I did not like the end of Succession. I think it was a bad finale. I’ll tell you why.
Succession is a show that doesn’t have very many stakes. The Roys are incredibly wealthy. Maybe one of the richest families in the world. Which is one of the interesting tensions in the show. We as viewers want to identify with Kendall, Shiv, and Roman because they’re the main characters. But we also dislike them because they’re bad people. And actually impossible (for most of us) to relate to. So we’re torn between enjoying their strife but feeling basic sympathy and empathy for our central protagonists. And, to some degree, we take on their perspective. That vicarious sense of power and entitlement becomes, for an hour on Sundays, ours. That’s very cool.
Except when we come back to the drama that occurs on the show, what even is it? Season 1, it’s avoiding a loan crisis. Season 2 it’s the government. Season 3 it’s a vote. Season 4 it’s the sale. Over and over, the broader stakes and conflict that make up Succession revolve around losing the company. We’re supposed to take this seriously because the characters take this seriously. Yet on a deeper level, is it even possible to care? These are rich and powerful people. If they lose Waystar, they have everything else. They can retire and waste millions of dollars every year and never have it be an issue. So the worst case scenario for Kendall, Shiv, and Roman is the dream scenario for 99.99% of the rest of the population.
That’s the foundation that Succession rests on. It’s not inherently bad or impossible to make work. But that puts extra extra extra pressure on the subplots to have stakes. And we got that in season 1. When Kendall is in that car crash and the waiter drowns, that’s heavy. That’s serious. He was about to oust his dad and take over the company. He was that close. And now he’s potentially going to be looked at for murder. That power he suddenly had over his dad? Gone. It was such a brilliant, terrible, consequential moment that castrated Kendall’s character, leaving us with the question of would he or will he ever be able to reclaim a sense of individuality away from his father?
Which is what season 2 got into. Kendall starts as Logan’s lapdog, does his dirty work, then, eventually, strikes back. Just when we think Kendall’s going to go to jail to protect his dad, he makes his move. He turns on Logan. On TV. To the world. Now that’s consequential. Now the son who wanted Waystar Royco is going to be the one to bring the company tumbling down. Right?
Nope. Season 3 neuters everything. Kendall’s ascending star? Freefalls. The government investigation into Logan and Waystar? Evaporates. The stakes go away. Instead, for the third time, we have some vague, ethereal corporate threat to the Roys claim to the company. And we have a lot of meetings and seemingly important moments that don’t amount to much of anything. The payoff to all of this? Tom betrays Shiv. Shocking! But, was it? Shiv had cheated on Tom. Was mean to him, all the time. For him to side with Logan instead of a suddenly united Kendall, Shiv, and Roman? Yeah. It’s obvious. It makes sense. But, also, what are the stakes? It changes nothing. Tom was already part of the company and family and gaining Logan’s trust. He and Shiv already had a disastrous marriage that was on the brink of failing. He had no relationship at all with his brothers-in-law. Him suddenly “betraying” them isn’t consequential. Nothing changes. Compare the state of the characters in the very first episode of season 1 to the end of season 3 and what’s different? Nothing. The kids still have a strained relationship with their father, with one another, and with the people closest to them. They all still want power and don’t have it.
For three seasons, nothing meaningful happened. Well, Greg got to glow up. Better clothes. Nicer haircut. That’s cool, that’s nice. But, is it enough? For those Greg-heads out there, sure. For everyone else? We deserve better.
And, look, I think the first two seasons are amazing, amazing TV. Like some of the finest of the 21st century. Season 3 is, where I’d argue, Succession began chasing its own tail. Scared to have anything happen that would meaningfully shift the story. It’s Days of Our Lives but with HBO’s talent and budget.
Then Season 4 happened. And I was thrilled. Logan dies in episode 3. Perfect. That’s meaningful. That is the stuff that gives a story charge and opportunity. The show could no longer keep going back to that same well of “Will the kids be with Logan or against him?” and have them flip flop over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Because every other time it seemed like someone had crossed a line and nothing would ever be the same—things went right back to how they had been. You can’t do that when Logan’s gone.
So Season 4 brought me right back to considering if Succession is the best show of the last 10 years. It has to be in contention, right? Whether you think it is or not, the popularity and high points are what they are. It’s corporate Shakespeare with all-star performances and a unique perspective on modern America. It’s hit the zeitgeist in a way very few shows have or do. At the very least, it’s era-defining.
