IMO, it was totally a Shakespearean ending, specifically Hamlet. The family all kill each other and a new king from the frozen north marches in to take over. "I'm the eldest boy!" is as grand a death scene as you can get... metaphorically, of course ;) Great video!
Yes deffo there are shakespearean elements to Tom taking over- Albany Kent and Edgar split the throne at the end of Lear, a bit like Mattson Tom and Greggy?
I am a BIG FAN-OLD-LADY of both Shakespeare, Succession and YOUR interpretations. Can I offer mine briefly? Thx. ( C , I am hip-replaced)😂 No one has mentioned that having a baby can dramatically change the lives of Tom and Shiv. Especially given the Roy family “ model parenting “ model. IMO being raised by a single narcissist mom made me raise my son with THE MOST LOVING AND KIND HUSBAND. And I wasn’t too shabby meself. Yes, the poison could drip through to grandbaby but she/he non-binary baby also stands a chance of becoming a midwestern lawyer who knows a lot about wine. Love your channel ❤
I was describing the finale to a friend and i summed it up to “everyone finds out they aren’t the guy” I feel like conor figures out early on he isn’t the “main character” and he seems to be at peace with it. The last scene with him showing the video of his dad acting normal with coworkers and Conor was kind of a warning and a fuck you at the same time. “See i got a normal dad relationship while you all tried to be him and shut him out”
Him bringing sourdough starter in the beginning is really interesting in hindsight, at first it seems like he just has no idea what's going on, but going back it's a really respectable attempt to treat his dad like a human
Building on this Tom works because he’s always acknowledged he isn’t the guy. And he still isn’t the guy just to clarify. But he knows where he stands.
@@rheawelsh4142 especially with the earlier conversation between Shiv and tom where he's unsure of what to get him and Shiv is just like "he won't care just get him something thats 10,000 dollars" and it gets used later on to bribe a family to not expose how shitty roman is.
@@cb1784 That too. like he didn't win anything but he appears to be the guy. The guy who will get all the credit as America's Roystar CEO and not Kendall. Like he knows hes there to just eat the shit of the company and thats why he hires greg so he can dish it out on some one that he feels superior too.
Succession feels more like a domestic tragedy than a Shakespearean as there are numerous metaphorical deaths but no restoration of order or purging of evil which just exacerbates the devastation of the ending for the siblings
Totally agree that Roman kinda comes out the best of the 3 siblings. Also putting my Romangerri goggles on as well, Roman in his last scene orders a martini, Gerri's drink, and the implication I got is that he's thinking about her. Roman is right back to where it started but he seems to be looking back at least valuing his relationship with Gerri, even though he knows he fucked it. He doesn't attempt to reach out to her and in fact that they're the ONLY couple that aren't forced together at the end. Tom/Shiv, Tom/Greg, Colin/Kendall (?) and Connor/Willa are forever miserably intertwined. It's not exactly a happy ending but it does suggest that even if Roman recognizes he and his family are nothing, he sees Gerri as real. The only real thing he sort of created in these 4 seasons and only after he's ruined it does he see its value now. His father knew it would hurt him to 'kill' Gerri and it was his first and last act of rebellion towards his father to express his anger at being forced to. After his death, he's once again defying his father and thinking about the woman he cares about that that his father hated that he cared for. He's now free of the burden of pretending to want this thing he's never really wanted and can define himself as anything now, which is both hopeful and terrifying. Am I possibly reading too much of Roman and Gerri into this moment? Maybe but his ending is so ambiguous, I think it's a valid reading. Have loved your videos on Succession!
i felt the same way in a sense. it felt like he ordered it as a nod to the only person who actually believed in him during his time at waystar or ever amidst all of the nothingness. she was the only one that saw something in him. he wasn't just the court jester. in the end he is bs but at least for a brief moment compared to all the other kids he had someone in his corner for real until it didn't server her. i dont see them romantically but she was his mentor
I'll go a step further and say that he even has sort of a newfound respect for her considering how hard he tried to mess with her and how unimportant all of it was to her cuz she's still sitting on the board. She best at him. He respects her for it and he wants to be more like her
re Kendall and water, if we want to get Freudian about it (something else the show is seething with imo), water represents emotion in dream theory. That final scene where he's just sitting there staring out at the bay, trying to come to grips with all the emotional upheaval but the sudden silence of the score...he's struck dumb, so to speak. He doesn't know HOW to feel, as in doesn't know how to do emotion like a normal person anymore because of the *gestures wildly at everything* we've seen throughout the show. IA with people saying Roman's ending was the 'hope spot'. Ironic considering he's the most fucked up of the three of them but he never pretends otherwise
It seems to me that the water for Kendall represents the amniotic fluid in the fetus as the last moment of fusion with his mother. Same theme with the "reconstruction" his vagina's mother in "Too much party". IMHO
‘One that made business sense and one that made sense “dramaturgically”’ killed me 😂 I love Jeremy’s unique vocabulary. Also that clip of Robert is a great find, what a bizarrely perfect connection lol
I mistrusted Tom from the start as I've worked around so many people like him in my professional life, zero principles except getting ahead, so many issues with his character the whole way through, it made sense how he "won" in the end. I adore your succession videos, i really hope your channel blows up!
