Succession finale: Is Jeryd Mencken still President?

Though the Roys took center stage for Succession’s Season 4 finale, fans might be wondering about Jeryd Mencken. So, here’s our rundown of what’s said of the Republican leader in the finale, as we answer the question: is Jeryd Mencken still President?

Succession is ultimately a power struggle between the Roys and their associates for control of Logan Roy’s media conglomerate, Waystar Royco. The fact that this played out across four seasons without ever feeling tired or lacking is testament to Jesse Armstrong’s writing abilities. 

But, along the way, we’ve had plenty of side stories, one of which we saw play out in Season 4: the battle for the US Presidency. Although Connor tried his best, it was only ever between two people: Republican far-righter Jeryd Mencken and Democratic candidate Daniel Jiménez.

With everything that’s unfolded over the last few episodes, and now the finale, viewers might be wondering: is Jeryd Mencken still President?

Is Jeryd Mencken still President in Succession?

Succession doesn’t like to wrap everything up in a tidy little bow, and this is certainly the case for Jeryd Mencken’s status as POTUS. As of the finale, he’s technically been announced as the President, but his status is up in the air – as said by Shiv, there’s the “Wisconsin court thing.”

It’s a good thing for Succession’s world, considering the fact that he’s a far-right fascist who wants to “smash the country to pieces.” But, it’s not great for viewers who need to know where stories end up. 

The situation came to a head in Season 4 Episode 8, when Kendall, Shiv, and Roman were all heavily invested in the outcome of election night – and once again, it has nothing to do with sincerity and everything to do with personal gain. 

Ultimately, ATN hailed Mencken the winner of the presidential election early, based on its shaky estimates coming out of the polls. The broadcaster handed Wisconsin to the Republican, a risky move given that a voting center in Milwaukee was set on fire, losing thousands of votes. 

Since the state doesn’t have specific laws for dealing with such events, it would mean the process would be dealt with in court.

In Episode 9, we see Jiménez supporters protesting against Mencken, ending with a broken down Roman walking out into a crowd of demonstrators and provoking them into a fight. 

That brings us to the finale, where it’s assumed that the bad guy in this case won. However, this changes with the arrival of Connor, who is busy divvying up Logan’s belongings as he plans his move-in with his new wife, Willa. 

During a conversation with Kendall, Shiv, and Roman, the couple discuss their plans to try a long-distance relationship, to “spice” things up – in reality, Willa wants her own space, and Connor is hoping to carry out his ambassadorship in Slovenia, which he was promised by Mencken after conceding the election race (not that he was ever going to win). 

“When Menkyn comes through, we’re experimenting with an idea,” says Connor, to which Willa interjects: “I have a play reading in six to eight months, Con is going to Slovenia, and I’ll be working on that, so we’re going to try.”

Despite both trying their best to play happy families, it sounds more like an attempt to convince themselves that their marriage is on solid ground. Roman even quips: “That’s sexy, they call that the second week itch, I believe.”

While Connor seems hopeful about his new position following Mencken’s victory, Shiv chimes in to say, “Heard the latest about the Wisconsin court thing?” Willa asks what it means, but Connor suggests it’s “just a hiccup.”

HBO

But, with Shiv being a Roy, she continues to dig, stating, “Yeah, Menkyn might not make it, and so maybe you might get to keep him all to yourself,” before patting a concerned looking Willa on the shoulder. 

Looks like Willa’s going to have Connor around if the “Winsconsin court thing” doesn’t go Mencken’s way. And, if it doesn’t, that’ll mean Mencken is no longer the President. 

Unfortunately, that’s all up for debate, and we’ll never get to find out how that plays out in the Succession universe, as the series is gone for good with its fourth and final season. 

Succession Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Max and Sky now. Check out our other coverage below:

Season 4 cast | Season 4 release schedule | Season 4 runtimes | Is Succession based on a real family? | What time does Succession drop? | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Episode 9 | Episode 10 | Ending explained