For all the things that Succession’s series finale did right — such as delivering myriad memorable lines of dialogue — there are always going to be complaints to bring up for any show’s final episode, since endings aren’t magnets for agreements. That said, I’d think many would agree that one such possible foible was creator Jesse Armstrong not giving Gerri a true moment in the sun to kick off the post-Roy era at Waystar (or in any of the last few episodes, really). Star J. Smith-Cameron kinda feels the same way, and revealed a couple of Gerri-positive moments actually were filmed for “With Open Eyes,” but got snipped out along the way. For shame, I say!
J. Smith-Cameron spoke with Time about her feelings and emotions about Succession ending, and shared her own surprise over seeing that some of Gerri’s final moments on film, as it were, were left on the cutting room floor. And it sounds like they would have been brief enough to make the cut without complicating things, while also giving the character a minor last hurrah. Here’s how she put it:
I always feel surprised when I see any show on TV because there’s so many choices in editing. Just an example, I had shot a little short scene with Tom at the end where he asks me to come on board. And I say, 'I’m interested, but be prepared to pay extravagantly.' And he’s like, 'Of course.' And then we had one take where [director] Mark Mylod had us walk down the hall from the others like Claude Rains and Humphrey Bogart at the end of Casablanca. Like, 'This is the start of a beautiful friendship.' I didn’t think we’d use that, but it was fun. And we did a couple of alternate lines with that. Then we did a shot of right when Greg and Tom look to Gerri, I happen to be glancing over at them. I was surprised they didn’t use that, but I’m sure they had a reason.
The finale did at least clue viewers in on the idea that Gerri was likely going to continue to have it made in the shade, and without the continued annoyance (to put it as lightly as possible) of Roman Roy. Tom made it clear to Greg that he wanted to keep Gerri on, saying that she “gets it” and that “she’s not afraid of the dark.” Though that still leaves the possibility that she could turn Tom’s offer down, while the deleted scene cleared that detail right up in a fun way. Because Gerri deserves the money, people! Tom, professional sponge that he is, also counts as deserving of the money, but in a far less authentic and palate-cleansing way.
But even if we didn’t lock in on the idea that Gerri and her beau would have it made in the financial shade, it also would have been very meaningful to see her and Tom in their first moments together, as a bookend to the first time fans saw her and Logan share a scene together. Even if Tom is the one in charge, Gerri is in the legacy role, and it’s important to know that she would actually want to stay on and work with Tom during after the GoJo takeover. I don’t like thinking about her doing it out of necessity and nothing else.
To reiterate things lovingly, Gerri is one of the relatively few Succession characters who deserved happiness, so I really wish it could have been displayed a bit more palpably. J. Smith-Cameron did talk a little more about it falling ever so short in that regard, even if she still found the episode to be a winner. Here’s how she put it:
I felt like they understandably zoomed in on the Greek tragedy of the family drama in a satisfying way. The performances are incredible. But it did leave all the other characters with lots of little dangling threads. It was just slightly unsatisfying. But what can you do? Finales are impossible, I’m sure, to write. I thought as finales go, this was a really masterful one.
Her assessment does hold true, of course, since this show was always about the succession of it all, and not necessarily about the supporting players helping make the Greek tragedy elements all the more effective. Still, it's hard having the show end with Matsson's shit-eating grin and no such similar closing glance from Gerri.
Unless creator Jesse Armstrong suddenly announces that he really really wants to dive back into the world of business and finance with a possible Succession spinoff, fans will likely need to rewatch the show with a Max subscription in order to get their shitshow and the fuck factory fix. And during that rewatch, maybe keep track of any A+ lines from Nicholas Braun’s Cousin Greg that I may have failed to highlight.
