How Does "Succession" End?

Is what you think the same as what you want? Time to be serious people about it.

This is a free post. But thanks to every “Succession” fan and paid subscriber who has followed along on The Box Set deconstructions this season. I’ll have the final one on Monday morning after the season finale. And, as a reminder, you get a lot more when you subscribe.

This is the time. We’ve talked about “Succession” all season and plenty of theories have emerged in the comments section and, of course, I’ve naturally put some of mine in the deconstructions throughout the season. But this is the time to say how you think it will end and — if they are indeed different versions — how you want it to end.

I’ll start by reiterating a few of my own theories with some new thoughts added and then you can — and should — run with it until Sunday evening.

1. I said last week that it would make a lot of sense for Mencken to sign off on the deal (or help steer it away from being blocked) only if he knew that the American CEO of this foreign sale would be someone he could absolutely trust — if not manipulate — so that rules out Shiv immediately since she’s already said bad things about him (nor do I really trust Matsson to trust Shiv). From that, I said the perfect choice might be Connor. I’m going to stick with that. Mencken doesn’t need to give him Slovenia when he can give him ATN. And hell, Connor has already bought his dad’s old house. On top of all that, the lost/forgotten lamb, as opposed to the black sheep, gets his father’s company. I mean, he is the oldest son, after all. It works on a number of levels.

2. I would be less excited from a believability angle — but it would probably be funnier — if it went to Greg. I don’t see it. I see the laughter, but I don’t see it. Unlike with Connor — him being an actual Roy — Greg is likely to tank the stock price and there’s the whole matter of his grandfather (and Logan’s brother) having that tirade against all the things that Logan wrought. It serves no one to have a tear-it-down CEO puppet-master pulling Greg’s strings.

3. Don’t sleep on this deal falling through because the election falls through. Since “Succession” was originally focused on a Rupert Murdoch figure and the manipulation of the media to crown a president, it’s certainly possible that Mencken stays the victor or there’s a Supreme Court ruling, which then would have echoes of both Biden-Trump and Gore-Bush with the overriding premise (right wing media manipulation) still intact. However, the difficult thing about this season of “Succession” is that Trump didn’t win a second term and if the whole point so far has been a reverse-rehash of Biden-Trump, then why? Doesn’t that seem too easy? A simple flip of history — as the show stands now — doesn’t scream creative twist. But if Mencken loses, the votes tossed or redone, then the show has a fresher ending and the implosion of Mencken likely takes down the entire deal and ATN calling it for him ruins the channel in the stock market and the Roys have a broken disosaur that not even Living+ can save. Maybe the end is Mencken loses, democracy triumphs and the Roys live in their father’s useless burned down business. They all lose.

4. If you like the Shakespeare “King Lear” theory then it’s probably Tom, yes? Can’t rule it out. It’s the one theory that I don’t love (the Greg thing I just don’t believe) but one I could be persuaded to love based on how successfully they make that case on Sunday. Again, it’s plausible. That’s why I’m including it. And Tom could theoretically get CEO through the right machinations in scenarios that both include Shiv and also don’t. It’s arguably believable that he throws her under the bus and also that he doesn’t. I would have to see the execution of that because I’m not sure it satisfies.

I don’t really have a fifth theory. I’m sticking with Connor. And that just so happens to be how I want it to end. (Unless Marcia is coyly and calculatingly holding the real last will and testament in a shocking end, which would be lovely but also incredibly unlikely at this point).

The one ending I don’t want is some kind of vague washout. Like it could fall one of five ways depending on a court ruling somewhere in the future that we don’t see. We only get the kids, all burned out horrible husks, left with a Pyrrhic victory. No. I don’t want that. You might as well just give it to Colin, the driver.

So, I’m sticking with Connor, but won’t rule out one of the other three options above. Let me know your thoughts — how does it end, how do you wish it will end.

And, go.