YES! I had the same read on Kendall staring out at the water and am equally happy Jesse cut out Kendall trying to jump in. Kendall killing himself is tragic but it's not a tragedy we haven't seen before. His struggle with addiction can be read as him chasing that specter of death as much as it is him trying to numb the pain of having to live. What we hadn't seen before was Kendall having to sit and live with every delusion and lie he told himself/was told to him being removed, leaving just the exposed truth that without his name, without the legacy Logan built, and with him cutting out every aspect of him that makes him human, he has no choice but to see his nothingness. I also was reminded of Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem". Very different contexts for sure, but that idea of leaving it up to the audience to come to their own answer to the question of "What happens to a dream deferred," while ending with this very ominous image of it potentially exploding was exactly the vibe Kendall was giving on that bench. Great vid!
I think the common denominator with the Kendall's experiences around water is that he has lost control. His actions have little effect on whether the water gives to or takes from him. In a sense, he is not the main character, the water is. Contrast that to his image of his father, who was "a world" of a person unto himself, not always making the optimal decision, but always seizing a position of control in every situation. Kendall was more like a boat adrift in a current, thinking he was pulling the rest of the world towards him.
Can't get enough of these. The comic timing of the editing of clips is as great as the comic timing within each clip. I'd like to see one of these on comic timing, but even higher on my wish list is a Shakespearian take on Season 3 of The Wire. What are you watching now that Succession is done?
Thanks for watching and taking the time to write this lovely comment! There is a Succession sized hole in my heart and haven't found anything to fill it yet - but i've never watched The Wire or The Sapranos (blasphemy i know) so maybe they're next? I'd recommend The Thick Of It if you haven't watched it already
@@ov3rthinkingit I loved The Thick of It and In the Loop - I wish they'd do more of those - but The Wire - you've gotta do that - it's in a whole different category from The Sopranos, which is hilarious and great, but The Wire ... that's the one! And there's some stuff with Avon, his sister, and Stringer that seems *really* Shakespearean.
Someone else on RUclips compared the three siblings eulogies to the three Lear children professing their love to him And they said that Roman was like Cordelia as Cordelia says “nothing”, and Roman physically isn’t able to speak And they both get exiled in a way! Cordelia to France and Roman to Barbados I found it so interesting!
i have no insight to add but just wanted to tell you thank you, thank you, and thank you for the dedication and care you put into writing and editing and putting this all together. this is such a lucid, concise, and brilliant interpretation of the ending of succession that I’ll be thinking about for years to come! Looking forward to seeing more videos!
Another great video. It’s great to see someone who understands English literature (and Peep Show) explain just how many levels Succession is working on. I saw another video the other day talking about how Succession became self-aware in the fourth season, starting with Logan’s “congratulations on saying the biggest number” which really set the nothingness/bullshit/empty tone for the rest of the season as all of the characters realise that they’re not the guy - except maybe Tom but even still he’s more a puppet CEO than a king. Logan lambasted Kendall for missing work to show up to his birthday party in the pilot whereas Tom missed Logan’s funeral so he could work. Tom acted pretty chill when Mattson told him he wanted to fuck Shiv. Tom, as someone who didn’t come from wealth, was the one able to appreciate the comforts the most and work hard to make sure he didn’t lose them, which made him the most amenable and the most two-faced. In the first season he would often reveal his true thoughts to Greg like a soliloquy before putting on the corporate smile and kissing ass. Regarding the siblings, they really reminded me of the El Dude Brothers in Peep Show but also Walter White in that their failures are so often the result of failing to form good relationships with people and pathologically fucking up a good thing. While materially nothing really changed for the siblings, like Mark and Jez still living together after 9 seasons, the wider world is also irreparably fucked, like the siblings getting a fascist elected or Walt getting loads of people killed and psychologically scarring his family. Like Walt, there were so many clearly marked better choices to make but they were so personally invested in the bullshit they couldn’t help but constantly paint themselves into corners. They could’ve been at that dinner party, joking with Connor, Logan and Gerri if they got over this idea that they’re the guy so their tragedy is that they would’ve been a lot happier if they just realised it’s not that deep and it never was
I think Shiv wanted to be her dad and detested her mom, that's why she was the more powerful one in her relationship with Tom and she cheated even before her marriage. But her fate was to end up exactly like her mom and she accepted this. For instance she drank alcohol and did drugs during her pregnancy, which points to a bad mother as motherhood is mostly sacrificing what you love and desire for your child. And she is now the wife of the CEO and she knows he doesn't love her.
