‘Succession’ Series Finale Review: HBO Satire’s Brutal & Beautiful End Proves Pure Palace Intrigue

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.

pulled off an unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series.While Wambsgans did indeed emerge as head of Waystar Royco in the series’ final episode, “Succession” executive producer Frank Rich threw water on the idea that there was a long-plotted baseball Easter egg.“I hate to spoil the internet’s fun, but it’s false,” Rich told Slate. “Tom’s family name was picked before we had shot a first season, let alone mapped out precise story twists that would culminate 39 episodes later! Not to mention that many of the key writers on the show, starting with its creator, Jesse [Armstrong], are British, live in London, and are devoted to British football.”Do the names on Succession reveal the show’s ending? #succession #hbomax #tomwambsgans #billwambsganss #shivroy #successionhbo #successiontok #successionfinale #babynames #nameberry Semantically, Wambsgans did not pull off an unassisted triple play — he needed the help of his wife, Shiv Roy, whom he had already bested in the competition for the U.S.

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.

Kate Moss, Sydney Sweeney and most recently Jean Smith-Cameron AKA Succession's Gerri. In a recent Instagram post, the actor shared a gallery of pictures looking back at her time on the epic show. Candid shots of Nicholas Braun (who plays Greg), Brian Cox (who plays family patriarch and global media tycoon, Logan Roy) and Zoë Winters (who plays Kerry Castellabate), are interspersed with images of nail art and our personal favourite – a mirror selfie that spotlights a paperback of Hamnet and the lip buy in question in the foreground.

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.

Succession series finale thinking of Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) as some kind of tragic feminist hero, I have to wonder if you, like Logan Roy, have a hard time .  lamenting Shiv’s demotion from “contender” to “wife-of” as a betrayal of ideals, or which frame her last-minute change of vote as principled bravery, flatten a layered female character into a women’s empowerment archetype—which she absolutely is not. This content can also be viewed on the site it from.Shiv is every bit as striving, corrupt, fallible, weak, and ultimately unserious (just as human, in other words) as her brothers. But while  viewers are ready to empathize with Kendall and Roman while fully acknowledging their essential awfulness, Shiv is perpetually cast as either straight villain or unsung hero.

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.”

Selome Hailu There was no real winner at the end of “Succession,” if you ask series star Matthew Macfadyen. But HBO might be able to claim that title for itself. 2.9 million people tuned into “Succession” on Sunday night, when HBO and Max debuted the series finale after four seasons. This marks marking the show’s largest audience ever, a 5% improvement from its previous record of 2.75 million viewers set by Episode 6 of Season 4, which aired on April 30. The new series high is an unsurprising cap on what has been the most watched season of “Succession,” which is now averaging 8.7 million viewers per episode when accounting for delayed viewing. (Season 3 averaged 7.2 million viewers.) Season 4 opened with a then-series high of 2.3 million viewers, up 33% from the Season 3 finale’s 1.7 million. Episode 2 was watched by 2 million, followed by 2.5 million with Episode 3, 2.6 million with Episode 4 and and 2.6 million again with Episode 5. Variety understands that after hitting 2.75 million with Episode 7, viewership remained mostly steady through Episode 9.

Succession went out at the top of its game.

Warning: Spoilers for the Succession series finale below!Plenty of that the series would end with Tom Wambsgans taking the title of CEO of Waystar-Royco over the three Roy siblings. But it was how the baby naming site Nameberry came to this accurate conclusion that has fans freaking out. In a TikTok, Nameberry editor-in-chief Sophie Kihm laid out how the may have been in the Wambsgans name all along. This content can also be viewed on the site it from.First, Kihm notes that many of the character names in *Succession—*like “Roy,” meaning “king” or “Shiv” meaning, well, “shiv”—have double-meanings hinting at the characters' personality traits.

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.

While Succession patriarch Brian Cox has called co-star Mark Strong’s method acting “f***ing annoying” and last week complained Logan Roy was killed off “ultimately too early,” it seems those irritants did not define Cox’s experience on the show. Quite the opposite.

tried to predict how the show would end and who would wind up owning Waystar Royco.Would it be Shiv, Kendall and Roman — the offspring of deceased founder Logan Roy? Or Lucas Matsson, the wild-man tech entrepreneur from Sweden? Or maybe some dark-horse who had yet to be considered?At least one person was willing to put his money where his mouth is and not only go public with his prediction but also to post odds for the outcome. (Warning: reading further contains spoilers.)Avello correctly predicted that Waystar Royco would be sold.

Warning: The following contains spoilers regarding Sunday’s series finale of “Succession.”It seems Tom Wambsgans’ fate on “Succession” may have been hiding in somewhat plain sight all along.Leading up to Sunday’s series finale of the critically acclaimed HBO series, in which the character played by actor Matthew Macfadyen is anointed the new CEO of Waystar Royco, a theory began circulating on the internet relating to the name Wambsgans and its connection to the baseball history.Do the names on Succession reveal the show’s ending? #succession #hbomax #tomwambsgans #billwambsganss #shivroy #successionhbo #successiontok #successionfinale #babynames #nameberry As explained in a now-viral video by Nameberry.com’s editor-in-chief, Sophie Kihm, the names featured in “Succession” are “very intentional” — for instance, the surname Roy meaning “king” — and if a moniker appears unusual, there’s likely a reason behind it.This is where Wambsgans comes in, as it’s the same last name of former Cleveland Guardians second baseman Bill Wambsganss, who completed the only unassisted triple play in World Series history in 1920.“It’s no coincidence that Tom shares a surname with Bill Wambsganss.

Succession,” you know that things didn’t exactly play out like Kendall Roy (played masterfully by Jeremy Strong) had hoped. And now the actor is shedding light on how things could have been even darker than what ended up in the episode, telling Kara Swisher on the official “Succession” podcast: “It always to me felt like there’s no coming back from this.”Spoilers for the “Succession” series finale follow.In the final moments of the episode, Kendall, having lost the bid to block the sale to tech weirdo Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) and all chances of leading the company that his father had once promised him, sits alone, dejected, in a public park, looking out against the slate grey water. The only person with him is Colin (Scott Nicholson), his father’s former driver and now his employee.

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” series finale on Sunday night, Brian Cox bid farewell to the cast and crew in an Instagram story. And while he’s known for being quite persnickety, this was actually a very sweet goodbye. (Spoilers for the finale follow.)“It was on it’s [sic] way to become a great series but the love and commitment from crew to cast and writers, made it memorable,” the actor said.

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.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Nicholas Britell knew very early on that Brian Cox’s Logan Roy was going to be killed off in the final season of HBO’s “Succession.” It was up to him to figure out what the passing of a titan of industry would sound like musically. Britell, who won an Emmy for the show’s theme music in 2019, has been tasked with finding new ways to push the sound of obscene wealth each season. “I thought about Logan’s death and what that might feel like,” he says. “This is the death of a very complicated person. It’s going to leave a huge hole in everyone’s life, for better or worse. I was thinking about how that would impact the family.”

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.

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.