WARNING: SO MANY SUCCESSION SERIES FINALE SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED IT.
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What a ride it’s been for the Roy children and the viewers who spent week after week watching four seasons of Succession to see who would end up with their late father’s company. And just when you thought it would ultimately stay with Kendall, Shiv and Roman thanks to the usual boardroom machinations they’ve attempted to weave through in all four seasons … nope.
With Shiv casting the deciding vote, GoJo will buy the company. Tom — TOM! Yes, TOM!!! — will be the CEO. Where does that leave Ken, broken and without the position he thought was his ultimate fate? Are Shiv and Tom destined to be together, unhappy but powerful? And is this ultimately a good thing for Roman (I think so!).
Let’s run through some of the most devastating moments in the series finale:
1
Tom and Shiv's hand "hold"
this shot actually makes me wanna vomit because the way he asked for her hand is exactly the way logan would do it https://t.co/zUgEZW4gBT
— nab | succ spoilers (@romanroyfilms) May 29, 2023
That last scene when Tom lays out his hand and Shiv has to submit to him is just so devastating. The way the show has played with power, especially with women is incredible. What a fantastic last episode. #SuccesionHBO
— Lulu NYT (@lourdesgnavarro) May 29, 2023
this hand placement? she did not do this for Tom.
but lets all live in blissful denial we deserve it pic.twitter.com/P1EU6amfbm
— Kristin Slevin (@kristinmslevin) May 29, 2023
There’s SO MUCH to unpack here. But: We always knew this relationship was never going to work out in the romantic sense of the word. Now? Shiv’s pregnant with their child, she’s effectively handed Tom the position she tried so hard to grab, and Tom’s holding out what might be seen as a gesture of love … but it’s really veiled in a “we’re here, come join me” shroud of darkness.
And while she places her hand on his, she doesn’t intertwine her hands. A sign of things to come, and it feels very final-shot-of-The-Graduate to me, filled with peril.
2
I AM THE ELDEST BOY
Kendall Roy: I AM THE ELDEST BOY
Shiv Roy: 😂😂😂 You are not pic.twitter.com/qNpMfpK8oK— THE TRENDING💙 (@TheTrending7) May 29, 2023
Oh goodness. The ultimate battle between the three siblings including literal clawing … and this exchange, in which Roman says that Logan didn’t think Ken’s kids were actually his. Just horrible, adding on to the fact that his last resort is that he’s the ELDEST BOY. Gross.
3
Kendall lies once more about the waiter's death
Kendall denying the waiter death is still confusing to me? I keep trying to rationalize out like was it a ploy to lie to shiv for her to change her mind OR has he genuinely reached the point of delusion for CEO he felt like his dad trying to bury cruises and deny its existence
— rome (@idwwml) May 29, 2023
*HUGE SUCCESSION SPOILERS*
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With his siblings now confused about what exactly happened with the waiter, the only person besides Kendall who 100% knows what happened is Colin. No matter what sunlight lies ahead for Kendall, that specter of guilt will remain forever. pic.twitter.com/T0Cwyc4XMy— aidan (@hotbeanis) May 29, 2023
POV: Kendall lies to his siblings about killing a kid. pic.twitter.com/H2LnbWrr22
— Sam Tuero 🇩🇴 (@Sam_Tuero) May 29, 2023
kendall denying the waiter story and losing the sibs trust when he needed it most i think something died inside of me
— adri mourns succession (@succcssion) May 29, 2023
Also a part of that scene. Shiv brings it up, and Kendall — who’s clearly not in his right mind here, and who would be, really? — just lies through his teeth about it not being true that he was involved in the waiter’s at Shiv’s wedding a few seasons back.
4
Roman orders Gerri's favorite drink
can we talk about roman ordering a martini…gerri’s drink of choice…what if i cried #succession pic.twitter.com/2PWKclLvK4
— nina♡ (@ninafeelz) May 29, 2023
oh let me guess, “i’ll have a martini” romangerri endgame #succession pic.twitter.com/9E7BCQeLFr
— tina (@wikitina) May 29, 2023
roman has never had a martini in his life and left that building, went to a bar and purposely ordered a one knowing it’s gerri’s go-to drink and then first sip in, he starts smiling???? he’s never getting over her
— gerri kellman’s assistant (@priestlysprada) May 29, 2023
Did you catch that Easter egg? And he smiled? So maybe he’s made peace with breaking away from his family … but his fondness for Gerri may never go away.
5
The final shot of Kendall
LOVE these takes on the final shot of Kendall by the water #Succession pic.twitter.com/Ul39hjOrJG
— a girl with kaleidoscope eyes (@StaceTheKing) May 29, 2023
I feel like there’s so many different ways you could interpret Kendall’s final scene. The fact that it doesn’t end on the shot of the back of his head disconnects him from the shot of the back of Logan’s head that’s in the opening credits. pic.twitter.com/SulgiFmw5W
— ash atreides (@yourbuddyash) May 29, 2023
Can I just say one Succession SPOILER?
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The final shots of Kendall is perfect. He looks out at the sunset on the Statue of Liberty. A symbol of hope. But you nvr see it. It goes blurry.Kendall stares right @ hope. But he can’t see it. Maybe never again.
Brilliant.
— Joseph Mwamba is Striking (@JoeMightLikeTV) May 29, 2023
I can’t write anything better about this than those tweets and such above. So much with water and Kendall in this series, plus the back-of-the-head parallel with Logan.
