Succession Series Finale Recap: Hellhole in Paradise

Despite the name of the show, many have reasoned throughout the years that Succession isn’t really about the leadership progression of Waystar Royco—an “it’s about the journey, not the destination” sort of argument. And while so much of the show lived in the nuances of these characters, the sub plots that had nothing to do with the “who will win out” scenario, it was always about the destination. The intense (and at points varying) desires of the three main characters to prove their place alongside their father’s pedestal seeped into each scene over the past four seasons. There’s a reason the series ends the second it becomes clear that neither Kendall, Shiv, nor Roman will be Logan’s successor. It’s not called Wealthy White Family or Spoiled Kids Take the World, it’s called Succession, because that’s what this show has always been about. And now, five years after the question was initially posed, after every scenario from Gerri to Greg was explored, closure has finally come, the series’ prophecy has finally been realized, and the Saint Paul Prince has taken his place on the throne.

The show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, revealed in the post-episode commentary that he knew Tom would take the crown “for quite a while now.” Leading up to the final episode, the Internet was abuzz with theories regarding who would come out on top when the final credits rolled. Would Kendall finally get what he wanted? Would Shiv convince Matsson not to screw her over? Or would the Swede choose the ultimate goat in Greg for the admittedly useless U.S. CEO position? Somewhere, in the depths of the Internet, others were pitching Tom for the win. Some embraced a conspiratorial mindset usually reserved for Taylor Swift music videos, pointing to a 20th-century baseball player named Bill Wambsgans who allegedly made the only unassisted triple play in World Series history—knocking out three players in one go, a metaphor for Tom’s feat in the finale. Does this mean the British Armstrong is a secret baseball obsessive? When he said he knew Tom would take over for “quite a while” did he mean since he named the character years ago? (Likely not, but it is a fun coincidence.) And while no series finale can please all fans—especially not on a show with such an obsessive cult following like Succession—the choice of Tom and the series of events that found him in the winner’s positing made sense and felt satisfying. Kendall would have been too obvious—if he was going to become the CEO, why did we watch the last four seasons? It could have happened in the pilot. The idea that Matsson would choose Greg, meanwhile, was a bit too farfetched for a show as eulogized as Succession. Tom, though, provides a similar yet more realistic effect. But while he ended up on top (in title at least—the actual power he holds is very much up for debate), the show is still about the Roy trio. And boy, did they go through a lot in “With Open Eyes.” So, let’s check in with Kendall, Shiv, and Roman once more before we leave them frozen in time on the Max app.

Kendall

Our eldest boy Kendall. We always knew he was maladjusted, ruined by a manipulative father and his impossibly high expectations combined with the absolute lack of preparation. Now, though, we can trace what was likely the beginning of the end for the King Who Never Was. I can picture him now, sipping a milkshake on a bright summer day at the counter of the Candy Kitchen. He thought he would go home and play in the grass with Shiv and Roman before their nanny called them in for dinner, but then his father dropped the news, that one day, the seven-year-old would take over the Waystar Royco throne. And that’s when it all went downhill. After that, Kendall spent his days attempting to prove to both himself and his father that Logan made the right decision, likely always acting with the knowledge that daddy was supporting him, silently, at the very least. That day probably played in the back of Kendall’s head over the past 40-plus years, affecting every action he took, every decision he made. He prepared for nothing else—not for marriage, for fatherhood, for a life without his father. As Kendall says in the final scene between the three siblings, he has nothing else, he can do nothing else. And though he lost in that boardroom (after getting painfully close), he will never let go. He will live his life haunted by that moment, wondering what went wrong, when Shiv changed her mind, if she was ever in his corner. He had the chance to be his father, and he lost it.

As he walks along Brookfield Place, hanging on to his last connection to his dad in Colin, there’s the question of what will happen next. Will he end it all in the Hudson River? If he does, it occurs after the screen goes black. More likely, though, he will half-heartedly attempt to mend the relationship with his children before starting on a new endeavor, attempting to prove himself without the Waystar name. But as Armstrong says following the episode, “the chances of him achieving the sort of corporate status that his dad achieved are very low. And I think that will mark his whole life.”

Roman

Roman (or maybe more appropriately, Kieran Culkin) has this ability to go from the villain of the season to everyone’s favorite pitied little boy in the matter of an episode. His hurt following Logan’s funeral must be immense, as he opts to lick his wounds at his mother’s house, proving he truly has nowhere else to go.

While Shiv puts up a bit more of a fight during what feels like the weekly discussion of who should be CEO, Roman folds fairly quickly. Maybe, just like everyone else, he realized after his funeral meltdown he isn’t cut out for power. Or, as Kendall puts it, Roman isn’t “that guy.” He never wanted it, but he just can’t admit that to himself. In the first episode of the series, he calls the Waystar offices “a cage,” admits he’s a “bad fit” for corporate America, and is more than happy to leave the company behind. But it was the pressure put on him by his father and siblings that kept him playing a game he didn’t want to play. Really, Roman seems most at home lounging at the beach of his mother’s house in a boyish t-shirt, licking his stepfather’s cheese and pouring drinks on his sibling’s heads. As he indulges in his martini when it’s all over, there’s no question that he’s the only sibling who’s going to be getting any sleep that night. In fact, he’ll probably have the best night’s rest he’s had in the past five years.

Shiv

And then there’s Shiv, whose fate might be the most discussed online post-finale. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: At some point after all of her options are in front of her, she decides that the devil she’s married to is better than the manslaughtering devil with her last name. While Kendall would go largely unchecked in his power, Tom would be mostly useless, at the whim of Matsson, who Shiv knows she can work with at least in some part. Many have said that by making this decision, Shiv destined herself to a life akin to that of her mother, married to a power-hungry CEO, forced to raise a child despite her lack of maternal instinct. And that is, in part, true. But there are more nuances to this relationship. Tom does not have the power Logan enjoyed, and if Shiv plays her cards right, she could end up with at least some role within the company. Of course, Shiv’s scheming has never once paid off, but if I know Shiv, she isn’t done trying. She will play the part of the trad wife, have the child, continue the Roy bloodline, but she will keep pushing Tom, pushing Matsson. She will keep going until she ends up divorced, sitting in her own island mansion, insisting someone else place eye drops in her child’s eyes because she can’t stand “face eggs.” And that is when she will become her mother.

Or, maybe I’m wrong, and she’s done with all the scheming. As she mentioned in the episode, she’s tired. That is one of a few moments in “With Open Eyes” that suggests something within Shiv is changing. At one point, while at their mother’s house, Shiv is caught seemingly caressing her belly, and of course, she makes one more (admittedly flawed) effort to work things out with Tom. Maybe it’s the pregnancy, but there is a sense of sentimentality there that has been lacking in Shiv over the past four seasons, and that likely played a role in her final decision.