But the finale was, for me, a failure. The worst part of the show has been the siblings constantly racing each other for the crown. They’re united. They’re not. Roman and Kendall against Shiv. Shiv and Kendall against Roman. Roman and Shiv against Kendall. All of them together against whoever. So for the, what, fifth time this season, we have the siblings take sides against each other only to unite because Mattsson was going to screw over Shiv. Cool. Why is this any different than Season 1? Or Season 2? Or Season 3? Because Logan’s gone? That didn’t stop Shiv from secretly siding with Mattsson before. For the millionth time—no stakes. Greg betrays Tom. What are the consequences? Nothing that we see, just some vague dialogue from Tom that leaves Greg uncertain if he’s screwed forever or temporarily in the doghouse. Shiv betrays Kendall? What are the consequences? Nothing that we see. Nothing happens. Even when they lose the company. Nothing happens.
Roman ends up at a bar. The implication is he’s just going to be the rich drunk jerk that he was when the show started. But what was the alternative? A rich working jerk? Roman had gained in capacity and dependability in the world of Waystar but that wasn’t changing him for better or worse. He was who he was, just with some power. Having the company, not having the company, being CEO, not being CEO—does any of it matter for him in the long run? For the public? Did he lose but society gained? Not really. ATN is going to keep being ATN. Mattsson will happily work with Mencken or whoever. Roman succeeding or failing doesn’t change anything.
Kendall ends up wandering a park near the water. The implication being he’s despondent and will probably never recover his sense of gusto and will always be chasing his father’s shadow. Maybe he’ll run a company but it won’t be Waystar. As he tells Shiv, this is it for him. If he doesn’t have Waystar, he doesn’t have anything. So it’s a kind of spiritual death. It’s unlikely he suddenly becomes a great father or good person. He’ll forever have this itch he can’t scratch. But that’s where we were in Season 1 when Logan said it wouldn’t be him. And Season 2. And Season 3. To have it happen again in Season 4 is just more of the same. It’s just definitive this time.
And Shiv. Shiv has the most going on. She’s the one who reached out to Tom about getting back together. She’s also the one who had transgressed the most in the relationship and hadn’t done a good job of making it up to him. When she finds out he’ll be CEO if the deal goes through, there’s a crossroads for her. That’s a stake. Either she has her brothers at the cost of Tom. Or she has Tom at the cost of her brothers. Her decision is a result of Kendall’s growing smugness and her inability to stomach it and the desire to be back with Tom. That last moment with Shiv and Tom in the car is cool. It’s low-angle. Giving Tom and Shiv this sense of stature. And Tom puts his hand out, and there’s such a vibe of mafia Don. But also forgiveness. In a weird way, Shiv reshaped Tom into a distant, sharp, powerful man that kind of resents her. Someone in the image of her father. The caring, dopey, overly sentimental Tom from previous seasons has been burned away but the fires he’s walked through to get to this point.
Tom definitely has the greatest arc in the entire show. And is, in some ways, someone audiences can root for a bit more sincerely since he had humble beginnings, isn’t from this world, and is doing his best to be part of it. He always had a penchant for cruelty but wouldn’t let it show outside of how he treated Greg. For him to, over the four seasons, lean into that and be rewarded for it, is phenomenal (in a narrative sense, not a human one; in terms of humanity, it’s sad).. It’s thought provoking. Thematic. Dynamic. It’s the best thing Succession does. Tom’s arc and exploring Logan’s psyche from the slanted perspective of the rest of the characters. We do get a tremendous sense of Logan and the highs and lows of the man. The complicating factors. As well as the insight into why he wouldn’t give his kids control. “I love you, but you are not serious people.” The subtlety with which the show handles all of that is fantastic.
I’m not saying Succession didn’t have tremendous moments of amazing plot and theme. The penultimate episode with the funeral speeches is incredible. Truly incredible. There are so many startling and fascinating and powerful scenes across the series. And the performances are awesome, generational. This isn’t me saying Succession is a bad show. It’s not. It’s dumb to argue that it is. But I think the whole of it is less than the sum of its parts. That instead of going for something immense and literary, we got a lot of throat clearing and melodrama that never went anywhere.
At the end of the show, is anything different for anyone? There’s the idea that the clown siblings swung the election for a horrible person who could send America down a dark path. Except that’s not certain. We’re left with the possibility that Mencken still doesn’t win. And Logan had been leaning Mencken himself. So it’s not like Mencken had no chance but the kids, in their brief tenure, caused irreparable damage to the country. So we’re not taking away from this that the whims of the wealthy have a profound impact on everyone else. You could make the case that they corrupt Tom and take someone from humble beginnings and turn him into this cold, corporate person. But Tom was already seeking that out. So as a commentary on the haves vs the have nots, Tom isn’t necessarily representative of the have nots. There isn’t some great contrast in him winning vs Kendall. There are subtleties, sure. But it’s not a meaningful throughline.
The biggest thematic argument would be how Succession explores the impact of parents on their children. And how the inability of the siblings to support one another and be happy for one another is a direct result of Logan’s fickle affection and the jealousy he engendered by being so hot and cold and promising everything to each of them in turn then denying it. Because of this shared trauma, there’s no way for them to ever unite. No matter the circumstances. The resentment is too much. You could then begin to extrapolate that, turn it into symbolism for America, for modern society. But I’m not sure if the show earned or even wanted to go for that kind of grander metaphor.
