Succession power rankings: Who's on top, and who's not, after "Rehearsal?"

Previous ranking: 10 (up three spots)The most insidious trick Succession constantly pulls on its viewers is to somehow make us feel sorry for people who are utterly reprehensible. Connor’s relationship with Willa (Justine Lupe) has always been blatantly transactional. And yet, when she bails on their rehearsal dinner you can’t help but sympathize. Later on, he pulls on our heartstrings even more with his speech about how he’s coped with having a family who doesn’t love him. It rings true because we’ve just watched his siblings spend the entire episode caught up in their own bullshit while he doesn’t even know if he’s getting married the next day. It’s a situation of his own making, sure, but can you really blame him for believing the only kind of relationship you can rely on is the kind you pay for? Connor still doesn’t have much power or self-awareness, but at least he sees that much clearly.

Previous ranking: 8 (up two spots)Greg begins the episode as Tom’s (Matthew Macfadyen) eyes and ears inside ATN. He ends it as the poor stooge who has to tell Kerry she’s not going to be the next new face of the network. He botched it, of course. Is it really his fault, though? Or is it Tom’s for putting this delicate task on Greg in the first place? Maybe he’s just getting some practice in for all the firings to come. That seems like the kind of thing the new Greg would enjoy. Every failure seems to just make him stronger, as long as Kerry doesn’t make good on her string cheese threat.

Previous ranking: 2 (down three spots)When Shiv learns that all of the best divorce lawyers in town are conflicted out of representing her she recognizes the tactic from her father’s playbook. She spends the rest of the episode making him pay (literally) by siding with Sandi and Stewy to squeeze Matsson for more money. Does she realize how close he is to walking away? If so, she doesn’t seem to care. Even after overcommitting to an inflated price for PNG—a sign her negotiation skills aren’t as sharp as she thinks—she’s willing to lose out on the GoJo deal just because she knows her father wants it. She’s playing a different game, in which the object isn’t to walk away with the best deal but to inflict the most pain on your opponents. It’s a game where everyone loses.

Previous ranking: 9 (up five spots)As Logan’s current right-hand man, Tom’s power ranking naturally rises and falls along with his boss. Both of them had a pretty good episode, but Tom gets the award for most improved. He made two significant moves this week, inspired by his terrifying mentor (and possibly also by Tony Soprano). The first we’ve already talked about. Tying up all the good divorce lawyers isn’t just a power move, it also has the added bonus effect of delaying the divorce for as long as possible. That’s at least part of Tom’s calculation here. The second is passing off the task of telling Kerry she can’t be a news anchor to Greg. He gave him some solid material to work with, even if Greg fumbled the delivery. Tom is smart about knowing what to say and that makes him a decent middleman, something that will keep him in Logan’s good graces even when/if their familial ties are eventually severed.

Previous ranking: 3 (no change)Roman is the only one of the kids not interested in grinding axes when it comes to their father, though he’s probably got the most legitimate and longstanding reasons to. If Kendall and Shiv actually listened to him instead of trying to force their own agendas their alliance might be able to withstand outside influence. Instead, they put Roman down and marginalize him, even when he’s making sense. Is he every bit the “needy love sponge” Connor accuses him and his siblings of being? Yes. Is it also a sound business decision to be on Logan’s side? Also, yes. Roman is fully aware he’s putting his head in the shark’s mouth (again), but he stubbornly won’t give up on the prospect of somehow having an actual family one day.

Previous ranking: 4 (up two spots)Kendall’s motivations were murkier than some of the other characters in this episode. He’s not on board with Shiv’s plan, via Sandi and Stewy, to push for a higher sell price until he gets that call from Matsson warning him not to go down that path. Maybe it’s his defiant nature, maybe he senses weakness, or maybe he sees his chance to tank a deal he never wanted in the first place. The fact that he didn’t share the conversation with his siblings seems to point toward the last option. Whatever the reason, Kendall got his way. Just look at his smile in the car on the way home. That’s the face of a satisfied person, something Ken has rarely ever been. He’s on a winning streak now, going two for two so far this season. We’ll see if it lasts.