Alternative ending: Connor Roy beats Mencken, becomes President, nationalises Waystar Royco to screw over his siblings and uses public funds in order to fund Willa’s plays
As sad as I am that the show is over, I'm so grateful they didn't try to milk it for two more seasons and end up with some uncreative ending or try to be overly creative with the ending. They closed the story perfectly.
@@drewmorrisonMorrison Yes! Thank you for making that statement. After S3, I told my friends that the show was primed to end next season. I was going to be curios what Jesse Armstrong was going to decide - one or two more seasons. But that, seriously, if three more seasons was announced making it a total of six... I was out. Luckily, Jesse cut his teeth with the BBC. The Brits are much better (most of the time) at knowing when a show needs to conclude - even if it is much beloved and well watched. Yes, the story can keep going on... keep the team together, we could potentially have followed the siblings' stories until their deaths (which in the case of Kendall... we might have... though Colin was watching...but, would he act?). Get the point? Sure, the show could have been turned into a Soap Opera - lasting decade(s). But that's not what "Succession" was ever about or going to be about. I feel sorry (I guess) for those that didn't understand that - just that they weren't paying as close attention as they thought they were.
Exactly. Remember when got ended and all the videos after were just confused or angry critiques. I have had so many interesting conversations with my mum about this show since it ended but after got the only thing to talk about was to list all the horrendously nonsensical rubbish
The idea of the happy family ending is so funny to me - the last scene of succession being logan saying "you kids have taught me the true succession in life is your family" followed by the entire cast doing a broadway style routine in the boardroom to "Brotherhood of Man".
From the first season we knew that the Roy kids were not capable of running the business. They didn't seem interested in it except for being the "winner."
The last time the kids talked to Logan he told them the cold truth. He loved them (in his own way) but none of them were serious people. Roman never actually wanted it, he just wanted to be accepted and respected by his father. Shiv had no real motivation or interest in the family business until season 1 began and she wanted to prove herself that shes better than Ken. And Ken got broken by Logan from the beginning. He is the most tragic in a sense. He was both told and taught to take over at some point as a leader while Logan made sure to destroy any kind of ambition or "killer traits" Ken showed which would have threatened Logans position.
Greg comes from wealth....his grandfather....Logans brother. Greg's mother is dependent on the family money. She is the one that sent Greg over to leach off uncle Logan. Greg's grandfather is a very strong rigid icon in his own right. Greg has listened to his mother deal with her dad his whole life and he is well skilled. Greg knows his grandfather has shares in the company that will likely come his way. Greg is quite the player and is enjoying it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. He has no investment. Either way Greg will win.
Isn’t it ironic that it was a magazine with ken on it “taking over” in season why that turned off his father from wanting to make him CEO and in Season 4 it’s the same sentiment of Shiv puppeteering Matsson on a magazine that turned him off from wanting to make her CEO. Ultimately when we met Matsson he wanted to know how long before Logan would die because he didn’t want anyone hanging over his head.
This exercise demonstrates how good the real ending is. Kendall's story is a tragedy, he lost his soul trying to be Logan. He doesn't get what he wanted, and he doesn't realize what he needs (to free himself from his father's shadow).
I found the season highly enjoyable, yet I couldn't help but wish that Logan's character hadn't met his demise. His presence brought a captivating and intriguing dynamic to the story.
In the end of the day, Logan won, since Season 3 to be precisely when he sold the company to Mattson. Mattson is Logan's true successor and Tom is just a figurehead for Waystar and also Tom is Mattson's pain sponge. The kids never get it because they are spoiled and entitled brats and they think they deserved the company just because their daddy is the CEO. Therefore, they have a mentality, "My daddy is the CEO of the company, so I own this company" But then, it's all too late for them as they have no responsibility, maturity, teamworks and also clueless of real world. When their father died, his legacy is also died.
Kendall has 2 consistent character traits 1- he's a loser. every time someone asks if he can win he loses. 2- he self destructs. he is incapable of not self destructing when put under pressure.
To be fair, I disagree about part 2 - it is actually more of a Roman trait. When he is at the top, everything going super well, he always self destructs because of great expectations/pressure to keep it up that is put on him and mostly because of that (when noone expects anything from him, he usually does great). He clearly is a masochist, i.e. success is not his thing, he likes pain. With Kendall it is different - he doesn't like pain, really likes success, wants it so much, so he only has a tendency to wallow in his unexpected failure up until a certain point, pitying himself. And then tries to get back to the top as soon as the CHANCE presents itself (while he still thought he had the chance to be the CEO of course - series is ended, so we are not going to see the continuation). Court hearings, end of season 2, big shoes speech are examples of that. It is exactly when there is NO pressure on him and he thinks that he has won, he becomes sloppy and shit happens. So yeah, kind of self-destructive brothers, but different patterns. Shiv self-destructs too, but solely via the impatient words.
