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Tom putting the sticker on Greg's forehead was the best moment of the episode. Even though Greg betrayed him he still picked Greg as his 'item to keep'.

Roman licking Peter's special cheese was just top notch Succession content

The home video showed the Logan the siblings missed out on by focusing so much on taking over the company. Connor, who didn't get involved, got to see that other side of Logan. For that reason, I think the home video works.

You got Caroline's motives all wrong. She invited them for vacation with the intention that Peter and his friend would make a business pitch to them. She tells them to not go with Gojo so Peter can get his talons in. When they are making the Meal for a King, she complains about how far Peter had to travel to get there. When they leave, Peter and her call the whole thing a "waste of time". Caroline is a narcissist. Don't be fooled. She likes to be viewed as the wronged mother.

Lol Caroline being as sweet as can be?! She’s trying?! Being motherly?! Did you guys watch the same episode as me? She was (once again) anything but and only invited them out there for Peter so he could pitch them. “Go away,” she says as she waves and her children drive off, followed by Peter’s, “Waste of fn time.” No food, no intention of hosting a real dinner; it was all about the pitch for Peter. And while she may not have cared about the pitch (and was simply helping Peter), she sure AF wasn’t trying to be a good mother.

The arrogance of Tom at the end of the show.. his whole demeanor changed.. exceptional

I feel like a big part of Caroline 's motivation in inviting the kids down was that stupid pitch from her husband's friend. Yes she wanted to see them, but in the same way she wanted Logan at her wedding - to flaunt her access.

I actually really likes the Logan video scene. The entire show we see Logan from the kids perspective, and it only highlights how awful he was. The video shows Logan from the perspective of his actual friends and colleagues. You see how everyone is enjoying each others company, and in a way causes the viewer to call into question the perspectives of the kids. I thought it was pretty interesting. Everyone knows Logan is a monster, but this gave us a slight glimpse at his humanity, a glimpse we never really get elsewhere in the show, and helps to understand how such a monster could be so beloved. Also, Ken screaming he is “the eldest boy” is extra fucking hilarious because he isn’t even the eldest boy.

Roman reverting back to being the “look at all this fucking bullshit” guy is definitely my favorite outcome of the siblings. He did what everyone watching the show wanted to do from the beginning: cash out and live large, because who cares? Shiv and Kendall acting like they had anything to bring to the table was always just the hubris of spoiled rich kids; Roman realizing that makes him far and away the most self aware of them.

The thing about the scene with the home movie was that the kids weren't there. It was yet another piece of evidence that Logan sharing anything that resembled love and acceptance was unobtainable to them. There they are - still on the outside looking in. Standing outside his door just like when they were kids.

I loved that Greg finally fought back against Tom in the bathroom. The look they gave eachother after the slaps was perfect. I thought Tom had cracked his last Greggs. Then Tom brings him back in the same way he did in Episode 1 and I couldn’t help smile hoping they’d be okay

I think that the TV scene did an amazing job at revealing that Logan's real family was never the children, it was the old guard. This scene was heartbreaking for the children and really showed them who they were and who they weren't.

3 certainties with Succession: 1. Kendall always loses. 2. Logan always wins. 3. Beau always mispronounces the names Macfadyen and Mylod.

It’s ironic that at the end of season 2 Logan tells Kendall “You have to be a killer” in order to take over but then Shiv said “You can’t be CEO because you killed someone.”

i like that the family that stayed together was the disgusting brothers. proof that the real family are the friends we made along the way

Kinda had a different read on that Kendall-Roman "hug" scene. For me, in a way rome almost asks for ken to give him a reason to not be CEO. I think that's why he says 'the stitches don't look so bad, why can't it be me?' Ken then realizing that rome usually seeks abuse as some sort of validation/love proceeds to show that same kind of twisted love Logan had for Roman. And then in the middle of their "hug" Roman accepts it and pushes his head deeper into ken's shoulder even rubbing against it a bit. For Rome, the open stitch is like the visual way to justify why he didn't get the job, kinda like a crutch he can wear to tell himself that's why he lost. But also the perfect encapsulation of why it would have never been him, because he's so broken and bruised as a person already at that point. It's honestly fckn wild.... 😓

Totally agree that when Kendal kicked his feet up on Logan’s old desk seconds after acting like there was some reverence over it, that was the first thing that set Shiv off into changing her mind

Little did Shiv know, but she sold Tom to the Swede far better than Tom ever could. Her description of him, as "su*king the biggest **** in the room" is exactly the type of CEO he was looking for. Shiv misread the situation so poorly that she cost herself the CEO position.

