Everything changed in the span of an hour. If you’ve seen it, you know exactly which hour I’m talking about. "America Decides" isn't just a title. It was a stressful, nauseating, and masterfully crafted look at how the rich break democracy because they're bored or scared. Or both. Honestly, watching Roman Roy flip a coin with the fate of the free world felt a bit too real for 2024. Or 2026. Or whenever the world feels like it's tilting off its axis.
The episode is a pressure cooker. We’re stuck inside the ATN newsroom, and it’s claustrophobic. You can almost smell the stale coffee and the desperation. It’s Election Night. The stakes? Massive. But for the Roy siblings, it’s just another Tuesday at the office where they try to out-maneuver each other. Kendall is oscillating between being a "good guy" and a power-hungry mogul. Roman is just... Roman. He’s leaning full-tilt into the chaos. And Shiv? Shiv is playing a dangerous game that eventually blows up in her face.
People always ask me why this specific episode sticks. It’s because it exposes the plumbing. We see the pipes of how information is manipulated in real-time. It’s not about who won the vote; it’s about who called the vote first.
The Moment Roman Roy Lost His Soul (If He Had One)
Roman Roy, played by Kieran Culkin, has always been a lightning rod. But in "America Decides," he crosses a line that feels permanent. He backs Jeryd Mencken. Not because he believes in Mencken’s radical ideologies—Roman doesn't really believe in anything except his father’s ghost—but because Mencken promises to block the GoJo deal. It’s business. It’s transactional. It’s gross.
There is this one specific scene. You remember it. Roman is talking to Kendall in the small side room. He’s dismissive of the literal fire at a voting center in Milwaukee. Thousands of ballots burned. To Roman, those are just "lost data points." He uses the term "false flag" with a smirk that makes your skin crawl. This isn't just good TV writing; it’s a reflection of the cynical reality of modern media cycles. Jesse Armstrong and the writing team clearly did their homework on how actual newsrooms handle disputed results.
The tension between Roman and Kendall is the engine here. Kendall wants to be a "principled" leader, but he’s also terrified of being irrelevant. He hates Mencken. He knows Mencken is dangerous for the country. But Roman whispers in his ear: "Mencken will help us. Jimenez won't." That’s the pivot. The moment Kendall chooses the company over his daughter’s safety—since she’s being harassed by Mencken supporters—is the moment the Roy legacy is sealed in lead.
Shiv’s Big Gamble and Why It Failed So Hard
Shiv Roy is often the "smartest" person in the room who can't stop tripping over her own ego. In "America Decides," she’s playing both sides. She’s "consulting" for Matsson (the GoJo guy) while pretending to work for ATN. She wants Jimenez to win because it saves her soul and her political standing.
But she lies. She lies to Kendall about talking to Nate. And when the lie comes out? It’s brutal.
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The confrontation in the hallway is one of the best-acted scenes in the entire series. When Kendall realizes Shiv has been playing him, his face goes cold. The "Golden Trio" of siblings dissolves instantly. Sarah Snook plays Shiv with this frantic, high-wire energy. You can see her realizing that she’s lost her leverage. She tried to be the moral compass while being a secret agent, and she ended up with neither.
A lot of fans argue that Shiv was the "hero" of this episode because she tried to stop Mencken. I disagree. She tried to stop Mencken because it benefited her. If Mencken had been pro-GoJo, she would have been right there with Roman. That’s the nuance people miss. None of these people are heroes. They are different shades of self-interest.
The Milwaukee Fire: A Lesson in Media Manipulation
Let’s talk about the 100,000 ballots. This is the crux of the episode. A counting center is attacked. The ballots are gone. Without those ballots, the state goes to Mencken. With them? It likely goes to Jimenez.
ATN—the Roys' network—has to decide. Do they wait for the courts? Do they wait for the law? Or do they "call it" for Mencken to create a narrative of inevitability?
