Succession just returned with the fourth and final season last Sunday, and they’re back with more drama. One of its cast members, Sarah Snook, who portrays Shiv, shares some details on the thoughts of her character and where she’s coming from. She also commented on series creator Jesse Armstrong’s decision to end the series.
Snook describes Shiv’s headspace at the beginning of the fourth season. After going through so much in the previous season, Shiv feels lost. Snook told Collider,
“She’s experienced betrayal, on many fronts, the largest being of her husband, super unexpectedly, and her dad and her mom, in the signing of the trust. She’s in a position where she has to unite with her brothers, but that’s an uncomfortable thing for her because it’s not typically gone. It’s a great dynamic for the audience to see because we haven’t seen the siblings united. But in classic Shiv way, she’s making sure she’s got other things on the boil, just in case.”
Snook further rationalizes her relationship with Tom after his betrayal. The actress dive deeper into her character’s mindset. She explained,
“I think she’s pretty hurt by Tom. She doesn’t know how to express that hurt well. Actually, really, between seasons it’s probably been a couple of months or so, and I don’t think they’ve spoken about what happened in Italy, at all, in a clear way. Both of them know that the other one knows that they know what happened, but no one has brought it up or talked about it, which is typical Roy fashion.”
Snook thinks Shiv wasn’t effectively communicating her true feelings. Shiv’s words are different from what she really wants. Snook added,
“And in a very Shiv way, she’s suppressing all emotion. So, once it gets to the end of episode one and they have that first conversation, there are all these challenges that Shiv throws out by saying, “We’ll have to break up,” hoping that Tom won’t agree, but he just does. It’s really sad that she can’t express her need for him, or say, “Let’s have a conversation,” or anything. So yeah, I think she’s very hurt by Tom.”
Sarah Snook’s Thoughts on The Series Finale
Just like the HBO Boss wanting more of Succession, the actress was also game to do more. However, she admits that part of the reason why she’d love to do more was because she wants to be with the people she got to work with since 2018. She said,
“I would have probably been game to do a Season 5. But that’s also born of loving the job that I do, with the cast that I get to work with, and the crew, and the creatives. It’s been the best job I’ve ever done, so why would I want it to end?”
Despite wanting more, she trusts Jesse Armstrong’s decision to end the series. She added,
“But I also understand, logically and very smartly, Jesse has decided to end this with Season 4, going out on a high when, in some ways, it’s almost perfect. It hasn’t had too many slides. It hasn’t become a parody of itself. People still love the show. It’s a pretty bold move, and you’ve gotta respect that.”
Succession season four airs every Sunday night on HBO and is available to stream at HBO Max.