"Listen, guys: I'm the main character. Go back to season 1, OK? It's always been about me." "I was first shot. And the last shot." I cackled.

Definitely disagree with your view on the video of Logan and the old guard. They showed simultaneously how segregated the sibs were from Logan's life and non-CEO personality and how Connor was actually the closest to Logan despite being seen as the outsider because Logan did not see him as a successor. That video was immensely tragic not feel-good fodder.

14:07 Jessie Armstrong also clarified that Shiv changed her mind about Kendal being CEO the moment he sat in Logan’s chair and was already getting an ego trip from the false sense of power. It wasn’t really a Tom or Mattson thing, it was the fact she was witnessed him literally morph instantly into a power hungry narcissist in that role.

That hug between Kendall and Roman was weirdly disturbing. On one hand, Roman 'self harming', on the other, Ken 'putting a pillow over his face'. Yet...there was love there too. Sheesh. Dark shit...

So in the end the winners are Tom, Greg and Connor.

I love the end scene, how for Kendall, water symbolizes the power and top spot he always wanted to conquer. At season 3 he's almost drowning in the pool, only his pool mattress keeping him afloat. After his successful speech he easily floats in the ocean thinking he's finally learned how to swim in it. The night before the board meeting he's quickly diving in the ocean when Roman and Shiv hesitate on the beach but then join him. And in the end scene he ends up watching the ocean from behind a fence.

I thought the dinner party scene was going to lean into the 3 of them realizing how devastated and resentful they are to watch Logan having a dinner party where he has his guard down and they see him spending that time with Kerry, Jerri, Frank and Carl and the bullet in the heart of Connor being there when they always assumed they were the favored offspring only to see Connor being included without them. Like that he was included in the light & they were left out in the cold.

The ending was so tough but perfect. Left a pit in my stomach.

Sarah Snook can convey so many emotions at the drop of a hat, she’s fantastic

That dude who got in the elevator with Kendall at the end and just had that face like “excuse me sorry” I’m like bro where do you have to be so urgently that you’re willing to share an elevator with Kendall right now?? What’s funny is that it was a purposeful decision from the show runners to have that rando get in the elevator as every last frame is meticulously choreographed. Not sure what that was about lol

The Logan scene was there to highlight what the three younger children never got to experience with their dad. They were always outsiders.

Jesse Armstrong made it very clear to the writers that there is NO transformation arch for these characters. They are not capable of change, so there is no sibling looking out for each other.

I completely disagree with what you guys we’re saying about their mother. She said some nice things during the episode but everything she says and does is manipulative as fuck. And the last thing she says about her children is “go away” behind their backs

I thought the scene where Roman was saying that stuff about his face not looking that bad and talking about how it "could be him" and then kendall shoving his head into his shoulder and pressing really hard enough to bust his stitches was a way of Kendall saying "no, it's me, it's always me..don't get any ideas, stick with the plan, it can't be you" and then he makes his face look worse. i was hoping for more of a discussion on that scene because it really can be interpreted in a couple different ways. My husband thought something totally different. I really thought it was a way for kendall to "lovingly" (in an abusive embrace) put Roman in his place. And a side note, i think it's fitting that Shiv had the power in the end. If it isn't me, it's none of us. She's been pushed aside the whole time. Pretty awesome.

in the end, Kendall should have never left the Vulture meeting.

as a person who just came home from a funeral, watching videos of the recently deceased it totally a thing. and its very real but also Kerry really liked that old man. wow sis. just wow

WAKE UP BABE THE SOUP IS HOT

I don’t think Shiv betraying Ken was any one reason: -Sibling rivalry and jealous of him getting the role -Ken’s behaviour showing he hasn’t changed (both with feet in the desk and not admitting to the waiter’s murder) -The angle that Tom would be CEO which is slightly more palatable -Ken/Rome deciding to announce Menchen, when she was on the opposite political side I think it’s the sum of those parts which made her decide that way. Curious though that Logan (staying on), Rome (vote of no confidence) and now Shiv (GoJo deal) all blocked Ken from being CEO.

