The water that Kendall is walking to is in Battery Park in NYC's downtown financial district. It's also the farthest that you CAN walk in downtown NYC, i.e. you can't go further. Your journey stops here.
I imagine Kendall and Colin riding the Staten Island Ferry back and forth for eternity. They are both already adrift, sailing nowhere, with no one but each other and their brutal history.
They did film a scene where Kendall climbs the fence but didn’t use it (JA preferring the audience to wonder about his fate) so he’s far from free as someone else suggested in this thread…he’s completely lost.
Roman wears a colorful $12 t-shirt from Walmart at his mother's house in Barbados instead of the stealth wealth monochromatic outfits he usually wears. The interesting thing is that the t-shirt is only made for boys, not Walmart's men's clothing line. He already knows they are nothing and drops the facade. He realised it at the end of episode 9 and needed his mommy, or anyone for that matter. The details of the show are amazing.
You make a very excellent point, and I admire your observation However, I also like the idea that Caroline sent Peter out to get clothes for Roman and that’s what he got Also, the literal hilarity that Karen is in fact very Smoll
I love that Roman, while being probably the most mentally damaged of the siblings, is the first to accept the reality of the situation while the other siblings are still in denial of their lack of power.
@@spewter Deep down he did. Hence why he was so unhappy. Also hence why his behaviour was so unconventional. He was not corporate at all. He's far more impulsive. He knew this. He was just going through the motions trying to be what he thought he should have been. He's not a captain of industry with strategic ideas. But is more emotional, and interpersonal. He should be a rich playboy and do what he loves which is playing around making jokes, surprising people etc.
In another video, someone pointed out Shiv spitting in the Fit for a King drink when it looked like they were all in agreement was a foreshadowing of how she would spit on the deal when Kendall thought they would all vote the same way.
I thought that but I also thought that as this point she was happy to agree to his plan and the conversation that changed her mind happened off camera (with Tom) sometime between that evening and the meeting.
definitely give me the impression he has the happiest future. Is it Plata/Aristotle who said the smartest man is the man who admits he knows nothing (or something along those lines). I feel Roman realising that the kids are all nobodies who have no real importance in the world is a real lightbulb moment. He will hopefully heal after his father's death, mature a bit, mend relationships and just enjoy being a fucking multi-millionaire/billionaire.
@@moonchiId. I dunno, there was at least a slight positive arc for him - Kendall is very much in limbo, could go either way but we all know he is quite self destructive, Shiv is just staying within the machine, same loveless marriage, same office politics. Roman give me the impression that he was over the worst of it and had finally realised that none of this shit matters and the smile, the Gerri's fave drink moment was him seeming genuinely happy and not cynical and jokey, his relationship with Gerri (be a bit twisted at times) was actually his characters only earnest experience.
@@greenteaenjoyer9068 how were reveals like Kendall’s kids aren’t “really” his kids and Logan living a vindictive life because of the guilt of possibly giving his baby sister polio obvious? They hid those reveals the whole show
@@dws0828 I am not saying "obvious" in terms of plot development but rather how certain things are conveyed. To give you an example: When Romans wound starts to open in the last episode it is a pseudo-intellectual way of saying that Kendall is opening his wound of not being the number one son, not being the successor but being a little cuck with severe childhood trauma. It is too direct and comes off as cheap. The visual language in general is too direct, the hints are too telling.
I took Kendall just looking at the water (as opposed to being in it) to symbolize how he's lost so much power, he can't even jump in the water if he wants to (with Colin trailing him like some weird echo of when his father was alive). An incredibly haunting shot. This finale was devastating.
Jeremy said in an interview that it was mid-Feb and it was incredibly cold that day. He tried to go into the water but couldn’t. Battery Park can get a bit nippy.
I like that Colin was watching him. Because of course the first thing the viewer will consider if that he’ll try to take his own life but I’m encouraged that Colin isn’t going to let that happen. Very smart of Ken to hire him.
Apparently the final scene the siblings shot was the kitchen scene where they bonded so beautifully. This would have been a great way for the 3 actors to finish their run.
maybe not so much for Jeremy. He said he actually drank the contents of the blender and did it in numerous shots, having to run outside and jump in the water at times to recover (Jeremy is a bit nuts though so he probably enjoyed this).
Actually just watched a video where the actors went over what they took from set and J Smith-Cameron (who plays Gerri) bought that loungey chair from the production at wrap... she said she always loved it and when there were breaks she would always go to see if she could stretch out on it between takes
Roman sitting comfortably in chairs in Barbados and when he orders his drink, made me think he was 'born again' in his moment among the protestors (where he assumed the foetal position). It was simultaneously a Lear in the storm and a Richard III on Bosworth Field moment.
I just love how childish the kitchen scene was Lake, Roman, licking the cheese Shiv, spitting in the concoction Kindle drinking it and then having it dumped on his head Caroline coming in and almost acting like a mother
Thanks for some of the more elevated conversation about Succession, a story with no discernible heroes! The writing, most of all, dazzled us and called for Shakespearean references on many posts. And as I recall, Shakespeare's heroes always seem to be absent or invisible. And if you say 'what about Hamlet?' He wore a mask of feigned insanity, so we never really saw him without some kind of altered self. At the end, he bids Horatio to "tell my story," but what is it, really? Who IS/WAS he? I'd love your take on how Jesse Armstrong gets us to root for the trio at the end, (Admit it, everyone!) despite their collective amorality and egomania...
Not me. I predicted that Kendall would commit suicide and I believe Tom and Shiv are doomed. Tom won't last long as CEO. Matsson with abuseTom until he gets bored and moves on.