I contributed at least five views to your previous succession video and was waiting for your thoughts on the remaining episodes. Now I can finally put this show to rest and wander into nothingness.
i dropped everything when i saw this on my feed! was very excited to hear your thoughts on the ending since it was surprisingly divisive. i saw a tweet that said that there are people who watched succession to see how it would end and others who watched it for the characters, and it was generally the character fans who were more satisfied. i love how you explained the concept of nothingness here. i was never quite able to put my finger on what it was exactly about roman's "we're all bullshit!" line in the finale, but it's such a brilliant callback to the first season. the macbeth parallel is brilliant, and i also loved how you pointed out the final moment of silence with kendall on the bench! this is a very disorganized comment lol but this was lots of fun to watch. :)
Thank you for overthinking it all. I was waiting for your take here in Switzerland and I'm about to share it with my cousin in Venezuela. We bond through good s..t like this. Love to you and all who are yours.
Amazing video. What a show. But also thank you so much for mentioning The Love song of j Alfred prufrock it's my absolute favorite poem.! And that video, man I LOVE peep show and had no idea Jesse Armstrong had written for it.
@@ov3rthinkingit Minnesota is the best state in the US (in my opinion) and Tom being from there (the bougier and decidedly less cool half of the Twin-Cities) is so perfect to me. Him having this clunky German last name and this Midwestern cultural affect of “niceness” and passive-aggression I think really elegantly shows the future of fascism in the US: euphemism, politeness, and ruthless kiss-assery
Out of all the succession content I have consumed, yours is by far the most high quality. I hope you get to the subscriber numbers you deserve. I can say I will be a fan until you do
I will also need to get a new personality now that it’s over 🤣🤣. I think Shiv’s ending was the most grim. I don’t think she’ll be pulling the strings on Tom. She’s my favorite though.
There are no strings to pull, Tom has no power whatsoever, an empty suit like she said. I understand why she voted for the deal, but I'll never understand her decision to stay with Tom, especially after the nasty things he said to her in the balcony. Grim is an understatement :/
It seems like Roman's ending is the most "uplifting", now that he's free from all the corporate BS. None of them got nothing. Very King Lear-ish. Great video!
Besides of how well made this video is I’m also really pleased with your use of underrated lines like, “DUR!!” “I feel like I might die” “Let the good times roll”
Great analysis...in the end...almost everyone lost...yes including Tom and especially Greg: Roman - some make some great points about how he gets to finally just move on with his life...but he's revolved so much of his life being a well-compensated groupie of the company which also gave him daily access to his secret mommy crush Geri. Of course he wins in the sense of being able to collect a fat check but now has to find a new routine & purpose in life without having any foundation to do just that. Kendall - Ditto as Roman in terms of wins/losses....but the pain of his loss is further amplified for obvious reasons which I won't discuss because it's been done ad nauseum. Biggest losers of the vote going through would be majority of the old guard whom he would've protected almost unconditionally. Frank - A rare winner...as he was apathetic & looked close to signing off regardless. Karl/Hugo - Big losers for their careerist ambitions. Obviously didn't receive any protection under new ownership. Geri - She retains her job and wins in that sense but with less protection under new ownership. Keep in mind Logan trusted his top brass confidants moreso than his family as Kendall would've protected that old guard. Tom - Dare I say...loser? Would've had more stability being a department head under a family business that would've protected him at all costs. Now he gets to be a "yes man" cuck slave CEO opposed to a "partner" which Matsson did not want whatsoever. Congrats to him on becoming CEO but also a strong chance he may have just secured the position on "temporary placeholder" terms until Matsson buys more time to do his due diligence regarding who he really wants. Greg - Gets to keep his job...has less stability while not being protected under the "family business" label once again...has to take a pay cut. Obvious loser Shiv - Loser...becomes the wife of a CEO aka basically her miserable mother whom she claimed as never wanting to replicate in terms of her own life direction. Proceeds collected from the sale make her a winner however much like Roman/Kendall. Connor - Winner...gets to collect proceeds and never wanted anything to do with the family business. Mild loser in the sense that he doesn't get to orbit around as many upper echelon spheres of influences that the family business afforded him in the past. Less mental baggage overall with regards to the fate of the family business make him a winner.
Very VERY GOOD analysis. Only one thing to add which just this moment occurred to me. Logan tells Tom at some point to basically shut up until you can say you’re giving me a grandchild. Well, Logan won. Posthumously, but it’s still a win and this time, a REAL PERSON IS INVOLVED.
I'm sorry, I'm just starting the video but I need to give a shout out to all Roman Roy Girlies (it's me, I am Roman Roy Girlies,) for having the best taste in Little Pathetic Meow Meows
This just happened to pop up in my suggestions, and I'm happy that it did. I enjoyed your review and your presentation on this, and on your other 'Succession' post. I watched some of your other videos, and found them equally entertaining and informative, so I'm happy to be a new subscriber. Thanks!
Love both your succession videos and the effort you put in. I didn't even notice the alfred prufrock reference, thanks for sharing and please do more!:)
About Shiv, Jesse Armstrong spoke about Non-Victory and Non-Defeat. The end of Shiv/Tom's story arc resembles Elaine/Ben's bittersweet ending in The graduate, with Kendall replacing ex-groom Carl who was dumped in the middle of the wedding ceremony. End of the SCRIPT BOOK for Shiv and Tom in the car : An accomodation, an equilibrium, that could last with a certain stabilty, proxy wars and detentes for many years to come..nothing needy from either side. A queen and a prince. Two bombs transported with great care. She has her Non-Victory, like her brothers, in the Succession, but she may have her Non-Defeat in being able to have the "real relationship" she asked Tom for. Note that Shiv and Tom kept their wedding rings all the season 4. Except Tom who doesn't have it at the start of e1 but has it at the end of it.
