Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Succession Season 4.While it might seem like a glum occasion since his parents are seemingly headed for a heated divorce, Mondale—Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Shiv's (Sarah Snook) dog—might actually be cheering them on from the bleachers. In a world free from the Roys, what would Mondale's life look like? Would he trot around, facing the world with an entirely new lease on life, or would he suffer living in a home not constantly plagued with conflict?
Jesse Armstrong's Succession thrives when its spotlight turns to the minute details, and in an odd sort of way, Mondale has always been representative of Tom and Shiv's relationship. Basically, you can tell what kind of state their marriage is in by simply looking at Mondale's overall behavior: he's like a thermometer.
The Parallels Between Mondale and His Parents
Back in the third episode of Season 3, Shiv comes back to her and Tom's apartment one night and asks Tom how he's doing, sensing a weird vibe from her husband. After mentioning that Mondale had gotten into her pantyhose and tore them up, Tom continues to use Mondale as a weird way to get his real feelings across—or perhaps it's just a Freudian slip.
"Mondale's not well, Mondale's unsettled," Tom says, instead of taking full ownership of his emotions. Much like how Tom and Shiv are prisoners in their own marriage, Mondale is literally being held against his will in the pair's apartment. At night, he's locked up in the dark, confined to a small pen, and when he's finally able to walk around during the day, he's subjected to persistent arguing between the two, whether that be over the phone or in person. PETA doesn't need to be called or anything, but it certainly wouldn't be a negative thing for Mondale to head off to a new journey in his life—and the same goes for Tom and Shiv.
While both are at fault for the state of their marriage, Tom has always been the one a bit more committed to the relationship, basically turning a blind eye to Shiv's affairs and lack of even wanting to discuss the possibility of expanding their family. Tom's no saint, though, especially when it comes to double-crossing his own wife for the sake of moving up the ladder within her own family's business.
Mondale Deserves a Better Life Outside of Shiv and Tom
We should've known as soon as Mondale started barking at Shiv in the Season 4 opener that she and Tom would be discussing a potential divorce, but now that things are more serious (well, except for the fact that Shiv can't nail down a divorce lawyer because Tom pulled a fast one on her), they can finally move on with their lives without being tied down to the other.
The question now is, of course: where will Mondale be hauled off to? An unknown family, someone in the bloodline, or the local dog pound? If he stays within the relationship, it's likely to be with Tom, though now that he's not with Shiv anymore, he might not have any use for his pseudo-Band-Aid. Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) seems to always be in need of a friend, which could make him a suitable new owner, though he hasn't always been the best when it comes to taking on responsibility.
Wherever Mondale ends up, though, it's likely to be a whole lot better than where he's at now, as both dog and man will be free from their ties. Tom can exploit his business relationships sans the fear of jeopardizing his marriage, Shiv can sleep with whomever she wants to without minor amounts of guilt, and Mondale will (hopefully) be able to tear up his new owner's pantyhose at will.
New episodes of Succession Season 4 premiere each Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.