Successionhas 39 episodes, and while it is difficult to pick the very best when there are so many great moments on the show, some do stand out. One of thebest HBO shows of all time,Successionpremiered on June 06, 2025, and ran for four seasons until August 16, 2025. Often blurring the line between comedy and drama,Successionturned three billionaire siblings fighting over their father’s empire into relatable characterswhile never ignoring how absurd their lives and everything around them were.
Successionwould dominate the awards season during its time on the air, having won 19 Primetime Emmys. WhileSuccessionseason 4is widely regarded as the show’s best given how many perfect episodes it delivered back to back, the show has been one of the best things on television since the first season. The bestSuccessionepisodes are the ones that show a different side of its main characters and take the series in unexpected directions.
10Season 2, Episode 3, “Hunting”
Directed By Andrij Parekh
The “boar on the floor” sequence alone would have been enough to make “Hunting” an all-timeSuccessionclassic, but the episode was more than just Logan Roy at his scariest. “Hunting” offers a great look at how Logan commands power over his subordinates, and how they are willing to go through the most bizarre situations if it means pleasing the head of Waystar Royco.“Hunting” goes from hilarious to scary to hilarious againseemingly and is a great example of howSuccessionnever boxed itself as a comedy or drama only.
Successionwon Best Drama Series at the Emmys three seasons in a row, from season 2 to 4.
“Hunting” also offers a better look at the relationship between Logan and Roman, with the latter trying to please his father but more often than not failing at it. Roman’s need for approval is what leads him to make the mistake that almost causes Logan to lose the battle against Sandy. At the same time,Ken shows no agency at all in “Hunting”and acts as an extension of his father’s power, which would be the case during most of the season except for the finale.
9Season 4, Episode 8, “America Decides”
Most ofSuccessionseason 4 had a virtually impossible mission – deliver something that was as impactful or at least as good as “Connor’s Wedding.” Surprisingly,Succession’s final season did not drop the ball despite raising the bar extremely high with episode 3.Logan’s death meant that every decision made by the Roy siblings would impact the future of not only the company but also the countryand the world. Kendall and Roman’s interest in the elections came down to which candidate would help them block the GoJo deal, whereas Shiv was against Mencken and wanted the deal to move forward.
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Seeing the Roy siblings play with the fate of millions of people over what would be best for them and their aspirations was both scary and intense.“America Decides,” like most episodes of season 4, doesn’t stop to breatheand puts you in the middle of a high-stakes situation. The camera feels like a character of its own, which helps viewers understand how serious the situation is.
8Season 4, Episode 7, “Tailgate Party”
Directed By Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
WhileSuccession’s election episode was incredible, the build-up for it was arguably even better. “Tailgate Party” is where the allegiances of every character start to become more obvious, particularly after Lukas Matsson and his friends crash the pre-election ATN party.“Tailgate Party” makes it clear that Matsson will be the “villain” of the rest of the season– the obstacle Kendall will have to overcome if he wants to keep his father’s company.
“Tailgate Party” is a point of no return forSuccessionand pays off Shiv and Tom’s dysfunctional relationship in the most intense way.
While Kendall and Mattson’s conflict was very important, the real scene stealers in “Tailgate Party” were Shiv and Tom.Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen both give Emmy-worthy performancesas Shiv and Tom“clear the air,”and the result is one of the best scenes in the entire show. “Tailgate Party” is a point of no return forSuccessionand pays offShiv and Tom’s dysfunctional relationshipin the most intense way.
7Season 2, Episode 10, “This Is Not For Tears”
Directed By Mark Mylod
Logan Roy telling Kendall that he is not a killer would have major repercussions, and that was only one of many remarkable moments from “This Is Not For Fears.” The idea of Logan, his family, and his inner circle hanging out on a boat as they decide who will be the“blood sacrifice”resulted in some hilarious interactions, including but not limited to Roman suggesting Frank all the time or Tom eating Logan’s chicken. Looking at the comic side of the show only, there aren’t manySuccessionepisodes that are funnier than “This Is Not For Tears.”
Mark Mylod directed 16 episodes ofSuccession.
Beyond the laughs and Logan’s games,“This Is Not For Fears” featured one of the most cathartic scenes inSuccession. Kendall slowly realizing that he will never be good enough for his father, not even after acting as his henchman for an entire season, is heartbreaking and happens with no lines at all thanks to Jeremy Strong’s subtle performance. By the time Kendall flips the script and confronts his father on live TV, the reasons for his betrayal could not be more obvious. Logan’s smirk as he watches Kendall become a killer makes the episode even better.
6Season 1, Episode 6, “Which Side Are You On?”
If someone is still not sure whether they want to continue watchingSuccessionand what the show really is about, those questions will be answered in “Which Side Are You On?” This was the first time Kendall made a significant move against his father, and as a result, the first of many times the self-proclaimed“eldest son”failed.Seeing Kendall fail time and time again would become commonplace inSuccession, but his failed coup from season 1 remained the most embarrassing.