I love how in the end there was Kendall at downtown NY, completely shocked and devastated looking at the horizon and at the end the Statue of Liberty, meaning he is finally free from his father completely for the better or worse.
It's a great show. But don't be depressed that it's over. It's a self-contained 4 season "movie" that you can watch over and over and find nuggets like these. Your TV "Friends" never change and they never move away. They don't get jealous or vindictive toward you. They are there when you need them.
I thought it was fascinating that Logan promised Kendall the company when he was 7 at Candy Kitchen. A family owned business since the 30's. Then we see the playful scene with the siblings playing in the kitchen like kids. I thought he's not getting it now. Will miss succession very much!!
I just can't believe how much the intro gave out about the plot, even about the last episode. Roman smiling, Ken wearing a suit too big for him, Shiv ending up alone while her bothers disappear...
Long term, Shiv ultimately saved her brother from destroying his happiness and soul, aside from her jealousy. She loves him and knows he needed to let this all go to live the life of a better man. Seeing Kendall pretend he didn't kill that boy and referring to him as a non person was the final nail in the coffin. Yes she'll try and play lady Macbeth 2.0 with her husband but ultimately she knew what her future with Tom (who is just a puppet for GoJo) looked like and it wasn't a happy one. Ken will hate her for a while and be empty and listless but will be better for it, both the brother's will be able to move on. Shiv however was the ultimate "blood sacrifice"... I don't say this lightly, but this series is a masterpiece. I'm going to miss it.
I love this interperetation but mine is way more pessimistic. I don't think Shiv suddenly had a change of heart for the better in the end. I think she was looking at her chances during the vote and realized that trying to latch on to Tom at the last moment was her best chance at staying close to the top. I don't think Kendall's wellbeing had anything to do with her choice
@@gallygrovle2160 partly agree with you but I’m wholly pessimistic. Tom has no power and will likely be fired when no longer useful in the next coming years. Mattson doesn’t even want Tom ideas so he doesn’t want the CEO’s wife ideas; she’s nothing just like her mom. Her chances of being a CEO are completely shot but she can take solace that Kendall doesn’t win either. I think she was never gonna do it for the simple fact that she can’t stomach him as she says
Nice video! Very clear list! Like others, I also like the Logan-wind/ Kendall-water destiny discussions. When we see Kendall in "earthy" situations (haven't read anything on this yet), though, he seems to have breakthroughs (Connor’s desert - healing; Adrian Brody's LI meadow - overpowering his dad); and Italian dusty ground - new unity with siblings). While Kendall clearly wanted that crown for himself, I think the betrayals from Roman and then Shiv, at the votes, equate to being unloved by them. It's not just losing; it's betrayal on top of losing. Kendall needs to get to Connor’s point of --:acquiescence," maybe. Once Kendall accepts that no one in his family loves him, then he can be free. Emotionally brutal stuff. The end doesn't look like he can do it, though. Too bad Logan wouldn't let Kendall have freedom when he asked for it, before he was seduced back into craving that power, that temptation that ruined the 3 kids' lives.
Kendall has always been in a pool; on the yacht or the one where he almost drowned. Mad-made pools. But in the last episodes he is in a lake and then eventually looks out at the sea. He is no longer in his Dad's "world" but sees the real world, big and awesome of which he is only a tiny inconsequential part.
Things I enjoyed in the last episode - 1) Ken slightly abuses Roman. When he sees that Roman is chickening out right before the vote.. he hugs his brother but then presses into the stitches on his forehead almost to the point they get broken. I think that’s because Roman responds positively to abuse. Ken knows that’s how his Dad got him in line, so Ken uses the same strategy. Not sure if this theory is valid though. 2) Tom puts a sticker on Greg. Loved that scene. It can be seen as an act of forgiveness but by putting a sticker on Greg.. Tom is also establishing a relationship in which he owns him. 3) Shiv’s betrayal motivation. Lots of people are saying she ultimately couldn’t get onboard with Ken becoming a CEO because “he’s a murderer.” The real reason is she sees this as an opportunity to repair her relationship with Tom, who seems to have gone fully cold. The main takeaway for me in that scene is that how twisted she is. She has to give a reason to Ken because she knew he’ll come on very strongly. And what better reason than that.
Roman also has masochistic tendencies, it's touched on a lot that he struggles with normal sexual activity and potentially likes some pretty weird shit. It seems that it's two ways, Kendall being aggressive and pushing his head in but also Roman is weirdly pushing too and maybe enjoying it? It's a very odd scene, super uncomfortable.
I had no idea who they were talking about when they mentioned Lawrence, forgot all about that guy! (nice to hear a North East accent on one of these vids)
Hey! I don't actually use music by Britell (as much as I do love his music). The music I use is called "Distant Fires", check out the link in the video description to find it.
Whats clever about the ending is it's very Zen master like, something really bad happens Audience "How terrible." And the Zen master says, "We'll see." ... Arguably all the characters years in the future will be better off and happier assuming Kendall hasn't OD'd maybe not evil little shits lol philanthropy perhaps?
The creator said his take is on the ending that Kendall will end up building a company/being successful but this moment will always haunt him and ultimately defines him, which is bittersweet in itself but that’s Kendall’s character, his shadow always kept him from being at peace
@@Too_Ty it's funny when you feel yourself so emotionally attached to Kendall for example not getting his way but if you step away from it, it's like...he's going to a billionaire either way and he could literally spend his life doing anything he wants, it's crazy how these disillusioned kids attach meaning to things because money has no real meaning to them anymore. Greg and I guess Tom to some extent are the ones who sort of need their roles in the company, especially Greg now he has no inheritance.
