WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Succession season 4!The mystery surrounding Connor Roy's mom has been one of Succession's biggest questions, but it is finally starting to get some answers in season 4. Connor Roy is the member of the core Roy family with the least amount of development, with the character not appearing as often as Logan, Kendall, Shiv, and Roman. However, Succession has hinted that Connor has a pretty sad backstory featuring some upsetting familial relationships, with the story of Connor's mom being the most significant one.
Succession follows the wealthy Roy family as its various members compete to find out who will take over Waystar Royco after the departure of Logan Roy. While Kendall, Shiv, and Roman are all interested in becoming the next CEO, Connor is the black sheep of the family. Rather than wanting a part in Waystar Royco, the oldest Roy child has almost nothing to do with the company, instead wanting to focus on running for the presidency as a libertarian. It's always been hinted that Connor Roy's distaste for the company has been connected to his mom, but Succession season 4 is finally explaining what happened.
Logan Had Connor's Mom Locked Away In A Psychiatric Hospital (Is She Dead?)
As it turns out, Logan Roy had Connor's mom locked away in a psychiatric hospital sometime after Connor was born. This is confirmed by Kendall in Succession season 4, episode 2, but it has been hinted at before. In season 2, Roman takes a mocking jab at Connor by saying "My mommy got sent to the booby hatch and now I'm sad." While it still isn't known why Logan had Connor's mom locked away, seasons 2 and season 4 confirm that Connor's mom was taken away from him at a young age, explaining one of Succession's longest-running mysteries.
While it is known that Connor's mom was put in a psychiatric hospital, it isn't known where she is now. The most likely theory is that Connor's mom is dead. This hasn't been confirmed, but every time Connor's mom is brought up characters talk about her in the past tense, meaning that something probably happened to her. However, it is possible that she's still alive somewhere in the world of Succession.
Connor's Mother Explains His Different Relationship With Logan & The Other Roys
The institutionalization and possible subsequent death of Connor's mom helps explain exactly why Connor's relationship with the other Roys is so different. Connor has always been more distant from Logan, and this could have something to do with him still harboring resentment toward Logan for locking his mother up. Connor clearly doesn't hate Logan, attempting to mediate a meeting between Logan and the Roy siblings in season 4, but there is definitely something there.
Connor's mom being locked up also explains why Connor doesn't want anything to do with Waystar Royco. If he's angry at Logan, it only makes sense that he would be angry at the success of Logan's company. It could even be that Connor realizes that Logan became who he was because of the company, coming to believe that Waystar Royco is a corrupting force. It seems likely that the story of Connor's mom will be expanded on in future episodes of Succession season 4, but at least the series has given an indication as to what happened.
New episodes of Succession air Sundays on HBO.