This particular podcast was indispensable. I’m not crazy I promise but I’m gonna miss this more than succession

I don’t think that Caroline saying let it go was as much emotional intelligence as it was just her sick of the kids bickering at her dinner table

I thought we were going to see Kendall jump to his death. It would have been fitting. But i guess they didn't want to go any darker. 😂

The file cabinet guy was my favorite character.

We should've known: "You have to break a few Greggs to make a Tomelte." "I love you, but you're not serious people."

This show ended perfectly! It has been so long since I've watched a show beginning to end and not been disappointed. All other "saga" series need to take a note from this! This ending was on par for what we've experienced in this universe! I am thoroughly satisfied! 🎉❤

It made sense dramaturgically

Roman basically sums up that Waystar is just one giant macguffin in the show. It does not matter. They are all rich AF and the fate of the company isn't that important. It's just what the Roy siblings wanted to do

I said just before watching the episode my final prediction was Tom. I knew Matsson would get the deal through so it was down to the best puppet and Greg is too useless and would need way too much direction and Shiv would try to not be a puppet but Tom knows the business well and will happily be the puppet under Matsson because he doesn’t have Shiv’s air of entitlement that the world belongs to her. I adored the home video of Logan, it brought up the line from Shiv and Tom’s argument a couple episodes back where she blames him for robbing her of those last 6 months they could have had with him and now they’re getting a chance to see it and ponder whether this whole fight has been worth it. It’s also good to see how even a toxic relationship and character can have their good moments to show why all the bad is sometimes overlooked and it helps showcase why Connor is the only Sibling winner.

My hubby & I believe that Logan Roy won. He wanted to sell his company to GoJo and that is exactly what happened. As Tom said in Season 3 to Kendall, Logan always wins. Kendall was all alone in the end with Colin (Logan's former driver) watching over him; Roman ended up back where he began; and Shiv wanted Tom and had to suck it up and stand with Tom. We noticed Tom extended his hand as he's changed to how Shiv treated Tom over the past 3 season~~their roles are reversed. As far as Greg, it's a shame he didn't get the boot but we believe Mattson and Tom using Greg for anything especially bad with the new merger. Also, I'm sure Greg's salary will be clawed back dramatically as Mattson now knows Greg is a traitor. Great writing by Jess Armstrong and ending this show on a high. We thoroughly enjoyed this show.

I think a lot of people are sleeping on the kendall ‘hugging’ roman scene. to me, it’s pretty clear that kendall purposely hurt roman to subdue him as roman was starting to question why it wasn’t him as CEO. It wasn’t roman going in very hard for the hug. Kendall literally actively pushes roman into his shoulder despite roman pushing away, and has no reaction to roman yelling due to his pain. he knows what he’s doing, and i think that is the most disgusting thing kendall has done to his siblings in the show. he knows that abusing roman will shut him up, even flaunting on him when roman votes no at the meeting. from that point i was like fuck kendall lmao

I just realized. Alexander skarsgard is a nepo baby. Very meta.

It was the perfect ending “you’re not serious people” 😎

The power change between Tom and Shiv was chilling as you see the look on Shiv,s face . She wanted a powerful man so she said but now she has that in Tom she seemed like now she regretted having to play that part

Aaaand, Shiv was known to keeping her options open. I think that she thought that at least if she sticks with Tom, she’s the closest of the siblings to the coveted position. Also, the mention to the bloodline wasn’t innocent. Logan was a antiquated man, he hated Kendall’s kids (and now, unfortunately, we know why: his grand kids weren’t his blood, one adopted and one through sperm donation) and he made some remarks to Tom and shiv indicating that they should get to work to get pregnant. The Logan bloodline will probably continue connected to the company through Tom and Shiv. Even Madson says it: that he would like continuity, but instead of the “woman with the baby, why not keep the man who put the baby in the woman?” So sad but so satisfying finale.

Great breakdown, guys. Been a wild ride and glad you were a part of it.

What an incredible show this was! So satisfying to watch something intelligent and coherent. The ending makes perfect sense for me.

That game 7 metaphor perfectly encapsulates watching this episode

When Mattson calls Greg Judas it made me feel horrible but at the same time was funny af, in the theme of Judas, Jesus did forgive Forgive Judas so i thought Tom forgiving Greg made sense to me

the video of Logan was very important. The kids were united, then they saw their father on the video and you can see first Roman (in particular) and finally Shiv wavering. Seeing him triggers them, and it sets up the final confrontation. They were united until they watched that video.