1. Ken's coronation with royal meal looks like a parody of Game of Thrones scene. Viserys gets his promised crown made of gold but his sister becomes the khaleesi and her husband the khal. 2. Video in Logan's house shows the only scenes of tenderness between Kerry and Logan.
hate to break it to you but your take on ken and the water "representative that he is finally out" couldn't be more wrong so I'm gonna clear it up for you. the final episode is called is called "with eyes open" it's important because it's from a poem written by John Berryman. that is important because john killed himself by jumping into the Mississippi River. you don't have to be a genius that it kind of implies that is the way ken is going to go out.
Correct; also Jeremy Strong instinctively climbed over the fence which they filmed but didn’t use as the ending; preferring to have him sit and let the audience wonder … but yes from the poem and listening to Jeremy and the Director discuss that scene, we know things aren’t about to end well for Kendall…
@@chriswilson8487 the other thing that I see people misinterpreted is the ending with shiv taking Tom hand. People see it as a very unloving gesture because they don't clasp hands, but it's actually the opposite. The scene is actually a mirror of the ending of the final scene in the graduate. Up until this point shiv has always been the top to tom's bottom. Tom pulling out his hand was symbolic of the shift of power, but it was his way of keeping her in the loop (unlike what Ken/Roman did to her when they got power) and shiv putting her hand out to meet his was her way or excepting the new power dynamic. Shiv was never going to fully clasp his hand in this moment because this is literally the first time she has ever conceded to Tom so she feels vulnerable, but the point was moving forward they are very much going to be working together as a team and what we were witnessing was the very beginings of them coming together rather then working divided.
@@ponderyoutube not really. Basically the direct/writer/actor all have slightly conflicting ending for Ken, but none of them are good. Basically he either kills himself or he lives a empty life where his moment defined it and no matter what he does he is stuck in emotional purgatory till the day he dies. So either he dies shortly after or he lives Basically a soulless life where he has no relationship with his ex wife, his kids, his family and never got closer with his father. I don't know which one of them said it, but basically him sitting in the park he is replaying the events in his head trying to process how he got so close only to lose. kind of like jesse pinkman with that voicemail he just replays the moment he lost over and over in his head trying to figure our the answer but he is so emotionally stunted as a person he can't see the obvious answer. Basically he is in his own version of hell/purgatory. Another reference to that is in dantes inferno the 9th layer of hell is ice cold which was kind of symbolic cause the day they shot that scene it was one of the coldest days on record in NYC. Long and short of it Ken is dead if not physically he is totally broken and he will never emotionally recover from it.
50 shades 👍 ... This is a tragedy. Kendall (and the other 2 siblings) suffer tragic ends. Roman has a mental breakdown. Shiv is now subjugated and weak instead of dominant. And Kendall has lost everything: family, assistant, company, father, relationship with siblings, respect of his peers. We don't see him jump in the water and disappear, but we don't have to see it to know what happens to him. It's King Lear, and Kendall is Cordelia.
Apparently that day of filming it was absolutely freezing and Jeremy Strong kept saying he couldn’t “feel” anything he was so cold…and the Director liked that; found it poignant as Kendall is in a state of despair and is actually contemplating whether he goes over the fence into the water … so nope, not warm in any respect.
My favorite alternate ending is number 4 I fully wanted Kendall to be the Michael Corleone of this show. I think the 4th option would have satisfied a lot of desires for this show. I also liked option 6 with Kendall dying and Shiv and Roman teaming up to destroy Logan out of love for Kendall. The option 8 was good too but there needed to be conflict, death and loss for this family. The rich and powerful could not be allowed to just get off Scott free. I think for that reason I like option 4 the best. Kendall wins but he also looses because his life and family just continue to the cycle of dysfunction.
It’s funny that I kept thinking how can Kendall get to be the hero, the CEO he always wanted when he killed a guy. And then Shiv on the last minutes of the finale says to Kendall, And you killed someone. I guess they were thinking what I was thinking lol
Disagree about Kendal & water. He Jeremy wanted & trued to jump into river the day they shot it. One of coldest days of the year. They crew sopped him!
Yes, and Roman did as well. And then he explicitly said that Ken's daughter was too....'half Rava, half filing cabinet guy'? What's the deal with Kendall's daughter being Indian??? Did I miss something? Was that ever addressed? The illegitimate thing is certainly a theme in Kendall'
No, he was saying his children were not part of their bloodline. He goes on to say that the first child was a 'buy in' (adopted) and the second was half Rava, half filling cabinet guy (sperm donor or affair).
@A Chick And A Duck Conor would be the perfect CEO . He has the height, the looks, the name, but it just not his thing to work and just live off of trust fund money. Connor is the true winner if Succession. At least in terms of the Roy siblings. In the finale, he was the only sibling who was at least smiling in the end. He knew better.
question: When Tom was made boss and he came back to the office and asked Hugo where Carolina was, had Shiv hipped Tom to Carolina's request, or is Carolina going to be HIS Kerry? lol just wondering what you all thought ? :)
I first thought he was sending Hugo to Carolina to let her fire him, but then Hugo was standing near the big black SUV that Tom get in in the last scene--he's standing almost bowing to Tom as if he's still part of the deal. So...
@@fightsports66 OK, thanks! Too complicated for me. I thought when Carolina told Shiv to get rid of Hugo, she as speaking for Mattson. But now Mattson wants him? Or is it tom who wants him? I have to re-watch the whole thing, so I'll eventually figure it out (maybe).