I guess that’s ultimately where I land with Succession. I wanted it to say something. I don’t think it did. And that’s okay. Not every show has to say something. It can just tell a story that’s interesting. When that’s the case, I’m not looking at what’s said but rather the quality of the storytelling. And I think the story didn’t amount to much. Some great individual pieces and parts. But I’m left going: That’s it? That’s all you’ve got? Especially when I compare it to (in no particular order) Barry, Better Call Saul, The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel, The Wire, The Sopranos, Veep, The Leftovers, The Good Place, The White Lotus, Boardwalk Empire, Ozark, Mindhunter, Mare of Easttown, Sharp Objects. These shows balance narrative and theme and drive their stories to a final, climactic point.
And it’s not like those shows are perfect. I would say at its best, Succession is as good or better than some on that list. But when I look at the larger storytelling and thematics, Succession ends up in a tier below. It repeats itself too many times. I mean, seriously, even in this episode, the siblings went from divided to united to divided. That’s three shifts in a single episode. After they’ve already flip flopped a dozen times before this. But that many times in a single episode? It goes from meaningful and climactic to absolutely empty and almost sarcastic.
Was it fascinating to be in this world? Yes. Am I satisfied with the story? Enough to still say the show is good. But having the conclusion come down to something so repetitious and kind of obvious with no real payoff is disappointing. It’s like all the creative fireworks exploded in the previous episodes. And instead of the grand finale that lights up the night, we’re left with the smoke in the air and empty shells on the grass and the acrid scent of sulfur and the dark and dull sky and a crowded walk to the parking lot and traffic on the way home.
I’ll answer questions in the comments. We can even (politely) debate because I know some of you feel quite the opposite to me. Would love to hear why! Thanks for reading!
Follow up
Do I think the kids should have won? Did I want a happy ending?
No and no. I didn’t have a particular ending in mind. I just didn’t want it to be the siblings agree then disagree for the millionth time. And if it was that, I’d want something a bit more consequential. Roman calling out Kendall’s kids is transgressive but is it any more climactic/dramatic than other transgressive things the siblings have said or done to one another? Kendall briefly getting physical with Roman is dramatic but momentary. And Shiv turning on Kendall is, yeah, what a scorpion does.
I think good finales take us to a place the story couldn’t go prior to the finale. Choices are made, things happen that can’t be undone. I didn’t get that feeling of the climactic that I got at the end of Season 1 and Season 2 or even at other moments through Season 4. This felt more transitory. It implies things for the characters. But it’s so open-ended that anything could happen. Like I can easily imagine a Season 5 where Tom becomes overwhelmed after a (secretly) Mencken-backed ATN competitor emerges. Waystar begins to slip. Suddenly there’s a conversation about bringing back Roman and Kendall. I’m not saying that’s what I want. Just that you can easily imagine scenarios that invalidate the initial consequence of Shiv’s decision. Especially given how the show had done that exact thing with other seemingly important tipping point moments that ended up being far less impactful than they initially seemed.
Did I miss the point of the Succession?
Being unsatisfied with the specifics of how things played out is very different than not understanding the larger thematics or purpose of the show. The two can go hand in hand. That’s certainly true. But just because you don’t like the way something was done doesn’t mean you don’t get what it’s doing. And vice versa.
There are a lot of nice aspects to the finale. Like the dichotomy between the Shiv, Roman, and Kendall under their mother’s roof vs. their father’s. In the kitchen, we see them at their most purely childish and innocent and loving, even if they’re still kind of horrible (that poor cheese). In the conference room, we see them at their most twisted and ruined by the influence of their parents. Their jealousy, their fear, their mistrust and sensitivity to betrayal, and inability to support one another. This ties back to the larger thematic exploration of generational influence and the way parents shape children but also the way in which these “Logan Roys” of the world shape society. The same flaws that Logan engendered in his kids he also gave to America.
And there’s the Shakespearean-ness to the fact that Logan always maintained the company. No matter the threat. He always found a way. The first major crisis under the kids? They lose it. With the tragedy being they actually won. Except for Shiv ultimately deciding she couldn’t stand to see Kendall. His egotistical bearing during the vote helped drive Shiv to change her mind. For decades, Logan boxed out his family and people he loved and succeeded because he didn’t rely on any of them. The kids never learned that lesson. They kept going back to family and family kept betraying them.
Which gets at Succession‘s larger commentary about the wealthy and capitalism and modern America. Through the Roy family and their universe, we see how dehumanizing that world is. How callous. It’s right there in the series premier when Roman taunts the family during the softball game and teases them with an opportunity to win money. There’s a disconnect from their actions and the way in which it impacts the rest of the world. Which comes to life with the Mencken election.