It could not have been anyone else but Tom. He was the devil with his fingers crossed behind his back. That arrogant-ass victory walk to the car, then his flip hand (which he did not embrace Shiv's) signified "I am the man now, Shiv and everything you have said and done will be revisited." Loved it.

My dad has this uncanny knack for guessing the endings of shows and god damnit, he's done it again. What an ending, the entire last hour of this episode had me so on edge that I watched from behind the couch while I paced back and forth across the room. I honestly thought Kendall was going to take that elevator to the roof and just fucking jump. I thought we were in the clear when he pressed 0, and then he started staring at the water real ominously.

And no one, no one said that it's Connor who's the eldest son!

Meanwhile, Nana Pierce, sitting in the well iluminated and aired living room of her country house: "Hey, yo, you still gonna buy my shit, right? RIGHT?"

GOAT INTRO

This is Shakespeare level story telling. The ending is the conclusion of the slow cook we have seen over 4 seasons. 3 sibs who entertain a love-hate relation driven by a brutally cold education from a brutal father and broken marriages. They died before their father as human beings, and are in self destruction mode ever since. while it is frustrating the show is over, it makes perfect sense to end on the fact they eventually all die as sibs after having died as being children. What a show.

I really liked the video of Logan, you could see even him had a human side. And the fact that connor, the one who didn't have any interest in becoming Logan, was the son who had the closest relation with his dad

That was Logan’s dinner that they missed in the premiere

Now that the series is over, can someone explain to my why Greg thought it made sense to sacrifice a $250 MM inheritance from Ewan to pursue upward mobility within Waystar? How could Greg’s path at Waystar ever result in comparable wealth?

thank you for reviewing this series! I've been looking forward to your videos every week!

5:20 is actually when the video starts

To be honest, I experienced a lot of schadenfreude watching these horrible, entitled trust fund narcissists undergoing their own form of self destruction. A brilliant exploration of the psychology of power. I couldn't think of a better ending - Tom's rise to power as the ultimate hollow man makes perfect sense.

been waiting on this all day

I was looking out for this one 🎉 enjoying this from a subway in Seoul

Always knew the kids were gonna lose so I was just excited how it will go down. I thought Roman would betray Kendall but Shiv doing it instead also makes sense. My favourite ending was Roman's which is what I wanted for Shiv. Tom walking in with his new suit and air of power was perfect. Time for all of them to claim heir Emmys. Thank you for all your insightful recaps.

I actually didn’t mind the scene seeing Logan on the tv screen, just showing how separated the kids were with their father. Great review as always tho guys. Succession will go down as one of the greats.

As much as it hurts to see the kids lose it was perfectly written to just show that they fell back to the insecurities and tendencies that they have been destroying themselves with. It breaks my heart seeing Kendall lose everything, Roman go back to being a jerk off and shiv essentially becoming her mother and a slave to her husband while the kids overall lose their birth right… Logan told them time and time again they are not serious people so it makes sense they imploded it just makes me sad.

Do we really think Logan is looking down on the kids, and not up?

There has been no evidence whatsoever that Shiv gives one shit about “saving Kendall from himself”. She flat out doesn’t ever want him to succeed. Ever. There are numerous examples of Shiv doing the most to humiliate and denigrate Ken.

I was with Kendall until he started denying the murder. That's what brought the siblings back together last season and for him to say things like "I wasn't even there" "false memoried it" etc pissed me off. No damn integrity or remorse for anything. I wouldn't want my brother to be ceo either if he did that.

There's a known fable regarding familial relations of the goodfellas members of a family. The devil comes down and tells brother A: you can have anything you want, but you should know your brother will get twice of what you got. Brother A thinks for a short while, and asks the devil to take out one of his eyes. The Roys 2023.

Actually it's several things that made Shiv change her mind in that short span of time : - Kendall's attitude sitting in the chair - Seeing Roman all bloody after being "comforted" by Kendall - Kendall LYING to the board that him and Roman locked the GoJo deal when Shiv is the only reason that deal went through (with a massive price increase) . - Kendall's dismissive and arrogant attitude with the board (let's just skip to the vote..)

