15 Best Tom Wambsgans Quotes for Your Next Succession Rewatch

Succession is one of the top satirical comedy-drama shows, and while it officially ended in 2023, there are still a lot of fans who are new to the series or rewatch it. If you need a reason to check it out for yourself, then Tom Wambsgans is one of them.

Played by David Matthew Macfayden, Tom is married to Shiv Roy, who is part of the Roy family that the show focuses on. For some of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes, then check out this amazing list complete with the funniest and most heartbreaking lines, giving you a full insight into who he is, and why he is one of the best characters in the show.

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15. “It’s Good to Know We Don’t Have an Unbalanced Love Portfolio” S3E2

• Scene Summary: The “Mass in Time of War” is the second episode of the third season and follows Shiv, Roman, and Connor who covertly meet with Kendall, who refuses to compromise and attempts to persuade his siblings to join him. However, the discussion falls apart when Kendall declares he will be the CEO under their new arrangement. Kendall also tries to get Stewy and Sandi on his side. All while Greg, eating his legal situation, asks Ewan for help.

It’s pretty obvious from the start that Shiv and Tom are not a good match. She’s a mess and even admitted it on their wedding night. Several fans even question if she even loves him. While Tom adores her, Shiv seems like she just wants control.

There are several quotes between the two that showcase this, but one that is heartbreaking is “It’s good to know we don’t have an unbalanced love portfolio”, which just shows that Tom, a child of a lawyer who owes everything to his marriage, and Shiv, who has no power inside the Roy empire but still has control over her husband, is just wildly toxic and confusing.

Their relationship is intertwined with the Roy empire so severely, that if separated, their marriage would most likely fall apart.

14. “Here’s the Thing About Being Rich” S1E6

• Scene Summary: The sixth episode of the first season, called “Which Side Are You On?” follows Kendall, Roman, Frank, and Gerri who work together to amass a majority vote to remove Logan from his position as CEO. Ewan advises Greg to stay out of the no-confidence vote, but Greg later discusses this with Tom.

There are several people in the show that ship Greg and Tom. While Tom is married to Shiv Roy, it’s obvious that their marriage is in a rough spot, and several believe the chemistry between Greg and Tom works better than his current choice.

That being said, there are a lot of moments within the show that show off this chemistry, as well as showcase who Tom is in very minute moments. One instance, for example, is when Tom and Greg are out for a meal and Greg is confused about the prices not being written on the menu for wine.

Tom has a small monologue about being rich and how amazing it is. This not only represents who Tom is, as he’s been known to talk down to the lower classes and focus on the status quo.

13. “Information, Greg, It’s Like a Bottle of Fine Wine” S4E8

• Scene Summary: “America Decides” is set on election night and the siblings are torn over the candidates. Shiv finally tells Tom that she is pregnant with his child, however, Tom is skeptical about that. A vote center in Milwaukee is firebombed, which destroys thousands of ballots that would have likely gone to the Democratic candidate, Roman pressures Tom into having ATN prematurely call Wisconsin for Mencken.

After four seasons, Tom has stepped farther away from Shiv emotionally. Their relationship seems more business, now than ever, and it shows when this line is brought up. Shiv is said to be pregnant with his child, although Tom is reluctant to believe that due to her infidelity record.

So when Greg informs Tom about Shiv and Matsson’s secret alliance, Tom produces one of the best lines that not only show off his personality but show that he’s ready to use any information against his wife when it’s the right time.

12. “It’s a Nice Safe Space Where You Don’t Have to Pretend to Like Hamilton” S3E6

“it’s a nice safe space where you don’t have to pretend to like hamilton.” “well, I like hamilton.” “sure, you do. we all do.” pic.twitter.com/sT4HC4GKel

— succession clips and reaction videos (@successionreact) November 23, 2021

• Scene Summary: “What It Takes” is the sixth episode of the third season and follows Kendall’s testimony to the DOJ regarding the cruises scandal going poorly, and Lisa warns that the documents he has retrieved are insufficient legal ammunition against Waystar. Kendall arrives in Virginia and privately meets with Tom in an attempt to sway him to his side, but Tom refuses, believing Kendall will once again lose to his father.

Tom is hilarious and makes some amazing comments, like when he reassures Greg while they’re at a gathering. Greg feels a little out of place and mentions that someone called him a name regarding the demographic attending the Future Freedom Summit.

Tom replies that this is a safe space where “you don’t have to pretend to like Hamilton”. This not only shows off Tom being a culture warrior, but talks about how everything is political. It’s hilarious when Greg responds with “But I liked Hamilton” and Tom responds with “Sure you do, we all do”.

