‘Succession’ S4E8 Power Rankings: Rise of the Roman Empire

Roman capitalizes on his siblings’ indecision. Shiv comes under a ton of pressure after her scheming is discovered by Kendall.

1. Roman Roy

Talk about a change of fortune. After looking like he was out of of the race in the previous episode, Roman storms back stronger than ever thanks to his partnership with Mencken. He’s gone all-in on Mencken, and it’s paid off in a big way at the moment. Of course, seeing as how ATN “calling” the election doesn’t actually make Mencken president, Roman’s newfound lead remains unstable. For now, and perhaps for the first time, Roman legitimately looks like a serious contender for the top spot.

2. Kendall Roy

Kendall’s loss was Roman’s gain. His inability to make up his mind cost him in a big way. He’s been so focused on his own plans to become sole CEO that he hasn’t noticed Roman making serious moves. Or perhaps he noticed but didn’t think of Roman as a serious threat? In any case, he’s underestimated him. At least now he recognizes that Roman needs to be taken seriously. Ultimately, he still had to play into Roman’s plan by endorsing Mencken due to other active competitors. This is a far cry from the CEO landscape just a few episodes ago where it seemed like Kendall’s only real competition was Matsson. Kendall’s rattled, but he’s still in a good position.

3. Lukas Matsson

Matsson continues to slip down the rankings as a result of his inaction. He continues to lean heavily on Shiv, but they haven’t been able to agree on a plan to deal with the inflated GoJo numbers in India. Expect that to change in the upcoming episode now that Kendall and Roman know about his alliance with Shiv. ATN calling the election for Mencken is a serious enough catalyst to unite Matsson and Shiv. Expect a big response in the coming episode.

4. Gregory Hirsch

By getting closer to Matsson, Greg was able to expose Shiv’s betrayal. He’s proved invaluable to Kendall once more, but by doing so, he’s put himself firmly in the crosshairs of Shiv. Nonetheless, he gets a spot in the top five because strengthening relationships with both Matsson and Kendall. In fact, now that Shiv’s been exposed, he now has the best-hedged position.

5. Siobhan Roy

Shiv had a particularly poor episode, and she probably deserves to drop down a spot or two. However, no one else stepped up, so she holds on to her spot in the top five. With that said, it’s now or never for her. Now that she’s out of her comfort zone, will she still be able to go toe-to-toe with her siblings? In the shadows, she’s second to none, but she hasn’t been nearly as effective out in the open. She was in a similar situation back in season three, and she crumbled under pressure then. With that said, she doesn’t have as much to lose as the other characters, so she’s going to be more dangerous than ever.

6. Connor Roy

Connor lost the election, obviously, but he managed to salvage an ambassadorial position to Slovenia. Again, this is assuming Mencken does go on to become president. His drop down is expected, but he’s still near the top because of how involved he’s been in the preparations for Logan’s funeral. With the funeral coming up and his siblings just about openly at war with eachother, might he have a role to play?

7. Frank Vernon

No contribution.

8. Gerri Kellman

No appearance.

9. Marcia Roy

No appearance.

10. Karl Muller

No appearance.

11. Tom Wamsgans

Tom’s path forward remains as uncertain as ever. His response to Shiv’s pregnancy was brutal, but there’s still hope. Shiv still sees a path forward for them, and we know Tom loves her, so somehow a reconciliation is back on the table.