The water at the end does NOT mean a relief. He didn't want out. He wanted to be CEO and the company and following in the dad's footsteps was the only thing he knew. That water is about the kid he killed and Colin is behind him representing how the dad had Colin clean up his mes.s. the ending is extremely depressing. he is likely going to kill himself within a year.
I watched some season 1 again because it had been some 5 years or so since I watched it. Ooof , it's cringe. Especially, Kendal. Some may have forgotten that Tom swallows his own load at the bachelor party, so not sure what the symbolism is there. : )
Maybe he did win, but it’s not evident. He won his freedom from a toxic legacy. He has all the money in the world to start his own media company or buy an existing one like PGN.
No, I was a bit disappointed. Having his body fall outside the window of Mattson's victory photo op would have been a bit cheesy but Kendall deserved at least a failed suicide attempt. And unless Shiv and Roman had coordinated this to make sure Kendall imploded spectacularly in front of the board, Roman's suddenly disrespecting Kendall's kids make little to no sense. Roman will give two f**ks about Shiv's baby, bloodline or not. And I felt the episode spent too much time with their Mummy who is a tedious character.
That's an extremely rare opinion. Not held by myself. The concept of the show was succession to the family firm. Multiple aspects and events were explored with the main characters and it has concluded with a definite end at exactly the right time. Logan dead and no Roy succeeded in replacing him. The main characters have been fleshed out just enough and we see them in the world reacting to it. It's long enough to see exactly how they fail but not too long. They can expand the universe in future If they want (this is unlikely) to be it won't be Succession. None of the children are going to run the empire. It would be something else. It wouldn't be about the roys. Or it wouldn't be about the empire. This is immaculate story telling. What exactly were you expecting in terms of new ideas? More Roy characters? That's the only way the concept could be added to. Even Tom (not a Roy) is essentially arbitrary. He's just a modular replaceable suit. You're right it's not that good a show it's a great show. One of the best ever imho. What is better than this? From the last couple of decades.
it was pretty powerful ending. Another show would have had Kendall sell his soul and rise to the top, becoming Logan II. But no, Ken sells his soul and loses everything, because guess what, he was never his father - his father gave him the ambition and arrogance, but not the tools. Just masterful.
I'd say the ending was very fitting with the rest of the show so I'm not sure what you expected to happen :/ also are you saying watching all four series was a waste of time or just the final episode? For me the show was so enjoyable, even if I did hate the ending, it's only a small part of the overall journey.
The water that Kendall is walking to is in Battery Park in NYC's downtown financial district. It's also the farthest that you CAN walk in downtown NYC, i.e. you can't go further. Your journey stops here.
I remember it from 9/11. That's where boats were taking people off the island.
Well put. And who doesn’t love rubber ;)
@@JGCommentshuh?
I imagine Kendall and Colin riding the Staten Island Ferry back and forth for eternity. They are both already adrift, sailing nowhere, with no one but each other and their brutal history.
They did film a scene where Kendall climbs the fence but didn’t use it (JA preferring the audience to wonder about his fate) so he’s far from free as someone else suggested in this thread…he’s completely lost.
Roman wears a colorful $12 t-shirt from Walmart at his mother's house in Barbados instead of the stealth wealth monochromatic outfits he usually wears. The interesting thing is that the t-shirt is only made for boys, not Walmart's men's clothing line. He already knows they are nothing and drops the facade. He realised it at the end of episode 9 and needed his mommy, or anyone for that matter. The details of the show are amazing.
Such a meticulous attention to detail the writers had. Thanks so much for sharing!
Also hi is kid size attire
12 USD for a simple shirt? Damn that's expensive
You make a very excellent point, and I admire your observation
However, I also like the idea that Caroline sent Peter out to get clothes for Roman and that’s what he got
Also, the literal hilarity that Karen is in fact very Smoll
@@BlackEagle352 bro you got no fashion sense
I love that Roman, while being probably the most mentally damaged of the siblings, is the first to accept the reality of the situation while the other siblings are still in denial of their lack of power.
Roman always knew he couldn't be more than the rich playboy. That was my takeaway.
@@scurfie2343 I’d say that he, quite famously, didn’t know that 😂
@@spewter Deep down he did. Hence why he was so unhappy. Also hence why his behaviour was so unconventional. He was not corporate at all. He's far more impulsive. He knew this. He was just going through the motions trying to be what he thought he should have been. He's not a captain of industry with strategic ideas. But is more emotional, and interpersonal. He should be a rich playboy and do what he loves which is playing around making jokes, surprising people etc.
Roman was ultimately a coward.
Because he’s grieving and depressed. He doesn’t care about the position or the company at that stage. Which is normal. It will hit him in a few weeks.
In another video, someone pointed out Shiv spitting in the Fit for a King drink when it looked like they were all in agreement was a foreshadowing of how she would spit on the deal when Kendall thought they would all vote the same way.
Shiv Roy, she was always going to shiv a Roy
Roman and shiv would rather lose than let Kendall win..
I thought that but I also thought that as this point she was happy to agree to his plan and the conversation that changed her mind happened off camera (with Tom) sometime between that evening and the meeting.
Roman at the bar, in the end, finally sat in that chair (excluding the couple of board meetings) w/martini, all by himself like a normal human
gerris favorite drink thats why he smiled for one second and yall think thats a happy scene for him lol
@@moonchiId. who said `happy` and any sibling name in the same sentence, pray tell
definitely give me the impression he has the happiest future. Is it Plata/Aristotle who said the smartest man is the man who admits he knows nothing (or something along those lines). I feel Roman realising that the kids are all nobodies who have no real importance in the world is a real lightbulb moment. He will hopefully heal after his father's death, mature a bit, mend relationships and just enjoy being a fucking multi-millionaire/billionaire.
