Editor’s note: Spoilers ahead for Season 4, Episode 7 of Succession.
In the latest episode of Succession, Tom Wambsgans and Shiv Roy continue their tumultuous relationship. After serving her breakfast, Tom presents Shiv with a gift in an elegant box. Inside, she finds an acrylic paperweight with a scorpion inside. Tom insists it’s a joke, but the gift’s meaning leaves Shiv and viewers confused.
While a scorpion may seem like an apt description of Shiv’s character, with her hard exterior and tendency to remain emotionally detached, the symbolism behind the gift is substantial. Shiv plays her cards close to her chest, making her the most devastating when underestimated. Despite Tom’s accusations of her being unfit for motherhood, scorpions are surprisingly attentive creatures, with mothers carrying their babies on their backs until they can hunt on their own.
The scorpion also appears in various myths and stories, including the tale of Orion and Scorpius in Greek mythology. Logan Roy, like Zeus, is the powerful patriarch who engages in infidelity and has a destructive temper. Shiv may be the one to take the crown once the dust settles, but Logan will not place her among the stars.
The folktale of the frog and the scorpion may also be alluded to in the episode. The story highlights the inability of some to resist hurting others, even if it’s self-destructive. Shiv’s journey reflects this lesson in trust, as she’s sabotaged herself several times throughout the series for her own self-interest.
Shiv and Tom love each other, but they’re at a loss for how to express it because the principles of capitalism seep into every relationship. The scorpion may be Shiv’s nature now, but there was a time it wasn’t.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