@@TanyaKuznena Both of them have a tendency to self destruct but for different reasons. For Roman he never really self destructed because of pressure but because of his own incompetence. He doesn’t like pain, he runs from it with the only exception being him running into the mob of protestors after he was completely emotionally broken. That’s why he “pre-grieved”, so he didn’t have to face the pain and grief of losing his father. Also why he overthinks things because he’s afraid of the repercussions if he fails. But he sabotages himself because of his own incompetence like sending Logan a d-k pic or his failed speech at Logan’s funeral. While Kendall’s overconfidence plays a big part into his failures, he does have a tendency to crack under pressure multiple time throughout the series. Like when he got high/drunk at Shiv’s wedding because of the stress and the death of the waiter happened because of it. Pretty much all of season three was him cracking under pressure. Then in the series finale he cracked under the pressure of Shiv ruining his plans which led to him denying the death of the waiter. In turn leading to Shiv fully turning on him and even Roman being against him, not to mention the whole “I’m the eldest boy!!!” moment.
Agreed. I feel for Kendall. From the very first scene where we see him rapping in the car trying to hype himself up for that big deal, to how the deal actually goes down with him being insulted to the face by Laurence, and then finally being reprimanded by his father for being a weakling. That set the tone for the kind of person Kendall is for the rest of the show. And he could never truly escape that fate.
@@wayothefro3249 oh no no Roman is totally a masochist and loves the pain, the humiliation, that is pretty obvious, he only got fully convinced to vote for Kendall after he hugged him too tight his stitches opened up lol, but that is not the only proof, asking Gerri to insult him to get off, getting hit by Logan multiple times, I mean, he was already weird as fuck since he was a child, the whole cage and eating chocolate as a dog thing is a paints a pretty clear picture of masochism
I'll really miss your breakdowns of this show. It was obvious that none of the siblings were going to run Waystar, since they were mostly vying for the position to get Logan's love. It makes sense that Tom would ultimately get the position, since Logan seemed to view him as a son.
Fair play to you man. Everyone is breaking down the ending. You’re the only one running every possible scenario like the RUclipsr equivalent of a chess playing robot
The final made sense. Kendal literally killed someone, Roman is a mess and Shiv is back stabbing. Tom was paradoxically the only one that understood his place rather than assuming it.
Tom got everything thanks to marrying an heiress. He didn't get anything himself. He is spineless, ready to cringe. It's just not his first time. He doesn't care who he serves. It was made clear to him that he would do the dirty work and possibly share his wife. The main thing for him is honors. By the way, in the first season he drove his employee to suicide.
@@arfa2023 have you considered this is the kind of attitude you need t have to get to the top? This is probably what Logan was like until he became powerful himself. We only see Logan at the height of his power, but he started off poor, more poor than Tom. You think Logan had the same attitude we see in the show when he was at the bottom? There's a reason Logan liked Tom, he saw the killer in him. He saw this is a man who will swallow his pride, do whatever it takes.
@@jewishmafiosiandganglord6930 Tom wasn't a murderer. The whole paradox of the film is that sometimes empty suits come to this position. The killer here is Mattson. Tom is a puppet in his hands.
@@arfa2023 Tom always gave priority to company's interest over his self-interest. He destroyed the cruise documents at the cost of putting himself in the line of fire. When he took charge of ATN he turned it into a hugely profitable cash machine. He was ready to go to prison for the sake of the company while Kendall just covered up the vehicular manslaughter. Logan was pissed at Kendall for leaving a deal midway to attend his birthday party whereas Tom missed Logan's funeral for work. Throughout this whole season Tom's sleeplessness and tiredness were repeatedly highlighted to show how much stress he takes and to what extent he remains absorbed in his work. So yeah, give Tom his due credit.
@@debi-w5g Tom set his interests. He burned the papers because all the blame could fall on him. He sent Greg on purpose to put all the blame on him. He didn't go to the funeral because he was afraid of losing his job. After Logan's death, he approached everyone and fawned over everyone. Don't look for a selfless person in him. And by the way, he drove an employee to suicide. It's just that Tom can be manipulated. Mattson told him to his face that he wanted to sleep with his wife. He is ready to share it. He agreed to go to prison when there was no way out. This was also a move, since it was clear that he would not sit down.