That’s not everything but it’s some of the highlights of what Succession is doing. These are some of the reasons I think so highly of the show. But the payoff we get is just a bit uninteresting to me. Like the initial exploration and potential of what Succession would do with these themes was a lot more exciting than what it ended up doing in the finale. Go back one episode to the funeral, and that had the power and energy of a finale to me. Honestly, I probably would like the funeral episode as the finale more than what we actually got. It would leave a lot unanswered but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With that said, the Tom arc was great. That’s the silver lining of the finale.
Did I identify with Roman, Shiv, and Kendall?
Quite a few people on Twitter thought that I was saying audiences should identify with the siblings and because of that we’re rooting for them. Just wanted to clarify that’s not what I intended. My point was that storytelling inherently asks us to put ourselves in the shoes of its characters, to think about what they’re experience and how they’re feeling and put that in context of our own lives and feelings. It’s the reason storytelling is such an important part of society. It’s how we expand our theory of mind and capacity to relate to others. When you watch Avatar and see Jake Sully come to appreciate the beauty of the forest, it asks us to think about the beauty of the forest. Stories like American History X and Succession rift on this technique by putting us with pretty abhorrent people. We’re disgusted by aspects of who they are, how they think, and what they do. That disgust wars with our inherent urge to identity through story.
That’s not me saying I want to identify with the kids because of who they are. That I see myself in them. Or anything like that. It’s just pointing out that by putting the siblings as the main characters the show is playing on our natural inclination to identify. I probably should have framed the initial statement as “We naturally want to identify with a story’s main character. In the case of Succession, that’s difficult because…”
Thank you for your review! It gave me a sense of closure and made me understand why I was so dissatisfied with the ending.
Appreciate that! What frustrated you the most with the finale?
I disagree with most of this. I didn’t read all of it. I’m typing this comment to avoid going to sleep. Why do you need likable characters? Why did you read Save the Cat and then write this review? Goodnight.
This was pretty funny. I didn’t say they needed to be likable. What in the article gave you that impression? And I haven’t read Save the Cat. Hope you slept well!
I agree with the review in the main. Now that we can look at Succession as a complete work, I think it scores a B. It certainly had brilliant episodes and events, but the episodes building up to those events were often empty and boring. I think that at least 5 hours of the show could be removed and it wouldn’t diminish it. The Sopranos didn’t have to rely on will they/won’t they deal/no deal manipulation, it had a lot of stand alone episodes that really dived deep into characters and themes. The Sopranos, I have to say, was a lot funnier too. The characters were good in Succession, but not as developed as characters on better shows. Their actions were often not organic, and had to be explained at length afterwards. A flawed, but good programme, I don’t think it’s legacy will endure for too long. It don’t think it will bear up to too much rewatching and if something better comes along in the near future, it will be forgotten fairly quickly.
Thanks TBone! I still think it’s great and would recommend it to everyone. Just doesn’t make it into the top 10 the way I thought/hoped it would.
Sopranos I thought kind of phoned in seasons 3, 4, 5. Introduce new character. That character causes problems. Get rid of that character. It happened in 2 and that’s okay because it’s the first time. But when it happens in 3 and 4…sigh. But the beginning and end of Sopranos is legitimately top tier writing. Whatever “low” points happened in the middle pale in comparison to how well the show ends.
Yeah, the Succession characters. I think they’re developed. I just don’t think they go anywhere. Which is, to me, kind of the point of telling a story. There was just too little movement in the overall story and character arcs.
I couldn’t disagree more about series 3,4,5 of the Sopranos! The Sopranos was fairly unique in that it didn’t have to rely on cliffhangers, what-happens-next? writing. Ralphie proved to be far more than just Richie 2.0 and Tony Blundetto caused problems in a much different way that related to one of the root psychological causes of Tony’s mental health problems. Not to mention the brilliant, timeless stand alone episodes like ‘Whoever Did This’ and ‘Pine Barrens’ where we could take a step back and explore more about the characters. It has never been bettered in my opinion.
Hey hey! They definitely have their appeal! I think the thing that kind of bothered me the most was that I didn’t like how self-contained each season kind of felt? The things that are an issue in season 2 are kind of wholly contained to season 2. The things in season 3 are mostly contained to season 3. It’s a bit too neat and tidy. Season 4 with the money troubles really bothered me. They’re introduced in the first episode out of nowhere, kind of resolved by the end of the season, then never brought up again. My favorite shows tend to build between seasons a bit more than that. Like The Wire or Better Call Saul. I don’t think Boardwalk Empire has the highs of The Sopranos, but I feel like how Boardwalk Empire handled its story was how I wish Sopranos had. With all that said, 3, 4, and 5 are still great and better than most other TV. I just don’t think they’re as top tier as the beginning and end of the show.