11. “She’s Brought a Ludicrously Capacious Handbag” S4E1

• Scene Summary: The season four premiere “The Munsters” is set six months after the events in Tuscany and 48 hours before the GoJo acquisition where Logan celebrates his birthday in New York while Kendall, Shiv, and Roman are in Los Angeles to propose a new media startup to investors. Shiv returns to New York and finds Tom at the apartment they no longer share due to a trial separation. While Tom wants to discuss the breakdown of their marriage, Shiv tells him she wants to divorce him as painlessly as possible.

This is a personal favorite of mine. There are some great Tom Wambsgans quotes out there, but I love where Tom really is in his element and insults people who are just breaking the status quo and gets sassy with it.

Greg brings a date which creates a faux pas, and when Greg asks what’s wrong, Tom breaks out a great line saying that she’s brought a “ludicrously capacious handbag”, and then goes down the list of things that could possibly be in such a large bag.

10. “Buckle Up” S1E8

• Scene Summary: “Prague” features Roman who is put in charge of planning Tom’s bachelor party. Though he initially wants to host it in Prague, Stewy invites him to a secret underground party held inside an abandoned New York railway station where powerful business and media figures mingle. Logan tasks Greg with ensuring Kendall’s safety amid his renewed drug abuse.

I mean this is just too funny not to say when you’re going about your day-to-day. Tom is at an underground party where a bunch of powerful business and media figures are mingling, and Greg is tasked with keeping track of Logan as he deals with his drug abuse problems.

When Greg takes a ton of cocaine during this party, Tom produces one of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes by saying “Buckle Up”, which can be seen in the video above. An amazing quote that should be said more throughout Succession.

9. “What’s Good Is to Eradicate Hope” S3E6

• Scene Summary: Another quote from season 3, episode six called “What it Takes” where Kendall is giving his testimony to the DOJ regarding the cruises scandal. The rest of the Roys travel to Richmond, Virginia to attend the Future Freedom Summit, a conservative political fundraiser, to pick a new presidential candidate in the upcoming election. While there, Roman learns that his mother is getting married in Tuscany to British CEO Peter Muniun.

The idea of going to prison is terrifying, and something many of us will never experience. But Tom brings out how haunting and dejected he feels when the time gets closer and closer.

One of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes is during the diner scene with Greg and Tom where he says “What’s good is to eradicate hope”, which is just heartbreaking. Of course, it’s true, that if you go in with no hope, they can’t kick you down further, but it’s a sad way to live for sure.

8. “What Kind of Polygot Genius Could Ever Hope to Crack Your Impenetrable Code” S2E7

• Scene Summary: “Return” the seventh episode in the second season follows Sandy and Stewy who launch a public smear campaign against Waystar in the wake of the cruises scandal. Logan, Kendall, and Roman travel to London to secure shareholder support from Caroline. Tom faces an internal investigation into the cruise incidents. He forces Greg to burn the copies of the documents, though Greg covertly recovers some of them.

If there’s one thing I love about Tom is that he has some of the best sass in the show. The delivery, the exaggeration, the amazing Greg just continuously being a punching bag (except the small little “shut up” and looking terrified after it left his mouth), it’s funny, and fans loved it.

The best Tom Wambsgans quotes happened in season 2 episode 7 where Greg offered Tom an envelope that said “receipts” in hopes of finding some secrets, and Tom feigned astonishment with his intellect.

7. “King of Edible Leaves, His Majesty the Spinach” S2E5

• Scene Summary: “Tern Haven”, the fifth episode of the second season, has Roys spending a weekend with the Pierces at their family estate. Conversations between the families become increasingly tense and culminate when matriarch Nan Pierce asks Logan during dinner who will replace him as CEO.

Spending the weekend with another family is rough, especially if things get tense between the two. The Roy family has their issues, but it’s clear that the Pierce family also has issues, which creates an interesting episode. During these tense moments, most of us try to change subjects to keep things civil or prevent from diving into deeper topics.

One such moment provides one of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes in the series, with Tom joining in on the King Lear quoting that is happening by saying “King of edible leaves, his Majesty the spinach”, a hilarious addition to the conversation.

6. “I’d Castrate You And Marry You in a Heartbeat” S3E4

• Scene Summary: The fourth episode of the third season called “Lion in the Meadow” follows Shive, on Logan’s orders, to get ATN to cover the White House more critically, in hopes of pressuring the President into curtailing the DOJ investigation. However, she finds that she is receiving little respect or support either from within the company or from Logan. Tom begins to unravel over his growing fear of going to prison. Greg informs him he has signed a joint defense agreement with Waystar after meeting with Logan.

