5 'Succession' Highest Rated Episodes, Ranked by IMDb

The way Succession balances biting satire with corporate intrigue and Shakespearean family drama is everything — that’s why the show is often named the best in its genre. Created by Jesse Armstrong, the Emmy-winning HBO series follows the powerful and dysfunctional Roy family as they battle for control over Waystar Royco, their global media empire.

Over the course of its four critically acclaimed seasons, Succession has delivered unforgettable power plays and countless emotionally devastating turns. As the show unfolded, certain episodes stood out for their tension and seismic shifts in character dynamics.

So here’s the list of 5 best episodes of the show, based on their IMDb scores.

1. Season 4, Episode 3 “Connor’s Wedding” (2023)

• IMDb score: 9.9/10

The most unexpected and emotionally charged episode of the series, “Connor’s Wedding” delivers a seismic shock that changes the Roy family forever. What begins as another lavish and awkward Roy gathering quickly spirals into chaos with the sudden death of Logan Roy aboard a private jet.

The episode’s real-time unfolding of events feels intimate and unsettling. The depiction of the children processing the loss over a heartbreaking phone call is something that adds so many layers into this already complicated drama. The episode is an absolute standout.

2. Season 2, Episode 10 “This Is Not for Tears” (2019)

• IMDb score: 9.7/10

The season 2 finale, "This Is Not for Tears," features one of the show's most pivotal strategic reversals. Set on a luxury yacht off the coast of Croatia, the episode centers on the urgent need of the Roy family to name a scapegoat for the Waystar Royco cruise scandal, which threatens the company’s public image and shareholder confidence.

Initially, Logan considers Tom and even Gerri as potential fall guys before settling on Kendall. What follows is a tightly controlled negotiation in which Logan offers up his son as a sacrifice under the guise of corporate necessity, which is a great opportunity for Kendall to prove his loyalty by taking the hit.

3. Season 3, Episode 9 “All the Bells Say” (2021)

• IMDb score: 9.7/10

The season 3 finale, "All the Bells Say," is a masterclass in betrayal. As the Roy siblings try to unite to stop Logan from selling the company, long-simmering tensions come to a head.

The episode's intensity escalates as they slowly realize their collective powerlessness, culminating in Tom’s shocking betrayal that tips the scales. From Roman’s emotional vulnerability to Shiv’s quiet devastation, the finale encapsulates the series' central theme: in the world of the Roys, loyalty is always transactional.

4. Season 4, Episode 10 “With Open Eyes” (2023)

• IMDb score: 9.5/10

"With Open Eyes" is the episode that brings it all to a close and the series finale delivers a devastating yet fitting conclusion to the Roy family saga. As the board vote to determine Waystar Royco’s future approaches, tensions between the siblings reach a boiling point. Betrayals, shifting alliances, and years of unresolved trauma culminate.

In the final scenes, choices are made that seal the characters’ fates: some ascending, others cast aside. It’s an expertly crafted ending that avoids sentimentality, staying true to the show’s core themes of power, legacy and the inevitable personal failure.

5. Season 4, Episode 8 “America Decides” (2023)

• IMDb score: 9.4/10

In a chilling portrayal of media manipulation and political power, “America Decides” puts the Roys at the center of an American presidential election. This tightly wound thriller unfolds over the course of a single night, during which ATN, under the volatile leadership of Roman and Kendall, must make a decision that could alter the course of history. It’s a perfect critique of the influence of the real-world media, delivered with the right tension and moral ambiguity.