If the final episode had been really unexpected and brilliant, maybe we wouldn’t even be analysing it this way. But has it been left in the air for a further series? So many unanswered questions. Or a prequel to answer the questions about how everyone got here and to line up with that intriguing title sequence? Why wasn’t the last episode focussed around the reading of the Will with devastating consequences – with the obvious loss of the company as a sideshow? Why is Shiv supposed to have won with an empty marriage ahead of her? And why are we happy that all the Roys have no purpose in their lives. What happens next or before? The episodes where it all came alive was Connor’s Wedding and The Funeral after that… there is no meaning and a wasted opportunity for a clever, testing and ultimate spine-tingling finale.
Hi Sally! It does feel open-ended in a way that it leaves that impression, right?
I would have been happier if the funeral was the finale. Crazy as that is. Because I think if you end with all the intrigue still on the table, it at least has some energy left. How we ended just took the wind out of my sails in terms of interest in what was happening.
In terms of why are we happy that the Roys have no purpose. I guess it’s some of that joy in seeing people who were pretty horrible not win. The rich don’t always get what they want. And just because they’re wealthy, it doesn’t mean they’re happy. I don’t think the show even wanted us to like these characters. That was part of its challenge: we’re going to humanize these awful people so you, at times, sympathize with them, despite how awful they are. I’m not mad at that as a concept for the finale. But really don’t like how they went about it.
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for concisely articulating, almost word for word, the troubles I’ve had with the show since season 3. I think I even tweeted how tiresome it was becoming watching Logan promise this kid, then the next, then the next, only to renege, then the kids unite, divide, unite divide. One thing you didn’t mention that really blew the ending for me, was Shiv’s weird, conveniently dramatic, plot-devicy change of heart. It’s like the cliched moment in movie weddings when the preacher asks, “if there be anyone here who objects ….” I literally 10-seconded fast-forwarded through the Big Fight in the conference room. But overall, the show left me feeling deeply dissatisfied. I think in the serial narrative TV hall of fame, it even got edged out of the team picture.
Very tiresome. I kind of touched on that in mentioned Shiv and Tom. Shiv essentially had to choose between supporting her brothers and losing Tom or supporting Tom and losing her brothers (maybe). Initially, in her anger at Mattsson, she was ready to crown Kendall. But if you re-watch Kendall in the boardroom during the vote, he’s being very arrogant. And when Roman votes yes, Kendall says something like “That’s f***ing right”. His open display of arrogance pricks her the way it only could a sibling. That combined with her really actually wanting Tom back and knowing that she’d do better with Tom as CEO than with Kendall as CEO…she changes her mind.
What’s in your HOF?
It becomes clearer & clearer that Succession is pulled along by the strength of the actors performances and the sumptuous production values – to say nothing of that stunning score. But the way it ended. Oof. Shiv conveniently changing her mind so that Jesse Armstrong can manipulate the characters into some pre-ordained conclusion telegraphed by the first episode? Then hiding behind Shakespeare to justify it? No thanks. It feels like a very cynical and very British ending worthy of Lady Caroline herself. But, it violates the character development of seasons 2 & 3 with its ceaseless repetition and cheapens the entire series in the the process. Overall, now, a second-tier show not a true successor to better series like Mad Men or even Veep as satire. Maybe Jesse Armstrong should next aim his lens at the rot within the British Monarchy? If cyclical story telling about a group of idiots who never changes is his true kink…
The performances, production, and score definitely did a ton of work. Especially now that we have the whole of it and see what the story amounted to. I agree with that!
You might be disappointed to find out that I think the Mad Men finale is even worse. And that the show had far less to say than Succession. But Veep was fantastic.
This was such a brilliant article. This is the first time I’ve seen someone agree with my opinions on this show. I was reading all the reviews and kept wondering, did we watch the same show? When your characters do the same thing 10 times over 4 seasons, it loses a bit of meaning. Anyway you put it better than I ever could have. Well written!
Thanks Arania! Yeah, I’ve felt the same way. It happens with a few other shows as well. Where I just think they finale was a misfire but it constantly makes the best of lists lol.
I thought it was a bit weird that you asked what the consequences are for each character, then answered with “Nothing that we see”; and then you proceed to write exactly what the consequences are for each character in the following paragraphs.
And in a way, I guess you do kind of identify with Kendall in the end. All that work and drama, just to feel dissatisfied and empty at the end.
I personally liked the ending for the points you didn’t like it. It was all “bulls**t” and “nothing”, just like Roman said when he had his epiphany. But it was the exact BS and nothingness that I needed.
I don’t think those are necessarily consequences. They’re just momentary states of being. Like a Consequence for Roman would be he goes into that crowd and gets into a fight and hurts someone and ends up in jail. A consequence for Kendall is that he goes to see his kids and the kids don’t want to see him and want no further contact with him. Shiv is, I guess, consequential enough. For the most part, each of them just keep on being who they’ve been. They’ve just lost out on being the CEO of their dad’s company. They’re cut off from a single role, but I don’t think the pursuit of this thing has been consequential to who they were or who they’re going to be.
