When spontaneously eulogising her late father, Shiv says: “He couldn’t fit a whole woman in his head.” One episode later, in the finale, she hit the final nail in the coffin of Kendall’s hopes and dreams – and our reactions to this suggest that her comment didn’t only apply to Logan Roy: people in real life can’t fit a whole woman in their heads either.

The four tumultuous seasons of HBO’s Succession culminated in a 90-minute episode. The Roy siblings enjoyed a rare moment of unity, deciding to back Kendall as CEO after Shiv’s alliance with Matsson was destroyed. Despite a heart-warming evening together, the core trio’s bond proved to be brief, with Shiv changing her mind on the vote at the very last second.

Her betrayal exposed Kendall’s worst qualities, reducing him to a screaming, spitting mockery of their father. His attack on Shiv sparked aggression between him and Roman too, effectively breaking apart all three of their relationships in one fell swoop.

Shiv’s was the final betrayal that we’ll ever see on Succession, and it has naturally sparked a heated debate among fans about what prompted it. However, there’s one element that’s missing from the post-finale Twitterthon.

Succession fans have been quick to speculate (and vehemently argue) about why Shiv voted against Kendall’s plans, selling the company and crowning her backstabbing husband CEO instead of her brother. Did she see elements of their abusive father surfacing in Kendall? Did a pregnant Shiv want to secure a future for her unborn child? Was it an act of spite from an eternally selfish woman?

Sides were taken, lines drawn and arguments made – but if you truly think that Shiv sabotaged Kendall out of spite, out of selfishness or for her baby, you’re falling into the same trap as Logan Roy.

Succession has always been character-driven and very little is spoonfed to the audience. Facial expressions can say just as much as a dialogue-packed scene – and watching Shiv’s face in the build-up to her decision paints a much fuller picture than any of the analysis so far.

All within 24 hours, Shiv has been betrayed by her husband, the father of her unborn child; seen arrogant behaviour reminiscent of Logan Roy in her brother; and lost her chance to become CEO herself. With that in mind, how can a decision be pulled down to just one of those influences?

By limiting our understanding of Shiv to just one of the many factors at play, we reduce the complex character that we’ve got to know over the four seasons. Looking at some of her most emotional and iconic moments, we’ve always seen her as a multi-faceted character – and far from a predictable one.

When she asked her father to spare Tom from prison, earning herself her father’s distrust, it came only moments after she publicly argued that he should be the one served up the courts. Her time connecting with Kendall in America Decides (season four, episode eight) is sandwiched between hasty phone calls set up to betray him. When has she ever truly shown behaviour that didn’t hold a multitude of different thoughts and feelings within it?

In reducing Shiv to the power-hungry mother or the jealous sister or the subservient wife, we ignore the entire arc of her character in the last four seasons. That’s not to say she’s none of those things. In fact, she’s all of them – and that can only be appreciated when you do what Logan Roy could never do and fit a whole woman in your head.

Succession has built a cast of complex characters and Shiv is no different. Her final move in the show doesn’t come down to any one reason, painting the many flaws and unique qualities of Siobhan Roy one final time.

Just as Roman is more than a potty-mouthed sex pest, Kendall more than a douchey businessman, Connor more than a lovesick black sheep and every other character more than what they were initially painted as, so too is Shiv more than her final decision.

We’ve loved and lost with Succession over the years and that’s purely down to the complexity of its characters. In spite of and, indeed, because of all of her flaws, let’s not reduce Shiv Roy to a singular role. Put simply, she’s a hot mess – but isn’t that why we love her?

Images: Sky/HBO