America Decides

"America Decides" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American satirical comedy-drama television series Succession, and the 37th episode overall. It was written by series creator Jesse Armstrong and directed by Andrij Parekh, and originally aired on HBO on May 14, 2023. Succession centers on the Roy family, the owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch Logan (Brian Cox), who has passed away by this point of the series. The episode takes place on the night of the United States presidential election, a close call between far-right Republican Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk) and Democrat Daniel Jimenez (Elliot Villar). The uncertainty over the voting results throws Logan's four children in disarray over their own plans and alliances, in particular over Shiv (Sarah Snook)'s disgust of Mencken and Waystar's own political alignment with him. The episode received critical acclaim, with praise for Armstrong's script, Parekh's direction and the performances of the cast. The episode received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Parekh and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Nicholas Braun; it also won the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for a One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series.