I can get behind it being BS and nothing and that being the main theme. How they went about it in that episode wasn’t, to me, the most compelling or interesting way of handling that theme. But I’ll gladly be in the minority on this. I’m happy that others are happy.
Great read! Succession is one of my favorite shows ever but my biggest gripe with the show was how any hint of character development seems to get immediately reversed/sacrificed for the sake of the plot. Especially in Season 4. Jesse is a brilliant writer; he had a clear vision and message for the show and he delivered it exactly as he wanted to. Just not sure it made for the best of endings, even though the peaks were top, top notch.
Thanks, Andrew! Yeah, that’s very nicely and succinctly put. I understand that there’s a purpose to what he’s doing. People keep pointing out Roman’s final revelation about being nothing and bs. And it’s like, yeah, I get it. Good idea. But not sure the execution is all that powerful when it’s pretty much what we’ve seen before with just a bit of an elevation in the crowning of Tom. And you can make an argument for how that’s the point! But, then, still, is it the best way to make the point? I just don’t think it was.
Interesting review. I agree the finale was bad. I nearly didn’t watch the 10th and last episode. I was so mad at episodes 8 & 9. The 3 kids have been completely unlikeable, and while I agree with some who say the characters don’t have to be likeable, I did want to see some redemption. Shiv has been grotesque. The show tried to present her as the more evolved and progressive character. And yet she treacherous, petty and selfish. At the end, the only sympathetic character for me was Colin. Watching him stand by Kendall, and at a distance, in the end was powerful.
Yeah. It’s tough. Because unlikable characters are a thing and are interesting in their own right. But the show often balanced giving us flashes of them having more decency/humanity. So I get why there’s a part of you that would want to see that side of the characters rise to the surface a bit more. When that doesn’t happen, it can be disappointing. I generally think that’s okay for stories to do. Not everything has to be a happy ending. I wasn’t mad at that. I understand where you’re coming from, though.
Hey Chris. First I want to say, I really appreciate this space. I like that it encourages dialogue and that you are open to hearing other people’s thoughts regarding what you wrote. I also think you articulate your thoughts well and the fact that you care so much about story structure makes you someone I respect and appreciate.
I have actually thought a lot about this piece that you’ve written because I feel it deserves to be grappled with, and you bring up a lot of salient perspectives so that a knee jerk reaction to them would be missing an opportunity for continued conversation.
However, I am on the opposite side of you regarding your take on the finale of “Succession”. I think it was the opposite of bad. I think it may be one of the best finales in television history of a show that may be one of the best television shows of this Second Golden Age of Television (starting with “Oz” in 1999 — here are my top 10, not necessarily in any particular order as I don’t believe that art is a competitive sport: “The Wire”; “The Sopranos”; “Succession”; “Breaking Bad”; “Better Call Saul”; “Mad Men”; “Game of Thrones” (yes, even including the final season and the finale); “Six Feet Under”; “Deadwood”; “The Shield”).
That last one, “The Shield”, is the one that I feel is “the best” (though I hate to use the term “best” in comparison to other shows) finale of the shows mentioned in the list. And it is also precisely why I feel that the “Succession” finale can be included alongside “The Shield” as one of the most well crafted, and greatest, finales in this category of “Prestige” television.
The majority of the reasons you mentioned why you thought the finale was “bad”, is actually what made “Succession” so great, and also why the finale stayed true to the structure, format, tone, and overall mission statement of the entire series. Here is what would have made it bad: if it had, in the final episode, departed from its premise, and its overall concept: that people inherently do not change.
The reason why Roman asked you about “Save The Cat” is your premise that it was a “bad” finale is straight out of the formulaic handbook that is “Save The Cat”. Why most think you thought the characters weren’t “likeable” (even though you said nothing about that) is because that is the other pat response from the “Save The Cat” formulaic, straight out of the mouth of a studio executive or script reader/development person (or “D Girl” as they are pejoratively referred to) generic response — that the main characters need to be “likeable” — that is thrown out there time and time and time and time again.
You did not walk down that path. Instead, you walked the path of “no one changed”. Which, for them most part, and according to Robert McKee (who, ironically, Brian Cox played in the film “Adaptation”) is a cardinal sin of storytelling….
…unless the brilliant head writer and showrunner of the show specifically intended this to be a show about just that. It’s also a social commentary show. So, the whole is greater than the intricate sum of its parts.
What I mean by that is: yes, it is a family drama/comedy/tragedy (all the above) and at its core is about damaged people who are caught in a loop (or “Groundhog Day”) of perpetual hell based on their inability to escape their horrible upbringing. All of that is baked into the cake.
