Pratik Handore
HBO’s ‘Succession‘ season 4 is the culmination of the power struggle that ensues after Logan Roy’s health starts declining. In the seventh episode, Shiv and Tom host a tailgate party where Kendall and Roman set up a Plan B to force Matsson out of their proposed deal to sell Waystar. Meanwhile, Connor’s political future is questioned, and Shiv and Tom’s relationship hits a new low. As a result, viewers must be wondering how the Roys will navigate the challenges they face at the end of ‘Succession’ season 4, episode 7! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Succession Season 4 Episode 7 Recap
The seventh episode, titled ‘Tailgate Party,’ opens with Shiv and Tom reconciling after falling out at the end of the third season. Tom and Shiv are hosting Logan’s famous tailgate party on the eve of the Presidential elections to continue the tradition. However, things between the couple get awkward when Tom gifts Shiv a glass scorpion. Meanwhile, Kendall meets with his ex-wife, Rava, and learns that his daughter, Sophie, was harassed on the street. However, Kendall loses his cool and ends up arguing with Rava. Roman organizes a coalition of regulatory officers overseeing Waystar’s sale to GoJo.
Roman, Kendall, Connor, and Shiv meet for breakfast and discuss the party as well as Logan’s upcoming funeral. Connor has made all the arrangements but wants one of the siblings to give a speech at the funeral. However, the group is conflicted about who should be the one to give the speech. As a result, they agree to make a decision at the party. Meanwhile, Kendall and Roman also tell Shiv about gathering the regulatory officers at the tailgate party as a backup plan to stop the deal. Shiv reluctantly agrees to the idea of inviting Nate Sofrelli. However, Shiv secretly informs Lukas Matsson of Kendall and Roman’s scheme.
At ATN, Tom uses Greg to fire almost 200 employees. Later, Tom and Shiv host the tailgate party but worry about getting fired after Matsson acquires Waystar. However, Tom is dismayed that Nate will also attend the party, but Shiv clarifies that it is a strictly professional invitation. Meanwhile, Jeryd Mencken, the ATN-backed Presidential candidate, tasks Roman with asking Connor to pull out of the election race as his 6% vote share could affect Mencken in critical areas. While Roman tries to convince Connor to back out, Kendall speaks with Nate and tries to convince him to side with his plans to take over Waystar.
Kendall gives a speech at the party while Matsson arrives with his entourage to counter Kendall and Roman’s plan to tank the deal. He receives help from Shiv, who connects him with all the important people Matsson needs on his side. Meanwhile, Roman offers Conor an ambassadorial role in Somalia in exchange for dropping out of the elections. However, Connor refuses and wants to be appointed ambassador somewhere in Europe. Roman offers to send Connor to Oman, and he agrees to consider it. Kendall offers Nate better coverage for Gil Eavis and Daniel Jimenez in exchange for helping stop Matsson from acquiring Waystar. However, Nate refuses to side with Kendall.
After speaking to Willa, Connor refuses Roman’s offer, leading to Roman insulting Connor. Roman then tries to make amends with Gerri, but she threatens him with legal action if he tries to fire her again. Later, Roman and Kendall see Matsson mistreating his communications head, Ebba. Roman and Kendall speak with Ebba privately and learn that Matsson’s subscriber numbers in India are largely inflated due to an error in their matrix. Meanwhile, Tom grows tired of hearing he will be fired and argues with Shiv. The argument ends with Tom bad-mounting Shiv and claiming she will never make a good mother, seemingly ending their relationship.
Succession Season 4 Episode 7 Ending: What Is Kendall’s Big Move?
In the episode’s final act, Kendall’s plan to force Matsson out of the deal to buy Waystar RoyCo reaches a new peak when he learns about the discrepancies in GoJo’s subscriber count, especially in the Indian Market. Shiv confronts Matsson and asks him the truth about the faulty subscriber count. Matsson admits to the numbers being faulty due to an error in the calculation matrix. However, Matsson explains the situation and tries to convince Shiv that the error is not big. When Shiv pressures Matsson, he reveals that the numbers in India are almost twice the actual numbers. Nontheless. Matsson is confident that GoJo can rapidly increase its subscribers in India by the next quarter and fix the issue.
The revelation comes as a big shock to Shiv, who relied on Matsson to further her career after Kendall and Roman had sidelined her. Since GoJo’s numbers are faulty, the board will reject their offer to purchase Waystar in a cash plus stock deal. Hence, the acquisition is heading to a collapse. Consequently, it seems like Kendall is about to get his wish as he will stop the sale and continue running the company his father built. However, Kendall is not satisfied with the turn of events and wants to make a bigger play to cement his status as the capable leader he is proving himself to be.
In the episode’s final moments, Kendall has a private conversation with Frank. He explains the GoJo subscriber number situation to Frank and reveals the deal will soon collapse. However, Kendall’s big move is that he wants to turn the tables on Matsson and purchase GoJo from the Swedish tech giant. After GoJo’s faulty numbers are revealed, the company’s stock price will nosedive, making it easy for Waystar to acquire GoJo. However, Kendall also hopes that acquiring Waystar will help him secure the CEO position for himself. Thus, the episode ends with an interesting note, with Kendall seemingly plotting to move his siblings out of their father’s empire.
Read More: Succession Season 4 Episode 6 Recap and Ending, Explained