@@moonchiId. I dunno, there was at least a slight positive arc for him - Kendall is very much in limbo, could go either way but we all know he is quite self destructive, Shiv is just staying within the machine, same loveless marriage, same office politics. Roman give me the impression that he was over the worst of it and had finally realised that none of this shit matters and the smile, the Gerri's fave drink moment was him seeming genuinely happy and not cynical and jokey, his relationship with Gerri (be a bit twisted at times) was actually his characters only earnest experience.
I'm just glad that Grerg finally hit back.
Me tooooo
I'm so sad it's finally over. Succession is hands down one of the best series ever.
Then you havent seen many great shows. Succession is decent at best and is too obvious so dumb viewers can feel smart for once in their life.
@@greenteaenjoyer9068 how were reveals like Kendall’s kids aren’t “really” his kids and Logan living a vindictive life because of the guilt of possibly giving his baby sister polio obvious? They hid those reveals the whole show
@@dws0828 I am not saying "obvious" in terms of plot development but rather how certain things are conveyed.
To give you an example: When Romans wound starts to open in the last episode it is a pseudo-intellectual way of saying that Kendall is opening his wound of not being the number one son, not being the successor but being a little cuck with severe childhood trauma. It is too direct and comes off as cheap.
The visual language in general is too direct, the hints are too telling.
@@greenteaenjoyer9068 name two better shows your mongoloid
@@greenteaenjoyer9068 what shows would you consider the best?
I took Kendall just looking at the water (as opposed to being in it) to symbolize how he's lost so much power, he can't even jump in the water if he wants to (with Colin trailing him like some weird echo of when his father was alive). An incredibly haunting shot. This finale was devastating.
Jeremy said in an interview that it was mid-Feb and it was incredibly cold that day. He tried to go into the water but couldn’t. Battery Park can get a bit nippy.
I like that Colin was watching him. Because of course the first thing the viewer will consider if that he’ll try to take his own life but I’m encouraged that Colin isn’t going to let that happen. Very smart of Ken to hire him.
I can't believe everyone missed this Godfather moment when Kendall hugs Roman - it's Michael Corleone hugging Fredo at their mother's funeral.
My other favourite dysfunctional family! I was shouting “It’s the Michael and Fredo scene” and my family just told me to keep quiet!
Yes! And the golden light shining down as he stares from Battery Park … reminds me of that final shot of Michael staring out over Lake Tahoe.
If its the scene i think you’re talking about I thought ken was trying to open his brother’s stitches (which he successfully did)
My daughter and I shouted, ‘I knew it was you, Fredoooo!’ 😂
I didn’t miss it. It was painful and spoke volumes about the level gaslighting in this completely dysfunctional family
Felt I was living in a fever dream when Greg and the bell were reunited
Kendal: "Just be water, my friend."
Apparently the final scene the siblings shot was the kitchen scene where they bonded so beautifully. This would have been a great way for the 3 actors to finish their run.
maybe not so much for Jeremy. He said he actually drank the contents of the blender and did it in numerous shots, having to run outside and jump in the water at times to recover (Jeremy is a bit nuts though so he probably enjoyed this).
Actually just watched a video where the actors went over what they took from set and J Smith-Cameron (who plays Gerri) bought that loungey chair from the production at wrap... she said she always loved it and when there were breaks she would always go to see if she could stretch out on it between takes
Roman sitting comfortably in chairs in Barbados and when he orders his drink, made me think he was 'born again' in his moment among the protestors (where he assumed the foetal position). It was simultaneously a Lear in the storm and a Richard III on Bosworth Field moment.
that drink is gerris favorite thats why he smiled just for one second not a happy scene at all lol
I just love how childish the kitchen scene was
Lake, Roman, licking the cheese
Shiv, spitting in the concoction
Kindle drinking it and then having it dumped on his head
Caroline coming in and almost acting like a mother
“I’m sorry if my bell summoned you” is one of my favorite lines of any show, ever.
I don’t remember it lol when was it said?
@@vincentstein5504second episode, when Greg is looking around for some of Logan's clothes I think
@@josguil thank you!
Roman killing his brother is a play on the figure of Romulus. Shiv also being reference to a knife is also pretty cool
Thanks for some of the more elevated conversation about Succession, a story with no discernible heroes! The writing, most of all, dazzled us and called for Shakespearean references on many posts. And as I recall, Shakespeare's heroes always seem to be absent or invisible. And if you say 'what about Hamlet?' He wore a mask of feigned insanity, so we never really saw him without some kind of altered self. At the end, he bids Horatio to "tell my story," but what is it, really? Who IS/WAS he? I'd love your take on how Jesse Armstrong gets us to root for the trio at the end, (Admit it, everyone!) despite their collective amorality and egomania...
Thanks for much for your comment. That's a great idea for a video right there... ;)
Not me. I predicted that Kendall would commit suicide and I believe Tom and Shiv are doomed. Tom won't last long as CEO. Matsson with abuseTom until he gets bored and moves on.
@@Violet-NYC Tom will last
I love how in the end there was Kendall at downtown NY, completely shocked and devastated looking at the horizon and at the end the Statue of Liberty, meaning he is finally free from his father completely for the better or worse.
It's a great show. But don't be depressed that it's over. It's a self-contained 4 season "movie" that you can watch over and over and find nuggets like these. Your TV "Friends" never change and they never move away. They don't get jealous or vindictive toward you. They are there when you need them.
It's so great to watch a show that doesn't extent its werlcome and ended in a fantastic way. 👏
It's great that Tom got full custody of Gregg
Kendall and water metaphor also was manifested by the boy he accidentally killed...
