anticipate him making any sort of push upwards, but who knows?

16. Cyd Peach

Cyd’s essentially a walking dead-woman, no matter the outcome of the GoJo deal.