@@LeoFazio doubt it he know Gerri is good at her job and it doesn’t seem in his character to try to chase someone who he knows is more competent than him. His whole character story has been about how he won because he was always willing to let more skilled people lead him around. That’s why mattesen picked him he knew shiv was right when she said that tom would always suck the biggest d in the room.
1) I really liked the finale as it was, in part because I...want the writers to write THEIR ending, not mine. 2) I didn't have an ideal ending in mind, strangely. I sort of, again, felt like the people who created this world are the best stewards of it and not some randos on the internet . That said 3) I like how you approached this, coming up with ideas BUT THEN showing the issues with your own thoughts. That was very clever and I think gets us to the point where we understand that there is no "perfect," but instead only endings that feel faithful to the series as a whole, which I think the one we saw really managed to do well.
I honestly half expected to see Kendall falling past the office window while they were in the conference room signing the paperwork to finalize the deal
I have to admit: If set up throughout all the seasons rather than just season 4, Dark Horse Greg could have been a stellar finale. Showcasing how each member of the royal Roy family mistreated and underestimated him could have been a really fun ending.
This is exactly what happened to Tom, however (even Greg betrayed him in the final moments) -- except these betrayals and dismissals were obvious and consistent from the start.
The show ended with a pitch perfect finale. Each of these alternate endings is fascinating in its own right, and I'm grateful for this video essay for allowing me to step into them. Because none of them feels quite as right as the ending we got. Which only speaks volumes to the impressive consistency of the writers.
I agree completely. Even though some of the first alternative endings was not that bad as I thought it would be…but they where not at all as good as the real ending. But the three or four last endings was terrible. They would have destroyed the entire series. Especially the last ending ”happy family”… what the hell kind of ending would that be. Anyone wanting what they think is a happy ending must really think what such an ending means. It is good also that they went for Kendall winning ending the most wanted ending of those that did not want the ending we had. I did not want the Kendall winning ending and I was truly worried of that ending since it would not just fit. I think this alternative ending just highlights that… it is a very bad ending.
All really interesting ideas. Here’s my favourites: 1) The Kids Slay the Dragon 2) Shiv’s New Man 3) Happy Families Honourable mention: Dark Horse Greg
I consider this to be one of those rare instances in which the ending succeeds spectacularly in wrapping up the story, while simultaneously giving us endless threads to chase in our imagination. In short, it was a PERFECT ending. I honestly don’t believe it when I hear that people were upset. How could anyone have been upset? Were they watching the same show? Anyone who understood what this show was about in the slightest would’ve been (at the very least) satisfied. It was such a wonderful ending. Man, I’ll miss this show til my dying day.
i’ve never been this early omg!!! i’ve been a devout watcher of your succession and breaking bad vids for over a year!! thank you always for your analyses and keep up the incredible work ❤
Dark Horse Greg would have sent me into the fucking stratosphere in the best way possible, I would pay so much money to see Kendall's dream stolen away from him by his "bumbling" cousin. It also would've delivered on a moment at the end of S1 when Kendall see's that Greg is a competent player when he uses Cruises as leverage to ascend w/ Kendall in charge. "greg the mf egg"
Before watching the series finale, I wanted Dark Horse Greg to be the result because it would have required very clever writing (I trust Jesse to achieve that) and it would have been an excellent twist, but there are too many viewers out there who felt Greg "winning" the CEO position would have ruined the ending because "it makes no sense". Nah, it can be argued Greg learned A LOT from Tom, and it is in-character for Greg to become "meat puppet" for Mattson after a one-to-one behind closed doors.
They’re not “serious people.” Logan didn’t want any of them to take over, and it’s pretty obvious that Mattson’s pick is the same as Logan’s. Tom would have succeeded Logan.
I think the ending we got was pure perfection, but I love seeing all the ways it could’ve gone! While I had a hunch the kids wouldn’t win, the entire season had tons of misdirects. Never ever thought Logan’s death would come so early
IRL: Tom Ending 1: United Siblings Ending 2: Bad Ending 3: Greg Ending 4: Kendall Ending 5: Roman (Dark) Ending 6: True Ending 7: Shiv Ending 8: Good Ending Can't wait for Succession the Video Game
In terms of realism 1. True ending 2. Kendall Ending 3. IRL Ending 4. United Siblings Ending 5. Good Ending 6. Bad Ending 7. Shiv Ending 8. Roman Ending 9. Greg the Egg Ending (no surprise).
