Before we start the main event, let's remember how we got to Sunday night's 90-minute-long Succession episode—the one that ends it all. Back in 2018, which genuinely feels like a lifetime ago, creator Jesse Armstrong had an idea. What if we told a story about some of the most wealthy, driven, and shameless media tycoons on the planet? Hell, even better, let's make the story about the failures of their children.
Well, what happens when you make a realistic story about bad people?
"There are lots of great characters in fiction who viewers and readers have engaged with that behave badly," Armstrong once told HBO. "Great characters can be unfaithful. They can lie and cheat... the Roys do lots of bad in the world, but when we’re creating these stories, we're empathizing with them." Much of Succession was easy to emphasize with until the end. The kids never had a chance with a father like Logan Roy (Brian Cox). After his death, they had an opportunity to grow as characters. Instead, Armstrong had all three of the Roy children double-down on the terror. They wanted to destroy a massively profitable business deal to keep the company for themselves, captain the ship on their own, and try to elect a far-right president in the process. Armstrong is trying to say something about power, greed, and what a person is willing to do to get it. And he's successfully proved that there is no end to the abyss, once your start falling down it.
For five years, we all watched this family cascade downward, into that hole, and we gobbled it up. Social media had Kendall (Jeremy Strong) supporters, Roman (Kieran Culkin) apologists, Shiv (Sarah Snook) stans, and enough love for Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) to break the Internet. Armstrong did it—we empathized with the Roys. Audiences were devastated when Logan Roy died. What does that say about us? As I've written before in Succession recaps—it's been almost impossible to guess where this final season is heading outside of the whole Deal or No Deal? plot with GoJo. The big question of Who will run the company? may matter to the characters in the show, but Armstrong's final choice meant the most to us at home—because it would ultimately decide Succession's parting message.
When the series finale begins, Kendall is freaking out—as he does—because he doesn't have the votes to stop the GoJo deal. Roman is broken from the funeral and the three kids meet up at their mother's Barbados home to discuss the state of the deal. Shiv tells Roman that she's sorry-not-sorry that she won by siding with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård). She believes that she's carrying on her father's wishes to sell the company and make a boatload of money, but Roman believes that Matsson will destroy everything their father built.
Meanwhile, Matsson meets with Tom (Matthew Macfadyen). The tech CEO tells him that things are messy with Shiv. He likes her political acumen, but he's not looking for a partner. Plus, after his situation with his Ebba (Elie Harboe), he's worried that working with someone he's sexually attracted to may present more problems. Mencken (Justin Kirk) also wants a US CEO—which was Shiv's idea to get him on their side—but now he's thinking that Tom may be a better choice. Tom would roll over and show his belly, bark whenever Matsson commands, and be a good little boy. Matsson calls him "Logan 2.0," and plans to move forward without Shiv.
In a surprising double-cross, Greg secretly translates Matsson's conversation on his phone, which confirms that he plans to dump Shiv. Tom says he has Greg's back, but our favorite sprinkle chooses to play sides, calling Kendall and sharing the news. Kendall then informs Roman and Shiv, bringing all three siblings back together. Got all that? It's a lot of maneuvering, but it's the Roy trio versus everyone now.
"A meal fit for a king!"
They may have the votes, but now there's a new problem. Well, new problem, as in same old problem: Who will run the company? A trio won't work. It's ruled out immediately, so don't worry about it. We must pick one successor—it's why we're all here. Time for hard truths and angry conversations. "It's a fucking horrible job, that clearly kills you," Kendall tells Roman, trying to convince him that he couldn't handle it. "So, honestly, I'm just trying to guide us through the years to some truth here, man." He thinks he's the man for the job, obviously. Shiv, mockingly, asks Roman, "Guess who Kendall thinks it should be? It's going to blow your fucking mind."
Roman wises up. "I don't think Dad wanted to give it to any of us," he says. Shiv suggests that they kill Kendall, but it's a joke. Armstrong is playing with us here—even though I wanted a Hamlet-style murder scene where they all killed each other. Shiv and Roman "anoint" Kendall, folding and giving him the company. There it is—what may end up as the titular succession. They raid their mother's kitchen like children and create "a meal fit for a king" in the blender. After Shiv spits in their disgusting creation and makes Kendall drink it, Roman pours it on top of his head. "This is going to be alright, right?" Kendall asks them. "Just drink it," Shiv responds.
