Jeremy Strong Says Kendall’s ‘Succession’ Ending Was Almost Bleaker: ‘There’s No Coming Back From This’

Note: The following contains spoilers for the “Succession” series finale.Of the many moments in the “Succession” series finale that have sparked conversation and debate ever since it aired, perhaps the most charged might be the final scene between Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) – and creator Jesse Armstrong is now offering up his interpretation of that dead-fish handhold.Tom has been named CEO of Waystar Royco, now owned by Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgard) Gojo, thanks to Shiv’s last-minute decision to change her vote at the board meeting and deny Kendall (Jeremy Strong) the chance to be CEO. In the moments following the vote, we see Tom ask Shiv to meet him in a car waiting downstairs and she hurridly declines, yet later on we see her join him in the vehicle, the new King and Queen side by side. Tom coldly offers up his hand and Shiv puts hers on top of his, not as a show of affection but of… resignation? Acquiescence? Deference?What precisely is going on there has been a matter of debate among fans, but Armstrong told NPR’s Fresh Air that he sees it as “terrifying equality.”“Everyone has their own view, and I can tell you mine, which is that for me it was a moment of equality,” the creator and showrunner said.

Editor’s note: These interview was done outside of the FYC event as there was no cast or creatives panel as a part of the event.

Succession star Brian Cox has admitted he hasn't watched the show's finale, but said it had been 'one of the great shows of all time.'

Brian Cox is opening up about the Succession series finale but the actor has not watched how the show ended on HBO.

Shiv Roy may have looked defeated in those final moments of Succession but she actually achieved “terrifying equality” and “remains in play” for the future, the creator said in a new interview.

Succession fans have shared a bunch of references to Peep Show from the HBO series.Peep Show was co-created by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, who also collaborated together on Channel 4 comedy Fresh Meat. Armstrong later went on to create HBO’s Succession, which recently wrapped its fourth and final season.Throughout Succession’s run, fans have highlighted various references to Peep Show, which starred David Mitchell and Robert Webb as dysfunctional flatmates Mark and Jeremy.A number of these references have been listed by Twitter user @PodcastPharoahs, including a character called Stefan Strauss on the investigation committee in Succession season two.

Editor’s note: Deadline’s It Starts on the Page features 10 standout drama series scripts in 2023 Emmy contention. It showcases the critical role writer’s work plays in a show’s success. All arrangements were made before the WGA strike began on May 2.

Succession executive producer Mark Mylod has shared the moment when Shiv (Sarah Snook) decided to turn against Kendall (Jeremy Strong) in the finale.In the final episode titled With Open Eyes, Shiv and Roman (Kieran Culkin) initially decide to back their brother Kendall in his bid to become the next CEO of Waystar Royco – a move which would block the takeover deal from GoJo founder Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård).At the boardroom meeting, however, Shiv decides against voting for Kendall in the final hour, which sparks an explosive argument between the siblings.Asked on the official Succession podcast about when he believes Shiv starts to doubt backing Kendall, Mylod, who directed the episode, said: “I suppose it’s when Kendall sits down at his dad’s desk, when they meet with Stewy (Arian Moayed) before going down to the final board meeting. The reality of seeing him there that suddenly made it real, that is the future – him sat there in that insufferable way from her point of view – that’s when I think the denial started to crack.“And then seeing the cronyism with Stewy and seeing how she might be sidelined and again, just seeing his arrogance in the board meeting itself, accumulatively.”Mylod also shared that Shiv’s pivot was originally going to be less telegraphed.

Katcy Stephan SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers from “With Open Eyes,” the series finale of HBO’s “Succession,” now streaming on Max. Connor Roy was interested in politics at an early age — but Alan Ruck isn’t convinced. “He can say anything he wants to say, but just because he was interested doesn’t mean he’s knowledgeable.” Still, in his mid-50s, Connor’s interest is finally becoming a reality — with a catch. In the finale of HBO’s acclaimed drama “Succession,” from creator Jesse Armstrong, Ruck’s character is poised to become the next ambassador to Slovenia, provided that Jeryd Mencken actually becomes president. But his new wife Willa (Justine Lupe) drops a bombshell: She will be staying in New York (in Logan’s old apartment) while Connor carries out his duties abroad.