Your reading is great. People keep forgetting Succession is a comedy and comparing it only to *serious epic drama* in an attempt to aggrandise (it and themselves). They even seem to forget that Shakespeare wrote very influential comedies. On a related note I keep telling Americans that everything is Shakespeare here. All our ice creams at the ice cream van are named after characters from Shakespeare. And we are all actually descended from Shakespeare. And Succession only got funded because it used a grant from the British Shakespeare Council. They believe it. Here for the main character energy video, will wait patiently... here.
I like that I finished the show last night, went on a walk today with my dog while listening to the first video, then it finished and the follow up was done
Queeen I love you for this!! Where can I buy that shirt you are wearing??? And I also have to find a new personality cause this show was my life lmao I’m te watching it over again.
I cannot believe I didn't know Succession and Peep Show were made by the same guy. It makes so much sense, holy shit I am embarrased. Both your videos on Succession are amazing, by the way. For the first time in my life I am actually interested in reading some Shakespeare.
Shiv’s ending was tragic in that she is destined to become her mother, the person she hates the most, but I wasn’t sad for her. She’s the architect of her final state. She abused the hell out of Tom, draining out every bit of genuine love he had for her, tried to screw her siblings with Mattson, and tanked the final deal which would have her be a high ranking member of the company. She ends up as the wife of a CEO who doesn’t even hold power over the company, and they’re both under Mattson, who could replace Tom as easily as he appointed him. His authority is predicated on how long he can keep bowing for Mattson. Every single angle you can look at, she caused, and ended up being under the man who was considered beneath her originally.
Please review Mrs Maisel, I have mixed feelings about the main character (maybe her acting) and can’t explain whyyy maybe you can explain what’s unsettling about Miriam! pretty please 😬
Speaking as a very big fan, it did indeed end at the right moment and way. Just a note or 2 on Tom and Greg: hope Tom got a really good golden parachute deal from Waystar, he is going to need and sooner than he thinks. And Greg, that sniveling little POS, should have been booted back to the amusement park. I always saw Greg as the least necessary and least interesting character.
I just wonder if the sad I’d be without Succession is less than the sad I get from watching Succession.
Oh hi Tom
Oh my god
Tom?
Incredibly accurate.
This… is amazing ❤
IMO, it was totally a Shakespearean ending, specifically Hamlet. The family all kill each other and a new king from the frozen north marches in to take over. "I'm the eldest boy!" is as grand a death scene as you can get... metaphorically, of course ;) Great video!
Yes deffo there are shakespearean elements to Tom taking over- Albany Kent and Edgar split the throne at the end of Lear, a bit like Mattson Tom and Greggy?
ATUN SHEI UR SO COOL ILY
I am a BIG FAN-OLD-LADY of both Shakespeare, Succession and YOUR interpretations. Can I offer mine briefly? Thx. ( C , I am hip-replaced)😂 No one has mentioned that having a baby can dramatically change the lives of Tom and Shiv. Especially given the Roy family “ model parenting “ model.
IMO being raised by a single narcissist mom made me raise my son with THE MOST LOVING AND KIND HUSBAND. And I wasn’t too shabby meself. Yes, the poison could drip through to grandbaby but she/he non-binary baby also stands a chance of becoming a midwestern lawyer who knows a lot about wine. Love your channel ❤
@@ov3rthinkingityeah I mean this has been King Lear 💀
@@ov3rthinkingit Lady Macbeth
It's fine. I'm actually fine. The line "I am like a cog built to fit only one machine" hasn't been stuck in my head for the past 3 weeks
never clicked on anything so fast in my life
Same!😊
Same here
yeah, same
I was describing the finale to a friend and i summed it up to “everyone finds out they aren’t the guy”
I feel like conor figures out early on he isn’t the “main character” and he seems to be at peace with it. The last scene with him showing the video of his dad acting normal with coworkers and Conor was kind of a warning and a fuck you at the same time. “See i got a normal dad relationship while you all tried to be him and shut him out”
Him bringing sourdough starter in the beginning is really interesting in hindsight, at first it seems like he just has no idea what's going on, but going back it's a really respectable attempt to treat his dad like a human
Building on this Tom works because he’s always acknowledged he isn’t the guy. And he still isn’t the guy just to clarify. But he knows where he stands.
@@rheawelsh4142 especially with the earlier conversation between Shiv and tom where he's unsure of what to get him and Shiv is just like "he won't care just get him something thats 10,000 dollars" and it gets used later on to bribe a family to not expose how shitty roman is.
@@cb1784 That too. like he didn't win anything but he appears to be the guy. The guy who will get all the credit as America's Roystar CEO and not Kendall. Like he knows hes there to just eat the shit of the company and thats why he hires greg so he can dish it out on some one that he feels superior too.