But, above that, and the reason why the ending had to be the ending it was, and the last few episodes unfolded the way that they did (especially Roman’s laser focused want of calling the election pre-maturely for Mencken) is because it’s an indictment of: Sumner Redstone, Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, the entire billionaire class, Big Tech, Elon Musk, etc., etc., etc. It’s another big middle finger from Adam McKay to the “Powers-That-Be” in Media, Tech, and Politics.
If the show went in a different direction in the last episode, that actually would have been a “bad” finale. These characters needed to not change. They needed to be made even more miserable in the conclusion — as they had been made miserable time and time and time again with the conclusions of the previous seasons… etc. We need them to suffer. A lot. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.
At least you realized that the show, as a whole, was a quality show. Unlike Bill Wyman of The Wrap who wrote the salacious, clickbait title: “‘Succession’ Tricked a Sliver of America Into Thinking That It’s a Good Show”. That was one of the most foolish pieces I’ve read in regards to critiquing a show that sits at the top of the food chain in terms of “Prestige Television”.
You did not go as full ape in your “I missed the point of the entire construct of the show” analysis as Wyman did… though, truth be told, eh, ya kinda did — not to go too Romulus Roy on you (but it is a little fun to be Roman every once in a while).
I’d say, after reading your piece twice over, it’s a valiant swing and a miss. Yes, as a screen, television, and playwright, I would also say that, when I write a script, I think about my character’s arc and make sure that my main characters change and grew by the end. But the thing that made “Succession” so, dare I say “perfect”, is that it broke that “rule” with such a level of artistry and excellence, one can only stand in awe of its shear brilliance.
Also, for my day job, I work as an In-Flight Crewmember (which is a fancy way of saying: “Flight Attendant) for a major airline. I would say, in the case of “Succession”, it was one of the best landings I’ve ever witnessed.
Hey, Stephen! You certainly have the background to get where I’m coming from on a lot of this stuff. So it’s nice to have a dialogue from this perspective, regardless of the differences in our views! I appreciate the kind words about the overall approach we have going on here.
This is one of those conversations where I think if we were having it in person and could articulate back and forth that we’d get a lot accomplished. Online like this, there’s so many little points to volley back and forth that it can become quite precarious in terms of finding that balance point where we get one another. But I’m going to give it a try!
I agree with everything you’re saying except for the summarizations of what I was saying lol. While I have read McKee and do love McKee, I completely understand that not changing is a valid way to conclude a story. For exactly the reasons you said. My point wasn’t that the characters needed to change or grow or anything like that. My point was about consequences, climactic action, payoff, etc.
Look at The Wire. The finale there makes the point that everything we’ve seen has been part of a cycle. And we witnessed that first hand as all the kids it introduced us to in season 4 end up becoming the next generation of characters from seasons 1-3. We witnessed the cycle without realizing it. And the finale puts all of that into perspective. And leaves us with that crushing realization that the same archetypes will rise and fall, over and over. Until something significant changes. Until the system itself changes. The climactic element is the understanding that the cycle is starting anew. It’s thoughtful, powerful, and earned over the course of the entire show.
Better Call Saul, you had something similar in that by the time we get to the finale, we have closure and payoff and consequences for all the stuff Jimmy got up to over the course of the show.
It’s the same with Sopranos. Not just for the plot stuff but the philosophical war that goes on as Tony confronts his own mortality and the life he’s lived. There’s so much catharsis and poignancy.
I’m not arguing that Succession couldn’t end with the characters not changing and being in their own personal hells. And, trust me, I didn’t miss or fail to understand the indictment of the right-leaning media industry. Do you really think that’s something I didn’t pick up on over the four seasons? It’s right there in S1E1.
We’re on the same page when it comes to the concepts. What I didn’t like was how the finale went about exploring those concepts. I kept saying, over and over again, “That’s it? That’s it? That’s all you’re going to do?”
Like you mention Roman calling the election early. We know that Mencken is bad news. That he will have an adverse affect on the country. That’s a great payoff. I’m happy with that payoff. Except we’re told multiple times that maybe Mencken didn’t win. That the courts are actually debating about the vote. That there’s a very real path to Mencken losing. Which leaves the door open for Roman’s early call to not matter in the long run. Which takes away that sense of payoff. It’s the same thing with the hugeness of Kendall’s declaration at the very end of season 2. It has all this weight and importance. Until season 3 walks it back and the revelations have very little impact (aside from Tom’s potential jail sentence kind of leading to him betraying Shiv).
Over and over, Succession set up seemingly consequential plot points that merely fizzled out. Whether it’s GoJo’s India numbers or the bank loan coming due or the Pierce acquisition. The only meaningful things that don’t get walked back are Marcia leaving and Logan passing away. When Roman ran into the mob at the end of S4E9. That had energy. That had verve and potential. The ultimate result? A single elbow to the brow. It’s that kind of anti-climactic payoff that frustrated me from season 3 up through the finale.