HBO series Succession.Jeremy Strong has revealed that he attempted to jump into the river during his final scene in Succession, but was stopped by another cast member.The popular drama series came to its bitter conclusion last week (May 28), with the last episode of the fourth and final season drawing to a close with the Roy children finally losing control of their family’s media empire, and Tom Wambsgans named new CEO following the company’s acquisition by GoJo.In the last moments of the episode, the final scene shows Jeremy Strong’s character, Kendall Roy, alone in New York’s Battery Park contemplating the events that have just unfolded — and seemingly stripped of his life’s purpose.According to a new interview with Vanity Fair, however, the actor admitted that he tried to choose an alternate ending for his character, and attempted to jump into the Hudson River when filming.“To me, what happens at the board vote is an extinction level event for this character. There’s no coming back from that,” he explained, adding that he was stopped from climbing the railing by Scott Nicholson, who played Colin.“I tried to go into the water after we cut — I got up from that bench and went as fast as I could over the barrier and onto the pilings, and the actor playing Colin raced over,” he said.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from “With Open Eyes,” the series finale of HBO’s “Succession,” now streaming on Max. Kendall Roy finds himself alone in Battery Park during the last shot of HBO’s “Succession.” He’s officially lost control of his family’s media empire, as Tom Wambsgans has been named the new Waystar CEO following the company’s purchase to GoJo. Kendall has been stripped of his life’s purpose. The show cuts to black with Kendall starring blankly at the river ahead, but that’s not where actor Jeremy Strong was ready to leave Kendall during filming. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair following the “Succession” series finale, Strong revealed he attempted to jump into the river as Kendall during one take of filming the show’s final moment.

This article contains major spoilers for the ‘Succession’ finale.Succession star Matthew Macfadyen has shared his thoughts on the HBO show’s dramatic finale, which aired earlier this week.After a power struggle between the Roy siblings after the death of their father Logan, the finale ended with Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) backtracking on her pact with brothers Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) to betray them and cast the deciding vote to sell Waystar Royco to Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) GoJo company.This meant that Shiv’s husband and ATN boss Tom Wambsgans (Macfadyen) became boss of the company in a major twist after Matsson betrayed Shiv, who was initially in line for the CEO job.Speaking about the plot twist, Macfadyen told the New York Times: “Maybe she doesn’t choose Tom over her brothers. Maybe she just can’t stomach her big brother. It’s not a binary choice.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Succession finaleIf you’re feeling dead inside after watching the last ever episode of Succession, it’s since emerged things could’ve been even more bleak.Season 4, episode 10 heralded the end of HBO’s multi-award winning drama, arguably, the best small screen storytelling of the past decade.And that ending … It was right. Dreary, but right.Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) was the character to close out the series, after losing Waystar at the very last second courtesy of his sister Shiv (Sarah Snook), who ultimately helped bolster Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) to the top job.For Kendall, everything is gone – the company, his family, his dream.

Ballin’ on a budget! Kieran Culkin’s Succession character shocked fans with an affordable fashion statement during the series finale. 

A different ending. Jeremy Strong tried to improvise a much darker conclusion for Kendall Roy on the series finale of Succession.

“AI ain’t gonna write Succession, or Chinatown or The Godfather,” says Jeremy Strong of what’s at stake with the writers’ strike. “It’s just not going to,” the actor who brought Jesse Armstrong’s words for Kendall Roy to life bluntly adds.

Ethan Shanfeld SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers from “With Open Eyes,” the series finale of HBO’s “Succession,” now streaming on Max. The end of “Succession” was filmed on the coldest day of the year. “The windchill was minus-something in Fahrenheit, and it was absolute purgatory to shoot,” says Mark Mylod, the director and executive producer who has steered many of “Succession’s” greatest episodes. “Jeremy initially was feeling nothing but cold.” Mylod, who has now helmed all four season finales of the HBO juggernaut, was worried that the last scene — with Jeremy Strong’s Kendall hopelessly walking through Battery Park, and Logan’s leftover bodyguard Colin trailing behind — didn’t feel “weighty enough.”

Succession went out at the top of its game.

fans were delighted to discover that in the show's series finale on Sunday, Roman Roy, played by Kieran Culkin, was wearing an affordable brand.In a scene filmed between Roman and his siblings, Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) and Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook), the middle sibling is wearing a blue T-shirt with three multi-colored stripes on it.Eagle-eyed fans were quick to note that the top is part of a two-pack of boys-sized T-shirts sold at Walmart that retail for $13.96.Of course, Roman's specific look quickly sold out after the connection was made, and fans online were delighted in the revelation.One viewer shared a screenshot of Roman's look and the Walmart Wonder Nation product, noting that Kendall was wearing $750 Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses and Shiv had on a $3,000 Alexander McQueen power suit.Kendall Roy: $750 Jacques Marie Mage sunnies Shiv Roy: $3000 Alexander McQueen power suit Roman Roy: pic.twitter.com/I1vXUc9LB3One commenter wrote, «This is so middle-child coded

Major Succession finale spoilers ahead! We’re now over a few days removed from the Succession series finale and the actors are speaking out and giving answers to all of your burning questions.

