Succession ending explained: Revisiting the dramatic finale of the HBO series(& why it’s considered the best)

Succession has a way of always keeping the audience at a distance. The last moments of Succession practically shout that they are going to be full of enigmas. The first scene of the final episode signals that this is not a story racing toward glory or disaster, but toward inevitability.

Consequently, after four seasons of power struggles formed by pride, insecurity, and legacy, Succession finishes by narrowing its gaze to an unnoticed choice that silently changes everything. There is nothing like exiting through the main gate, no release of feelings, and no one declared the winner.

However, the series finale puts forward a quiet ending where the characters’ vices count more than their ambitions, and where the power is not lost through anarchy but through selection. It is this tempered strategy that causes the conclusion of Succession to linger on, simply because it parallels how power usually changes hands in real life.

Where does the Succession finale begin?

The last chapter of Succession takes place against the background of Logan Roy’s unexpected death, and the impending sale of Waystar Royco to GoJo, a technology firm run by Lukas Matsson, which is notoriously unreceptive to and aggressive in trying to take over its competition.

Literally in the absence of their domineering father, the siblings, the Roys, begin to fight for the family empire even before the lawyers have moved in. The Roys present a united front and initially agree to block the sale, enabling them to retain family control, positioning Kendall as acting CEO.

However, this accord is on shaky ground right from the beginning. Each brother or sister continues to pursue their own interests, which very much resembles the storyline that Succession everybody has been watching all along.

The boardroom vote that determines all

The key event of the Succession finale is the Waystar board vote that decides whether the company will be sold to GoJo or not. Even though this turning point is not very spectacular, it is still the series’ climax because of its finality.

Kendall thinks he has enough power to vote against the deal. Roman emotionally withdraws, and Shiv is uncertain. The defining tension in the episode is her doubt. The vote itself is conducted in a quiet manner, which is in line with Succession’s adherence to the real rather than the dramatic.

Kendall Roy’s ultimate collapse

Kendall Roy walks into the finale thinking that the power of the company is finally his. Over the course of the series, Kendall has always seen himself as the one who should take over from Logan. But his assertiveness soon becomes a mess when confronted. The situation gets heated when Shiv recalls the waiter’s death and Kendal’s part in it, talking about Season 1. Instead of taking the blame, Kendall refuses to acknowledge that the incident ever happened. This is a key point.

In Succession, trust always goes hand in hand with taking responsibility, and Kendall’s avoidance of his past reveals the same weakness that has always been his downfall. He does not lose all of a sudden and unfairly; it is a buildup.

Shiv Roy's vote: Emotion and calculation

The moment that sparked most discussions around the Succession finale is Shiv Roy's final decision to support the GoJo deal. Her turn of events stops Kendall from taking over the position of the CEO, and it also guarantees that the Roys will no longer be the ones who control Waystar. Shiv lets it be known that she cannot tolerate Kendall as a leader. Yet, her action is not totally emotional.

By endorsing the selling of Waystar, Shiv places herself nearer to the power than she would be if Kendall were the one in charge, especially with the fact that she is married to Tom Wambsgans, the one Matsson is on good terms with. The show does not give a moral perspective on this issue. Shiv does not come out a victor, but she does not allow herself to be defeated because Kendall has set.

Roman Roy's quiet exit

Roman Roy's story wraps up with disengagement as opposed to defeat. After trying and failing to gain Logan’s power and going through a complete emotional breakdown at his father’s funeral, Roman gives up the competition completely.

By the end of the series, Roman no longer needed approval or power. His retirement brings about the idea of acceptance rather than change. In a show exclusively about cut-throat ambition, Roman is the only child who quits the fight.

Tom Wambsgans becomes CEO

Among the many ironies of the show, perhaps the most surprising is that Tom Wambsgans becomes the CEO of Waystar Royco once again, this time under GoJo's management. Lukas Matsson is making a good choice by picking Tom, as he is the one who will not give him any hard time.

So, Tom is the new CEO but not his own master. His power is only there as long as Matsson allows it. This consequence helps reiterate a key theme of the series: Often, it is the people least emotionally involved in the power struggle that actually have power.

Lukas Matsson and the move away from legacy power

Lukas Matsson is a new corporate model in Succession, one who does not care about legacy, loyalty, or family tradition. His purchase of Waystar signifies a transition away from inherited power more generally. The infighting among the Roy siblings makes them an easy target for a takeover. Succession does not present this as wrong; rather, it does so as a matter of course.

Should we still ask if Logan Roy is the one who decides the outcome?

Some interpretations of Succession argue that Logan Roy had set up a system where none of his kids would become his successor. The series does not provide explicit confirmation of this, but the last episode does imply that Logan’s way of leading was such that he created dependency rather than competence.

You may choose to consider this reading as a hypothesis rather than a fact. However, what Succession does make apparent is that Logan’s absence reveals the extent to which his children are unprepared to function without him.

What makes the Succession finale feel complete?

The finale of Succession is complete in the sense that it does not resort to any kind of fake resolution. The disruptions in relationships are still there. The aspirations are still there, unfulfilled. Life goes on.

None of the characters undergoes any kind of redemptive change. Rather, the results of each one do correspond to the already established patterns. It is precisely this narrative consistency that makes the finale resonate instead of catching us by surprise.

Succession wraps up by reiterating its main point: Power is not an inheritance, and ambition will not guarantee anyone control. By not giving any of the Roy brothers and sisters a definitive win, the series has been consistent with its own reasoning.

The end of the series does not give a prize to the one who works the hardest or to the one who has the best plans; it simply shows the events that unfold as a consequence. Through this, Succession provides an ending that seems to be limited, plausible, and exhaustive in terms of theme.