Succession 2: The Greggening is gonna be crazy

I've canceled my MAX subscription after both Succession and BARRY have ended. And I don't want a S5 of Succession. It would dilute the strength...the awesomeness of this finale. I'm fine with how this story ended; especially for "the kids", "the sibs". Perfect. Chef's kiss.

Shiv doesn't care about Ken. The writers showed us she was the one wanting to reconcile with Tom, even after all the terrible things he said to her and the power dynamic change. The fact that she'd still gang up with him says exactly how she feels about Ken - it was a F off, daddy style.

That intro 😂😂😂😂 Anywhoo, I mean Shiv did vote no after Ken didn’t give her space to breathe/think, denied killing someone and gas lit them for it, and then proceeded to fight and attack Rome. I feel like if Kendall’s response to her had been different I felt like it was some Game of Thrones’sh where the true winners were the assistants and the middle-people that helped others rise to the top lol

Important point on Tom and Greg, and maybe I’m missing nuances about this part of their history, but hear me out. Tom didn’t “take Greg back” after Greg betrayed his trust with the leak about the CEO pick. Greg knows the things Tom knows about the company’s closet full of skeletons because Tom told Greg when he was freaking out about being told himself. Tom has to keep Greg from doing what Greg clearly would do if it meant Greg would benefit: blackmail Tom. Tom can’t send Greg out into the cold because, well, it’s Greg.

You got me at the beginning 😂

yes Tom “won” but he’s just a puppet CEO with Mattheson as his boss. Ken wanted to take control back of the company and become a “true” CEO. Also the home video totally fits the vibe of the siblings getting along and remembering their father.

ALL HAIL THE DISGUSTING BROTHERS! LONG LIVE THE KING! What a brilliant perfect ending.

I love that the move of gauging someone's eyes out with your thumbs will forever be known as an Obyren!

Shiv wasn't saving Kendall. They're just too much of themselves.

Tom gets the Good Panic Room now.

I can’t lie, for a while there, when Shiv and Roman were talking about killing Kendall, I thought for a brief moment they might, like it wasn’t beyond their realm, they’ve been “killing each other” in the business sense the whole series, and I thought man, they’re gonna drown this dude, knock him out and throw him in the water, how fitting would that be that Kendall’s love for water ends up being his grave, and then it would make the whole waiter death in season one come back full circle, don’t get me wrong I’m very glad it didn’t go that route, prolly woulda been overkill, but still it’s a testament to their dynamics as siblings within this power vacuum where I thought “holy shit they just might”

I wish I could be watch all of Succession again for the first time.

Loved your reviews of Succession. I think the ending is perfect. Sure, the show led us, slightly, but in the end we know Kendall didn’t deserve top spot. Even though his desperation “this cog this wheel” is the ONLY slot ever for Kendall! Powerful performances & excellent writing. Shiv was a force to watch

I agree with Jeremy Strong which what he said in the HBO podcast: he said when they filmed his last scene, he tried to climb over the fence to go into the ocean. (He said Colin ran over to grab him) As the man playing Kendall, he knew him best. I feel they should have gone in that direction. Let Kendall (Jeremy) show what he knows, what he feels.

Shiv could go back to politics so she won't necessarily "just" be a wife especially if Mencken doesn’t end up winning like she mentioned earlier in the episode. She won't be happy but she has options that Caroline didn't.

I would love a Shiv-Tom-Greg spin-off. Or generally, any spin-off that can keep us in touch with the characters of this amazing cast & show.

It boiled down to Shiv, Roman and Ken as just being mimicry in the play pen of Logan- Where ultimately Shiv and Roman recognised this- and Ken aggressively defended against this Truth- and Ken was just like Icarus - and fell to truth harder than Shiv and Roman. They only communicated as traumatised kids and never trusted the Adult in each other- as they just tore each other down anytime they started to believe they might be capable of being a successor, back to the reality of traumatised kids- which is all they really saw in each other- and the child like love of each other was more of the truth - than their adult parts….

Remember that Greg has the paperwork on the cruises still and Tom knows it so he has to keep him

The best ending would be Kendal winning and then partying and over dosing

Gotta disagree about the Ken Roman hug Ken was pushing Roman down initially but then Roman began to push himself down as well Kendall was “helping” Roman make his stitches look worse so that it optics wise, Roman wouldn’t look fit enough He’s helping and comforting his brother but he’s also crushing him and putting him in his place