I thought it was fascinating that Logan promised Kendall the company when he was 7 at Candy Kitchen. A family owned business since the 30's. Then we see the playful scene with the siblings playing in the kitchen like kids. I thought he's not getting it now. Will miss succession very much!!
Going to really miss this show, but looking forward to more coverage from you.
Kendall no longer in the water : no longer in the rat race for control. Sitting right there but my brain didn't connect it
Kendall Roy, you're gonna be missed forever.
I just can't believe how much the intro gave out about the plot, even about the last episode. Roman smiling, Ken wearing a suit too big for him, Shiv ending up alone while her bothers disappear...
I will miss Succession soooo much, especially the music.
Long term, Shiv ultimately saved her brother from destroying his happiness and soul, aside from her jealousy. She loves him and knows he needed to let this all go to live the life of a better man. Seeing Kendall pretend he didn't kill that boy and referring to him as a non person was the final nail in the coffin. Yes she'll try and play lady Macbeth 2.0 with her husband but ultimately she knew what her future with Tom (who is just a puppet for GoJo) looked like and it wasn't a happy one. Ken will hate her for a while and be empty and listless but will be better for it, both the brother's will be able to move on. Shiv however was the ultimate "blood sacrifice"...
I don't say this lightly, but this series is a masterpiece. I'm going to miss it.
I love this interperetation but mine is way more pessimistic. I don't think Shiv suddenly had a change of heart for the better in the end. I think she was looking at her chances during the vote and realized that trying to latch on to Tom at the last moment was her best chance at staying close to the top. I don't think Kendall's wellbeing had anything to do with her choice
@@gallygrovle2160 partly agree with you but I’m wholly pessimistic. Tom has no power and will likely be fired when no longer useful in the next coming years. Mattson doesn’t even want Tom ideas so he doesn’t want the CEO’s wife ideas; she’s nothing just like her mom.
Her chances of being a CEO are completely shot but she can take solace that Kendall doesn’t win either. I think she was never gonna do it for the simple fact that she can’t stomach him as she says
@@rhondac.891 totally agree. What a bleak future for those kids 😅
I imagine that Matteson will eventually sleep with Shiv.
@@gallygrovle2160 I saw it as she'd rather be Toms B*tch than let Kendall win.
love your interpretation of Ken at the end 🎯 great way to see it
I am in pregrief about succession....
Greg and the bell! Thank you so much!!
Nice video! Very clear list!
Like others, I also like the Logan-wind/ Kendall-water destiny discussions. When we see Kendall in "earthy" situations (haven't read anything on this yet), though, he seems to have breakthroughs (Connor’s desert - healing; Adrian Brody's LI meadow - overpowering his dad); and Italian dusty ground - new unity with siblings).
While Kendall clearly wanted that crown for himself, I think the betrayals from Roman and then Shiv, at the votes, equate to being unloved by them. It's not just losing; it's betrayal on top of losing.
Kendall needs to get to Connor’s point of --:acquiescence," maybe. Once Kendall accepts that no one in his family loves him, then he can be free. Emotionally brutal stuff. The end doesn't look like he can do it, though.
Too bad Logan wouldn't let Kendall have freedom when he asked for it, before he was seduced back into craving that power, that temptation that ruined the 3 kids' lives.
J. Smith Cameron claimed the chaise longue from Logan's house, I read
Kendall has always been in a pool; on the yacht or the one where he almost drowned. Mad-made pools. But in the last episodes he is in a lake and then eventually looks out at the sea. He is no longer in his Dad's "world" but sees the real world, big and awesome of which he is only a tiny inconsequential part.
Those "ocean waves" are the Hudson River. Just FYI
Things I enjoyed in the last episode -
1) Ken slightly abuses Roman. When he sees that Roman is chickening out right before the vote.. he hugs his brother but then presses into the stitches on his forehead almost to the point they get broken. I think that’s because Roman responds positively to abuse. Ken knows that’s how his Dad got him in line, so Ken uses the same strategy. Not sure if this theory is valid though.
2) Tom puts a sticker on Greg. Loved that scene. It can be seen as an act of forgiveness but by putting a sticker on Greg.. Tom is also establishing a relationship in which he owns him.
3) Shiv’s betrayal motivation. Lots of people are saying she ultimately couldn’t get onboard with Ken becoming a CEO because “he’s a murderer.” The real reason is she sees this as an opportunity to repair her relationship with Tom, who seems to have gone fully cold. The main takeaway for me in that scene is that how twisted she is. She has to give a reason to Ken because she knew he’ll come on very strongly. And what better reason than that.
Agree on all three points
2. owns and has his finger on a trigger
Roman also has masochistic tendencies, it's touched on a lot that he struggles with normal sexual activity and potentially likes some pretty weird shit. It seems that it's two ways, Kendall being aggressive and pushing his head in but also Roman is weirdly pushing too and maybe enjoying it? It's a very odd scene, super uncomfortable.
I think Shiv finally realized her father was right: they’re not serious people. She knew Kendall couldn’t do the job.
About the 1st one, it was actually sad tho , Roman might have enjoyed it but what kind of brother helps his sibling to self harm?
Shiv splitting in the meal for a king looks like a callback of the spit on the Rape Me episode
Lovely video! I would like you to adress The Bear when it comes out!
I was too busy being sad 😢 about the end to notice any of those things so thank you 🙏 ❤
I am so hungry for that cheese LOL
Don’t eat Peter’s cheese!
I had no idea who they were talking about when they mentioned Lawrence, forgot all about that guy! (nice to hear a North East accent on one of these vids)
Great notes, thank you. Didn't notice them!
