Editor’s Word: The next incorporates spoilers for Season 4 of Succession.The announcement that Succession’s extremely anticipated fourth season would even be its final was initially stunning, because it had felt just like the present may live on for a few years. Nonetheless, occasions within the last season present that issues are lastly tightening up for the Roy household, and that they are going to lastly should face penalties for his or her actions. With the stunning dying of their father Logan (Brian Cox), the upcoming Presidential election, and the strain to shut the deal that can be so crucial to their future, all are resting on the selections that Roman (Kieran Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Sturdy), and Shiv (Sarah Snook) make within the upcoming weeks. That will normally be sufficient to emphasize everybody out, however Succession has by some means managed to lift the stakes as soon as extra with the continued dominance of Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Matsson, the CEO of the streaming media enterprise GoJo who has managed to throw off all of their plans. There’s no character in Succession that walks away with their arms clear, however Matsson is a malevolent villain just like the present has by no means had earlier than.


Matsson first popped up within the Season 3 episode “Too A lot Birthday,” the place Roman provides him a deal for WayStar to take over GoJo, who subsequently tries to primarily purchase the Roy household’s empire as a substitute. Within the wake of Logan’s dying, Kendall and Roman refuse to promote ATN as a part of the deal with the intention to shield their father’s legacy. Each side scheme to outdo the opposite, however any social respectfulness leads to heated arguments and psychological thoughts video games. The Roy siblings definitely aren’t recognized for his or her graciousness and respectfulness, however Matsson is straight-up confrontational and intentionally makes an attempt to sabotage them. Skarsgård’s unbelievable efficiency offers Succession with a “bang” in its last stretch, as Matsson’s actions straight isolate and entice every of the relations in uncomfortable situations.

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Alexander Skarsgård Chews the Surroundings

alexander skarsgard as lukas mattson in succession
Picture through HBO

Surroundings chewing is inherent to Succession’s leisure worth. Ever for the reason that present’s debut, the insults, jeers, and stunning moments have gone viral, and followers typically spend the aftermath of every episode’s premiere attempting to find out who had probably the most memorable line. Nonetheless, Skarsgård has taken surroundings chewing to the subsequent degree with a efficiency that feels influenced by Elon Musk. He’s a self-absorbed know-it-all who presents his unfamiliarity with American customs as an excuse for his impolite conduct. This particularly throws the Roys off their recreation. Their inflammatory, stunning conduct is what had all the time been giving them an edge over their rivals in enterprise discussions and negotiations, and so they’re lastly getting a style of their very own medication because of Matsson. Ever since his debut in Season 3, Matsson has been direct and to the purpose in all of his objectives. The Roys are typically used to purposefully complicating their conversations with “BS enterprise phrases,” however Matsson provides them no room to cover.

Matsson has additionally caught the Roy children at their most weak, as they’re all recovering from the dying of their father. The negotiations with Matsson started throughout what they didn’t notice had been their father’s last days, and he refuses to acknowledge the loss that all of them suffered with any due respect. It’s evident that Matsson suspects that he can reap the benefits of their fragile nature, and the youngsters are tasked with defending their household title. Matsson’s purpose of conquering ATN, and thus destroying Logan’s most prized creation, as a goal assault. His additional makes an attempt to sabotage their firm’s status are evident throughout his collection of stormy tweets amidst the launch of the Dwelling+ service. He even bypasses session with Roman and Kendall by making a proposal on to senior administration, and primarily threatens to fireplace lots of the long-time staff. Skarsgård’s efficiency progressively will get extra theatrical because the collection continues. Whereas at first he leaves every cope with a relaxed and picked up demeanor, he begins to indicate extra pleasure in ruffling the siblings’ feathers.

Not one of the Roys Are Protected From Matsson

It’s protected to say that out of all of the Roy youngsters, Roman is coping along with his father’s dying the worst. As a lot as he makes an attempt to masks his sorrow by claiming that he’s “pre-grieved,” Roman was clearly hooked up to creating Logan proud and being seen as worthy in his eyes. He’s notably unstable within the second half of Season 4, and sadly, Matsson can inform instantly. In “Kill Listing,” Roman lets free and unleashes his fury on Matsson with a string of insults, and terminates the deal. Matsson doesn’t want to go away him with a shrewd reply, as a result of he is aware of that he’s succeeded in getting beneath the youngest Roy’s pores and skin.

Matsson additionally makes direct makes an attempt to assault Kendall throughout a pivotal second in his profession. He can inform that Kendall values his public persona and needs to be the forward-thinking chief that his household has by no means had earlier than. Naturally, Matsson seeks to disrupt his second of triumph through the Dwelling+ occasion by tweeting out Nazi imagery and making offensive remarks concerning the Holocaust. Kendall narrowly manages to tug off his speech efficiently, but it surely inadvertently makes Matsson much more intent on revenge. His aggressiveness solely will increase throughout their verbal spar in “Tailgate Social gathering,” and Skarsgård has proven that Matsson is the one Succession character that you just don’t wish to mess with.

How Will Matsson Impression ‘Succession’s Collection Finale?

Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Matsson in front of the Waystar Royco logo in Succession
Customized Picture by Annamaria Ward

Matsson has additionally managed to belittle and berate Tom (Matthew MacFadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) as in the event that they had been merely pawns, and his insults really feel notably merciless. The “disgusting brothers” aren’t fairly as pleasant as they as soon as had been when their actions had been extra playful, however nonetheless, it’s powerful to see them each mocked and teased in entrance of others. Nonetheless, Matsson’s most harmful gamble has been his makes an attempt to disrupt Shiv. With the deal closing quickly, he sees the potential to divide the household even additional by courting Shiv right into a rival deal.

Shiv has already suffered a number of emotional burdens this season, and the electrifying chemistry between Snook and Skarsgård makes every of their heated conversations extra intense. Shiv has constantly confirmed to be the neatest, most forward-thinking, diabolical, and boldest of the Roy siblings, and any disruption she faces throughout a season the place she’s additionally coping with a being pregnant and potential divorce goes to play a significant function in the place the final three episodes go. Skarsgård has really thrown a wildcard into Succession’s last moments, and it is going to be fascinating to see if this malevolent power adjustments who finally ends up on prime when the present is over.

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