[WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for the series finale of “Succession.”]
After 4 seasons, “Succession” has come to an end — and Waystar RoyCo has a recent CEO.
Within the 90-minute series finale, creator Jesse Armstrong wrapped up a string of conflicts, but ultimately had the goal of answering the query everyone has been asking since Season 1 premiered in 2018: Who will succeed Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as CEO?
There have been some ways the ending could’ve gone: Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) could’ve filled his father’s shoes — as Logan may or may not have wanted from the looks of the underline/cross-out on his official document, Kendall and Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) could’ve stayed on as co-CEOs, GoJo could have acquired Waystar with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) coming out on top and naming Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) as CEO, in addition to many other possibilities.
Ultimately, the opening left by the death of Logan Roy could only be filled by one person.
Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 10, “With Open Eyes” are below, so stop scrolling now in case you don’t need to know who got the crown.
Who’s the brand new CEO of Waystar RoyCo?
While it was all the time presumed that Logan Roy’s successor can be within the family bloodline, it didn’t exactly prove that way.
Neither Kendall, Roman, Shiv — or Connor (Alan Ruck), for that matter — ended up being the heir to the media mogul’s throne.
After Matsson decided he wasn’t going to call Shiv because the CEO of the corporate, an unsuspecting person filled her in on who it could be.
“Shiv, it is best to probably know: it’s me,” Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) told his wife.
What happened with the GoJo deal?
As noted above, Greg came upon by translating a conversation in Swedish that Matsson was not actually planning on giving the CEO title to Shiv, as he promised he would.
Upon checking out she was screwed over, Shiv hopped back on board along with her brothers to dam the GoJo deal.
Yet when it got here time to solid votes on the board meeting, it comes right down to a six-six tie — with Shiv because the tiebreaker. She excused herself from the room to think over what she really wants: standing behind her brothers or her husband and father of her child.
Ultimately, Shiv decides that Kendall isn’t right for the job and tells him, “I really like you, really I really like you but I cannot f–king stomach you.” Roman agrees and every thing falls apart for the siblings, bringing up the past and hitting one another where it hurts most.
As Kendall and Roman fight over miscellaneous past events — similar to Kendall’s part within the death of the waiter at Shiv’s wedding and Kendall’s adoptive children not technically being a part of the “bloodline” — Shiv goes and casts her vote for the GoJo deal, putting Waystar within the hands of Matsson.
Which Roy sibling would have been CEO in the event that they blocked the deal?
As per usual, a big portion of the episode saw Kendall, Roman and Shiv fighting over which of the three of them ought to be named CEO of their concrete plan to present to the board. All three of them shared that Logan at one point or one other promised them the title and the corporate.
After going backwards and forwards, Shiv and Roman determine that their options are to either kill Kendall or give him CEO. They quip that murder is “an excessive amount of admin,” so that they determine he can be the one to take over.
What happens to the Roy siblings in the long run?
The top of the episode shows Tom marching into Waystar like he runs the place — because he does.
While within the office, Tom guarantees cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), “I got you,” essentially landing him security in the corporate.
As for the siblings, Shiv is seen riding away in a automotive with Tom, weirdly placing her hand on his as he offers his hand to carry. It’s presumed that their marriage will stay alive in the long run, and eventually, they’ll have their child together.
Roman results in a bar with a martini, possibly feeling the burden of his father’s pressure lifted from his shoulders.
And in the ultimate shot of all the series, Kendall — who told his siblings that if he doesn’t get the corporate he thinks he “might die” — is seen walking through a park and sitting on a bench watching the sunset on the day he learned he won’t be CEO. Logan’s bodyguard Colin (Scott Nicholson) follows him from afar watching over him.
Kendall may not have gotten the corporate from his father, but he did get Colin — who Logan referred to earlier within the season as his “best friend.”
Your entire series of “Succession” is now streaming on Max.
