HBO's Succession

Yeep, stunning finale. I had a lot of jumbled emotions about it in the aftermath (I was also hooting and hollering at the tv like it was a sports game) but 1.5 days on I’m much more at peace with it.

That we know they filmed the Barbados scenes last makes them extra bittersweet.

This finale shows all the main characters at their best and at their worst, and ends our story in a way that leaves it open-ended, but in a good place to stop. Every time someone did something crazy, I was internally freaking out.

I'm not sure if I'd entirely call Succession "Shakespearean" per say, but there's definitely some influence there. The people who wrote, produced and acted on this show were incredible, and I'm happy to see it end on a high note.

My one wish that we didn't get is that we got the scene of Kendall attempting to jump into the Hudson River. Then again, maybe that would make things too dark, I dunno.

That's definitely supposed to be the implication but I think the open-endedness is nice.

You know, when watching it I was waiting for Kendall to make a break for it and jump into the Hudson, but thinking about things thematically, I get why it cuts off. Realistically, if he tried, the new bodyguard would absolutely stop him.

I see it as more that water has been framed as either his salvation or his escape throughout the series, a place where he runs to when he needs to be reborn or to let the numbness subsume the pain. Very similar to his drug addiction. But now that he's lost his shot to be the big shot, a better Logan, daddy's #1 boy, he sees the hudson for what it is: neither salvation nor escape, just a body of water. His old ways of framing it no longer making sense, he either accepts it for what it is with open eyes or reframes it in some other way, much like his own life now that his literal reason for existing for the last 30+ years is gone. So he's just stuck there (for now) staring at it.

Edited by amathieu13 on May 30th 2023 at 10:43:18 AM

That's not a new bodyguard. That's Colin, Logan's bodyguard.

By new I meant, new for Kendall since he didn't have a personal bodyguard (so far as I can remember) before Colin.

So what's yall's opinions on why Shiv did what she did? Desire to fuck over Kendall? Acceptance that they really were all "bullshit"? Grim acceptance that it would never be her so she might as well stick with being Mrs. CEO? Wanting out after all?

^I genuinely think she couldn't stand seeing him as CEO. After a lifetime of being forced to the sidelines by Logan on anything serious for a guy she has said since season 1 was too incompetent and volatile to make a good CEO, that she believes herself to be smarter than, all because of her gender? When it hit her that she finally wielded the power to truly decide, she did exactly what kendall (and roman) had always done to her: box him out. Had some outsider like Lawrence Yee been named CEO, I still think she'd vote against Kendall, because the minute he sat at that desk, kicked his feet up, and started talking like the grade A douchebag he's always been, Sarah Snook's angry nostrils came out . The biggest failson getting the crown and being officially recognized as Dad's chosen? Not if she could help it.

And honestly? I don't even think her being Mrs.CEO is an outcome she was gunning for. All the same shit about Kendall (minus the volatility, but plus a heaping amount of classism) applies with Tom with the added sting that the one thing she found truly lovable about him—his adoration of her—may not even be there anymore. But I suppose she'd rather be adjacent to power and free with the total buyout than adjacent and subservient, like she would be with Kendall as CEO.

Edited by amathieu13 on May 30th 2023 at 3:55:59 PM

I think the most important factor shared in this Metafilter comment: is that Kendall's treatment of Roman is what pushed Shiv over the edge to choosing the lesser of two (three if we're counting Mattson) evils; Ken manipulating and using Roman as a stooge to his final breakdown where Roman is attacked for an asshole-ish but undeniably true splash of cold water: this is the monster you call your father that you're trying to live up to, and you don't even fully believe it, you just want the power. Logan was brutal but right that he (but really all of them) dismissed them as 'not serious people'.

A brief update to the Shiv question: someone on twitter posted this interview Jesse Armstrong did with a Brazilian news outlet, in which he's directly asked about Shiv's decision. It's in Portuguese but running it through Google Translate and you get:

Death of the Author aside, my read on things was spot on!

Edited by amathieu13 on Jun 18th 2023 at 11:42:52 AM

Succession coming in this year with approx one zillion Emmy award nominations [1], including Drama actor awards for Brian Cox (in some very obvious category fraud), Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong in Lead Actor; Sarah Snook in Lead Actress; Nicholas Braun, Alan Ruck and Matthew Macfadyen in Supporting Actor; and Harriet Walter, Cherry Jones, Hiam Abbass, Arian Moayed, and James Cromwell in respective Guest categories.

Just feeling a overstuffed considering they gave Stewy like nothing to do lol. (Happy that Nicholas Britell is double-nominated for Succession and Andor though!)

Edited by Synchronicity on Jul 12th 2023 at 12:16:29 PM

It blows my damn mind that Nicholas Britell was involved with both this show and Andor. The soundtracks sound so different, but both have the same amazing talent behind them. Though I'll admit that the soundtrack for this show sticks in my head more.

I loved everyone in this show, though I do agree that Arian Moayed had more potential than what we got. By far, my favorite thing to focus on was seeing Nicholas Braun's progression with Greg, how he started as this timid-but-kind soul and became corrupted into "incompetent evil with some moments of brilliance". I'm amazed that he managed to stay on Waystar after attempting to backstab Matsson in the finale.

Britell is an insane overachiever and he's a must-watch/listen to me lol

I don't think Braun really deserved it this time, but I also tend to resent the #sweep shows.

Edited by Synchronicity on Jul 12th 2023 at 12:40:45 PM

I'm reviving this thread to ask a very silly question.

What would a Succession video game look like?

Reverse beat-em-up where you run around as Roman trying to take as much damage from protestors as possible.

I feel like a Civ-type strategy game where you play as Logan trying to conquer as many countries/companies as possible would be a possibility.

Honestly, your second idea makes me think that if Telltale Games were still around, maybe they could've done a Succession game...

Snappy dialogue and character interaction being such strengths of the show, maybe a visual novel.

Edited by Synchronicity on Aug 31st 2023 at 3:36:55 AM

Who would be the playable character(s)?

A long-lost bastard child of Roy looking to get a piece of his fortune.