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If you ever thought your family had issues, Succession came along and said, “Hold my bourbon.” HBO’s hit series isn’t just a drama about a media empire — it is a wild ride through one of the most toxic families ever written for television.
At the center of all the chaos are The Roys — a billionaire clan who lie, betray, and backstab each other so frequently, it starts to feel like a family hobby. Seriously, therapy should’ve been a line item in the Waystar budget.
What made Succession so addictive wasn’t just the corporate power plays or witty insults — it was the fact that every character was a walking red flag. You would think someone, anyone, would draw a line somewhere...but not the Roys — they treated morality like a suggestion, and loyalty like a seasonal accessory.
But even in a sea of terrible decisions, some moments from Succession stood out for being especially dark, ruthless, and just plain wrong. Whether it was emotional manipulation, outright abuse, or cold-hearted betrayals, the Roys constantly redefined what “crossing the line” means.
So here it is — ranking the 8 most morally bankrupt moments in Succession.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.
8 moments in Succession that crossed the line, ranked by how morally bankrupt they were
8) Shiv uses Tom as a punching bag (emotionally)
Tom and Shiv’s relationship was never exactly healthy on Succession, but one of the most stomach-churning patterns was how Shiv continuously played mind games with him.
From dangling an open marriage on their wedding night to constantly belittling his ambitions, Shiv emotionally manipulated Tom like it was part of her morning routine.
Tom, ever the loyal puppy, put up with it for a long time — he wanted her love, but what he often got was distance, sarcasm, and emotional coldness. The saddest part was that he seemed to think that was all he deserved.
It was like watching someone be slowly eroded by love that came with conditions, loopholes, and a side of ego. Tom had his own shady moments, but Shiv treated him more like an accessory than a husband — it wasn’t just cold, it was cruel. Using someone’s love and loyalty as a weapon really hits hard, even by Roy's standards.
7) Logan makes Kendall take the fall for the scandal
When Waystar’s cruise division was exposed for covering up s*xual assaults and other horrors, Logan needed a scapegoat. And who better than his already emotionally fragile son, Kendall?
Watching Logan emotionally blackmail Kendall into taking the blame during a press conference was painful — he dangled fatherly affection like bait, only to gut him with it in public. In that moment, Logan wasn’t just protecting his company — he was tightening his psychological grip on his son.
The entire scene was like watching a hostage situation with designer suits. Kendall, desperate for approval, folded like a cheap suit, and the cost was his public image, his career, and probably a giant chunk of his soul. All the while, Logan didn’t even blink...as he never does in the Succession universe.
6) Roman sends an inappropriate picture to Logan by mistake
It is hard to even talk about this Succession moment without cringing. Roman, the most impulsive and emotionally stunted Roy sibling, accidentally sends a very NSFW photo meant for Gerri to his father. Yes, to Logan — the patriarch, the king of fury, the man least likely to appreciate s*xting.
Logan’s reaction was exactly what you would expect: Disgust, fury, and a strong desire to never speak of it again. But Roman’s reaction was not horror or remorse...just embarrassment. He didn't seem to understand the gravity of what he had done.
This whole subplot exposed just how twisted and boundaryless Roman’s behavior could be. His relationship with Gerri was already an HR nightmare, and sending that photo to his dad by mistake was the cherry on top of a sundae made entirely of dysfunction.
5) The Roy kids try to stage a coup on the eve of the GoJo deal
Talk about poor timing — in the Season 3 finale of Succession, the Roy siblings (Kendall, Roman, and Shiv) finally unite to try and oust Logan from power by triggering a clause in their parents’ divorce agreement that would give them control. For once, they are all on the same page, ready to take down the king.
But Logan, being Logan, saw it coming. With help from their mother, Caroline, he changed the terms of the agreement behind their backs, stripping them of their leverage. By the time the kids arrive to confront him, it’s already too late — he has closed the deal with GoJo’s Lukas Matsson and cut them out entirely.
It wasn’t just a failed power move — it was a brutal, emotional gut punch. The kids thought they were finally going to beat their dad at his own game, but instead, he reminded them who the real boss was. And the betrayal hit even harder when Tom walked in, smiling like he had just won the lottery.
4) Shiv offers Tom up to be arrested
When the cruise scandal reached a boiling point and someone needed to take the fall, Shiv casually suggested that Tom should go to prison, not out of necessity, but because he might handle it best. The way she brought it up, like she was picking which wine to serve at dinner...was chilling.
What made it worse was how quickly she said it, like she had been rehearsing it in her head — no hesitation, no remorse, just cold calculation. And Tom, poor Tom, sat there trying to process the fact that his own wife was offering him up like a sacrificial lamb.
This wasn’t just betrayal, it was emotional annihilation. If there was any doubt that Shiv cared for Tom on Succession, this squashed it. Suggesting your husband go to jail to save your family's business is next-level heartless!
3) Kendall’s involvement in a fatal car crash
In one of the most gut-wrenching Season 1 finales ever, Kendall, high, desperate, and trying to score drugs, ends up in a car crash that kills a young waiter. Instead of reporting the accident, he flees the scene and lets the man drown. Logan finds out, of course, and uses it to blackmail Kendall into obedience.
This scene from Succession was haunting, not just for what happened, but for how quickly Kendall returned to pretending nothing had. He went back to his gilded cage, chained this time by guilt and secrets — his inner collapse starts here, and it never fully recovers.
The crash was an accident, but everything that followed was a conscious choice. And it revealed the true price of playing Roy family politics — other people’s lives.
2) Logan physically and emotionally abuses his children
We knew Logan was a monster on Succession long before the kids did — from constant verbal humiliation to manipulative mind games, Logan’s parenting style was more Game of Thrones than Father Knows Best.
But it went beyond emotional abuse — he once hit Roman as an adult, proving his control was more than psychological. He used love as leverage, turned loyalty into currency, and crushed any hint of rebellion before it could breathe.
You would think the kids would walk away, but no — they kept crawling back, begging for crumbs of affection. That is the power of emotional abuse — it doesn’t just scar...it rewires. Logan wasn’t just a bad dad — he was an architect of generational trauma, and for a man who built media empires, the thing he built best was fear.
1) Tom betrays Shiv and the Roy siblings to side with Logan
And finally, the betrayal that made Succession fans' jaws drop across living rooms everywhere: Tom flipping on Shiv and teaming up with Logan. Just when the Roy kids seemed to have a rare moment of unity, Tom went full Brutus and blew it up.
After seasons of being humiliated and dismissed by Shiv, Tom's move was part revenge, part survival. He had spent years being the butt of the joke, the outsider looking in and in one power move, he made himself essential.
But the way he did it — smiling, calm, and delivering the betrayal with a kiss on Shiv’s cheek...was pure cinematic villainy. Cold, calculated, and completely unforgettable — he didn’t just burn the bridge, he made sure it was televised.
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Conclusion
In Succession, the line between love and betrayal is blurrier than a tabloid headline. But as morally bankrupt as these moments were, they are what made the show a masterpiece in emotional chaos. So if this is what billion-dollar families look like, we will stick to our regular bank accounts.
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