This article contains mentions of suicide.

Succession season 4’s finale aired a year ago, and I’m still worried about what happened to Kendall Roy after the credits rolled. The final scene of Succession season 4, episode 10, “With Open Eyes” saw Kendall sitting on a bench and looking at the river after learning he would never become CEO of his father’s company. Wayster had now been bought by GoJo, the siblings’ alliance had fallen apart after Shiv refused to vote for Kendall, and Tom Wambsgans had been picked as the new CEO.

“With Open Eyes” can already be considered one of the greatest TV show finales of all time. From the feeling of hope that siblings could work together and lead Kendall right into the CEO chair to the despair of seeing them fight and say terrible things to each other, Succession’s series finale was an emotional roller coaster. This is particularly true for those who, like me, wanted Kendall to have some sort of happy ending – even if didn’t win. Unsurprisingly, only one thing could make Kendall Roy happy, and he didn’t get it.

Succession Series Finale Was Predictably Tragic For Kendall Roy

Kendall Roy lost, again

To quote Ramsey Bolton from another hit HBO show, “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” This is what I told myself in the days leading up to Succession’s finale, hoping to accept in advance that Kendall Roy would not come out on top. Even though rooting for Kendall was usually fun, I learned after four seasons of Succession that the self-proclaimed “eldest boy” never wins. Kendall did have a couple of victories in Succession, but they never led anywhere.

As Tom said to Kendall in season 3, Kendall had lost over and over, whereas Logan never did. Therefore, I had little to no hopes of a happy ending for Kendall Roy in Succession’s series finale. “With Open Eyes” may have been a tragic finale for Kendall and the rest of the siblings, yet it was not a surprising one. Perhaps the most devasting part of Succession season 4, episode 10 is that it made viewers believe, even if for a moment, that Kendall, Shiv, and Roman were going to be okay.

The scene in which Kendall is crowned king by Shiv and Roman was just too good to be true. After so many twists and red herrings Succession had pulled off, seeing the Roy siblings playing like kids in the kitchen made me quite suspicious about the direction the finale was heading. That moment was strangely anxious, and it made Kendall’s eventual downfall at the end of the episode hit even harder. Even though they loved their brother, Shiv and Roman knew Kendall would become the worst version of himself as CEO.

I Can’t Stop Thinking About What Happens To Kendall After Succession’s Finale

What will be of Kendall Roy now?

Kendall as CEO would likely have ended in disaster, but imagining what happened to him after Waystar Royco was sold to Lukas Matsson in the finale feels equally tragic. One year after Succession’s ending, I cannot help but wonder what happened to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman after their lives took such a drastic turn following the GoJo deal. Kendall spent most of his life believing he was going to be his father’s successor, a dream that began when Kendall was 7 years old. The fact this was only revealed in the finale made it all much more tragic.

Succession doesn’t directly tell viewers what will be of Kendall after the credits roll, but having followed Jeremy Strong’s character for four seasons, it is difficult to imagine Kendall will ever get back on his feet. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Strong discussed Kendall’s ending, and what his looking at the river in the show’s final scene meant. Strong also addressed the perception that Kendall would contemplate taking his own life after what happened, noting that the character thought about pressing up on the elevator after leaving the conference room. The symbolism of Colin watching over Kendall is also important in that sense.

The symbolism of water and rebirth and death and the unconscious and the shadow… there are so many. It would be disingenuous to say I have an answer to [the theme of water] that is specific, but, I do think that in a way, he’s linked to that water line. He’s always right there on that line of trying to keep his head above water. But the undertow is there. It’s always there, threatening to submerge him. That’s his addiction. That’s the nothing that Roman says that he is. That sense that he is nothing, will sink him. He needs to stay above it.

Tom Becoming CEO At The End Of Succession Made Way More Sense Than I Thought It Would

Tom Wambsgans knew how to play the game

As heartbreaking as it was seeing Kendall lose again, I was not surprised that he did not become CEO. I was surprised, however, with how well the idea of Tom winning it all worked. Tom becoming CEO of Waystar was a relatively popular theory, yet many feared it could turn out to be another “Bran becomes king” type of reveal. Fortunately, Succession’s ultimate twist worked much better than Game of Thrones’. Tom as CEO made a lot of sense, especially because of how well he pitched himself to Matsson.

Tom was proving that he was Matsson’s perfect CEO without even realizing it. When Tom didn’t attend Logan Roy’s funeral because he was busy at work, Matsson realized there was nothing Shiv’s husband wouldn’t do to keep his job. Shiv, whose ending was as tragic as that of Kendall, also made a great pitch on Tom’s behalf without realizing it. She described her husband as someone who would do anything without complaining, which is exactly what Lukas needed. Tom was arguably the best player in Succession, and the finale rewarded him for it.

Succession’s Perfect Finale Confirmed It As One Of The Best HBO Shows Of All Time

Succession stuck the landing

Given how even some of the best TV shows of all time couldn’t stick the landing, what Succession accomplished cannot be taken for granted. “With Open Eyes” may not have given me the happily ever after I wanted for Kendall, Shiv, and Roman, but it was a fantastic finale nonetheless. Strangely enough, a happy ending for Succession’s main characters would likely have made the finale much worse. There was not an easy way out for the Roy siblings after an entire life of lies, deception, and trauma, all of which originated from Logan.

Logan Roy’s death in Succession was a huge turning point for the show, as it allowed the siblings to reveal their deepest insecurities and flaws without the shadow of the “big man.” Succession’s finale highlights that the siblings were “not serious people” after all, although Logan is to blame for it. Intense, funny, and truthful to everything the series builds up, “With Open Eyes” should be a benchmark for how to wrap up a show as good as Succession. Hopefully, Kendall Roy can pick up the pieces and be happy even without his one true dream, though I don’t think that will happen.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter

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