'Succession' Season 4, episode 4: What does Shiv's pregnancy actually mean? (2024)

The fan theories were right! Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) is, in fact, pregnant.

Following last week’s explosive revelations, episode 4 of Succession maintains the momentum with two plot-changing reveals. We first learn that Shiv is 20 weeks into her pregnancy. And we then learn that Logan (Brian Cox) has left a paper, akin to a will, that bestows Waystar to Kendall (Jeremy Strong). After several power plays during Logan’s funeral, team Roy arrives at a winning conclusion that sees Kendall and Roman (Kieran Culkin) both acting as interim CEOs in the immediate aftermath of their father’s passing. But why did Succession decide to drop these two bombs in the same episode?

Shiv’s pregnancy, which so far seems to be a secret, might have sealed a fate she clearly doesn’t want. When Kendall whips up the CEO plan that involves Roman by his side, Shiv is visibly upset — partially because she wants the position, and partially because she’s aware that her pregnancy might stop her from getting it. There’s a clear billionaire boys club forming, and Shiv’s not just being benched on the sidelines; her pregnancy might mean she’s being pushed to the last row of the audience.

Succession’s never shied away from tackling gender in the workplace, with the politics of that usually explored through Shiv. For the past four seasons, we’ve seen Shiv deal with misogyny, with Logan’s colleagues deeming her unfit for the title position as his daughter, not his son. Shiv was only ever “useful” to the company when her gender could be tokenized, like when they needed a female spokesperson to defend Waystar amid the sexual harassment scandal. Her pregnancy, paired with Kendall and Roman’s decision, brings her gender even more to the forefront.

Women already have it tough in the workplace (to say the least), and pregnancy elevates that tenfold. There’s the immediate, incorrect presumption that new mothers are a liability, wrongly forced to choose between work or their kids. As soon as Kendall, Roman, and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) find out Shiv’s pregnant, we can expect them to leave her out of Waystar matters even more than they already are. And while we might think Shiv has no way back in, this is Shiv Roy we’re talking about.

Shiv’s currently all alone in her pregnancy. Kendall and Roman were her support system after the infamous Roy schism, but that’s changed after their CEO team-up. At this point, Shiv’s being exiled into an incredibly gendered corner that’s going to force her to fight back. We can expect her to lay her cards on the table and start pulling some Logan moves.

It’s disheartening to see women still being categorized into “mothers” or “CEOs” with no ground for crossover, a gross reality depicted in Succession. Waystar’s boys club is taking the reins, and Shiv is going to have to deal with the environment that creates. She’s been disappointed and betrayed by every man in her life, which hopefully promises one thing — she’s about to finally take her revenge. When you push a lioness into a corner, expect unprecedented ferociousness. If I were Kendall or Roman, I’d be really worried about that first bite.

How to watch: Succession is now streaming on Max.