Despite being the youngest sibling, Succession’s Shiv Roy still knows how to pull the strings and play the game to ensure she’s safe and set up for success no matter what happens. Never letting feelings or family get in her way, she’s conniving and cunning in her ways, ready to throw even her husband overboard if it confirms her as the next CEO of Waystar Royco.
While she’s frequently labeled the liberal one of the family, she’s still far from being progressive. And generally, her banter and casual side comments can be problematic and insensitive. Yet Shiv’s dialogue also shows a smart and strategic character who can quickly navigate the shifting alliances and withering insults in her very powerful, and very dysfunctional, family.
When She Shows How She Really Feels About Tom
“Hello? Is This The Replicant Department? Yeah, My Meat-Puppet Has Stopped Working.”
It’s evident Shiv’s love for Tom doesn’t come from a place of purity. Instead, her relationship troubles stem from her daddy issues. As long as Tom stays faithful and puts her on a pedestal, worshipping the ground she walks on, she feels content. She has no trouble asking Tom to do her dirty work for her.
So, when she was opposed to Logan acquiring Pierce Media, she asked Tom to stop him. It’s not often Tom disagrees and argues back, but when he finally did, Shiv was caught off guard and responded facetiously.
When She Pounced On Roman’s Mishap
“I Thought That Would’ve Kinda Been Your Dream, Rome. Me F—ing Gerri With Your D–k.”
After Roman missent his scandalous photo to Logan instead of Gerri, Shiv didn’t hesitate to use his mishap to her advantage. She confronted Gerri and tried to convince her to admit Roman did it against her will in order to throw Roman out of the running for CEO.
When Roman confronted Shiv about seeing past her seemingly innocent intentions, she countered with a harsh remark that teased him for his unconventional attraction to Gerri. Roman’s entire personality is built on his shady burns, so it was nice for viewers to see him on the receiving end of a similarly withering insult from his sister.
When She Threw Shade At Logan
“Do You Think Dad Will Be Able To Cross The Threshold? Or Will He Spontaneously Combust?”
Though at times she may seem like a faithful daughter, Shiv makes it known that she’s really only supportive of Logan when she thinks he’ll win. Their father-daughter relationship is a contentious one at best, most likely because she’s more similar to him than any of the other children.
During his publicity stunt disguised as family therapy on Connor’s ranch, Shiv jokingly made a comment about Logan not being able to enter the chapel on the premises. Shiv’s father being compared to the Devil, or something so unholy that he would be instantly killed at a place of worship, doesn’t seem so outlandish when viewers consider Logan’s shadiest actions and words in Succession.
When She Was Hesitant To Sign Over Power
“What The F–k Is This, McCarthyism? I’m Not Declining, I’m Just Not ‘Clining'”
Marcia’s position in the family business has always been questioned, but after Logan edited his will to give Marcia the power of two votes on the board, Shiv heavily contested.
Roman tried to convince Shiv to agree to sign the document approving Logan’s change, thinking it might be nice for Logan to awake from his health scare with his children backing him. However, her self-centeredness, possibly one of Shiv’s worst traits, made her skeptical and undecided.
When She Objects To Roman’s Insensitivities
“I’m Sorry I Don’t Want To Come To Your Freewheelin’, Good-Time, N-Word-Shoutin’ Hoedown.”
Roman’s most significant failure was his push to speed up his rocket launch to align with Shiv’s wedding. If only he had listened to her opposition to the idea, he might not have blown his operation. Rather, he covered up his disappointment by spewing a chain of racist statements.
Rarely does Shiv resist Roman’s troublesome utterances, but she ultimately put her foot down. To which he then argued it was a result of her working in politics and feeling uppity and politically correct.
When She Insults Roman’s Incompetency
“Roman’s COO. You Have A Toddler With A Hard-on For Chief Operating Officer, And I’m Going Through a Management Training Program?”
Shiv is certainly not a feminist, but she is aware of the extra hurdles she has to jump simply because she’s a woman. She couldn’t have been happier after Logan disclosed to her that she would be taking over as CEO for him.
But, when he listed all of the tasks she needed to complete before he actually handed her the title, she rebuked. She questioned why Roman, the least qualified COO, was appointed immediately, yet she was required to attend a management training program.
When She Confronts Rhea
“What, Do You Outsource Your F–kery? You Got Your Right Brain For Your TED Talks, Left Brain For Your Killings?
When Rhea debuted as a new character in the second season of Succession, she pegged herself as the villain. She attempted to position herself not only as Logan’s love interest but also as his next successor. With enough competition among each other, the kids were quickly alerted to Rhea’s scheming.
Regardless, Shiv remained oblivious to Rhea’s calculated offer for a position within Pierce media. That is until Logan yelled at Shiv over the phone. Later, Shiv approached Rhea to let her know she was aware of her malicious intentions.
When She Low Blows Roman
“Oh, You Love Showing Your Pee-Pee To Everyone, But Someday, You Know, You’re Actually Gonna Have To F—k Something.”
Perhaps one of the saddest things about Roman is his intimacy issues, and Shiv never ceases to mock him for it. Just as Kendall asked for their support to betray Logan, Roman promptly dismissed his offer by backing up Gerri.
Again, Shiv couldn’t stop herself from pouncing on Roman’s weakness, so she ridiculed him for always hiding behind the big players rather than making a decision on his own. This resulted in another strong sentiment toward his trouble with intimacy and relationships.
When She Argues Against Roman And Kendall
“So, Send Out The Two Cover Stars For Toxic Male Monthly, And, Uh, Why Don’t We Get Ted Bundy Up There? Make It A Three-Way?”
Amid the cruise scandal, Roman and Kendall were prepared to appear on a panel to respond to questions and concerns. Initially, when asked, Shiv turned down the opportunity to join them on stage, but after speaking with Rhea, she was convinced it would look best for the company.
A few minutes before they were supposed to be on stage, Shiv debated that having a woman on stage would be good for their appearance. Although her last-minute change of mind was met with resistance, to which she answered with a cleverly crafted insult regarding her brothers’ toxicity.
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