Succession feels more like a domestic tragedy than a Shakespearean as there are numerous metaphorical deaths but no restoration of order or purging of evil which just exacerbates the devastation of the ending for the siblings
Totally agree that Roman kinda comes out the best of the 3 siblings. Also putting my Romangerri goggles on as well, Roman in his last scene orders a martini, Gerri's drink, and the implication I got is that he's thinking about her. Roman is right back to where it started but he seems to be looking back at least valuing his relationship with Gerri, even though he knows he fucked it. He doesn't attempt to reach out to her and in fact that they're the ONLY couple that aren't forced together at the end. Tom/Shiv, Tom/Greg, Colin/Kendall (?) and Connor/Willa are forever miserably intertwined. It's not exactly a happy ending but it does suggest that even if Roman recognizes he and his family are nothing, he sees Gerri as real. The only real thing he sort of created in these 4 seasons and only after he's ruined it does he see its value now. His father knew it would hurt him to 'kill' Gerri and it was his first and last act of rebellion towards his father to express his anger at being forced to. After his death, he's once again defying his father and thinking about the woman he cares about that that his father hated that he cared for. He's now free of the burden of pretending to want this thing he's never really wanted and can define himself as anything now, which is both hopeful and terrifying.
Am I possibly reading too much of Roman and Gerri into this moment? Maybe but his ending is so ambiguous, I think it's a valid reading.
Have loved your videos on Succession!
i felt the same way in a sense. it felt like he ordered it as a nod to the only person who actually believed in him during his time at waystar or ever amidst all of the nothingness. she was the only one that saw something in him. he wasn't just the court jester. in the end he is bs but at least for a brief moment compared to all the other kids he had someone in his corner for real until it didn't server her. i dont see them romantically but she was his mentor
I'll go a step further and say that he even has sort of a newfound respect for her considering how hard he tried to mess with her and how unimportant all of it was to her cuz she's still sitting on the board. She best at him. He respects her for it and he wants to be more like her
re Kendall and water, if we want to get Freudian about it (something else the show is seething with imo), water represents emotion in dream theory. That final scene where he's just sitting there staring out at the bay, trying to come to grips with all the emotional upheaval but the sudden silence of the score...he's struck dumb, so to speak. He doesn't know HOW to feel, as in doesn't know how to do emotion like a normal person anymore because of the *gestures wildly at everything* we've seen throughout the show. IA with people saying Roman's ending was the 'hope spot'. Ironic considering he's the most fucked up of the three of them but he never pretends otherwise
It seems to me that the water for Kendall represents the amniotic fluid in the fetus as the last moment of fusion with his mother. Same theme with the "reconstruction" his vagina's mother in "Too much party". IMHO
Fantastic - your two Succession videos are my fav pieces of criticism on this show!
Came here to say exactly this! (And I will)
I also came here to say this. I've watched a lot - and I mean a lot - of succession content and yours is some of the best
‘One that made business sense and one that made sense “dramaturgically”’ killed me 😂 I love Jeremy’s unique vocabulary. Also that clip of Robert is a great find, what a bizarrely perfect connection lol
Just bought the Roman Roy etsy t-shirt with him in a pink heart that reads, "I can fix him." lol. Sigh...
siobhan roy is one of my favorite characters in television history
I mistrusted Tom from the start as I've worked around so many people like him in my professional life, zero principles except getting ahead, so many issues with his character the whole way through, it made sense how he "won" in the end.
I adore your succession videos, i really hope your channel blows up!
YES! I had the same read on Kendall staring out at the water and am equally happy Jesse cut out Kendall trying to jump in. Kendall killing himself is tragic but it's not a tragedy we haven't seen before. His struggle with addiction can be read as him chasing that specter of death as much as it is him trying to numb the pain of having to live. What we hadn't seen before was Kendall having to sit and live with every delusion and lie he told himself/was told to him being removed, leaving just the exposed truth that without his name, without the legacy Logan built, and with him cutting out every aspect of him that makes him human, he has no choice but to see his nothingness. I also was reminded of Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem". Very different contexts for sure, but that idea of leaving it up to the audience to come to their own answer to the question of "What happens to a dream deferred," while ending with this very ominous image of it potentially exploding was exactly the vibe Kendall was giving on that bench. Great vid!
It's crazy, he's a bad person but I feel so bad for him. So much verisimilitude he feels so real and I wish he had grown and became a good person
I think the common denominator with the Kendall's experiences around water is that he has lost control. His actions have little effect on whether the water gives to or takes from him. In a sense, he is not the main character, the water is. Contrast that to his image of his father, who was "a world" of a person unto himself, not always making the optimal decision, but always seizing a position of control in every situation. Kendall was more like a boat adrift in a current, thinking he was pulling the rest of the world towards him.
Can't get enough of these. The comic timing of the editing of clips is as great as the comic timing within each clip. I'd like to see one of these on comic timing, but even higher on my wish list is a Shakespearian take on Season 3 of The Wire. What are you watching now that Succession is done?
