Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 4 of Succession.The announcement that Succession’s highly anticipated fourth season would also be its last was initially shocking, as it had felt like the show could continue to exist for many years. However, events in the final season show that things are finally tightening up for the Roy family, and that they will finally have to face consequences for their actions. With the shocking death of their father Logan (Brian Cox), the upcoming Presidential election, and the pressure to close the deal that will be so critical to their future, all are resting on the decisions that Roman (Kieran Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), and Shiv (Sarah Snook) make in the upcoming weeks. That would usually be enough to stress everyone out, but Succession has somehow managed to raise the stakes once more with the continued dominance of Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Matsson, the CEO of the streaming media enterprise GoJo who has managed to throw off all of their plans. There’s no character in Succession that walks away with their hands clean, but Matsson is a malevolent villain like the show has never had before.

Matsson first popped up in the Season 3 episode “Too Much Birthday,” where Roman offers him a deal for WayStar to take over GoJo, who subsequently tries to essentially acquire the Roy family’s empire instead. In the wake of Logan’s death, Kendall and Roman refuse to sell ATN as part of the deal in order to protect their father’s legacy. Both sides scheme to outdo the other, but any social respectfulness results in heated arguments and mental mind games. The Roy siblings certainly aren’t known for their graciousness and respectfulness, but Matsson is straight-up confrontational and deliberately attempts to sabotage them. Skarsgård’s incredible performance provides Succession with a “bang” in its final stretch, as Matsson’s actions directly isolate and trap each of the family members in uncomfortable scenarios.

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Alexander Skarsgård Chews the Scenery

alexander skarsgard as lukas mattson in succession
Image via HBO

Scenery chewing is inherent to Succession’s entertainment value. Ever since the show’s debut, the insults, jeers, and shocking moments have gone viral, and fans generally spend the aftermath of each episode’s premiere trying to determine who had the most memorable line. However, Skarsgård has taken scenery chewing to the next level with a performance that feels influenced by Elon Musk. He’s a self-absorbed know-it-all who presents his unfamiliarity with American customs as an excuse for his rude behavior. This specifically throws the Roys off their game. Their inflammatory, shocking behavior is what had always been giving them an edge over their rivals in business discussions and negotiations, and they’re finally getting a taste of their own medicine thanks to Matsson. Ever since his debut in Season 3, Matsson has been direct and to the point in all of his goals. The Roys are generally used to purposefully complicating their conversations with “BS business terms,” but Matsson gives them no room to hide.

Matsson has also caught the Roy kids at their most vulnerable, as they’re all recovering from the death of their father. The negotiations with Matsson began during what they didn’t realize were their father’s final days, and he refuses to acknowledge the loss that they all suffered with any due respect. It’s evident that Matsson suspects that he can take advantage of their fragile nature, and the kids are tasked with defending their family name. Matsson’s goal of conquering ATN, and thus destroying Logan’s most prized creation, as a target attack. His further attempts to sabotage their company’s reputation are evident during his series of stormy tweets amidst the launch of the Living+ service. He even bypasses consultation with Roman and Kendall by making a proposal directly to senior management, and essentially threatens to fire many of the long-time employees. Skarsgård’s performance gradually gets more theatrical as the series continues. While at first he leaves each deal with a calm and collected demeanor, he begins to show more joy in ruffling the siblings’ feathers.

None of the Roys Are Safe From Matsson

It’s safe to say that out of all the Roy children, Roman is coping with his father’s death the worst. As much as he attempts to mask his sorrow by claiming that he’s “pre-grieved,” Roman was clearly attached to making Logan proud and being seen as worthy in his eyes. He’s particularly unstable in the second half of Season 4, and unfortunately, Matsson can tell right away. In “Kill List,” Roman lets loose and unleashes his fury on Matsson with a string of insults, and terminates the deal. Matsson doesn’t need to leave him with a shrewd reply, because he knows that he’s succeeded in getting under the youngest Roy’s skin.

Matsson also makes direct attempts to attack Kendall during a pivotal moment in his career. He can tell that Kendall values his public persona and wants to be the forward-thinking leader that his family has never had before. Naturally, Matsson seeks to disrupt his moment of triumph during the Living+ event by tweeting out Nazi imagery and making offensive remarks about the Holocaust. Kendall narrowly manages to pull off his speech successfully, but it inadvertently makes Matsson even more intent on revenge. His aggressiveness only increases during their verbal spar in “Tailgate Party,” and Skarsgård has shown that Matsson is the one Succession character that you don’t want to mess with.

How Will Matsson Impact ‘Succession’s Series Finale?

Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Matsson in front of the Waystar Royco logo in Succession
Custom Image by Annamaria Ward

Matsson has also managed to belittle and berate Tom (Matthew MacFadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) as if they were simply pawns, and his insults feel particularly cruel. The “disgusting brothers” aren’t quite as delightful as they once were when their actions were more playful, but nonetheless, it’s tough to see them both mocked and teased in front of others. However, Matsson’s most dangerous gamble has been his attempts to disrupt Shiv. With the deal closing soon, he sees the potential to divide the family even further by courting Shiv into a rival deal.

Shiv has already suffered multiple emotional burdens this season, and the electrifying chemistry between Snook and Skarsgård makes each of their heated conversations more intense. Shiv has consistently proven to be the smartest, most forward-thinking, diabolical, and boldest of the Roy siblings, and any disruption she faces during a season where she’s also dealing with a pregnancy and potential divorce is going to play a major role in where the last three episodes go. Skarsgård has truly thrown a wildcard into Succession’s final moments, and it will be fascinating to see if this malevolent force changes who ends up on top when the show is over.