The ending was completely satisfying for me and I believe the correct choice narratively, but I am so excited to hear your alternate endings! Different hypothetical timelines are always a fun thought experiment. Dark horse Greg was my theory going into season 4, but he was too far down the totem pole and didn’t have enough agency or big power plays this season to make it reasonable.
I had thought about a mystery buyer coming, but Greg did not fit into the equation. Showed nothing during the four seasons that designate him a leader of anything.
I for one would argue that the siblings, Shiv and Romulus included, did lose more than their pride. Kendall lost his one main purpose in life, the chance to carry on his father's legacy, something he was burdened with since the age of 7, making it arguably the most important thing in his life. But so did the other two Roys. Roman in my view was the one sibling who always craved to be loved by the others and to be recognized. It is hinted that since his childhood he went great lengths to get his siblings to like him and to like having him around, for instance letting himself be locked in a dog cage and pretending to enjoy it. Later on in the series, you can see that he is the happiest when he spends time with his siblings while they are also on the same page and on good terms with one another, like when they are attempting to start their own business with The Hundred or when they're messing around in their mother's kitchen. He is the one who is very reluctant when Ken and Shiv decide to pursue PGM against their father as he clearly fears it will suck them back into the war with Logan and break their own independent plans - and relationship - once again. Now at the end of the series, the relationship between all three siblings is broken perhaps beyond repair. There is little hope for them to ever be in one room with one another without major fights breaking out, hence one could say that Roman lost his most important thing in his life - a chance for a loving relationship with his siblings. As for Siobhan, it is clear that as a woman she always had the need to prove herself in a world of men. She always wanted to be her own thing, successful and independent, not just someone's wife. Thus the one thing that defined her relationships was dominance. She always had the need to be the one in control, whether it was in her relationship with Nate, her one night stands, and especially Tom. At the end of the series, it is clear that the positions of power have completedy reversed. Now she is the one in the relationship, who is at Tom's mercy, and not the other way around. She lost the most important thing in her life - dominance over the other person and was essentialy reduced to the one thing she didn't want to become - just someone's wife.
Scenario number 4 resembles The Godfather too much. It’s not bad just a story that was told very nicely before. The transformation of a “good person” into a godfather. Personally I feel that finale was satisfying and brought something new to the conversation. Centuries old “fathers and sons”.
Man, you should have hanged out with Jesse Armstrong before he decided to call it the final season! I was living most of these different scenarios in my head space since the finale (trying to cope with the fact that the greatest ballad ever written for the screen is no longer!) I love no. 3, I put all my money on the dark horse since he was sneaking snacks in dog poop bags, but to have the dark horse prevail it'd probably have to go for twice as many seasons of impeccable writing and gregging! What a time of golden television we're living! Buckle up!
A great job of coming up with plausible alternative endings, thank you. Also totally amazed by Jesse Armstrong making the perfect call with the ending provided - hardly surprising given his talent creating and writing this incredible series.
I was angry at the ending before now after watching countless video essays and ending explainations i am convinced the beauty of the show is also the tragedy of the show
Some of these are great. I had one I told to my friends and you’d probably call it the Connor ending. At the board meeting Ken has all his votes needed and shiv is still a no vote having been screwed by Tom and Mattson. As they’re getting started Connor walks in and sits down. Nobody except Frank and Gerry understand why he’s there. Ken presses him for answers and he smugly tells him he’s there representing Logan’s vote in absentia. A part of Logans will purposely hidden from the other 3 kids. As Ken tries to sway Connor the board forces the vote and Connor votes to sell stealing victory from Ken with Logans last maneuver. In the closing shots ( all still the same ) we see at the very end in the home video Logan pulling Connor to his side and telling him he’s his number one boy….panning out we still frame on Logan looking at the camera smiling. The end
That's a fun thought experiment but would be terrible for the show. It's subversion for shock value. Connor's essence is that he doesn't get involved, he's not competent and he knows it. However an ending like that could be done in theory but A LOT of development and slight retcons would have to be embedded. A twist is fascinating not because you didn't see it coming but because you should have & it becomes more clear in retrospect.
