The fourth season premiere of HBO’s Succession achieved a record-breaking feat for the satirical drama series. According to an HBO press release, Jesse Armstrong’s (In the Loop, Four Lions) comedic tragedy garnered 2.3 million viewers on Sunday across both linear telecasts and on HBO Max. This is a series high for the Emmy-winning drama show.
General viewership for the show had increased four times its normal streaming numbers on HBO Max within the previous week as many fans anticipated the arrival of the final season. According to the HBO press release, the premiere episode, entitled “The Munsters,” boasted a 62% increase compared to season three’s premiere, and a 33% increase compared to the last season’s finale. When compared to other Sunday evening primetime series on HBO, the episode only trailed Euphoria, The Last of Us, and House of the Dragon. It bested The White Lotus season two premiere by 51%.
The final season began with our Roy siblings, Kendall, Shiv, and Roman, retconning after the massive betrayal maneuvered by Shiv’s now estranged husband, Tom, that left them high and dry outside of the company led by their father, Logan. With a new media site in the works, the three siblings get word that Daddy Warbucks is embarking on the acquisition of a competitor. The three devise a plan to see if they can outsmart the lion in his den.
The series cast includes Brian Cox (X2: X-Men United, Red) as Logan, Jeremy Strong (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Armaggedon Time) as Kendall, Sarah Snook (Winchester, Pieces of a Woman) as Siobhan, Kieran Culkin (Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Igby Goes Down) as Roman, and Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks, Operation Mincemeat) as Tom. Additional supporting cast members include Nicholas Braun (Zola, Cat Person), Alan Ruck (Spin City, Freaky), J. Smith-Cameron (Search Party, Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Justine Lupe (Luckiest Girl Alive, Mr. Mercedes), Peter Friedman (She Said, Single White Female), David Rasche (Swallow, Blue Eyes), Zoe Winters (Flatbush Misdemeanors, The Method), Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Ravage, Under the Silver Lake), and Cherry Jones (Poker Face, Five Days at Memorial).
The final season will chronicle the last stand between Team Logan and Team Kendall as father and son battle for control of Waystar, their media conglomerate. The last season saw Logan potentially sell the company to an up-and-coming entrepreneur, played by Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood, Infinity Pool). The deal essentially cut his three business-savvy children out of the company, preventing them from any potential wealth from its profits.
Succession airs Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET.