Spoiler alert: this text discusses the plotlines of Succession from season one as much as and together with season 4, episode 9.
After 4 superlative seasons and 1000’s of F-bombs, Jesse Armstrong’s dynastic drama, HBO hit Succession, is about to bow out. The present’s Rolls-Royce writing, luxurious manufacturing values and stellar performances have seen it win armfuls of awards and grow to be a pop cultural phenomenon. The multibillion-dollar query is correct there within the present’s title: who will succeed the media mogul Logan Roy? Nevertheless, that’s removed from the one storyline to be tied up. Listed here are 22 burning questions for the feature-length finale. Buckle up …
1. Who will find yourself on high?
The multibillion greenback query is correct there within the present’s title and Armstrong has promised us a solution. So who will in the end succeed potty-mouthed patriarch Logan Roy? It at the moment seems to be like a knife-fight within the mud between his daughter Shiv (beautifully performed by Sarah Snook) in partnership with tech mogul Lukas Matsson, and a boardroom insurgent alliance led by her brother Kendall, acted with haunted depth by Jeremy Robust. Mythology means that Roman AKA Romulus, the youngest son performed brilliantly by Kieran Culkin, may emulate his historical namesake by defeating his brother to grab the throne. But maybe probably the most logical final result is the self-sabotaging scions destroying one another and handing energy to an outsider. Simply pray it’s not Bran bloody Stark.
2. What’s occurred to Roman?
We final noticed the youngest Royboy™ introduced low by the double humiliation of his aborted eulogy at his father’s funeral and fluffed take care of neo-fascist president elect Jeryd Mencken. Having didn’t “pre-grieve” in spite of everything, he waved away his safety element, took to the streets and masochistically goaded protestors into punching him to the bottom. Rumours are he’s “lacking” within the finale. Anticipate his siblings to choose him up, mud him down – then most likely shaft him. Poor Romey.
3. Who will purchase out whom?
With regulatory issues unresolved, a boardroom combat looming and Hugo briefing journalists that the sale worth undervalues the resurgent firm, will GoJo’s acquisition of Waystar undergo? Kendall’s bid to go “reverse Viking” and have Waystar purchase out GoJo hasn’t been talked about explicitly up to now two episodes, however could possibly be “the plan” he talked about on the wake. And what of the siblings buying Pierce for $10bn? Nan Pierce might begin chasing up her bill.
4. Will the lifeless waiter come again to hang-out Kendall?
He’s Chekhov’s waiter. May Kendall’s vehicular manslaughter of a fired member of the catering employees at Shiv and Tom’s wedding ceremony – after he went in search of medication, swerved his automotive to keep away from a deer and drove right into a lake – be his downfall? The thread has run by means of all of Succession’s most climactic episodes. The season one finale featured the Chappaquiddick-echoing crash during which Andrew Dodds drowned and Kendall fled the scene. The season two finale revolved round whether or not Kendall was “a killer”. The season three finale discovered him tearfully confessing the crime to his siblings. Colin the bodyguard coated it up and Kendall has simply purchased his silence by providing him a job. May Shiv or Roman leak the story to deliver down their huge brother?
5. Will Mencken grow to be president?
With the assistance of ATN, the neo-fascist Jeryd Mencken has pulled off a coup by declaring himself president-elect. Will “the good-looking Nazi” make it into the Oval Workplace? A protracted authorized battle beckons. There’s the stench of corruption and protests within the streets. If Mencken reneges on blocking the GoJo deal, might ATN activate him and swing energy the opposite manner?
6. Was it an underlining or a crossing out?
We are going to most likely by no means know for certain, what with the person who made the fateful annotation – non-binding, moot, not germane and closely caveated, naturally – being lifeless. It’s simpler to think about Logan crossing out his presumed inheritor’s title in fury than underlining it for emphasis. Both manner, it pushed Kendall to pursue the throne. As he mentioned: “Nicely, it certain as shit doesn’t say Shiv.”
7. What was the which means of Matsson and Shiv’s ‘sure’ cellphone name?
Throughout Logan’s wake, Shiv and Matsson had an ambiguously coded cellphone dialog (“It’s a sure.” “From the …?” “Yeah.” “Sensible transfer!”). Some viewers learn this as Matsson agreeing to make her the US CEO. Others thought he was confirming that Mencken was now on facet. Was it each? Will Mencken let the deal proceed, supplied Shiv is in cost? Or had Matsson secured backing from another person?
8. Will Cousin Greg come out on high?
“Greg the motherfucking egg,” mentioned Kendall to his cousin within the season one finale. “You little machiavellian fuck. I see you. I prefer it.” Followers used to theorise that lanky lummox Greg might bumble his approach to the highest. His current journey from courtroom jester to hatchet man has made him much less of a folks’s champion, however the leggy princeling may nonetheless fail upwards. Why was he a footnote on Logan’s fateful piece of paper? Matsson appears to have warmed to him, so might he slither right into a high job if the GoJo takeover occurs? May his grandpa Ewan die, bequeathing him voting rights on the board? With followers theorising that he might secretly be in cahoots with Matsson, don’t rule out the junior Disgusting Brother but.
9. Can Tom and Shiv restore their marriage?
They’ve been circling a reconciliation all sequence, solely to blow it up with blazing rows. Absolutely with somewhat “Wambsgland” on the best way, Shiv and Tom Wambsgans – the shamelessly venal husband performed by Matthew Macfadyen – can type their act out. Shiv appeared to melt final week, sending burnt-out Tom again to their condominium to sleep. Vicious issues had been mentioned, certain, however it’s nonetheless onerous to think about the co-dependent energy couple with anybody else. If Tom dodges additional blowback from Fox Information-alike community ATN’s controversial election name, they may but grow to be Lord and Girl of Waystar Manor, Royshire.
10. What’s going to occur to Resolution Desk Darwin?
Election evening noticed ATN’s Nate-Silver-ish polling guru, Darwin (Adam Godley), steamrollered into prematurely calling Wisconsin for Mencken, permitting him to stake a declare to the presidency. With protests on the streets and the press blaming him for the controversial name, Darwin’s profession seems to be over. Shed a tear for him, then blame it on the wasabi and lemon La Croix in your eyes.
11. Will Connor and Willa reside fortunately ever after in Slovenia?
Spare half eldest sibling Connor, Alan Ruck’s better part since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, parlayed his failed presidential bid into the promise of an ambassadorial place. Will he and his spouse get pleasure from “Vienna for lunch, Venice for dinner and Dubrovnik for breakfast”? Will they begin a household of mini-Conheads? Will they must reside underground? And what of Connor’s demented imaginative and prescient of a “Pan-Hapsburg American-led EU different”?
12. What tablets is Roman taking?
We have now seen him popping mysterious tablets a number of instances this season. Consumed by grief and humiliated on the funeral, might the youngest Royboy overdose on prescription meds? After all, he will not be the one “CE-bro” with a drug downside. Kendall’s runny nostril on the funeral could have been the results of a tearful sniffle or stress-induced sweat. Or it might trace that he’s again on the coke.
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13. Will Hugo get caught for insider buying and selling?
Waystar’s comms chief, Hugo, not solely appeared on Matsson’s kill record, but in addition admitted to Kendall that he had tipped off his daughter to promote her Waystar inventory earlier than information broke of Logan’s demise. Unscrupulous Hugo has fashioned an alliance with Kendall (“You’ll be my canine.” “Woof woof.”), however it won’t shield him. With Karolina extra aligned with Shiv, which of the PR fixers will prevail?
14. What’s going to the 4 widows get?
Among the many funeral’s most touching sights was the entrance pew bonding between the ladies Logan left behind: ex-wives Marcia and Girl Caroline (performed by the fantastic Harriet Walter), alongside mistresses Kerry and Sally-Anne (performed by Brian Cox’s precise spouse Nicole Ansari-Cox). We all know from the finale trailer made available by HBO that Girl C seems within the finale, not less than. Did the salty outdated canine make provisions for them in his will? May any stakes within the firm – and information of Logan’s secrets and techniques – come house to roost? Chuckles the Clown may need the final snicker in spite of everything.
15. Will Roman ever have intercourse?
It has been written out of Succession historical past that, manner again in episode one, Romulus had a girlfriend and was stepdad to her baby. The mockingly nicknamed “King Dong” has since been portrayed as sexually dysfunctional – masturbating within the workplace, sending unsolicited “dick pics” to mentor Gerri (and, mistakenly, his father) and usually enjoying as much as his impolite, crude, slime-puppy picture. Some fan theories recommend he’s homosexual, others that he’s impotent. Possibly he’ll rise to the event.
16. What’s going to occur to Matsson’s blood?
Sending footage of your genitals to colleagues is so final season; Matsson has been couriering bricks of frozen blood to his ex-girlfriend, GoJo’s comms chief, Ebba. She has muttered darkly about having an exit plan and has been passing intel to the Roy camp. Will the poisonous tech bro’s office bullying and stalker-ish behaviour come again to chew him?
17. Will Kendall win custody of his children?
In a toys-out-of-pram strop about Rava taking their kids upstate for their very own security – and lacking their grandpa’s funeral within the course of – Kendall desires to sue for custody. Along with his document of half-arsed parenting and substance issues, it’s unlikely he’ll succeed. Put it down as a petulant risk that may come to nothing. “The poison drips by means of”, in spite of everything. Kendall ought to know from expertise that the very last thing Sophie and Iverson want is an absent dad.
18. The place will the Waystar elders find yourself?
You realize, the greybeards. The boiled eggs. The emperor penguins. After taking a long time of flak (“We’ve bought Stockholm Syndrome crossed with somewhat China Syndrome”), the Logan loyalists Gerri, Frank and Karl deserve their “golden parachutes”. Gerri is negotiating an “eye-watering” payoff. Karl is shopping for a Greek island. Frank’s retirement plans are much less clear, however they definitely received’t contain Tom’s wine or Roman’s character. Will the exec trio sail off into the sundown or be collateral injury?
19. Will slippery Stewy have a say?
Kendall’s longtime frenemy Stewy is a significant Waystar shareholder, forming an activist investor alliance with Sandy and Sandi. We all know from the trailer that Stewy has an element to play within the finale. The principle query is whether or not he’ll again or betray his outdated buddy.
20. Will Kendall drown?
“See Shivvy cry, see Kenny die,” muttered Roman within the penultimate episode. Succession is commonly referred to as Shakespearean, so its tragic prince may be destined for a Hamletic demise. Kendall’s suicide has been teased for 4 seasons. There was a recurring water motif, with two near-drownings in addition to him usually being submerged in water. The finale is considered partly set within the Caribbean. Avoid the ocean, Okay-dog.
21. Will there be a flash-forward?
Finales hopping into the longer term to disclose characters’ fates is a noble US TV custom (see Parks and Recreation, Six Ft Beneath, Dawson’s Creek, The OC). Think about how a lot enjoyable it will be. Connor could possibly be president, with Willa a Gwynnie-style wellness guru. Kendall could possibly be a Buddhist monk and Roman a shock jock. Greg and Jess could possibly be married and operating an outsize purse model. Shiv and Karolina could possibly be a pair, with Tom as their “manny”. Come on, Armstrong and co, it’s not too late.
22. Will it finish like Peep Present?
It has lengthy been a fan concept that Succession will finish like one in all Armstrong’s earlier creations, Peep Present, which wound up proper the place it began. Will we see one of many Roys sitting on Logan’s throne, carrying a cable-knit cardigan, bitter and alone due to what it price them to get there? Cue Nicholas Britell’s tinkly piano …
