When Succession Ends, Which Slime Puppy Winds Up on Top?

With Succession’s fourth and final season premiere just days away, there’s only one topic on our minds: Who will daddy kiss? That is to say: When all is said and done, how will HBO’s celebrated drama answer the conundrum posed by its title—who takes over Waystar Royco after Brian Cox’s formidable Logan Roy steps down, is pushed out, or dies? (Assuming that there even is a Waystar Royco to take over—though somehow, we imagine Logan’s plan to sell the company to Alexander Skarsgård’s Lukas Matsson might wind up hitting a snag.)

Below, 10 Vanity Fair staffers strap on their (knockoff) Patek Philippes and attempt to predict which member of Succession’s sprawling ensemble will wind up on top. There’s a case to be made for basically anyone—except, apparently, Shiv or Roman. Sorry, kids!

Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron)

There was a point where I would’ve put money on Shiv running the Roy empire—but I think she (and her brothers) have lost the thread of their Waystar pursuit to their unsinkable daddy issues. Now I believe that the other female Succession powerhouse, Gerri, has been waiting in the wings for each Roy to self-destruct so that she can elegantly seize Waystar. My ideal final scene would be Gerri unfastening her updo, pouring herself a stiff drink, and smugly looking out over her new empire. If we can’t get Waystar GerrCo, I’d settle for Gerri getting a showstopping finale monologue venting decades’ worth of pent-up frustrations about the f–ked-up family dynamics she’s had to witness. And ideally a hefty settlement for stomaching all of Roman’s sexual harassment.  —Julie Miller

Gerri Kellman and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen)

Succession’s writers are cheeky buggers who constantly pull the rug out from under their characters—and viewers. (How many of us were fooled into thinking Kendall Roy might be dead  just because he was floating face down in a pool?) Every time one of the heirs gets close to grabbing the throne, they find themselves humiliatingly foiled. So rather than landing in the hands of one of these monstrous children of privilege, I think Royco will go to outsiders Gerri and Tom, either because Logan thinks they have earned it the way he did (through hard work and deviousness) or because when they join forces, they can outwit and outplay the Roy kids, who are fatally distracted by internecine family warfare. —Joy Press

Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong)

Logan’s number one boy has been through a lot over the past three seasons, and his tribulations haven’t made him any wiser or more competent (or better at enjoying a birthday party). He was already CEO of Waystar once; it didn’t go well. But through everything, Kendall has proven himself completely incapable of severing ties with his monstrous father—and he also clearly still yearns to run the company he once considered his birthright. I can see season four winding through a series of twists that lead back to Kendall finally ascending the throne he was denied way back in Succession’s pilot. Is this the most obvious ending, not least because it’s basically what happened in the family that inspired Succession? Sure. But if any show can make Occam’s razor surprisingly satisfying, it’s this one. —Hillary Busis

Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun)

Consider this question cracked—it’s Greg the Egg who will ascend to power at Waystar Royco. By the end of season three, Greg finds himself holding all the chips thanks to his carefully orchestrated alliance with Logan and Tom. Since the beginning, Greg has used his outsider status for self-preservation—stashing some of those shady cruise line documents to avoid prison time with Tom, dropping his grandfather’s lawyer after learning that his inheritance would be donated to Greenpeace. By series end, Greg will have more than enough ammunition to usurp his more obviously connected relatives. Only time will tell whether or not Tom gets to come along for the ride—or get bested by one last betrayal. What would make a better hero’s journey than Greg—who first appears in the series stoned and dressed as a theme park mascot—eventually running the circus? —Savannah Walsh

All Logan Roy ever wanted was a competent heir. Naturally, his wish will backfire spectacularly. When Logan dies (alone, in a twisted parallel of the show’s opening), a chaotic final flurry of politicking will create the perfect power vacuum for everyone’s favorite non-Roy Roy to claim the throne. Kingmaker Tom will be the one to secure Greg’s ascension—but will inadvertently spell doom for himself by doing so. Why shouldn’t the man who prides himself on being Greg’s puppet master end up his blood sacrifice instead? —Tyler Breitfeller

Frank Vernon (Peter Friedman)

I can’t imagine any of the Roy children ultimately getting what they want, nor do I think fan affection for Gerri or even Greg will be rewarded in the end. Meanwhile, there’s a cadre of Logan loyalists who always manage to disappear into the background until they’re needed. Assuming that Shiv, Kendall, and Roman are hell-bent on destroying Waystar Royco this season, the perfect ending is the company carrying forward with the least intriguing person in charge. So congratulations, Frank: The Roy children will surely continue making your life hell long after the series has ended. —Katey Rich

Blackstone Inc. (or its fictional equivalent)

For decades, the private-equity arm of this investment firm has been in the news for its investments in major brand names and increasing share of the national housing market. Wouldn’t we learn the truest lesson about capitalism if the entire season was about a takeover attempt that eventually stripped the Roys of control? The family losing the company but keeping a tidy sum as a payout—rendering all of their factional battles pointless—could be a fittingly tragic end, as their company itself lives on as a mere line item in a much larger corporation. —Erin Vanderhoof

Jess Jordan, Kendall’s Assistant (Juliana Canfield)

Who better to run Waystar Royco than the woman who has the toughest job in town? I believe that Jess Jordan, a.k.a. Kendall’s dutiful assistant, Ken’s sidekick, Ken Doll’s right-hand woman, Kenny’s ride or die, will ascend to the top of the Waystar Royco food chain by series end. Think about it. She has the talent—truly imagine for five minutes how challenging it would be to be Kendall’s assistant. (I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.) She also has the knowledge; remember, she’s always just on the side of the frame while Kendall is going through some manic episode. She also probably has deep knowledge of the inner workings of Waystar Royco (let’s be real: Kendall doesn’t read or send his own emails). Jess Jordan’s got the skill and the intel, and now all she needs is the opportunity to make her point. Also let’s face it: She’s due for a promotion at this point. Not for nothing, I could also see Logan giving her Waystar Royco just to fuck with Kendall’s head. Mark my words: Kendall’s assistant will inherit the earth —Chris Murphy

Connor Roy (Alan Ruck)

If Game of Thrones taught us anything, it’s that the throne ultimately goes to whoever’s meekest and least deserving. So I’m going to Connor Roy, the only Roy child who has no interest in running his father’s company. We can safely assume his political career isn’t going to pan out, and I can think of no bigger insult to Logan’s other children than for him to give it to the only kid who doesn’t want it. I’m also assuming that Willa Ferreyra (Justine Lupe), Connor’s escort turned girlfriend turned-wife, will actually be running the company in the end. —Rebecca Ford

Logan Roy

Obviously, only Logan Roy can succeed Logan Roy. He won’t die. He won’t pick his number one candy baby. He won’t marry the Hope Hicks simulacrum that incongruously goth assistant (Zoe Winters). He won’t be prenupped into ceding shit to Marcia (Hiam Abbass). He won’t get hot and heavy with the Pierce family again. He won’t favor or disfavor any of his demon spawn. He’ll just keep livin’, man, L-I-V-I-N. —Claire Howorth