@@browniebear yeah idk the fact that he’s been uninvolved the whole time separate from the other kids would make it even less expected. Add to that Kendal claiming he’s the oldest number one boy all that ya know. I think it would’ve been one last contingency Logan had in place and one more way he was always two steps ahead of anyone trying to fk him. Would’ve been better than the ending we got imo. Actually just rewatched it the other night and the whole thing kind of falls flat. Everyone here saying it was a perfect ending would probably be saying the same thing about any of these other alternate endings lol
@@browniebear and your last point about should’ve seen the twist coming is exactly why I think it’d be so cool. Con always being the suck up daddy’s boy would’ve fit perfectly with Logan telling him he’s his number one boy lol
@@browniebear I feel like them all having that blow out fight where Kendal was gouging Romans eyes and sht was just cringe. The whole thing felt like generic manufactured shock value…to me. Idk maybe you liked it. I thought it was whatever 🤷♂️
I did not think that I would like this channel talking about Succession, but here we are, just wanted to say you do a GREAT job unpacking all of the elements in the show. Great job!
I liked the ending we got but GOD. I would love to see these endings be put on screen. They’re all so good. Especially the Greg one, the Roman one and the one where Ken dies. They’re all so interesting and I like how different the season woukd be from the get go
This video must have Taken up a considerable amount of Time in the making - listening to all your alt endings, i actually felt like i was in the writers' room - massive congrats to you! I feel like a darker Ken plot would really have seemed too much like the Godfather (especially with the estrangement from Roman). As for Dark Horse Greg, that would have worked out splendidly had the show continued for a couple of Seasons in my opinion. And although i find the "perpetuating the cycle" alt endings quite plausible, well the show was not called "legacy". To me the word succession really is about the children succeeding - in all its meanings. The one planning the succession is never the one actually doing it so it all Comes down to whether the successor accepts or rejects this label that they were given. And in this regard, i believe the show picked the best option, because it stayed on Its premises and what it ultimately entails - choosing to succeed in perpetuating the trauma or choosing to reject to be defined the way your father wanted you to be. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on the show, i've had a blast (re) watching all your analyses
Great video. It’s a compliment to the show that, while all of these outcomes are interesting, they all ring false. That’s a testament to the structural genius of the show’s storytelling. This ending was unpredictable and in retrospect inevitable.
The ending was brilliant as it was keeping in the characters traits that all these kids aren't worthy of the title. They think they are because they have the name but none of them can do the job, and in the end other than Kendal they knew this and accepted it.
Yeah, it seems the real finale is really much more consistent than the others… I was team Kendall but to be honest Shiv turning on him made all the sense in the world, she even states the reasons on Season 1 episode 1.
Good job making this video, I like that you looked for different angles and a pull for each one. I'm definitely in the camp of loving the ending we got. It felt consistent with all of the characters so far and poetic. Any ending where the siblings "won" on their own, would feel shallow to me. I also wouldn't sacrifice Logan's early death for any other ending. We were promised he'd die in the first episode and the show delivered. Great job nonetheless! I'm sure it'll resonate with many people!
Thank you for this. I found listening to this very therapeutic lol. I would like any of these 8 endings more than what we actually got. What I was expecting was ending 4. I'm a Kendall fan so I wouldn't have liked the "Kendall dies" ending, though I'd prefer that to him being killed metaphorically as in the actual ending.
The one big thing that doesn’t make sense to me is how they just waived the legal question of Waystar’s acquisition by a foreign company altogether. They briefly touched on CIFIUS, but that’s not even the problem here. It’s illegal for a foreigner (or dual-citizenship American) to own more than 20% of any TV/Radio broadcaster in the US. This is the reason why Murdoch gave up his Australian citizenship decades ago. Even with an American CEO, it would be illegal for Mattson to have a controlling stake in Waystar.
Mencken said he'd handle all that, if he were to become President. But it's stated in the finale [iirc] that Mencken isn't going to be President. So, the deal Shiv and Matsson made with Mencken would be void. Jimenez probably isn't gonna play ball; maybe CIFIUS comes into play? now that you've pointed it out, is the deal even gonna go through?
This was a purposeful thought experiment which is leagues above fanfiction. Most fanfiction is "vibes" and cliches and poor imitations of the creators of the stories said fanfics are based on. It's fine if ppl like that kind of thing tho no one should mistake it for being just as valid as artistic stories and thought experiments relating to them (like this video essay). It's similar to when Scorcese said there are "amusement park movies" and then there is "Cinema". Ppl can like what they want but the 2 choices are definitively in different leagues.