Thanks for the ride.
Daaane, what's the name of that Nicholas Britell score that you always use on your videos??? I checked it out on spotify and i didn't find it
Hey! I don't actually use music by Britell (as much as I do love his music). The music I use is called "Distant Fires", check out the link in the video description to find it.
No,man... we realized of these detailes 😍but thanks
0:10 that was my reaction lol
Great video! I loved Roman in the episode but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending tbh :/
Whats clever about the ending is it's very Zen master like, something really bad happens Audience "How terrible." And the Zen master says, "We'll see." ... Arguably all the characters years in the future will be better off and happier assuming Kendall hasn't OD'd maybe not evil little shits lol philanthropy perhaps?
The creator said his take is on the ending that Kendall will end up building a company/being successful but this moment will always haunt him and ultimately defines him, which is bittersweet in itself but that’s Kendall’s character, his shadow always kept him from being at peace
@@Too_Ty it's funny when you feel yourself so emotionally attached to Kendall for example not getting his way but if you step away from it, it's like...he's going to a billionaire either way and he could literally spend his life doing anything he wants, it's crazy how these disillusioned kids attach meaning to things because money has no real meaning to them anymore. Greg and I guess Tom to some extent are the ones who sort of need their roles in the company, especially Greg now he has no inheritance.
1. Ken's coronation with royal meal looks like a parody of Game of Thrones scene. Viserys gets his promised crown made of gold but his sister becomes the khaleesi and her husband the khal.
2. Video in Logan's house shows the only scenes of tenderness between Kerry and Logan.
hate to break it to you but your take on ken and the water "representative that he is finally out" couldn't be more wrong so I'm gonna clear it up for you.
the final episode is called is called "with eyes open" it's important because it's from a poem written by John Berryman. that is important because john killed himself by jumping into the Mississippi River.
you don't have to be a genius that it kind of implies that is the way ken is going to go out.
Correct; also Jeremy Strong instinctively climbed over the fence which they filmed but didn’t use as the ending; preferring to have him sit and let the audience wonder … but yes from the poem and listening to Jeremy and the Director discuss that scene, we know things aren’t about to end well for Kendall…
@@chriswilson8487 the other thing that I see people misinterpreted is the ending with shiv taking Tom hand. People see it as a very unloving gesture because they don't clasp hands, but it's actually the opposite.
The scene is actually a mirror of the ending of the final scene in the graduate. Up until this point shiv has always been the top to tom's bottom. Tom pulling out his hand was symbolic of the shift of power, but it was his way of keeping her in the loop (unlike what Ken/Roman did to her when they got power) and shiv putting her hand out to meet his was her way or excepting the new power dynamic.
Shiv was never going to fully clasp his hand in this moment because this is literally the first time she has ever conceded to Tom so she feels vulnerable, but the point was moving forward they are very much going to be working together as a team and what we were witnessing was the very beginings of them coming together rather then working divided.
Can't it be both? I'm certainly not arguing that he's happy that he's out or that there's some sort of realisation from his character.
@@ponderyoutube not really. Basically the direct/writer/actor all have slightly conflicting ending for Ken, but none of them are good. Basically he either kills himself or he lives a empty life where his moment defined it and no matter what he does he is stuck in emotional purgatory till the day he dies.
So either he dies shortly after or he lives Basically a soulless life where he has no relationship with his ex wife, his kids, his family and never got closer with his father. I don't know which one of them said it, but basically him sitting in the park he is replaying the events in his head trying to process how he got so close only to lose. kind of like jesse pinkman with that voicemail he just replays the moment he lost over and over in his head trying to figure our the answer but he is so emotionally stunted as a person he can't see the obvious answer. Basically he is in his own version of hell/purgatory.
Another reference to that is in dantes inferno the 9th layer of hell is ice cold which was kind of symbolic cause the day they shot that scene it was one of the coldest days on record in NYC.
Long and short of it Ken is dead if not physically he is totally broken and he will never emotionally recover from it.
50 shades 👍 ... This is a tragedy. Kendall (and the other 2 siblings) suffer tragic ends. Roman has a mental breakdown. Shiv is now subjugated and weak instead of dominant. And Kendall has lost everything: family, assistant, company, father, relationship with siblings, respect of his peers. We don't see him jump in the water and disappear, but we don't have to see it to know what happens to him. It's King Lear, and Kendall is Cordelia.
Great video. I believe you're a Geordie - I spent a summer in Newcastle, so I recognize the accent.
Begin the show from season one again. You pick up so many clues that are likely missed the first time again.
Kendall walking towards the light and sitting in it. I wonder if it was warm, as Logan and Shiv promised it was.
Apparently that day of filming it was absolutely freezing and Jeremy Strong kept saying he couldn’t “feel” anything he was so cold…and the Director liked that; found it poignant as Kendall is in a state of despair and is actually contemplating whether he goes over the fence into the water … so nope, not warm in any respect.
Does the water represent the corporate “rate race”?
My favorite alternate ending is number 4
I fully wanted Kendall to be the Michael Corleone of this show.
I think the 4th option would have satisfied a lot of desires for this show.
I also liked option 6 with Kendall dying and Shiv and Roman teaming up to destroy Logan out of love for Kendall.
The option 8 was good too but there needed to be conflict, death and loss for this family. The rich and powerful could not be allowed to just get off Scott free.
I think for that reason I like option 4 the best. Kendall wins but he also looses because his life and family just continue to the cycle of dysfunction.