Thanks for watching and taking the time to write this lovely comment! There is a Succession sized hole in my heart and haven't found anything to fill it yet - but i've never watched The Wire or The Sapranos (blasphemy i know) so maybe they're next? I'd recommend The Thick Of It if you haven't watched it already
@@ov3rthinkingit I loved The Thick of It and In the Loop - I wish they'd do more of those - but The Wire - you've gotta do that - it's in a whole different category from The Sopranos, which is hilarious and great, but The Wire ... that's the one! And there's some stuff with Avon, his sister, and Stringer that seems *really* Shakespearean.
@@kevinmoore4237 what this guy said!
I mean, at the end of King Lear none of the children gets the kingdom and the husband (of one of them) is one of the few people left...
Someone else on RUclips compared the three siblings eulogies to the three Lear children professing their love to him
And they said that Roman was like Cordelia as Cordelia says “nothing”, and Roman physically isn’t able to speak
And they both get exiled in a way! Cordelia to France and Roman to Barbados
I found it so interesting!
ooh yeh great insight!
where can i watch this video?
@@indiefairy09 ruclips.net/video/2L3REwhrV-Y/видео.html here :D
i have no insight to add but just wanted to tell you thank you, thank you, and thank you for the dedication and care you put into writing and editing and putting this all together. this is such a lucid, concise, and brilliant interpretation of the ending of succession that I’ll be thinking about for years to come! Looking forward to seeing more videos!
Thanks so much i'm so glad you're enjoying them!
Another great video. It’s great to see someone who understands English literature (and Peep Show) explain just how many levels Succession is working on. I saw another video the other day talking about how Succession became self-aware in the fourth season, starting with Logan’s “congratulations on saying the biggest number” which really set the nothingness/bullshit/empty tone for the rest of the season as all of the characters realise that they’re not the guy - except maybe Tom but even still he’s more a puppet CEO than a king. Logan lambasted Kendall for missing work to show up to his birthday party in the pilot whereas Tom missed Logan’s funeral so he could work. Tom acted pretty chill when Mattson told him he wanted to fuck Shiv. Tom, as someone who didn’t come from wealth, was the one able to appreciate the comforts the most and work hard to make sure he didn’t lose them, which made him the most amenable and the most two-faced. In the first season he would often reveal his true thoughts to Greg like a soliloquy before putting on the corporate smile and kissing ass.
Regarding the siblings, they really reminded me of the El Dude Brothers in Peep Show but also Walter White in that their failures are so often the result of failing to form good relationships with people and pathologically fucking up a good thing. While materially nothing really changed for the siblings, like Mark and Jez still living together after 9 seasons, the wider world is also irreparably fucked, like the siblings getting a fascist elected or Walt getting loads of people killed and psychologically scarring his family. Like Walt, there were so many clearly marked better choices to make but they were so personally invested in the bullshit they couldn’t help but constantly paint themselves into corners. They could’ve been at that dinner party, joking with Connor, Logan and Gerri if they got over this idea that they’re the guy so their tragedy is that they would’ve been a lot happier if they just realised it’s not that deep and it never was
Another stellar video by our favorite actress Saoirse Ronan.
I needed this analysis because my brain is scrambled eggs after the finale
Another image with the theme of notjingness is when Kendall presses 0 on the elevator as he leaves the building at the end of the episode.
It’s really weird how many time i watch these. That’s how I’m coping with succession ending. Love your essays.❤
Overthinking it is far smarter than I. You’re a genius!
I think Shiv wanted to be her dad and detested her mom, that's why she was the more powerful one in her relationship with Tom and she cheated even before her marriage. But her fate was to end up exactly like her mom and she accepted this. For instance she drank alcohol and did drugs during her pregnancy, which points to a bad mother as motherhood is mostly sacrificing what you love and desire for your child. And she is now the wife of the CEO and she knows he doesn't love her.
I contributed at least five views to your previous succession video and was waiting for your thoughts on the remaining episodes. Now I can finally put this show to rest and wander into nothingness.
i dropped everything when i saw this on my feed! was very excited to hear your thoughts on the ending since it was surprisingly divisive. i saw a tweet that said that there are people who watched succession to see how it would end and others who watched it for the characters, and it was generally the character fans who were more satisfied. i love how you explained the concept of nothingness here. i was never quite able to put my finger on what it was exactly about roman's "we're all bullshit!" line in the finale, but it's such a brilliant callback to the first season. the macbeth parallel is brilliant, and i also loved how you pointed out the final moment of silence with kendall on the bench! this is a very disorganized comment lol but this was lots of fun to watch. :)
Thank you for overthinking it all. I was waiting for your take here in Switzerland and I'm about to share it with my cousin in Venezuela. We bond through good s..t like this. Love to you and all who are yours.
Amazing video. What a show. But also thank you so much for mentioning The Love song of j Alfred prufrock it's my absolute favorite poem.! And that video, man I LOVE peep show and had no idea Jesse Armstrong had written for it.
the yelli let out when u stuck tom's face over logan's with ur du du du succession theme song
You are so funny and insightful! Your 2 videos on Succession are the best takes on Succession I've seen. Waiting for more on any topis from you!
thanks!
