Tom Wambsgans is an odd man. He is ambitious and arrogant, married to Shiv Roy, the only daughter within the wealthy Roy family, which owns the massive media company Waystar Royco in the HBO series Succession.
Tom is a bizarre yet somehow perfect match for Shiv. He’ll do anything for her, but is it because he truly loves her or because he desperately wants to be part of the family and further his career and clout?
He’s a social and career climber who lavishes the idea of spending thousands of dollars on a single meal just because he can. But sometimes, we kind of feel bad for this black sheep.
Felt Bad: Logan Gave Away His Birthday Present
Remember when it was Logan’s big birthday, and a surprise party was thrown for him? Tom was desperate to find the perfect gift for his future father-in-law. He spent lots of time deciding on the best watch and spent thousands of dollars on it.
When he gave it to Logan, the Roy patriarch sort of shrugged, responding with a half-assed “thanks.” Later, Logan handed it off as a bribe to a young boy Roman embarrassed during a family baseball game in an effort to buy his silence.
Hated Him: Took Advantage of Greg
From the moment he met Greg, the long-lost Roy cousin, Tom made it a point to take advantage of him. In his eyes, Greg was the new guy and the only person to fit in less than Tom. So he was a perfect person to help Tom feel like he was important.
Tom constantly toyed with Greg, made him feel bad and using him as his lap dog. It was clearly out of insecurity; with Greg around, Tom finally felt like there was someone under him. Still, it was an awful way to treat someone.
Felt Bad: Was Blindsided By Shiv
Tom not only discovered that his wife-to-be Shiv had an affair with her ex right before their wedding, but he was then blindsided with the news that she wanted an open marriage. She had this discussion to him on their wedding night, right after they had said their “I dos.”
Despite Tom’s power-hungry nature, we couldn’t help but feel bad for him because he clearly does love Shiv and wanted to be with her and only her. It was a pretty big bomb to drop on him when he really didn’t have any other choice but to oblige.
Hated Him: Made Greg Cover Up Incriminating Evidence
After it was discovered that unsavory things had happened in the past on Waystar Royco cruise ships, like assault and even death — as Greg would say, “the bad ones” — Tom was left holding the bag because he was heading up the department.
Instead of figure a way out on his own, he used and manipulated Greg, making him go into the office at night and shred incriminating documents. Desperate to be accepted, Greg did as he was told though he had the sense to pocket a few documents to use as leverage. But Tom using Greg like that in order to cover his own butt was despicable.
Felt Bad: Not Considered For A Higher Position
Tom has worked hard, though it’s unclear whether he’s actually good at his job or just a privileged guy who was given a position of power because he’s dating the boss’ daughter. Nonetheless, he has been lobbying for a higher position for some time and hasn’t gotten it.
When he was finally given a bigger position, though not the CEO one he had hoped for, his predecessor also hands over an air-gapped computer full of dirty details he has been hiding all of these years. Poor Tom can’t catch a break.
Hated Him: Was Power-Hungry
Tom is so power-hungry that he cares more about what he can accomplish and what expensive things he can buy than he does other people. He will do whatever it takes to get to the top. Tom even lobbies for his wife to take over the company only so she can promote him once she does.
It’s fine to be ambitious and want to achieve great things. But Tom is more focused on power and material things than anything else. It’s not an attractive quality, and it’s one that makes us question his authenticity.
Felt Bad: Was Cheated On
Shiv seems to treat Tom like a lap dog who is just…there. If he was gone, would she really care? He’s nice, he’s decent, and he’s a companion. But when she wants something else, she will take it because she grew up in a privileged life where she got whatever she wanted.
So when Shiv catches up with an ex, she sleeps with him without regret, even casually revealing the information to Tom while suggesting that she doesn’t really care if he steps out too. It’s terrible news for someone who doesn’t exactly feel the same way but has to pretend they do.
Hated Him: Hooked Up With A Random Woman In A Club
After pretty much being given the go-ahead by Shiv, Tom chats up a random girl in a night club during his bachelor party and she pleasures him in a back room. He then finds out this girl is now dating his brother-in-law Roman.
That aside, while Shiv did tell him it was okay, we still hated Tom for giving in and doing something he didn’t want to do just so he could stay with Shiv and feel better about her stepping out.
Felt Bad: Boar on the Floor
Remember the game “boar on the floor” Logan force members of his team, including Tom, to play during a company retreat? The savage game was a humiliating experience that saw people Logan thought might have betrayed him crawling in circles on the floor oinking like pigs and fighting for a sausage.
It was an awkward and shameful sight, and that Tom had to be a part of it, especially at the hands of his father-in-law, made it even more disturbing.
Hated Him: Stuck With Shiv For Greed
We can’t decide if Tom really, truly loves Shiv or is just greedy and desperate to be a member of the Roy family. It seems like if she were any other woman, he would have left the moment he discovered she had an affair.
Yet he stuck it out, though it seemed at the end of season 2 as if he finally cracked and realized it might not all be worth it. But we hate that he doesn’t see his worth and instead chooses to stick with someone who doesn’t feel for him as he does for her purely out of greed.
