Legacy: How does the series end?

Please note, the following details are the plot of the last episode of the series Succession available with Warner Pass. If you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want to know anything about its content, I suggest you stop reading this article now.

The series Succession, launched in the summer of 2018 by the cable channel HBO, has become, against all odds, a worthy successor to Game of Thrones. This dive into New York’s business community, a kind of unofficial biopic of billionaire Rupert Murdoch inspired by William Shakespeare’s Richard III, is one of the most popular TV series of recent years.

The announcement a few weeks ago that the show was ending at the end of the fourth season had an electric shock effect. But the move was also hailed as a smart one, a sign that the show’s success won’t cause creator Jesse Armstrong to shoot too many seasons.

The red thread of the series was the identity of Logan Roy’s future successor. Plagued by health problems from the first episode, the angry character played by Brian Cox nevertheless clings to the reins of his media empire, despite the conspiracies of his enemies and – most often – his own children.

From the third episode of season 4, Logan’s death changed the cards completely. Several times, her three children Kendall, Shiv, and Roman tried to put aside their differences to move forward together before their egos and their self-interests finally took over.

And the winner is…

By disappearing without leaving a designated heir, has Logan Roy brought an end to his empire in spite of himself? Or was it a deliberate choice to teach their children that the business world should not overcome their family unity? His sudden death, which occurred in the process of selling his business, hastened the succession process in any case.

Over the course of four seasons, Logan’s three children (the eldest, Connor, who aspires to a political career) have used every maneuver to seize control of the family business. But the series, meanwhile, has done its best to prove to us that none of them truly deserve Logan’s success.

The last episode of Succession finally lifted the veil on the identity of the “successor” and, in the end, it was not a big surprise that the choice fell on Tom Wambsgans. A character from the shadows who already proved his loyalty to Logan at the end of season 3 by deciding to betray Roy’s siblings and primarily his own wife Shiva.

A child of marriage and not a child of blood, Tom became in the eyes of fans of the series the only candidate who deserves to be the successor of Logan Roy. The choice came at the end of a tumultuous board meeting, during which a final betrayal cost Kendall her “coronation”, previously celebrated by her brother and sister, who returned for a disturbing sequence, spoiled by three mean and rotten children.

Kendall, the uncrowned king

In recent weeks, Roman has emerged unopposed in the final business succession battle, preferring to join Kendall’s ranks to stop the Shiv-backed business from being sold. Lucas Matson’s betrayal was a game-changer; Warned by Greg, the latter finally decided to support his brother’s position behind the decisive vote to sign the sale of the group to the Swedish billionaire.

Before his appointment as king, Kendall still saw a dream escape him with a voice. In any case, it would not be fair for the latter to triumph, after all the crimes committed in pursuit of his ambitions.

Neither manipulation nor intimidation could change Shiva’s voice, ultimately favoring a husband she no longer truly loves. So it’s a triumphant Tom who appears at the end of the episode, ready to cut off the heads of those deemed unworthy to appear in this new empire of which he will not really be the leader, but rather a “showcase” to quote. Matson’s words.

Like Logan, a cold Tom shows the last form of humanity, forgiving his loyal Greg for betrayal. Torn between his desire for fortune and his desire to be accepted by his cousins, the latter is now completely devoted to the cause of his mentor.

No winners, but a few losers

The end of the legacy remains open. Of the three children, Roman is the one whose story ends best. In order to protect herself from Kendall’s physical abuse, the younger sibling manages to stand up to her brother, something she never managed to do with her father before.

The end of Shiva’s story is more bitter. An ardent supporter of Waystar’s sale to Matsson, the latter eventually voted out the Swede only to deny Kendall access to the head of the company. Here she is now a captive of a marriage with a man who has become a carbon copy of her father.

Finally, fall is the scariest for Kendall. But the latter can consider himself satisfied to end the series as a free man. The blood that stains his hands and his attitude towards his family (brother, sister, ex-wife and children) condemned him to stay alone for a long time.

This Legacy finale answers major story questions, but also leaves many unanswered. Starting with the future of the protagonists, we don’t know what consequences this sale of the family business will have on their respective careers.

In which category this ending will fall, the future will tell. Will it join the list of open-ended and thus disappointing endings like The Sopranos finale and this final image that continue to haunt fans’ memories? Or was the episode at the end of the series considered complete, like Six Feet Under?

At least one thing is certain: the end of Succession will leave viewers with a much better memory than the farewell of Game of Thrones, which is considered by the majority of the public to be missed. Thus ended one of the most emblematic series of its time. Now it remains to be seen which series will play it…

All four seasons of Succession are now available on Warner Pass, available as an option on the Amazon Prime Video platform!