This was a serious finale for serious people.
The final installment of “Succession” will go down in history as one of the greatest endings to the greatest series of our time – one that brought us to a truly Shakespearean conclusion.
“The show is anti-cops,” creator Jesse Armstrong said in a February interview.
How fitting, then, that the failed scion of a media empire – Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) – finally admitted of himself and his siblings at the end of Season 4, Episode 10: “We are cops.”
It’s always been a fantasy, hasn’t it? The gluttonous, idiotic children of Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the imposing patriarch who most often told them to fuck off, who pitted them against each other and promised favoritism, and then fed off the bottom of their self-denial — none of them had the cleverness, the sophistication, and the inner resources to succeed her great and terrible father.
“I love you,” he told them earlier this season. “But you are not serious people.”
The final installment of “Succession” will go down in history as one of the greatest endings to the greatest series of our time – one that brought us to a truly Shakespearean conclusion. (Pictured: Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy).
In the end, Logan Roy’s greedy, idiot children, none of them had the smarts, the cunning, the inner resources to succeed their great and terrible father. (Pictured: Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy).
At the end of Season 4, Episode 10, the failed scion of a media empire – Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin, pictured) – finally admitted of himself and his siblings: “We are cops.”
That line was the show’s thesis, reflecting America today: the unthinkable rise of a demagogue, likely racist and xenophobic, to President of the United States, backed by Logan’s far-right news agency that prioritizes profits over democracy.
The amorality and cynicism it takes to amass so much wealth and power, let alone gain access to the rooms where such things are decided. The petty and negligent nature of the one percent who never let themselves be touched by the violence and riots it entails, embodied here by “church geek” Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen).
Yes, despite all the theorizing online about who would “win” in the finale, it was the hapless Tom who emerged victorious, sensationally allowing Waystar buyer Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) to avoid his own wife and take him instead to be appointed CEO.
An unlikely ending? Or should we have taken a clue from his last name, which he shares with otherwise unremarkable major league baseball player Bill Wambsganss, who made the only unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series?
As the season progressed, Tom’s ambitions became more and more evident. He vacillated between reverence and defiance, stalking around with the mantra “I’m here to serve” after Logan’s death and confronting Shiv (Sarah Snook) when he was back on his feet with her hypocrisy: “I really, really love , really.” my money. If you think that’s superficial, why don’t you throw it all away for love?’
Have we heard a better description of late American capitalism?
And of course his ultimate treble game: he defeats the sibling triumvirate Kendall, Shiv and Roman to become Logan’s successor.
And that rousing dialogue made it even livelier. Heck, “Succession” could express the ugliest feelings with panache and wit.
In fact, here was Kendall’s hideous, hilarious outburst to his own sister: “C*** is like C***.”
“Succession” gave us the horrors of bodega sushi. The Patek Philippes cliché. The vulgarity of ridiculously capacious handbags! Oh how much you will be missed.
Yes, despite all the theorizing online about who would “win” in the finals, it was the unfortunate Tom who emerged victorious, happily allowing Waystar buyer Lukas Matsson to sensationally shun his wife and make him CEO .
An unlikely ending? Or should we have taken a clue from his last name, which he shares with otherwise unremarkable major league baseball player Bill Wambsganss, who made the only unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series?
Nonetheless, there was seriousness here, as always. And the series’ darkest themes echoed in this finale.
The repeated references to murder; the sadistic culmination of wannabe king Kendall (Jeremy Strong) who is forced into a disgusting brew by his laughing siblings; and of course the water motif, which sees Kendall – who almost drowned so many times on this show – keeps heading towards what appears to be a fateful end.
Forsake any dignity you tread here – as best pointed out by Tom, who sits across from his new CEO and grins blindly while Mattson dreams of having sex with the pregnant Shiv.
The cost of doing business has never been so high or so low.
And so we witnessed Roman’s inevitable nervous breakdown and masochism, which reached its climax when he allowed Kendall to literally reopen a bleeding wound on his forehead; Showing his sadism, Kendall hugged him tightly until the seams burst.
This was Kendall as the emotional successor to Logan, who we once saw slapping Roman in the face and who we know kept in a dog cage as a child. Kendall switched to the dark side full of Darth Vader.
Despite all the amorality on display, however, Armstrong built something of a moral universe in which none of the undeserving children won.
But even Tom’s victory was hollow: as Mattson made clear, he’s his lapdog, his waterboy.
Sandblasting humanity gave us, ordinary people, access to real estate porn, private jets and helicopters, the lingua franca of secret wealth, and $500 cashmere Loro Piana baseball caps without such expense.
But the Roy kids pay a heavy price in the climax of the finale.
The series’ darkest themes echoed in this finale. The repeated references to murder; the sadistic coronation of would-be king Kendall by his siblings; and the water motif, in which Kendall — who nearly drowned so many times — is drawn to what appears to be a fateful ending.
We witnessed Roman’s inevitable nervous breakdown and masochism, which reached its climax in the finale when he allowed Kendall to literally reopen a bleeding wound on his forehead; Showing his sadism, Kendall hugged him tightly until the seams burst.
This was Kendall as the emotional successor to Logan, who we saw early on slapping Roman in the face and who we know kept in a dog cage as a child. Kendall switched to the dark side full of Darth Vader.
In a brutal battle to succeed Logan, Kendall physically attacks Roman. Shiv accuses Kendall of killing someone, the young waiter from season 1, Kendall’s own chappaquiddick.
“I love you,” Shiv tells him, “but I can’t fucking stand you.”
The board sees and hears everything – the shoving, the screaming, the slapping, the crying. These are not serious people.
“Succession” gave these characters and their fans the ending they deserved: Roman, broken but free, drinking the martini favored by his unrequited obsession, Gerri; Shiv angrily makes up with Tom, placing her hand on his without crossing them as they sit Graduate-style in the backseat of a blacked-out SUV; and Kendall alone, with no family, no future, overlooking the Hudson River—water, death—as the sun goes down.
It was perfect, poetic, still and still.
“Succession” could easily have continued. HBO would no doubt have offered plenty of cash and creative freedom, but Armstrong was strong enough to end on that high note.
That’s a rare kind of artistic prowess. We salute Armstrong as we mourn: For what can ever replace “succession”?