'There’s another… son?' Four wild theories about how Succession will end.

This article obviously includes spoilers of the final season of Succession, so if you're not up to date then get out of here – it's not safe for you!

Logan Roy might still be warm in the morgue, but the power struggle at Waystar Royco is already in full swing. 

In episode four, season four of Succession, Kendall and Roman were made co-CEOs of the company. But their quick rise to the top might not be so smooth, with several new revelations coming out throughout the episode. 

There’s a baby (or two!) on the way and no one really knows what kind of evil chaos Logan had planned to unleash on his truly terrible children from the grave. 

Here are four theories that could completely change how the series ends.

But first, watch the trailer for Succession season four. Post continues after video.

1. If Tom is the father of Shiv’s baby it could change EVERYTHING. 

At the beginning of the episode, Shiv receives a phone call from a Dr. Sharon Hasford. Dr Hasford tells Shiv she has "good news" from her "test". 

The doctor then explains that while there might have been an earlier scare, the results of Shiv’s amniocentesis test (a prenatal test to see if a baby has any health conditions) have come back clear. 

"Everything looks healthy," the doctor tells Shiv on the phone. "And you’re still well? No spotting? No bleeding?"

Yep, Shiv is pregnant. But who is the father? 

Shiv and Tom have been separated and are in the midst of getting a divorce. However, as pointed out in Vulture, the events of the entire series seem to have taken place over the course of about a year, in-universe. Which means the Italian wedding was only a few months ago. So Tom could be the dad. 

If Shiv and Tom are having a baby together, this might result in a shift in Shiv’s allegiances away from her brothers and towards Tom. 

2. But what if the father of Shiv’s baby is not Tom? 

Look, wild theory but maybe the father of Shiv’s baby is not Tom but someone else of significance in the Succession universe. 

At the end of the episode, after Kendall and Roman are chosen as co-CEOs, Shiv emerges from the room and is quietly furious. 

She yells at Stewy (Arian Moayed) and ATN anchor Mark Ravenhead (Zack Robidas) who are standing around downstairs laughing and then she falls over. 

Could her lashing out at Stewy indicate that there’s more to their relationship? 

If Shiv is having Stewy’s baby this could also lead to a shift in her allegiances. 

Another rogue theory - maybe Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) is the baby daddy? The board is about to move forward with the sale to Matsson, and if Shiv and Matsson are secretly involved it could mean that Shiv would continue to be involved in the company after the sale. 

That might really p*** off her brothers. 

3. Ok, there could be another Roy sibling on the way. 

Kerry’s appearance in episode four of season four was brief, but it may have confirmed a long-running theory – that Logan’s assistant is carrying his unborn child. 

Towards the end of the episode, Kerry arrived at the apartment to pick up her things while the siblings and the higher-ups at Waystar Royco were deciding who would run the company in the aftermath of Logan’s death.

She asked whether she could get her belongings from Logan’s room and Marcia told her they had already been put into a bag for her. 

The bag spills in the entranceway and Roman runs over to help a distraught Kerry pick up the items, which included several types of medication. If you cast your mind back to season three, you’ll recall that Logan was eating maca root, a plant that is used to treat male infertility. 

While they pick up the items, Kerry tells Roman that Logan said he was going to make an "arrangement" for her. 

So, this teeny tiny scene confirmed that Logan and Kerry were sleeping with each other. And may have hinted that Kerry is pregnant with another potential successor. 

Which brings us to…

4. Is Kendall’s name underlined or crossed out? 

In episode four, we also found out that Logan kept a piece of paper in his safe with some of his 'wishes and disbursements' written on it. On that piece of paper he had written that he wanted 'my son, Kendall Roy' to take over as CEO. 

However, there was a line across Kendall’s name – like the patriarch had either underlined it, confirming his decision, or crossed it out at a later date when he changed his mind. 

“Underlined or crossed out?” pic.twitter.com/BDlABNOuXe

— Succession (@succession) April 17, 2023

One theory is that he underlined it – because the line starts at the beginning of the name and slants upwards towards the end of the name. Which could just be the result of an aging oligarch’s shaky handwriting? 

Those who believe it’s crossed out, say Logan would have changed his mind after Kendall went rogue for approximately the last three seasons and that maybe the 'my son' he is now referring to is Roman. For the first few episodes of the season, Logan and Roman had been having secret conversations, with Logan basically trying to bring Roman back over to his side. 

Another wild yet plausible theory is that he crossed Kendall’s name out and the 'my son' he is referring to is actually Kerry’s unborn child. 

What a plot twist that would be!

Succession is streaming on Binge. 

Keryn Donnelly is a freelance pop culture writer and the creator of the weekly recommendations newsletter, Things I’ve Been Obsessed With This Week. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok. 

Feature image: Binge.