@@browniebear No, honestly I disagree. Most fanfiction sucks, comparatively, in the same way most books suck and most movies suck (out of the hundreds that get produced every year). Of course, fanfiction is amauteurish so in comparison it's worse. But believe me I have read some fanfiction that is better than published books, with the same amount of effort and artistry of this video and more. You need to look for it, but it's there and it's wonderful.
I really enjoyed the original ending. Then I got to the end of your first alternative ending and went “awww yeah, that’s actually really good”. As each subsequent ending rolled past I repeated the same sentiment. I think Messers Mylod and Armstrong would do very well in considering your input for whatever project they have coming up next. Continuing my weekly plea for you to have a look at Mr Inbetween at your convenience.
I think a great ending would have been for Jeri to be the CEO, Ewan to have the final say so, Tom STILL double crossing Shiv, someone else changing their mind and Kendall still getting seat.
I think the real ending was great and fitting. It went exactly where it was supposed to! Anyone who wanted a "happy" ending clearly has never dealt with an abusive narcissist because if you do, you could tell that nothing good could ever come up of pitting siblings against each other especially in such a way as Logan had been doing through out the show. Also I found it so weird that a lot of people were fine or onboard with the idea of Greg ever becoming the CEO. I know some people were just being funny but I got the feeling that a lot of them weren't just saying it to joke around. How is it possible in their minds that Shiv couldn't get to be CEO because of her lack of experience but to some it seem plausible for Greg to get there? I don't know… Even if you throw the manipulable puppet argument in there he still lacks A LOT of experience to even be consider. Not that I think Shiv deserve it but at least it made more sense. So I think we got an ending that makes a lot of sense and showed the consequences of their actions. No one in the family really got what they wanted.
Really awesome analysis, while my personal favourite was 6 as it felt very conclusive and made for a beautiful narrative i still believe the original ending was the perfect send off that the show has been heading towards for 4 seasons.
Great headcanons! I think the ending was really good; all of Logan's damage came to a head with the children's incapability to stick to their strategies, once allied, and either aim for the same business style or something else entirely. They always ended up splitting, trying to make the biggest cut and somehow never keeping things on the down low as they were planning
Nice of you to do this although i liked the way the show ended, I agree with the Broken Family business where Kendall gets the Topjob but looses his soul and then continues the toxic family abuse that would have been a good alternatiive ending as it would still be a Tragedy which is the genre of the show and anyone would be satisfied regardless of bin a Kendall fan. I don't think anyone wanted a Happy Family ending i think most Succession fans very well knew it was a tragedy and had to have a tragic ending.
None of these are serious alternatives. Ending 1) Logan would never attack each child because it would unite all of them together. Shiv would stop that sort of news coverage. The kids can't compete with Logan in the media space, he is too good at it. He built the entire company from the ground up, what do the kids have? 2) Not 100% of their net worth is invested in Waystar stock. Even if it was, they would still be set for life even if the stock went down 99% because they own so many shares. 3) Greg has no credentials. To the average outsider, he is unqualified to run the company because he lacks both the experience and education required to run the company. Not a viable candidate. 4) Every business decision Kendall has ever made has been wrong, from the very first episode with Vaulter. He doesn't have what it takes to run the company. Just because he becomes mean, doesn't mean he becomes a competent manager. No way the company survives another 20 years considering the core business is already in decline. 5) Like #4, Roman isn't competent enough to run the company. He lacks discipline and is too impulsive. 6) The most interesting alternative. But the two of them (even with Kendall's shares) don't own enough of the company for this to work. 7) Most plausible ending, but too similar to the existing ending. 8) A happy ending doesn't work for this show. It's a cop-out. The family is too volatile for this to be a sustainable alternative. The existing ending sucks because the children receive a huge windfall from the sale of the company. My ending would let the kids block the merger, allowing them to run the company for a few years. They would drive it into the ground, then go begging Lukas and other suitors to buy the company for pennies on dollar. You would need another season to do all of this, but it would be a very satisfying season to see the children become humbled and experience the real world without their father. Effectively destroying their father's legacy, they realize their father was right to sell years ago. Just as they impulsively kept raising the price for PGM, they are now panic selling, desperate to take any offer to get out of it. Some generic tech company buys Waystar for content and strips the company of parts. The Roy name is now irrelevant. Rome complains about not being a billionaire. Kendall starts a new media company in an attempt to rebuild his father's legacy. Connor goes bankrupt but finds happiness. Shiv can't get a job in Washington without her media connections. The 5th season would basically be the Roy children getting humbled.
