Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Succession season 4, episode 4!Succession star Sarah Snook reveals why her character, Shiv Roy, decided to keep her shocking revelation to herself in season 4, episode 4. Following episode 3’s devastating surprise death of Waystar Royco CEO and Roy family patriarch, Logan Roy, episode 4 dealt with the fallout and delivered some surprises of its own. The most recent twist affecting Shiv could have huge ramifications for the remaining six episodes of Succession season 4, but she is the only one in the family who knows for now.
Snook recently spoke with THR about Shiv’s pregnancy and her headspace during Succession season 4, episode 4. She goes into great detail about how the news has affected her emotionally, especially coming so soon after the death of her father. Read on for her full quote:
It’s too complicated [to tell Tom about the pregnancy], I think. It changes too much. There’s too much going on … Her father just died. There’s so many business machinations happening, to then bring Tom into it in a familial sense would confuse it again. She doesn’t know how she feels about it herself. In a way, I think she would prefer to decide what her own feelings are about this before she has Tom’s feelings muddy the waters.
What Shiv’s Pregnancy Means For Season 4
Having just lost its central character, Succession seems to have already introduced a new figure who could massively alter the Roy family. The news of Shiv’s child, whose father is most likely Tom Wambsgans, comes at a very tumultuous time in her life. She is grieving the loss of her father, currently in the process of divorcing Tom, and handling the GoJo sale as well as dealing with the current power vacuum at Waystar Royco. Her pregnancy adds another spanner to the works, and ultimately, Shiv may have to choose between parenthood and being a ruthless businesswoman.
The latest Succession episode saw the appointment of Kendall and Roman as interim co-CEOs of Waystar, leaving Shiv relegated to the sidelines. Her influence in the company could now be hugely diminished, and the possibility of motherhood only further complicates matters. Snook notes that “she will be a mother as well as a businesswoman and, how do these two things coalesce in her life?” For now, Shiv has a lower standing at the company than her brothers, and she may struggle to regain it if she also has to think about raising a child.
There is also the question of who will co-parent the child, if anyone. Tom remains Shiv’s husband for the time being, but their divorce is underway. Nevertheless, a very slight moment of intimacy between the couple in episode 4 could potentially suggest that their marriage is salvageable. Shiv would undoubtedly find the task of retaining a position of power at Waystar Royco and being a single parent unmanageable, but there are many possibilities which can be explored during the remaining six episodes of Succession.
Succession releases new episodes Sundays on HBO.
Source: THR