The episode shows how "calling" a state isn't just a statistical projection; it’s a political weapon. Tom Wambsgans is the one who has to pull the trigger. Tom, played by Matthew Macfadyen, is a nervous wreck. He’s got Greg (the "Egg") trying to help him, which is basically like a toddler trying to help a surgeon.
Why the "Call" Mattered So Much
- Narrative Dominance: Once ATN calls it, other networks feel the pressure to follow or explain why they aren't.
- The "Winner" Image: Mencken gets to give a victory speech, making any later legal challenges look like he's being "robbed."
- The GoJo Deal: Calling it for Mencken secures the Roy brothers' business interests.
The logistics of the newsroom were based on real-life election nights. The writers consulted with political advisors and veteran journalists to get the feel of the "decision desk" right. The chaos isn't exaggerated. It’s a choreographed ballet of panic.
The Sound of the Episode
Have you noticed the music? Nicholas Britell is a genius. The score for "America Decides" is different from the usual Succession themes. It’s discordant. There are these sharp, ringing tones that sound like a fire alarm you can’t quite hear but can definitely feel in your teeth.
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It keeps the viewer in a state of constant anxiety. Even when people are just standing around talking, the music suggests that something is dying. In this case, it’s the democratic process.
The Greg Factor
Greg is the only one who provides any levity, but even his humor is dark. He’s the one who accidentally gets "wasabi in the eye" while eating sushi during the most important night in American history. It’s a pathetic, hilarious moment. But then, Greg is also the one who spills the beans to Kendall about Shiv’s secret meetings with Matsson.
Greg is a cockroach. He survives because he’s willing to be disgusting. In this episode, he transitions from being a "fly on the wall" to being the person who hands Kendall the knife to stab Shiv.
What We Get Wrong About the Ending
Most people watch the end of this episode and think, "Mencken won."
But did he? The episode ends with Mencken giving a terrifying, proto-fascist speech on national television, fueled by the ATN call. But the legal battle hasn't even started. The episode isn't about the result; it's about the process. It’s about the fact that three or four people in a room in New York decided what the rest of the country was going to believe.
The tragedy isn't that Mencken is president. The tragedy is that the Roys don't care if he is or isn't, as long as they get their way.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking to dive deeper into why this episode works or if you're a student of media, here are a few things to keep in mind for your next rewatch:
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1. Watch the Background Characters
The real journalists at ATN are horrified. Look at their faces. The extras in this episode do incredible work showing the "normal" people who have to live with the Roys' decisions. It highlights the gap between the decision-makers and the workers.
2. Follow the "Bodega Sushi" Motif
The food in this episode is a mess. It’s expensive but eaten in a rush. It represents the lack of care for anything "organic" or "real." Everything is processed, just like the news they are putting out.
3. Contrast the Sibling Dynamics
Compare how the siblings talk at the beginning of the episode versus the end. At the start, they are a team. By the end, they are three separate entities, completely siloed off from each other. The "alliance" is dead.
4. Research the "Decision Desk" Reality
If you want to understand the real-world implications, look up how networks actually call states. The "Decision Desk" is usually independent of the news anchors to prevent exactly what the Roys did. Succession shows what happens when that firewall is breached.
"America Decides" remains a haunting piece of television because it asks a question we still can't answer: What happens when the people who tell us the truth are the same people who benefit from the lie? It doesn't give us an easy out. It just leaves us sitting in the dark, watching the screen glow.
To fully grasp the fallout, you have to look at the subsequent funeral episode, but the damage was done here. The Roys finally became their father. They broke the world to keep their toys.
For anyone tracking the legacy of Succession, this episode is the definitive turning point where the show stopped being a dark comedy and became a full-blown tragedy. Pay close attention to Kendall's eyes in the final shot as he drives away. He’s not a hero. He’s just the man who won a hollow crown.
Start by re-watching the "wasabi" scene. It seems like a joke, but it's the moment the mask slips for everyone in that room. Then, go back and look at the actual headlines from the last few election cycles. The parallels are more than just a coincidence; they are a warning.