1. The kids couldn’t compete with Logan because they’re not capable. And couldn’t trust each other to build a business together either 2. One of the show’s thesis is that rich people are insulated from the consequences of their actions. A social/legal backlash wouldn’t affect their personal wealth 3. Greg is two faced and conniving but doesn’t have any practical business skills. He’s not intelligent on that level. 4. This would need Ken to be as he was in s2, ruthless. But Ken could only perform like that because Logan gave him orders. Ken isn’t capable of both ruthlessness and strategic judgement. He’s a traumatised addict who’a best days on the job came from mania rather than emotional stability. 5. Roman isn’t skilled enough to perform as CEO. In s4 his most effective work was destructive and borne out of trauma. The sackings of the studio boss and Gerri, the ATN election night call -all effective but done with no strategy and causing bigger problems later 6. This one would cause the whole show to change, as it demands Shiv and Roman to make personal growth, as well as develop business skills. The problem with most of these scenarios is the same: the sibs are not serious people and it’s not realistic that they would change in a short period. They would need to overcome a lifetime of trauma and lack of practical experience due to their coddling from wealth 7. At Shiv’s core she is raging at the injustice of sexism that has kept her away from direct power. That’s why she resents Ken so much. I don’t think she’d put her trust in any man. 8. I actually like this one but it would only delay the Succession problem. Shiv wouldn’t accept a lesser job at Pearce. We know this from the show. Logan could never relinquish power. Kendall and Roman might be good at destroying a deal but couldn’t perform as CEOs. All told, the show’s real ending was the best one because it was true to its characters
Wow. What great ideas. I can see them all. I have no idea which one is the best. I was kind of hoping that Kendall winning and becoming Logan would happen. But it didn’t make as much sense. I’m glad they ended it after four seasons. We have a perfect time capsule and self contained work of art to cherish forever.
How awesome was the difference between the two scenes with the sibs - first seeing them goof around in their Mum’s kitchen vs then seeing them literally attack each other in the boardroom. Wow!
I liked the alternative greg ending most, it’s like a mix of what was said in the other video about the meaning of the ending with the perspectives of being born at the finish line vs having to race there as well as nepotism bc greg benefits from both. But I also do like the original ending most. It’s very fitting, and it’s quite tragic, but that’s what makes it so fitting.
The end of Succession was absolutely perfect the way it is, Shiv always thought she was above Tom, she undermined him and even ridiculed him for his provincial ways and upbringing, but he won in the end and proved to her that she underestimated him, and Logan wouldn't have wanted children with silver spoons in their mouth to take over, even though I don't think he would've chosen Tom either, but he did sacrifice his freedom and Logan appreciated the loyalty, so the end was perfect that Shiv has to stand beside him rather than lead him.
End of the script 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.
By mid way into S03 I was wondering if the Dark Horse Greg was going to be the way the show went! Agree it would have been in line with the shows ethos and Greg’s seeming ability to get himself into the room at every major turn was quite telling. While I learned to love Tom over the course of the entire series it would have been quite gratifying to see Greg decimate his biggest torturer.
Personally what we got was very close to what I wanted. “We’re Bullshit” Was a great moment that came too late for Kendall. Had it come earlier and the kids realized themselves that none of them were fit to rule and anointed Tom to be CEO for them rather than Matsson, it could have been a happier ending. Still, what we got was brilliant.
Tom is no more competent than Kendell in terms of business acumen, he’s just an opportunist who was at the right place at the right time. He’s definitely more mentally and emotionally stable than Kendall, though.
@@therealc.t.7085 I can see your point. But I do wonder if it’s business acumen that they lacked, or an ability to read people. I felt like what made Logan such a presence in the show was his ability to read/manipulate people and it was that ability that made him so successful. And it was precisely that ability that Kendall and Roman lacked.
@@TheAlphaLegionnaire I don’t think anyone on the show was Logan’s equal in terms of the whole package and he certainly had a great ability to read people and gauge situations but I think it was also his coldness and willingness to go to extremes that separate him. Logan was a degenerate, I mean that all are but Logan did so many evil things.
@@therealc.t.7085 Absolutely. He was a monster. Even manipulating his children wasn’t beneath Logan. The scene where Logan gaslights Roman after hitting him comes to mind.
This was really nice. Well thought out. I kind of thought we were headed into 1)“Slay The Dragon” this season, but none of the Roy kids really have any skills in business OR banding together. Really would have loved to see 3) “Dark Horse Greg” or 7)”Shiv’s New Man” play out. 2) “They All Go Broke” would have also been hilarious.
