The private planes have soared off into the sunset, the keys to the Tuscan holiday villa have been posted back through the letterbox. Yes, season four of Succession is finally over, to the relief of non-watchers who have had to sit through nine weeks of me wittering on about it. This will be the last you will hear of the Roy family for a while, I promise.

For those of you who were watching: what did you make of this season? The consensus view seems to be that it was something of a slow-burner that crackled into life in its final pair of episodes. Certainly that grand finale lived up to the expectations set by the endings of seasons one and two, as Logan brutally quelled his kids’ underbaked uprising, aided by turncoat Tom Wambsgans. Do check out the Guardian’s extensive coverage of that final act, including an interview with creator Jesse Armstrong (cards kept close to his chest as ever, though never less than interesting to hear from), and some predictions about what might happen when the show returns. I am holding out for that to be next year, although we may have to wait till 2023, I suspect.

Before we declare Succession season officially over though, it is time to revisit our ruthlessness rankings from the start of the season. Who has wormed their way into contention, and who has been left out in the cold?

Succession ruthlessness rankings

12. Roman (down 6)
Had positioned himself as the heir apparent, until that saucy smartphone snafu left him on the outside looking in as dad sold off the farm. Roman did at least manage to summon the courage to join Shiv and Kendall in an attempt to stop the merger of Waystar Royco and GoJo, but when that fizzled out he was the most shocked by his father’s savagery. Meekly mewling “love” at your dad isn’t going to cut it, Romulus.

11. Shiv (down 7)
A truly hideous season for Siobhan “Shiv” Roy, who managed to be outmanoeuvred by just about everyone, her own husband included. Would be bottom of the list, but for the sheer molten fury on her face as Tom comforted her, which suggests she’s probably better placed than Roman to battle through whatever comes next.

10. Kendall (down 7)
Kendall utterly, utterly bottomed out this season, to the point where at least half of Succession’s viewing audience thought that he had actually died. Yet, while he remains just as royally screwed as his siblings, there was something interesting in his far more muted response to Logan’s announcement than Roman and Shiv’s. Does he know something they don’t? Or is he simply feeling unburdened, now finally free of his hateful father?

9. Frank (non-mover)
Still very much a second tier figure at Waystar Royco, but at least he’s still there at all. It was striking that Frank, Karl and Gerri were all present when Logan stuck his knife into the revolting siblings: they are old stagers who have witnessed plenty of these shankings before and know best to keep their major arteries out of the way.

8. Karl (up 2)
See Frank (whom he has leapfrogged by virtue of having to do less embarrassing grunt work during the excruciating shareholder meeting episode).

7. Connor (up 3)
“I’m the eldest son!” Connor roared at his half-siblings midway through that final ep, annoyed that they had marginalised him. But – hey! – by the series end, Connor was looking the best placed of all of Logan’s brood. His presidential run trundles on, Willa has belatedly accepted his marriage proposal, and he’s the only Roy still allowed into Waystar HQ. It’s time to raise a glass of hyper-decanted wine to the true number one boy.

6. Cousin Greg (up 6)
Who had Greg, sweet feckless Greg, ending the season by juggling two women (one a countess), and entering a lucrative partnership with the devil? OK, his grandpa’s fortune has gone and there is still a potential lawsuit with Greenpeace in the offing, but things are generally looking up. And he’s got his true love Tom in his corner (sorry, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg).

5. Marcia (up 1)
Was on screen for a total of – oh, I don’t know – three minutes this season, and in that time managed to negotiate an extremely lucrative deal with Logan as penance for his indiscretions, and managed to be on the inside of the Waystar-GoJo merger to boot. Now, Logan is seemingly trying for another child with his latest “assistant”, and, if nothing else another big payday beckons for Marcia.

4. Kerry (New entry)
Kerry joins the ruthlessness rankings at an impressive high position, having gone from lowly assistant/room meat to potential bearer of Logan’s heir (if that maca root works its magic). She may well recede into the background if and when Logan gets bored of her, but she’s certainly shot her shot.

3. Gerri (up 1)
Installed as a puppet CEO at the start of the season, and seemingly there to bear the punishment as Waystar lurched into its latest crisis, Gerri has shown pretty impressive survival skills. Just witness the masterful lawyerly manner in which she brushed off Shiv’s concern troll questions over Roman’s unsolicited texts. And of course she was in the room, looking on impassively as Logan took his kids to the woodshed. “It doesn’t serve my interests,” she cooly told Roman as he pleaded with her to take their side.

2. Tom (up 5)
Wambsgans, you sly dog, you! Kicked about by his wife all season, Tom took decisive action by throwing her under the bus (probably the closest Shiv Roy has ever been to public transport). His reward? A nice pat on the shoulder from the boss.

1. Logan (non-mover)
You come at the king, you’d better not miss. And you best make sure your guns haven’t turned to sausages. Logan’s feckless kids were never going to be a match for his vast experience and lizard brain, but what was more striking was the big man’s willingness to cede control of his company and quietly recede into the shadows. Can anyone genuinely see that lasting longer than, say, episode one of the next season?

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