Most of the season up until that point had built up to Kendall making a move against Logan to take over the company, and for a while, it seemed like it would work. Despite the traffic and having to win over board members on the way to the meeting,Kendall had the votes. The move only failed because Roman backed down at the last minute – a moment that told us everything we needed to know about the relationship between Logan and his kids.
5Season 4, Episode 9, “Church and State”
Kieran Culkin’s Lead Actor Emmy win was hardly a surprise afterSuccessionseason 4, particularly “Church and State.” Culkin had been delivering fantastic performances as Roman for a while now, but “Church and State” showed a side of the character that none of the previous episodes had. After “pre-grieving” for five episodes in a row,Roman finally broke while speaking at Logan’s funeral. That was one of many powerful moments in “Church and State.”
Season 4 was the first time Kieran Culkin was submitted for Lead Actor instead of Supporting Actor at the Emmys.
Ewan Roy’s speech, during which we learned what happened to Logan’s sister, completely recontextualized Logan Roy’s character.Successionwould often drop major reveals as if they were nothing, which added to the realism of the show and made it weirdly relatable despite dealing with billionaires.The eulogy given by Kendall was somehow even more intense, although for very different reasons. “Church and State” features some of the best acting in all four seasons ofSuccession.
4Season 4, Episode 10, “With Open Eyes”
Successionwas at the top of its game for four seasons and managed to stick the landing. After the divisive and arguably disappointing ending ofGame of Thrones, it was difficult not to at least imagine a worst-case scenario in whichSuccessionwould drop the ball and deliver an underwhelming finale. However, not only was “With Open Eyes” a fantastic episode on its own, but it was also theendingSuccessiondeserved.
It’s a bittersweet, almost tragic episode that delivers on every aspect and beautifully wraps up the show.
By that point, it was clear thatSuccessionwas not going to give Kendall and his siblings a happy ending,whatever that would be. Still, “With Open Eyes” briefly makes us think that Ken, Shiv, and Roman are going to be okay and will come together to crown Kendall Roy as the successor. Usurpingly, everything fell apart once Shiv realized Kendall couldn’t have the job. It’s a bittersweet, almost tragic episode that delivers on every aspect and beautifully wraps up the show.
3Season 2, Episode 4, “Safe Room”
A lot ofSuccessionepisodes are defined by how intense or tragic they are. However,the HBO showwas also known for being hilarious.The waySuccessionwould find humor in the most strange situations while never letting go of the emotional weight those situations should have was a huge selling point of the show, and there is no better example of this than “Safe Room.” The episode includes some of the funniest lines and interactions on the show, including Tom interviewing Ravenhead and the“executives coming through"bit.
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Logan Roy is the patriarch and center of Succession for most of its run, and his best scenes highlight who he is as a leader, father, and businessman.
Greg and Tom realize they are not in the safe room and then discussing the state of their relationship while Logan, Shiv, and Ken tried to cut out a deal in the middle of what appeared to be an active shooting was asSuccessionas it could get. In addition to all the laughs,“Safe Room” also includes some of the most vulnerable Kendall Roy moments.
2Season 3, Episode 9, “All the Bells Say”
There is a lot going on in “All the Bells Say,”yet the season 3 finale balances all of its storylines into a cohesive episode that is full of twists and dramatic moments. Kendall breaking down and telling Shiv and Roman about the waiter; the siblings joining forces to prevent Logan from selling the company; Shiv and Tom reaching a breaking point in their relationship, and Tom betraying Shiv for Logan in the end each could have been the focus of their own episode.
Choosing to close the episode on Shiv as Tom touches her shoulder following his betrayal made it all even more impactful.
Almost every scene in “All the Bells Say” is a turning point for the show and much of what we got in season 4 traces back to the decisions made in the season 3 finale.Jeremy Strong’s performance in the scene where Ken notices a couple of waiters and starts thinking about the kid whose death he caused is gut-wrenchingand one of the highlights of the show. Choosing to close the episode on Shiv as Tom touches her shoulder following his betrayal made it all even more impactful.
1Season 4, Episode 3, “Connor’s Wedding”
From the writing to the acting to how the episode was filmed, “Connor’s Wedding” is already a classic and can be considered one of the greatest television episodes of all time. Killing Logan Roy in episode 3 of the final season was a twist no one saw coming, and it set the stage for the best episode on the show.“Connor’s Wedding” never gives us a proper view of what is happening inside the plainand puts us in the perspective of the kids.
“Connor’s Wedding” has a 9.9/10 score on IMDb.
Small choices like not telling Jeremy Strong where Sarah Snook would be during the scene in which Kendall has to tell Shiv what is going on helped make “Connor’s Wedding” incredibly immersive. From the moment Roman picks up the phone to the final shot of the episode, “Connor’s Wedding” stops feeling like a TV show and perfectly captures the erratic, random nature of life.Successionseason 4 would still have plenty of great moments, but “Connor’s Wedding” is the show’s best episode.
Succession
Cast
Succession is a Black Comedy and Satire television show created by Jesse Armstrong. It stars Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, and Kieran Culkin and follows the story of an aging conglomerate owner as he deals with his declining health and the sudden realization that one of his children will soon inherit his position and run his company.