HBO‘s Succession will not be getting a spin-off series, per the network’s Head of Drama Francesca Orsi.The news comes after the show’s final episode aired, bringing the hit series to a close. Speaking to Deadline, Orsi shared: “I know there was some talk about spinoffs, but no, not at all”.Orsi added: “I’ll never say never but my instinct and based on a number of conversations about the evolution of Succession and these characters, at this stage, there is no intention of spinning any one character off”.The HBO exec also said that while she doesn’t know what Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is planning to do next, she thinks “it will be entirely original.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The profanity-riddled dialogue and whip smart writing of “Succession” finally came to a close on Sunday night with one last extremely dramatic finale episode, ending with the highly anticipated answer to the series-long question over who will take over the Roy empire.

Succession.In the finale titled With Open Eyes, Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) prepare a smoothie for their brother Kendall (Strong) after agreeing to support his bid to become the new CEO of Waystar Royco.The smoothie, described as “a meal fit for a king”, contains milk, Tabasco hot sauce, bread crusts, Branston pickle, raw eggs, cocoa powder and Shiv’s spit.Kendall takes a large gulp of the smoothie, and after he refuses to drink the rest, Roman tips the leftovers over his brother’s head.Speaking on the official Succession podcast to host Kara Swisher, Strong said the smoothie contained “all those things” seen on screen, which he actually consumed for the scene.“We did it only a few times and I went outside and retched, and jumped in the ocean, and washed it off my hair,” the actor said. “Yeah, I did drink it, yeah.”After Swisher remarked that he “really was a method actor”, Strong replied: “I wouldn’t know how not to drink it.

This article contains major spoilers for the ‘Succession’ finale.Succession fans are all pointing to one scene in the show’s second season to explain the outcome of the HBO show’s dramatic finale, which aired last night (May 28).After a power struggle between the Roy siblings after the death of their father Logan, the finale ended with Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) backtracking on her pact with brothers Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) to betray them and cast the deciding vote to sell Waystar Royco to Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) GoJo company.This meant that Shiv’s husband and ATN boss Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) became boss of the company in a major twist after Matsson betrayed Shiv, who was initially in line for the CEO job.Online after the finale aired, fans are calling back to the last episode of the show’s second season, when Wambsgans ate a piece of chicken off Logan’s plate during a summit meeting on a yacht without asking.For many, it symbolised Tom being able to stand up to Logan in a way that none of his children were able to.“Tom became the heir/CEO when he ate Logan’s chicken,” one said, with another adding: “So the chicken scene was key to how everything unfolded.”Tom became the heir/CEO when he ate Logan's chicken. Ken, Shiv, and Roman, “the kids”, were always “not serious people”.

This article contains major spoilers for the ‘Succession’ finale.Succession creator Jesse Armstrong has shared his thoughts on the outcome of the lauded HBO show’s dramatic finale, which aired last night (May 28).After a power struggle between the Roy siblings after the death of their father Logan, the finale ended with Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) backtracking on her pact with brothers Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) to betray them and cast the deciding vote to sell Waystar Royco to Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) GoJo company.This meant that Shiv’s husband and ATN boss Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) became boss of the company in a major twist after Matsson betrayed Shiv, who was initially in line for the CEO job.Speaking as part of a ‘Controlling The Narrative’ featurette on streaming service Max, Armstrong said he knew what he wanted the outcome of the finale to be for a good while.“The idea of Tom being the eventual successor, that had been something that I thought was the right ending for quite a while now,” Armstrong said.“Even though he’s not exactly the most powerful monarch you’ll ever meet — his power comes from Matsson. Those figures that drift upwards and make themselves amenable to powerful people are around.”Of the future of the Roy siblings, Armstrong added: “I thought about all their stories.

Succession fans were waiting with bated breath for the final episode of series four to air.

This article contains major spoilers for the ‘Succession’ finale.Succession fans have reacted to the HBO show’s dramatic finale after the last episode of its fourth and final season aired overnight.After a power struggle between the Roy siblings after the death of their father Logan, the finale ended with Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) backtracking on her pact with brothers Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) to betray them and cast the deciding vote to sell Waystar Royco to Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) GoJo company.This meant that Shiv’s husband and ATN boss Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) became boss of the company in a major twist after Matsson betrayed Shiv, who was initially in line for the CEO job.Reacting to the final episode and dramatic twist, fans have been reacting to the show’s ending online.Jesse Armstrong and co. have perfected giving audiences a sense of false hope with #Succession that I don’t think we’ll see again,” one wrote on Twitter.“You give us what’s possibly the last moments of the siblings in good terms, only to tear them apart and leave them in the mud.

Alison Herman TV Critic SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers from “With Open Eyes,” the series finale of HBO’s “,” now streaming on Max. “Succession” ends in a place it’s been countless times before: with Kendall Roy, alone and adrift by a body of water. “With Open Eyes,” the feature-length conclusion to the Roy family saga, has many such full-circle moments. Some series finales radically break from their show’s typical rhythm, flashing forward to show us the full span of the characters’ lives (“Six Feet Under”) or transforming into a different concept altogether (“Girls”). But despite its length, “With Open Eyes” is the distilled, concentrated essence of “Succession,” even as it builds to a decisive break between the Roys and the company that’s no longer theirs — a union that’s otherwise informed every second of the series’ events.