We're soon back in New York at Logan's apartment (which is now Connor and Willa's apartment). They're auctioning off all of Logan's possessions and preparing for their weird new life together. Connor thinks he's off to Slovenia and Willa is reading for a play. "We're really excited how this long-distance thing can add an extra dimension to our marriage," Connor says. This moment is, oddly, his final scene. Then, on a television, they watch a recording of Logan reciting a poem and singing songs with the old guard. For a brief moment, the Roy children are reminded that there was some camaraderie—and beauty—between Logan and his associates, however brief the good moments were.
In another room, Shiv and Tom confront each other. (Again.) Tom reveals that he thinks Matsson will choose him as CEO, and Shiv storms out. Tom then slaps Greg for letting the news slip—and the Disgusting Brothers live out their name by having a sibling-style slap fight in a bathroom. The betrayal! But we can't stay here for a second longer. We have to mobilize, circle back, and get this done by EOD. At this point, there's 30 minutes left in the episode, and it seems Succession will indeed live or die by the GoJo deal. "Phones! I wanna see some fucking phones!" Matsson yells at his staff. Nothing truer has ever been said about this show.
It’s Tom?!
Everything seems to be going Team Roy's way after a visit from Stewy, but Roman—right on cue—sees Gerri and freaks out. He still doesn't want people to think he's weak and couldn't handle being CEO. Kendall tells him, "it could have been you," and then hugs him so damn hard against his shoulder that Roman's stitches pop. Psycho!
Time for the vote. It's split yay or nay down the line 50/50, with Shiv teed up to give the deciding "No." She leaves the room to think... and seems to have changed her mind. Kendall calls himself a cog fit for only one machine: the one that runs this company. Shiv disagrees. "I just don't think you'd be good at it," she tells him. Kendall responds, "If I don't get to do this, I feel like I just might die." She brings up the fact that he killed someone in a car accident—and Kendall denies the act. "Just fucking vote for me," he yells. "I am the eldest boy!" The kicker, of course, is that Connor is the eldest.
Kendall grabs Roman and almost gouges his eyes out like its Game of Thrones, but we're sadly not getting WrestleMania. (Just kill each other!, I'm yelling from my couch.) Instead, the situation is diffused. Roman knows that they're better off all leaving this company behind and taking the loss. "It's all fucking bullshit; it's all nothing," he says. "We're nothing, OK?" Shiv votes "Yes." The GoJo deal is on. Kendall takes the elevator down and Tom walks in. We now have GoJo Roystar Wayco, or whatever other silly name they'll call it.
After Roman officially signs the deal, Tom returns to the car and leaves with Shiv. They hold hands and the toxic relationship continues. "Their stories—they don't end, they will carry on," Armstrong said during the behind-the-scenes look following the episode. The Succession creator also acknowledged that, while there is still "a lot of game to play out" for certain characters, like Shiv and Tom—is he already teasing a spinoff?!—everyone is, in a way, exactly where they started. "It feels foolish to end, but it must end," Armstrong said. Kendall silently walks down to the river, accepting that he'll never live up to his father's name.
There you have it, folks. Armstrong called it "the right ending" to choose Tom. "Those figures who drift upward and make themselves amenable to powerful people... are around," he said. So, as long as you're willing to get in the mud and play just as dirty as those who are more entitled than you? You can have it all. The way Succession spins it, you just have to sell your soul and make deals with the devil. People do it every day. If any of Succession's characters were going to do any real work to reckon with the choices they've made—and the lives they've lived—it will have to happen off-screen. What we saw was a moment of their lives. It's a moment that will, more likely than not, haunt them forever.
Assistant Editor
Josh Rosenberg is an Assistant Editor at Esquire, keeping a steady diet of one movie a day. His past work can be found at Spin, CBR, and on his personal blog at Roseandblog.com.