Regardless of the identify of the present, many have reasoned all through the years that Succession isn’t actually in regards to the management development of Waystar Royco—an “it’s in regards to the journey, not the vacation spot” kind of argument. And whereas a lot of the present lived within the nuances of those characters, the sub plots that had nothing to do with the “who will win out” situation, it was at all times in regards to the vacation spot. The extraordinary (and at factors various) wishes of the three foremost characters to show their place alongside their father’s pedestal seeped into every scene over the previous 4 seasons. There’s a purpose the sequence ends the second it turns into clear that neither Kendall, Shiv, nor Roman might be Logan’s successor. It’s not referred to as Rich White Household or Spoiled Youngsters Take the World, it’s referred to as Succession, as a result of that’s what this present has at all times been about. And now, 5 years after the query was initially posed, after each situation from Gerri to Greg was explored, closure has lastly come, the sequence’ prophecy has lastly been realized, and the Saint Paul Prince has taken his place on the throne.
The present’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, revealed within the post-episode commentary that he knew Tom would take the crown “for fairly some time now.” Main as much as the ultimate episode, the Web was abuzz with theories concerning who would come out on prime when the ultimate credit rolled. Would Kendall lastly get what he needed? Would Shiv persuade Matsson to not screw her over? Or would the Swede select the final word goat in Greg for the admittedly ineffective U.S. CEO place? Someplace, within the depths of the Web, others have been pitching Tom for the win. Some embraced a conspiratorial mindset often reserved for Taylor Swift music movies, pointing to a Twentieth-century baseball participant named Invoice Wambsgans who allegedly made the one unassisted triple play in World Sequence historical past—knocking out three gamers in a single go, a metaphor for Tom’s feat within the finale. Does this imply the British Armstrong is a secret baseball obsessive? When he stated he knew Tom would take over for “fairly some time” did he imply since he named the character years in the past? (Probably not, however it’s a enjoyable coincidence.) And whereas no sequence finale can please all followers—particularly not on a present with such an obsessive cult following like Succession—the selection of Tom and the sequence of occasions that discovered him within the winner’s positing made sense and felt satisfying. Kendall would have been too apparent—if he was going to grow to be the CEO, why did we watch the final 4 seasons? It might have occurred within the pilot. The concept Matsson would select Greg, in the meantime, was a bit too farfetched for a present as eulogized as Succession. Tom, although, gives an analogous but extra reasonable impact. However whereas he ended up on prime (in title not less than—the precise energy he holds may be very a lot up for debate), the present continues to be in regards to the Roy trio. And boy, did they undergo rather a lot in “With Open Eyes.” So, let’s test in with Kendall, Shiv, and Roman as soon as extra earlier than we depart them frozen in time on the Max app.
Kendall
Our eldest boy Kendall. We at all times knew he was maladjusted, ruined by a manipulative father and his impossibly excessive expectations mixed with absolutely the lack of preparation. Now, although, we will hint what was doubtless the start of the tip for the King Who By no means Was. I can image him now, sipping a milkshake on a brilliant summer season day on the counter of the Sweet Kitchen. He thought he would go dwelling and play within the grass with Shiv and Roman earlier than their nanny referred to as them in for dinner, however then his father dropped the information, that sooner or later, the seven-year-old would take over the Waystar Royco throne. And that’s when all of it went downhill. After that, Kendall spent his days making an attempt to show to each himself and his father that Logan made the fitting choice, doubtless at all times appearing with the information that daddy was supporting him, silently, on the very least. That day in all probability performed behind Kendall’s head over the previous 40-plus years, affecting each motion he took, each choice he made. He ready for nothing else—not for marriage, for fatherhood, for a life with out his father. As Kendall says within the last scene between the three siblings, he has nothing else, he can do nothing else. And although he misplaced in that boardroom (after getting painfully shut), he won’t ever let go. He’ll reside his life haunted by that second, questioning what went fallacious, when Shiv modified her thoughts, if she was ever in his nook. He had the prospect to be his father, and he misplaced it.
As he walks alongside Brookfield Place, hanging on to his final connection to his dad in Colin, there’s the query of what is going to occur subsequent. Will he finish all of it within the Hudson River? If he does, it happens after the display screen goes black. Extra doubtless, although, he’ll half-heartedly try to fix the connection together with his youngsters earlier than beginning on a brand new endeavor, making an attempt to show himself with out the Waystar identify. However as Armstrong says following the episode, “the possibilities of him attaining the kind of company standing that his dad achieved are very low. And I feel that can mark his entire life.”
Roman
Roman (or possibly extra appropriately, Kieran Culkin) has this capability to go from the villain of the season to everybody’s favourite pitied little boy within the matter of an episode. His harm following Logan’s funeral have to be immense, as he opts to lick his wounds at his mom’s home, proving he actually has nowhere else to go.
Whereas Shiv places up a bit extra of a combat throughout what feels just like the weekly dialogue of who ought to be CEO, Roman folds pretty rapidly. Possibly, identical to everybody else, he realized after his funeral meltdown he isn’t reduce out for energy. Or, as Kendall places it, Roman isn’t “that man.” He by no means needed it, however he simply can’t admit that to himself. Within the first episode of the sequence, he calls the Waystar places of work “a cage,” admits he’s a “dangerous match” for company America, and is very happy to depart the corporate behind. But it surely was the stress placed on him by his father and siblings that stored him enjoying a sport he didn’t need to play. Actually, Roman appears most at dwelling lounging on the seaside of his mom’s home 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 throughout, there’s no query that he’s the one sibling who’s going to be getting any sleep that night time. Actually, he’ll in all probability have one of the best night time’s relaxation he’s had prior to now 5 years.
Shiv
After which there’s Shiv, whose destiny is perhaps essentially the most mentioned on-line post-finale. Let’s get the plain out of the best way: In some unspecified time in the future in any case of her choices are in entrance of her, she decides that the satan she’s married to is healthier than the manslaughtering satan together with her final identify. Whereas Kendall would go largely unchecked in his energy, Tom can be principally ineffective, on the whim of Matsson, who Shiv is aware of she will work with not less than in some half. Many have stated that by making this choice, Shiv destined herself to a life akin to that of her mom, married to a power-hungry CEO, compelled to boost a toddler regardless of her lack of maternal intuition. And that’s, partly, true. However there are extra nuances to this relationship. Tom doesn’t have the ability Logan loved, and if Shiv performs her playing cards proper, she might find yourself with not less than some position throughout the firm. After all, Shiv’s scheming has by no means as soon as paid off, but when I do know Shiv, she isn’t performed attempting. She is going to play the a part of the trad spouse, have the kid, proceed the Roy bloodline, however she’s going to hold pushing Tom, pushing Matsson. She is going to hold going till she finally ends up divorced, sitting in her personal island mansion, insisting another person place eye drops in her youngster’s eyes as a result of she will’t stand “face eggs.” And that is when she’s going to grow to be her mom.
Or, possibly I’m fallacious, and he or she’s performed with all of the scheming. As she talked about within the episode, she’s drained. That’s one of some moments in “With Open Eyes” that implies one thing inside Shiv is altering. At one level, whereas at their mom’s home, Shiv is caught seemingly caressing her stomach, and naturally, she makes yet one more (admittedly flawed) effort to work issues out with Tom. Possibly it’s the being pregnant, however there’s a sense of sentimentality there that has been missing in Shiv over the previous 4 seasons, and that doubtless performed a job in her last choice.