So happy that the KWEEN from Saint Paul, Minnesota won 😍
our corn-fed basic
@@ov3rthinkingit Minnesota is the best state in the US (in my opinion) and Tom being from there (the bougier and decidedly less cool half of the Twin-Cities) is so perfect to me. Him having this clunky German last name and this Midwestern cultural affect of “niceness” and passive-aggression I think really elegantly shows the future of fascism in the US: euphemism, politeness, and ruthless kiss-assery
Matsson gives massive King Fortinbras vibes, in the best way possible
I just watched your succession shakespeare video after finishing the show earlier. I just gotta say youre awesome dude. Great job
I love your tshirt!!!!!
Incredible additional essay. Full of loads of love for art
Out of all the succession content I have consumed, yours is by far the most high quality. I hope you get to the subscriber numbers you deserve. I can say I will be a fan until you do
I will also need to get a new personality now that it’s over 🤣🤣. I think Shiv’s ending was the most grim. I don’t think she’ll be pulling the strings on Tom. She’s my favorite though.
There are no strings to pull, Tom has no power whatsoever, an empty suit like she said. I understand why she voted for the deal, but I'll never understand her decision to stay with Tom, especially after the nasty things he said to her in the balcony. Grim is an understatement :/
@@drt1605 I'll have to check that out. And her other work. Her face just speaks a thousand words.
Nice work (both Succession videos)! Looking forward to your next video essay
It seems like Roman's ending is the most "uplifting", now that he's free from all the corporate BS. None of them got nothing. Very King Lear-ish.
Great video!
Would you consider doing a video on Roman? Pretty please... 🥺
great video, love your channel.
Besides of how well made this video is I’m also really pleased with your use of underrated lines like, “DUR!!” “I feel like I might die” “Let the good times roll”
Great analysis...in the end...almost everyone lost...yes including Tom and especially Greg:
Roman - some make some great points about how he gets to finally just move on with his life...but he's revolved so much of his life being a well-compensated groupie of the company which also gave him daily access to his secret mommy crush Geri. Of course he wins in the sense of being able to collect a fat check but now has to find a new routine & purpose in life without having any foundation to do just that.
Kendall - Ditto as Roman in terms of wins/losses....but the pain of his loss is further amplified for obvious reasons which I won't discuss because it's been done ad nauseum. Biggest losers of the vote going through would be majority of the old guard whom he would've protected almost unconditionally.
Frank - A rare winner...as he was apathetic & looked close to signing off regardless.
Karl/Hugo - Big losers for their careerist ambitions. Obviously didn't receive any protection under new ownership.
Geri - She retains her job and wins in that sense but with less protection under new ownership. Keep in mind Logan trusted his top brass confidants moreso than his family as Kendall would've protected that old guard.
Tom - Dare I say...loser? Would've had more stability being a department head under a family business that would've protected him at all costs. Now he gets to be a "yes man" cuck slave CEO opposed to a "partner" which Matsson did not want whatsoever. Congrats to him on becoming CEO but also a strong chance he may have just secured the position on "temporary placeholder" terms until Matsson buys more time to do his due diligence regarding who he really wants.
Greg - Gets to keep his job...has less stability while not being protected under the "family business" label once again...has to take a pay cut. Obvious loser
Shiv - Loser...becomes the wife of a CEO aka basically her miserable mother whom she claimed as never wanting to replicate in terms of her own life direction. Proceeds collected from the sale make her a winner however much like Roman/Kendall.
Connor - Winner...gets to collect proceeds and never wanted anything to do with the family business. Mild loser in the sense that he doesn't get to orbit around as many upper echelon spheres of influences that the family business afforded him in the past. Less mental baggage overall with regards to the fate of the family business make him a winner.
I adored your analysis and your videos! Do one about Fleabag, please!
Incredibly insightful and thought provoking! Fantastic job!
Very VERY GOOD analysis. Only one thing to add which just this moment occurred to me. Logan tells Tom at some point to basically shut up until you can say you’re giving me a grandchild. Well, Logan won. Posthumously, but it’s still a win and this time, a REAL PERSON IS INVOLVED.
Girl I need to see your analysis on Hannibal the TV show make it happen please
second this!
Greatest ending to a RUclips video ever. Had to back and watch it again. Brilliant, top notch quality entertainment 👌🏻
Congrats, you did the description so perfect. I agree the final was the truth about that family. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Okay i love your style, MORE SUCCESSION VIDEOS NEEDED !
Super thoughtful analysis!
Thanks!!
yes please do a long form look at the concept of main character energy! I love your perspective thank you for sharing
Very good essay. Supporting the channel.
Also just because you propose it’s anti-shakespearean, exactly that makes it surprisingly Shakespearean.
I've never watched Succession, but I really like your content, awesome work
Jez being a poet joke absolutely killed me, thank you
I'm sorry, I'm just starting the video but I need to give a shout out to all Roman Roy Girlies (it's me, I am Roman Roy Girlies,) for having the best taste in Little Pathetic Meow Meows
I am the world's biggest Roman apologist
@@ov3rthinkingit what self respecting woman wouldn't bang roman roy? Or at least pretend to be dead while he masturbates into her hair or something.
