Succession is the last place anyone should look to for healthy relationships. Almost every romantic, familial, or professional pairing in the HBO series is doomed by each character’s selfish interests, and we’ve already covered just how horrible each character is. It’s a revealing portrait of how the promise of wealth and power trumps the possibility of love and happiness. Just look at the marriage of Shiv Roy and Tom Wambsgans for proof.
Shiv and Tom: The Most Toxic Relationship in Succession
For all four seasons of Succession, their relationship has been integral to the development of the show’s plot. Shiv is the youngest and only daughter of the aging media tycoon Logan Roy. Because of her last name, Tom’s motivations for dating Shiv have been doubtful. It never helped that he always seemed too eager to please Logan at any available opportunity, even over his own girlfriend.
If this were any other show, Shiv would foolishly give away her inheritance for love. But this is Succession, and being one of the Roys means she’s inherited the trait of selfishness. She treats Tom as her personal meat puppet and cheats on him repeatedly. It’s tough to tell if there’s genuine love that exists between the two of them, but it’s obvious that their relationship mostly operates on, “What can you do for me?” All that is to say that Shiv and Tom have the most toxic marriage in all of Succession, and it all came to a head in Season 4 Episode 7.
The Worst Things Shiv and Tom Did to Each Other
Before we break down their explosive balcony scene in “Tailgate Party,” let’s follow a timeline of the worst things Shiv and Tom did to each other.
Tom Proposes To Shiv At The Worst time (S1E02)
In Season 1 of Succession, we know Shiv and Tom are already in a serious relationship. He’s invited to Logan’s intimate 80th birthday party, and his biggest concern is picking out a gift that will say, “I respect you but I’m not awed by you and that I like you but I need you to like me before I can love you.” Right off the bat, we see Tom as a guy who will kiss up to the Roy patriarch as an investment for his future.
Later that day, Logan suffers a stroke. And while the family is distraught, Tom decides it’s the perfect moment to propose to his vulnerable girlfriend. He also says it will be a good idea to get married soon in case Logan’s health continues to suffer, which makes his timing feel like a strategic choice more than a romantic leap.
Shiv Asks Tom For An Open Marriage On Their Wedding Night (S1E10)
Before aiming for the CEO position at Waystar Royco, which is almost certainly based on real-life media mogul families, Shiv worked as a political strategist with her ex-boyfriend Nate Sofrelli. She rekindles the relationship with Nate, who’s well aware that she was already engaged. Meanwhile, Tom asks Shiv for a hall pass during his bachelor party, unaware that she was spending the night with Nate.
The first season culminates in Shiv and Tom’s destination wedding in England, one of the many picturesque filming locations in the show. And on the night of their wedding, Shiv tells Tom that she wants a non-monogamous relationship, to which he reluctantly agrees. The fact that Shiv has been cheating on Tom for months is a red flag and one of the few times Succession has been explicit about a character’s illicit affairs. However, the worst thing about it is that Shiv cornered Tom after they’ve already said their vows, showing a lack of empathy for her husband.
Tom Tries to Hostage Shiv with a Pregnancy (S3E05)
In the next season of Succession, Tom’s involvement in the company’s coverup of sexual abuse pegged him a few notches down the corporate ladder. Meanwhile, Shiv just made a critical move that will give her power in the company. Tom sees this as an opportunity to win Logan’s good graces and tries to convince Shiv to have his baby.
Maybe it’s leverage for his stake in the company or a way to keep Shiv honest in case he goes to prison. Regardless, none of those are good reasons to consider welcoming a baby into one of the most toxic households in Succession.
Shiv Doesn’t Care If Tom Goes to Jail (S3E06)
Tom’s fears of going to jail are valid. Although he wasn’t even working at Waystar when the sexual abuse happened, he messed up big time by getting rid of the evidence.
So for several episodes, his possible imprisonment is all Tom could talk about with Shiv. And while it’s normal in a wife-and-husband dynamic to vent fears, especially such a big concern, Shiv dismisses Tom. In fact, she seems relieved that it might be Tom going to prison instead of Logan and doesn’t talk him out of volunteering to go.
