The Roys (And Tom) Are Dressed To Kill In Succession Season 4
This article contains spoilers for season 4, episode 5 of "Succession."
"Succession" has all of the high-stakes drama of something like "Game of Thrones," but the battles between characters are a little less bloody, with vicious barbs and backhanded comments taking the place of lances and swords. Similarly, the filthy rich media moguls at the top of the "Succession" food chain can't wear full suits of plate armor when they head into the boardroom, but their outfits still do a lot of work. Appearances mean everything in that world, and their outfit choices are carefully tailored to tell others what to expect of them.
Remember Kendall (Jeremy Strong) trying to impress a young creative team by wearing really expensive sneakers? That's just the tip of the iceberg for the way the Roys (and the rest of the backstabbing bureaucrats at Waystar-Royco) use clothing as both armor and a weapon — and this week's episode, "Kill List," was a brilliant example.
Everyone is headed to Norway to meet with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), the Swedish billionaire set on buying the whole business from the Roys, a deal he negotiated with Logan (Brian Cox) before his death. Kendall and youngest brother Roman (Kieran Culkin) have stepped in as interim CEOs, sidelining sister Shiv (Sarah Snook), who's still hanging on to the trio's truce until something better comes along. The old guard will be there, along with family scavengers Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), and everyone's going to be on high alert. After all, there's a Kill List floating around, and no one wants their name on it. It's time to fix up, and dress sharp.
Tom's tactical turtleneck
If there's anyone who needs to watch their neck in Norway, it's ole Tommy Wambsgans, who last week got dressed down by Karl and told that he's seen as a sad, clinging buffoon whose only ally (Logan) is deader than disco. Unlike Greg, the other half of the "Disgusting Brothers," Tom has shame, and he's trying desperately to maintain some semblance of integrity. When we first see him headed to Norway, he's in a black turtleneck, a blazer, khakis, and some bright white sneakers that look like something Kendall would wear.
Tom is also wearing his wedding ring despite the fact that he and Shiv are still separated and she doesn't want reconciliation, though whether that's a show of his continued feelings for her or his loyalty to the Roy family is anyone's guess. (It's probably both, because he is the human equivalent of a kicked puppy, and he's "here to serve." His words, not mine.)
When everyone heads outside for a more informal cookout later in the day, Tom changes into slightly more casual fare, sans blazer and turtleneck. He keeps the solid white sneakers, however, which Shiv kicks rocks at in an attempt to rile him up. He gets so flustered that he slaps at her earring, the two bickering like a pair of schoolchildren instead of some of the most rich and powerful people in the world. The fact that Shiv might be bringing a kid into all of this as well makes the whole thing even more nightmarish, and poor Tom has no idea.
The fashion stylings of the Roy siblings
Speaking of Siobhan, she's dressed in slightly baggy clothing, potentially to hide her growing belly. That doesn't mean she's eschewed her typical fashion sense, however, as she manages to look more casual and comfortable than either of her brothers while still looking pretty darn great. She also doesn't look like she's trying too hard, a'la Tom (her own turtleneck is more loose-fitting), and she carries herself with a more laid-back attitude too. Her dad just died and her brothers iced her out, but Shiv has clearly got a few more tricks up her leather jacket sleeves.
For his part, Kendall looks like a sullen teenager dragged out to a family function, complete with either a baseball cap or a beanie, but he also changes outfits and has those old Kendall tells, like sneakers that cost thousands of dollars. Even when he's trying to look like he doesn't care, Ken clearly cares way, way too much.
Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) is kind of the Roy sibling wild card, and he's always sleek and stylish without drawing too much attention to himself (save for the accidental dick pic, of course), but in "Kill List" he's in basic black. In fact, he doesn't seem to change outfits, or his outfits are so similar that it just looks like he doesn't. Ken, Shiv, and Tom all switch up their looks between arriving in Norway and hanging out outside, but Roman's heart isn't in it. He's genuinely grieving, and his apparel shows it. Everyone else is still trying to play the game, but Roman just wants to be left alone.
The old guard
But what about the old guard, the folks who have been around for decades and have proven their worth without having the benefit of nepotism? Karl (David Rasche), Hugo (Fisher Stevens), and Frank (Peter Friedman) all look like they stepped right out of a J. Crew catalogue. They're serving rich suburban dad chic and looking like a bunch of guys on vacation more than they are setting out to make a serious business deal. Maybe they don't really care, or maybe they recognize that they've been relegated to the backseat and can choose comfort over style. Whatever the case, none of them seems particularly concerned about appearances. They're either on the kill list or they're not.
Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), on the other hand, is dressed to kill. She shows up in a tactical turtleneck as well, but hers is a deep shade of cocoa, with a matching trenchcoat and slacks. No garish sneakers here: just a simple necklace and an ice-cold glare. Her attire isn't showy, nor does it look like she's trying to recede into the shadows. Gerri is here to make a stand for herself and remind people that she has worlds of experience and more than enough skill to handle just about anything. After all, she's helped steer the ship through far worse than the sale to a Swedish company; she survived decades under Logan Roy. She can handle Matsson and his crew just fine.
This friggin' guy
No one technically has home advantage, as Norway is neutral ground between the Swedes and the Americans, but Matsson hosting means he has the upper hand. When everyone arrives, the Swedes are already there, and most of them are dressed pretty similarly. In fact, a bunch of them have on matching shirts with a corporate logo emblazoned on the chest, which makes the attempts of the Americans to look stylish seem even sillier.
Matsson himself, the rich boy who treats people like playthings and has no real understanding of the real world, dresses however he wants, though mostly he opts for simplicity (and a turtleneck, of course). By the time he meets with Kendall and Roman, he's in full casual mode, wearing a plain gray sweatshirt. Is that the thing that finally makes Roman snap? Maybe. He's clearly trying to make a power play by showing up in an outfit that says "I don't care, but this cost more than you make in a year," just like Kendall.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the wake of Roman's blow-up at Lukas, which effectively destroyed everything his father had built, and you can bet that the characters will continue to show their insecurities through their outfits. Here's hoping Tom has turtlenecks in every color, because he's gonna need 'em.
New episodes of "Succession" premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.