It’s funny that I kept thinking how can Kendall get to be the hero, the CEO he always wanted when he killed a guy. And then Shiv on the last minutes of the finale says to Kendall, And you killed someone. I guess they were thinking what I was thinking lol
I was so angry at this ending because I hate Tom so much.
Disagree about Kendal & water. He Jeremy wanted & trued to jump into river the day they shot it. One of coldest days of the year. They crew sopped him!
Did Shiv insinuate that Kendall is illegitamate?
Yes, and Roman did as well. And then he explicitly said that Ken's daughter was too....'half Rava, half filing cabinet guy'? What's the deal with Kendall's daughter being Indian??? Did I miss something? Was that ever addressed? The illegitimate thing is certainly a theme in Kendall'
No, he was saying his children were not part of their bloodline. He goes on to say that the first child was a 'buy in' (adopted) and the second was half Rava, half filling cabinet guy (sperm donor or affair).
Aah, that makes sense now...thanks for filling in....
When she says “you’re not” the eldest son, it’s because that’s Connor.
@A Chick And A Duck Conor would be the perfect CEO . He has the height, the looks, the name, but it just not his thing to work and just live off of trust fund money. Connor is the true winner if Succession. At least in terms of the Roy siblings. In the finale, he was the only sibling who was at least smiling in the end. He knew better.
Who was the guy following Kendall inThe park? Was he his security guy? He was obvious
Colin. Logan’s old security guard.
question: When Tom was made boss and he came back to the office and asked Hugo where Carolina was, had Shiv hipped Tom to Carolina's request, or is Carolina going to be HIS Kerry? lol just wondering what you all thought ? :)
No he just knew Hugo was a snake and wanted Hugo to know that he was going to be out on his ass
I first thought he was sending Hugo to Carolina to let her fire him, but then Hugo was standing near the big black SUV that Tom get in in the last scene--he's standing almost bowing to Tom as if he's still part of the deal. So...
@@margaretstanton7567 Mattson won so and is acquiring Waystar so the people on the kill list are out, that means Hugo can go update his resume.
@@fightsports66 OK, thanks! Too complicated for me. I thought when Carolina told Shiv to get rid of Hugo, she as speaking for Mattson. But now Mattson wants him? Or is it tom who wants him? I have to re-watch the whole thing, so I'll eventually figure it out (maybe).
@@margaretstanton7567 No, no. Hugo is out. Mattson liked Carolina.
"Might" have missed. A tad presumptuous don't you think?
The water at the end does NOT mean a relief. He didn't want out. He wanted to be CEO and the company and following in the dad's footsteps was the only thing he knew. That water is about the kid he killed and Colin is behind him representing how the dad had Colin clean up his mes.s. the ending is extremely depressing. he is likely going to kill himself within a year.
I watched some season 1 again because it had been some 5 years or so since I watched it. Ooof , it's cringe. Especially, Kendal. Some may have forgotten that Tom swallows his own load at the bachelor party, so not sure what the symbolism is there. : )
Clearly you were wrong about Kendall winning.
Maybe he did win, but it’s not evident. He won his freedom from a toxic legacy. He has all the money in the world to start his own media company or buy an existing one like PGN.
No, I was a bit disappointed. Having his body fall outside the window of Mattson's victory photo op would have been a bit cheesy but Kendall deserved at least a failed suicide
attempt. And unless Shiv and Roman had coordinated this to make sure Kendall imploded spectacularly in front of the board, Roman's suddenly disrespecting Kendall's kids
make little to no sense. Roman will give two f**ks about Shiv's baby, bloodline or not. And I felt the episode spent too much time with their Mummy who is a tedious character.
Ending was really crap .. I never expect this last minute soap opera twist
$
The show was good but not that good. You can tell they were running out of momentum and ideas
Strong disagree. This ending showed the fate of these siblings once their superhero ceo daddy ceased to be. That’s a very fitting end.
That's an extremely rare opinion.
Not held by myself. The concept of the show was succession to the family firm. Multiple aspects and events were explored with the main characters and it has concluded with a definite end at exactly the right time. Logan dead and no Roy succeeded in replacing him. The main characters have been fleshed out just enough and we see them in the world reacting to it.
It's long enough to see exactly how they fail but not too long. They can expand the universe in future If they want (this is unlikely) to be it won't be Succession. None of the children are going to run the empire. It would be something else. It wouldn't be about the roys. Or it wouldn't be about the empire. This is immaculate story telling. What exactly were you expecting in terms of new ideas? More Roy characters? That's the only way the concept could be added to. Even Tom (not a Roy) is essentially arbitrary. He's just a modular replaceable suit.
You're right it's not that good a show it's a great show. One of the best ever imho. What is better than this? From the last couple of decades.
it was pretty powerful ending. Another show would have had Kendall sell his soul and rise to the top, becoming Logan II. But no, Ken sells his soul and loses everything, because guess what, he was never his father - his father gave him the ambition and arrogance, but not the tools. Just masterful.
How can you tell they ran out of ideas? All of their stories could continue for subsequent series
Yeah. The ended a whole 4 season series in a rushed 7/8 minute swing.
You really think those were important details? And 4 of them were obvious, we all noticed them. I'll give you the martini thing, i guess.
What a waste of my time. I wanted a great ending. This was a disaster of an ending. Terrible writing.
What did you want to happen?
I've heard Succession be called a lot of things, but never badly written. What an unusual opinion lol!
Oh dear yes I’d love to know what you would call amazing writing or an amazing ending … so intrigued.
I'd say the ending was very fitting with the rest of the show so I'm not sure what you expected to happen :/ also are you saying watching all four series was a waste of time or just the final episode? For me the show was so enjoyable, even if I did hate the ending, it's only a small part of the overall journey.