Note: This story contains spoilers from the series finale of “Succession.”“Succession” wrapped up the story of Waystar Royco and the Roy family, and social media had many feelings about where things stood after the show’s swan song. The episode, titled “With Open Eyes,” followed the aftermath of Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) emotionally charged funeral and crowned a new CEO for his company in Tom Wambsgans (Matthew MacFadyen). With a tense finale following the Roy siblings’ negotiating efforts to decide the fate of Waystar Royco’s acquisition by GoJo, the episode also gave a satisfying and biting conclusion to the central characters’ story. Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) came together at their mother’s beachside home on the eve of the board meeting, as Shiv and Kendall tried to get their younger brother on their respective sides.

This article contains spoilers from the series finale of “Succession.”“This show has always been a tragedy,” said director Mark Mylod of “Succession” in a segment that aired after the series finale of the Emmy-winning HBO series Sunday night.Mylod, who has directed 16 episodes of the series, called the finale “perfectly painful,” as the Roys literally came to blows before completely losing control of their father’s company. He praised series creator Jesse Armstrong, saying, “Jesse stuck the landing with this climactic showdown between the three siblings,” referring to the brutal scene where Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook), lashed out physically and verbally over the decision to sell the company. “The final ripping off of the bandage to expose that terrible, terrible truth put so simply by Roman,” he said of the scene in which Roman proclaims, “We are bulls—t.

[WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for the series finale of “Succession.”]After four seasons, “Succession” has come to an end — and Waystar RoyCo has a new CEO.In the 90-minute series finale, creator Jesse Armstrong wrapped up a string of conflicts, but ultimately had the goal of answering the question everyone has been asking since Season 1 premiered in 2018: Who will succeed Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as CEO?There were many ways the ending could’ve gone: Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) could’ve filled his father’s shoes — as Logan may or may not have wanted from the looks of the underline/cross-out on his official document, Kendall and Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) could’ve stayed on as co-CEOs, GoJo could have acquired Waystar with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) coming out on top and naming Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) as CEO, as well as many other possibilities.In the end, the hole left by the death of Logan Roy could only be filled by one person.Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 10, “With Open Eyes” are below, so stop scrolling now if you don’t want to know who got the crown.While it was always presumed that Logan Roy’s successor would be in the family bloodline, it didn’t exactly turn out that way.Neither Kendall, Roman, Shiv — or Connor (Alan Ruck), for that matter — ended up being the heir to the media mogul’s throne.After Matsson decided he wasn’t going to name Shiv as the CEO of the company, an unsuspecting person filled her in on who it would be.“Shiv, you should probably know: it’s me,” Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) told his wife.As noted above, Greg found out by translating a conversation in Swedish that Matsson was not actually planning on giving the CEO title to Shiv, as he promised he would.Upon finding

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains spoilers for the series finale of HBO’s Succession.

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details of tonight’s Succession series finale.

Note: This article contains spoilers for series finale of “Succession.”Can’t believe “Succession” is over? Neither can the HBO hit’s creator Jesse Armstrong, who said it “feels very perverse” to end the Emmy-winning series, but that he “didn’t really have any doubts” about ending it now.After the stunning final episode, which found Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) failing to prevent the sale of Waystar Royco to GoJo, Armstrong said in the “Inside the Episode” segment, “This will never stop being the central event of [Kendall]’s life. This will mark his whole life.”“It feels very perverse to end it because it’s been incredibly meaningful,” Armstrong added.

Note: The following story contains spoilers from the “Succession” series finale. Logan Roy’s successor was finally revealed during Sunday’s high-stakes “Succession” finale.The episode, titled “With Open Eyes,” sees Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) head into a contentious board meeting to determine the next chief executive of Waystar Royco and attempt to stop the company’s merger with Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) GoJo.Read below for TheWrap’s roundup of the top five shocking moments from the HBO drama series’ conclusion:The first major shocker of the episode came during a meeting between Matsson and Tom (Matthew MacFadyen), where the former revealed he is planning to betray Shiv and appoint the latter as the company’s new chief executive to stick it to the Roys.“I’m not looking for a partner, I’m looking for a frontman,” Matsson told Tom.

Note: This story contains spoilers from the series finale of “Succession.”The series finale of ‘Succession” brought the story of the Roy family and the fate of their company to an end, placing a new and surprising heir at the helm of Waystar Royco. The episode, titled “With Open Eyes” dropped a shocking and satisfying twist on viewers after Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) partnered with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) to become CEO of the company.