Jesse Armstrong's Idea Of Succession's Finale Tragedy Doesn't Match What Fans Think

Summary:

• Succession is an HBO hit that started to air back in 2018 and hit it ending with fourth season’s finale in 2023.
• The fans of the show were not expecting it to be over so soon, considering the quality of writing and the level of heat within the storyline.
• Creator of Succession, Jesse Armstrong, suggests his own theory on the show’s biggest tragedy.

To say that Succession was a huge moment for popular television culture would be an understatement. For a few years, every social media site was filled with images of people in corporate attire hurling the most insane insults at each other, and no one could look away from the disaster that was Roy's family.

Until the finale of the series, it was unclear who would be the lucky one to get their piece of the pie and the happiest of all possible endings. Each sibling who fought for their corporate leader father's legacy got their own fan base, and viewers were busy trying to prove it was their favorite who most deserved to sit at the top.

However, Jesse Armstrong, the creator of Succession, believes that one of the tragedies of the show is that none of Logan's children could ever replace him. Not because they were spoiled or horribly unqualified for the job (although that was a factor), but because they just weren't him.

He spoke about this in a recent interview with Vulture, outlining his thoughts on the finale for those still desperately trying to figure out the devastating result of the final vote that took place in the eighth episode of season four:

“As soon as Logan anoints his children in different ways, they become incredibly unsatisfactory and viscerally upsetting. <...> They’re as close as he’s gonna get, but they’re not f**king close enough, are they? You could make a very legitimate argument that he doesn’t love his kids, but you could also say he does,” Armstrong said.

The Worst Moment In Succession Finale

As much as fans want to agree with Armstrong's flow of ideas, they feel that was nowhere near the tragedy of the finale. In fact, it was the premise of the entire show. A truly tragic moment of the final episode, however, was Kieran Culkin's Roman Roy sitting at the bar with Gerry's martini in his hand, all sad and lonely.

X (formerly known as Twitter) user Rhonda_1981 pointed out the thing that truly bothers the viewers in her post, reacting to the interview:

“Not having Gerri walk into the bar and drink martinis with Roman at the end.”

Many viewers feel that if any character deserved a better finale, it would be Roman, considering how much depth he's shown despite being perceived strictly as a "fool". Now, more than ever, it is clear that fans of the character and those who enjoy Culkin's chemistry with J. Smith-Cameron will never let this missed opportunity go.

If you feel like you're ready for a Succession rewatch, or just want to refresh your memories of the finale, you can stream the show on Max.

Source: Vulture, X (formerly known as Twitter)