Have the characters not change. Beautiful. Great. But have something happen that there’s no coming back from. That’s all I want. Like when Shiv and Roman bring up that Kendall killed someone. What if that happened in the boardroom. In front of everyone? This thing that’s been in the dark for so long is now presented to a group of Kendall’s peers, the people who almost voted him into power, the people he would have led. Their reaction to that information would have been glorious. Something as small as that would have been enough for me because you know the rumor will spread. That Kendall will become a figure whispered about whenever he enters a room. That’s cool. Or if Roman had gone into the crowd at the end of E9 and just never shown up again. And Kendall and Shiv write it off because they’re more concerned with their own stuff. I would love that. It’s the finale. I want tipping points. I want crossing the threshold of no return.
What they were going for wasn’t lost on me. I think the direction was absolutely fine. I’m just bored by the choices they made in the execution of it.
With all that said. I do understand that my point of view on this is very novelistic. There’s a short story view that embraces the slice of life style of Succession. From that short story frame, the more anti-climactic the better because it makes even an elbow to the brow all the more important. You know how in a short story it can be enough to describe someone eating a peach as they look at their window. What’s evoked can outweigh any concerns with narrative and consequences and payoffs and what have you.
But Succession had plenty of powerful moments. I said it somewhere in the piece. But if the penultimate episode had been the finale, I’m singing its praises. I’d be banding together with you to yell at Bill Wyman (something I still might do). Instead, here we are.
Thank you for articulating the problems with the series finale so well! Seems like most reviews and fans of the show enjoyed the finale, I was starting to think maybe I was alone in this feeling of disappointment or that I perhaps missed something.
I agree with all of your points, and I’ll add my issues. I feel like there were two big things that the show, especially season 4, spent considerable time trying to tell us and lead up to: 1) that of all the siblings, Kendall was the most fit to lead the company (he grew a lot between season 1 and 4 in terms of being ready for the position, I won’t get into all of it now), and 2) the siblings were a powerhouse when they worked together. I feel like most of the final episode was building up to these realizations by the characters, and then the last 10 minutes completely yanked the rug out from under us without any warning. The show was called “Succession”, maybe I misunderstood the point of the show but I thought it was for someone to Succeed Logan. They sold the company so no one succeeded Logan and that’s the finale we are supposed to be happy with? I’m sorry but no. And no, Tom being named CEO after it was sold doesn’t count
Thanks for the review. The reason I liked the show is because everyone was so unlikable. It forced me out of my comfort zone of a battle between good and evil and made me rewire into just how exactly do the rich and powerful think and act. A battle between evil and evil. Brilliant. However. Since season 3 I’ve been so bored. As you said some good spots. But it’s the same ridic game over and over. Maybe that’s how it works in the world with the rich and powerful but it doesn’t make great entertainment. The finale was aweful. HBO has disappointed me in the past like no other network. This did not help my opinion. Season after season Tom was shown as a buffoon. I’m supposed to believe that out of a pool of CEOs in the world that that guy would be chosen to lead the most powerful information company on the planet. WHAT? The worst. The kids were a joke. Don’t get me wrong. I understand all the implied reasons, and disappointments and reliefs of the sale but as I said. Made for boringly grating tv. There will never be finales as polished and poignant as The Sopranos or Six Feet Under. But HBO and writing in general have yet to come close that bar again.
Excellent review, Chris. I’m late to the party because I had to type your headline word for word into Google to find this needle in the hay of glowing write-ups about the show’s finale. I have nothing new to add that hasn’t been said by you and others, but agree the finale was inadequate, dissatisfying and frustrating. In my mind, I feel there could be space for at least one, or even two, more season(s) to right the ship and let the consequences play out.
Very good contribution!
I myself would have liked Connor Roy to do it in the end. He would have been handed the reins. Would have been cool and a satisfying ending.
Here I am, late to the party as usual! The first two seasons were interesting, but by the end of the second the show never seemed to develop past it’s overarching theme of “dysfunctional family fights for control of business”. Yes, that’s an excellent basis for a story to develop a plot around, but it’s not a plot in and of itself. Each big sibling alliance switcheroo felt less important and less interesting. By the third or fourth you knew it was only a temporary situation and things were likely to change again within an episode or two, so no reason to get all worked up about it. What fun is that?
So, in one sense the show was all about the “plot”, the who said what to who, who backstabbed who, who was loyal to who. On the other hand, since very little of what was said or done had long term repercussions, and you knew that a “major” plot twist was always less than an episode or two away, the plot felt small and inconsequential. At some point in the third season I stopped caring if I understood every little plot detail, by the end of the third season I was bored, and halfway through the fourth I was fast forwarding.