You Rule! Subscribed just for the Jez/T.S Elliott reference ⚡
This just happened to pop up in my suggestions, and I'm happy that it did. I enjoyed your review and your presentation on this, and on your other 'Succession' post. I watched some of your other videos, and found them equally entertaining and informative, so I'm happy to be a new subscriber. Thanks!
thanks so much for taking the time to check out my work :)
As a new subscriber I’m very much Looking forward to the main character energy video!
Love both your succession videos and the effort you put in. I didn't even notice the alfred prufrock reference, thanks for sharing and please do more!:)
Saving to watch latet so i can come back once i've finished
Still thinking about "but ken DOES care, ken DOESN'T love it" from the last video
5:53 this section feels like a key to logan’s character too
chef's kiss for the comic timing of the ending of this vid. great insights too.
About Shiv, Jesse Armstrong spoke about Non-Victory and Non-Defeat.
The end of Shiv/Tom's story arc resembles Elaine/Ben's bittersweet ending in The graduate, with Kendall replacing ex-groom Carl who was dumped in the middle of the wedding ceremony.
End of the SCRIPT BOOK for Shiv and Tom in the car :
An accomodation, an equilibrium, that could last with a certain stabilty, proxy wars and detentes for many years to come..nothing needy from either side.
A queen and a prince.
Two bombs transported with great care.
She has her Non-Victory, like her brothers, in the Succession, but she may have her Non-Defeat in being able to have the "real relationship" she asked Tom for.
Note that Shiv and Tom kept their wedding rings all the season 4. Except Tom who doesn't have it at the start of e1 but has it at the end of it.
Your reading is great. People keep forgetting Succession is a comedy and comparing it only to *serious epic drama* in an attempt to aggrandise (it and themselves). They even seem to forget that Shakespeare wrote very influential comedies.
On a related note I keep telling Americans that everything is Shakespeare here. All our ice creams at the ice cream van are named after characters from Shakespeare. And we are all actually descended from Shakespeare. And Succession only got funded because it used a grant from the British Shakespeare Council. They believe it.
Here for the main character energy video, will wait patiently... here.
I was so happy it was ending at S4.. it was on the verge of becoming repetitive. However, now I can’t stop rewatching it 🥲.
0:35 That bit killed me xD
Great video! Just wondering, where can I find that Robert Webb video?
Whole show is very lion in the winter
Geoffrey: "Why, you chivalric fool - as if the way one fell down mattered."
Richard: "When the fall is all there is, it matters.”
great video!
Brill. Just brill.
I’m so happy I found your channel.
Brilliant breakdown of this ending
Your succession videos are wonderful!!
thanks!!
I like that I finished the show last night, went on a walk today with my dog while listening to the first video, then it finished and the follow up was done
I don’t usually do youtube commenting but I have to say this video is really incredible. Amazing work!
Queeen I love you for this!! Where can I buy that shirt you are wearing??? And I also have to find a new personality cause this show was my life lmao I’m te watching it over again.
Thanks for your analysis,I love the energy, your insight has a really appropriate and pithy. Thsnks
I cannot believe I didn't know Succession and Peep Show were made by the same guy. It makes so much sense, holy shit I am embarrased. Both your videos on Succession are amazing, by the way. For the first time in my life I am actually interested in reading some Shakespeare.
Shiv’s ending was tragic in that she is destined to become her mother, the person she hates the most, but I wasn’t sad for her. She’s the architect of her final state. She abused the hell out of Tom, draining out every bit of genuine love he had for her, tried to screw her siblings with Mattson, and tanked the final deal which would have her be a high ranking member of the company.
She ends up as the wife of a CEO who doesn’t even hold power over the company, and they’re both under Mattson, who could replace Tom as easily as he appointed him. His authority is predicated on how long he can keep bowing for Mattson.
Every single angle you can look at, she caused, and ended up being under the man who was considered beneath her originally.
I'm hoping HBO will do a spin-off based on Mattson and the GoJo company.
Please review Mrs Maisel, I have mixed feelings about the main character (maybe her acting) and can’t explain whyyy maybe you can explain what’s unsettling about Miriam! pretty please 😬
great video
Your analysis are great! Loved it.
love your videos!!! do the main character energy one :)
Thank you so much for this.
digging the Roman T-shirt
i cant keep watching, where are the king lear and 1984 spoiler warnings lmfao 😭
Amazing video. Was waiting for your review 👐
I JUST BOUGHT THAT EXACT SAME ROMAN SHIRT LMAOO
where did you bought it? i need one!!!
love your essays!
may i ask where did you get the shirt😂😂❤❤
Ok, I'm going to admit this: I've clicked on the video because your t-shirt is AMAZING.
WHERE DID U GET THAT SHIRT ITS SO COOL
great vid, thx
thank you
Speaking as a very big fan, it did indeed end at the right moment and way. Just a note or 2 on Tom and Greg: hope Tom got a really good golden parachute deal from Waystar, he is going to need and sooner than he thinks. And Greg, that sniveling little POS, should have been booted back to the amusement park. I always saw Greg as the least necessary and least interesting character.