Tom Betrays Shiv and her Siblings (S3E09)
Most of this season of Succession pits Kendall against the rest of his family. His siblings chose to support Logan because they have such little faith that their brother could succeed in his plans to oust their dad.
But when Logan decides to do business with Lukas Matsson of GoJo without consulting the kids, Shiv and Roman decide to realign with Kendall. A GoJo buyout would oust them from their positions on the board and, effectively, the company. They wouldn’t be penniless—they were set to cash out billions each—but they would be less powerful.
The kids planned on exercising a clause in their parents’ divorce that would allow them to veto any huge moves, such as the one Logan is about to make. But before they could come to their father, he makes new arrangements that would remove that power. It’s revealed later on that it was Tom who tipped off Logan about his children’s plan, finally proving that he cared more about his place at Waystar than his marriage.
Tom Makes Divorce Difficult For Shiv (S4E02)
The final season of Succession teases the end of Shiv and Tom’s marriage, with Shiv asking him for a painless divorce. However, none of the divorce attorneys she wants to hire are available or want to work with her. In this episode, we find out that Tom actually paid off the best lawyers, so they wouldn’t be available for Shiv, at the advice of Logan. Whether it’s to screw her over in a settlement or to stop her from pursuing divorce, it’s a dirty but effective trick by good ol’ Tom Wambsgans.
Shiv Doesn’t Stop Matsson’s Plans to Fire Tom (S4E07)
It seemed their marriage was truly headed for the dumpster, but the toxic pair briefly rekindled their relationship prior to this episode of Succession. They were flirty, living under the same roof again, and even throwing an election eve party as husband and wife.
One of the guests of honor at this party is Matsson, who’s in the process of closing the deal to acquire Waystar. While Kendall and Roman are planning on tanking the deal, Shiv is covertly aligned with the Swede, who’s using the party to bolster his reputation among some of the shareholders of Waystar. One of the guests asks him about his plans with ATN, the network Tom was able to wrangle out of Logan, and Matsson casually reveals that he wants to change the leadership.
Shiv is surprised by this plan but doesn’t object. And when she gets the chance to talk to Matsson in private, she only asks him what he can do for him moving forward as his kingmaker.
Succession’s ‘Tailgate Party’: Shiv and Tom Lay It All On The Balcony
The big problem with Shiv and Tom’s relationship is that neither of them are honest with each other. They don’t have a healthy marriage where the norm is to talk about their feelings and desires openly. Shiv doesn’t admit to Tom that she actually wants the CEO position for herself, and Tom doesn’t tell her that he’s not on board with an open marriage. All of this secret-keeping means everything they do becomes manipulative in the name of keeping a facade in front of their partner.
All of this tension has been bubbling up since the start of Succession. It was only until the “Tailgate Party” episode of Season 4 that the couple finally reached a tipping point when word of his potential firing reaches Tom. Once again, he realizes his wife doesn’t have his best interests and confronts her in a screaming match on their balcony as their unsuspecting guests mingled indoors.
“I wonder if we shouldn’t clear the air,” Tom said calmly before they both excavated all of the terrible things they have done to each other. From Tom’s ill-timed proposal and Shiv’s infidelity, and Shiv’s indifference about his imprisonment to Tom teaming up with Logan, no stone was left unturned in the most honest yet harshest confrontation they’ve had with each other. This fight is what Succession fans have been waiting for since the beginning. And though they nearly scratched each other’s eyes out, it was a cathartic exercise that the married couple needed.
What Happens Next?
There are only two episodes to the finale of the highly-popular Succession, and anything can happen between Shiv and Tom. It’s a twist to the old will-they-won’t-they trope. Because they’re already married, what we really want to know is if they will push through with a divorce or fix their relationship. And adding to that already complicated dynamic is Shiv’s pregnancy, which she hasn’t mentioned to anyone.
If I’m going to make a prediction, it’s that this toxic Succession couple has been doomed from the start. Tom admitted that while he did love Shiv, he liked the idea of amassing money and power — she was his golden ticket. And Shiv…well, she’s too hardened by her dad to let love win her over. Their marriage only has one power seat, and neither of them seem willing to give it up.