Several fans hope that Greg and Tom will end up together by the end, while others believe that the advances are just a way for Tom to gain control since he has no control in his current marriage. Either way, this line creates some tension.

This line can be seen as a power dynamic, forcing Greg to play the doting housewife that Tom is usually seen as through Shiv, or it could be seen as though Tom actually has some romantic attraction to Greg. Either way, you spin it, this is a line that creates several different ideas that can be hard to clearly define.

5. “He Did Once Call Me…” S2E3

• Scene Summary: “Hunting” follows Logan who plans to acquire rival media giant Pierce Globa Media against the counsel of his peers and family. The family departs on a hunting retreat in Hungary. On the way, Logan is furious to learn that someone disclosed information on him to author Michelle Pantsil, who is writing an unauthorized biography on him.

We all hold grudges, and Tom is no different. He might hold grudges a bit longer than most. One of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes is during the third episode in the second season when the Waystar team is trying to figure out how to ask Logan if he is planning to acquire Pierce’s Media Company without facing his wrath.

While the family is deciding, some are trying to persuade Tom to do it for them. Gerri reassures Tom that he’ll be fine since he is family. But Tom comes back with this amazing line, pretty much saying that he’s not convinced that it would go well.

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4. “You Don’t Hear Much About Syphilis These Days. Very Much the MySpace of STDs” S2E6

• Scene Summary: “Argestes”, the sixth episode of the second season follows the Roys who attend Argestes, an international business conference, where they plan to finalize their agreement with the Pierces. however, they learn that New York Magazine has received a tip on the cruise line scandal and plans to publish an expose within the next 36-48 hours.

Some of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes are the most awkward ones, like when the Roys were at the Argestes for a tech conference and had the chaos regarding the cruise scandal closing in on them.

As they were going around the event, Logan noticed rival Sandy Furness during pre-drinks, in which he tells Tom and Greg both that he’s suffering from a certain STI. Tom, of course, responds in the most Tom-like fashion by saying that you don’t hear “much about syphilis these days”, as if that’s the best response he could find.

3. “Are We Talking To Each Other On the Poop Deck of a Majestic Schooner?” S1E4

• Scene Summary: “Sad Sack Wasp Trap”, the fourth episode of the first season, follows the Roys as they prepare for the company’s annual foundation gala. Frank is rehired to mentor Roman in his position as COO. Tom is given secret documents confirming a massive cover-up of crimes committed on the company’s cruises, including sexual assault and potential murder.

Tom is hilarious when it comes to insults, having some of the most absurd lines, which also creates some of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes. In the Roy empire, it’s all about making your way to the top of the ladder, and for Greg, he’s well below the bottom.

As the newest member of the group, and technically an outsider altogether, Greg is pretty much a punching bag. Even though Tom takes him under his wing and they have a pretty strong bond in the later seasons, it’s still funny to look back at some of the best insults, like when Tom talks about Greg’s shoes on the first day at the job.

2. “I Just Wonder If the Sad I’d Be Without You Is Less Than The Sad I Get From Being With You” S2E10

• Scene Summary: “This is Not For Tears”, an emotional episode, follows the Roys who spend the holiday on their yacht in the Mediterranean, where they debate over who should be the company’s public scapegoat. Tom admits to Shiv that he is unhappy with their relationship, and provides one of the most heartbreaking quotes on the list today.

As the second best Tom Wambsgans quote, we have yet another quote that portrays how miserable Tom is in his marriage.

The second season and tenth episode have the Roys spending their vacation on their yacht, and there is a moment when Shiv and Tom have some time together where Tom questions his sadness focusing on the relationship, wondering if he’d just be happier if they were separated. It’s heartbreaking hearing it, and

1. “You Don’t Go Around Talking About Principles. Man Up!” S2E2

• Scene Summary: “Vaulter”, the second season of the second episode, follows Gil who tells Shiv he’d name her chief of staff if he won the presidential election. Logan suggests to SHiv that it would take three years for her to fully integrate into her CEO role. Tom tasks Greg with rooting out inefficiencies in ATN’s operations, despite Greg’s reluctance to work for the network.

One of the best Tom Wambsgans quotes is during the second season in the second episode. As the new head of the ATN news, Tom is trying to prove his authority, especially with Greg, who isn’t comfortable with being part of the network due to them spreading fake news.

But Tom has an amazing line, not only showing that he will do what it takes to move up in the world but also reassuring Greg a bit by saying that now isn’t the time for morals. The Roy family is harsh as is, but sometimes it takes you doing morally bad things to get farther up on the ladder, and that’s exactly what they’re working on doing.

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