Here’s Why You Should Bet On Cousin Greg To Win ‘Succession’

The series finale of the hit HBO dramedy Succession is just days away, and based on the latest and final betting odds, we think that Greg — yes, COUSIN GREG — is the smartest bet to make if you want some action on who is going to “win” the series.

But first, let’s dive into where all of the major characters stand and what their odds are heading into the final episode, “With Open Eyes”.

With the longest current odds to be named CEO of Waystar RoyCo in the series finale is Roman Roy at +1000. While Roman’s odds were much higher at the beginning of the season, they’ve since fallen off a cliff as a result of his meltdown at his father’s funeral, leaving him on the outside looking in.

Then comes Tom Wambsgans, the current head of ATN, with odds of +700. Other than his role in having ATN call the election for Jerryd Mencken, the elder half of the Disgusting Brothers doesn’t have much else going for him as he and Shiv seem to be headed for a divorce, while Matsson also doesn’t seem to like him all that much.

Next up is “Other Character” with current odds of +500, meaning that someone like Frank, Karl, Gerri, or even Greg would have to be named CEO in order for you to win that bet. We actually think this could be the most interesting choice, and we’ll explain why in a bit.

Kicking off the top 3 is GoJo founder Lukas Matsson, who looks poised to acquire Waystar RoyCo if Mencken decides to allow the deal to happen. Matsson, however, doesn’t seem all that interested in leading Waystar and, obviously, isn’t an American, which seems like something the eventual CEO will need to be in order for the deal to go through.

Tied for the best odds to “win” Succession are the Roy siblings of Shiv and Kendall with odds of +200. Shiv being among the betting favorites is certainly confusing, considering that she’s not only being shut out by her brothers but that she’s placing her trust in the ever-slimy Matsson.

As for Kendall, this show has always truly been about him and his journey, so it makes sense that he’d be in contention in the closing stages, particularly following his titanic speech at Logan’s funeral. If the duo is able to successfully block the GoJo deal, then Kendall will likely be the guy.

And yet, we’re taking “Other Character” at +500 because we think Cousin Greg is actually going to be named CEO. Seriously. Here’s why.

As we know thanks to the closing moments of the penultimate episode, Matsson tells Shiv he thinks he can get Mencken to sign off on approving the deal if he names an American CEO. While Shiv foolishly assumes he means her, Matsson actually says that. Furthermore, we also know how generally misogynistic he can be given his treatment of his assistant Ebba, i.e., mailing her his blood and publicly embarrassing her at parties.

Then there’s also Matsson’s bizarre relationship with Greg, which started out as pure bullying but has morphed into something a bit friendly. Not only did Matsson hang out and share his vape with Greg at the Roy’s election night party, but we also catch a quick moment of him playfully calling him “sexy” at the funeral, which would indicate that some type of kinship forming. Greg is, after all, an American, and he’s one that Lukas would be able to puppet for more than he could Shiv.

There’s also the question of: what is the *point* of Greg? Sure, he’s served as famous comedic relief over the series’ four seasons, but would a creator as sharp as Jesse Armstrong really introduce such a main character only to use him as a court jester? Or, does it make more sense that — in this epic saga about the grand failings of capitalism  — the most dimwitted person in the show would ultimately rise to the top through nothing but elite clinging and brown-nosing abilities.

If capitalism is a joke to Jesse Armstong, then Greg Hirsch becoming one of the most powerful people in the world is his punchline.

The series finale of Succession — which is titled “With Open Eyes” and boasts a runtime of 90 minutes — will premiere on HBO and the streaming service Max on Sunday, May 28 at 9 p.m. EST.