Sophia Michaels
In the early moments of the fourth episode of “Succession”‘s final season, which premiered on April 16, Shiv (Sarah Snook), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) deal with the aftermath of their dad Logan’s sudden death. But Shiv gets a phone call that sheds new light on her emotional state this season — and makes the loss of her dad even more painful: she’s pregnant. But as the season continued, it was unclear if Shiv was still pregnant. In episode eight, which aired May 14, fans got some clarity.
Ahead, we break down everything we know about Shiv’s secret pregnancy, including who the father is.
Is Shiv Pregnant in “Succession”?
Shiv is pregnant. As she lies in bed in season four’s fourth episode, she gets a call from her doctor, Dr. Sharon Hasford, who says, “I wanted to discuss your results and I didn’t know, but I thought you would want the chance to be aware, if you’re up to it.” Shiv confirms it’s OK to reveal.
“I won’t draw it out. It’s a good result,” the doctor adds. “The journey we went on with the amniocentesis after what the blood test showed us, everything looks healthy.” An amniocentesis is done to test a baby for certain health conditions. The doctor checks that Shiv is “still well,” and Shiv confirms she hasn’t had any more spotting or bleeding. Shiv’s doctor then says there’s nothing she should be concerned about and that her office will reach out to make the appointment for the 20-week scan.
Shiv’s pregnancy helps explain some of her absences in the season’s early episodes, where her brothers try to figure out what she’s getting up to that she doesn’t want them to know about. Near the end of episode four, Shiv trips and falls in her dad’s apartment, and fans worried if that had consequences for her pregnancy. But some viewers had even more question about episode five.
In episode five, which premiered on April 23, Shiv is seen drinking throughout as her brothers try to close their big deal with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård). Toward the end of it, Shiv noticeably has a drink in her hand as Matsson confides in her about the deal. At one point, he even offers her a bump of cocaine, which Shiv grabs, though we don’t physically see her snort it. Elsewhere in the episode, she sips a glass of Champagne after the Roy siblings accept Matsson’s new offer.
However, in episode eight, Shiv finally tells someone else about the pregnancy.
Does Tom Know Shiv Is Pregnant?
Shiv and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) are in the middle of a brutal divorce. Despite their many confrontations during the season, she didn’t tell him about the pregnancy until episode eight. She and Tom get into a fight, and she tells him that she’s pregnant. Tom is shocked, and then wonders if she’s even telling the truth. Shiv — who had seemingly been trying to upset Tom — ends up being the more upset of the two. She storms off.
Is Tom the Father of Shiv’s Baby?
Presumably Tom is the father of Shiv’s baby, based on their conversation. Shiv seems to be about halfway through her pregnancy but it calls to question if she was already pregnant when she attended her mother’s wedding at the end of last season. “Succession” never said exactly when the wedding took place but it appeared to be early summer, which means Shiv could have recently learned that she was pregnant or that she found out immediately after returning from the wedding.
Though Tom and Shiv technically had an open relationship, it doesn’t seem like Shiv was sleeping with anyone else at the time, and it would ne very unlike “Succession” to reveal a new potential father at this point. It’s also possible Tom and Shiv slept together after the wedding when they began separating, or Shiv could have also had a one-night stand leading to her pregnancy in the days after they separated. Viewers will have to wait and see.
Whatever happens, the season three finale makes it seem like this plot point has been in the works for a while. During the episode, Shiv has a conversation with her mother, Lady Caroline (Harriet Walter), about motherhood, and Caroline tells her, “You made the right decision. Some people just aren’t made to be mothers.” Ouch.
New episodes of “Succession” premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