#7- Damn, that part with Greg thanking her for her services is COOOOOOLD!!!!🥶🤣🤣🤣 (Also, realizing now that Logan’s “You married beneath you just to avoid betrayal” truthbomb might have actually been yet another deliberate “keep them separated” move to make sure no one gangs up on him AND set the betrayal fire under Tom’s eager ass…which worked fabulously, of course)
I do not understand why some people were disappointed, why should we expect a normal finale (one of the children taking over the company) in an outstading and bold show?
I like #6 a lot. I didn’t envision an optimistic or even really a bittersweet ending, but if there was to be an ending that’s somewhat positive, this one would work for me! The others were fun to consider but overall I still appreciate the original ending we received. Thanks for the video!
Alternative endings: Connor Roy starts polling at 2%
HAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
😂😂👍
Connor Roy was interested in politics at a very young age.
😂
The true Conheads never gave up hope!
The clip of Kendall rapping over the line "each of the siblings will use their unique skills" had me 💀💀
Missed that, lol thank you for pointing it out
da Rap God
L to the O. G…. Dude be the OG
My boy Squiggle cooked up this beat for me
@@KuzushiKev A. N. he's playing
Alternative ending: Connor Roy beats Mencken, becomes President, nationalises Waystar Royco to screw over his siblings and uses public funds in order to fund Willa’s plays
It's honestly telling how great the writing of a show is when people are flocking to endless breakdown videos of it and they're all so great 😭
Truly.
As sad as I am that the show is over, I'm so grateful they didn't try to milk it for two more seasons and end up with some uncreative ending or try to be overly creative with the ending. They closed the story perfectly.
@@drewmorrisonMorrison Yes! Thank you for making that statement. After S3, I told my friends that the show was primed to end next season. I was going to be curios what Jesse Armstrong was going to decide - one or two more seasons. But that, seriously, if three more seasons was announced making it a total of six... I was out. Luckily, Jesse cut his teeth with the BBC. The Brits are much better (most of the time) at knowing when a show needs to conclude - even if it is much beloved and well watched. Yes, the story can keep going on... keep the team together, we could potentially have followed the siblings' stories until their deaths (which in the case of Kendall... we might have... though Colin was watching...but, would he act?). Get the point? Sure, the show could have been turned into a Soap Opera - lasting decade(s). But that's not what "Succession" was ever about or going to be about. I feel sorry (I guess) for those that didn't understand that - just that they weren't paying as close attention as they thought they were.
Exactly. Remember when got ended and all the videos after were just confused or angry critiques. I have had so many interesting conversations with my mum about this show since it ended but after got the only thing to talk about was to list all the horrendously nonsensical rubbish
The idea of the happy family ending is so funny to me - the last scene of succession being logan saying "you kids have taught me the true succession in life is your family" followed by the entire cast doing a broadway style routine in the boardroom to "Brotherhood of Man".
From the first season we knew that the Roy kids were not capable of running the business. They didn't seem interested in it except for being the "winner."
The last time the kids talked to Logan he told them the cold truth. He loved them (in his own way) but none of them were serious people. Roman never actually wanted it, he just wanted to be accepted and respected by his father. Shiv had no real motivation or interest in the family business until season 1 began and she wanted to prove herself that shes better than Ken. And Ken got broken by Logan from the beginning. He is the most tragic in a sense. He was both told and taught to take over at some point as a leader while Logan made sure to destroy any kind of ambition or "killer traits" Ken showed which would have threatened Logans position.
Greg comes from wealth....his grandfather....Logans brother. Greg's mother is dependent on the family money. She is the one that sent Greg over to leach off uncle Logan. Greg's grandfather is a very strong rigid icon in his own right. Greg has listened to his mother deal with her dad his whole life and he is well skilled. Greg knows his grandfather has shares in the company that will likely come his way. Greg is quite the player and is enjoying it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. He has no investment. Either way Greg will win.
Kendall was interested. He bought Vaulter to save WaystarRoyco from tech and his dad killed it.
@@Solonand Connor never wanted to compete with any of them .. being interested in politics at a very young age in all.
Isn’t it ironic that it was a magazine with ken on it “taking over” in season why that turned off his father from wanting to make him CEO and in Season 4 it’s the same sentiment of Shiv puppeteering Matsson on a magazine that turned him off from wanting to make her CEO. Ultimately when we met Matsson he wanted to know how long before Logan would die because he didn’t want anyone hanging over his head.
"Connor can remain interested in politics until a very old age"😂😂😂
This exercise demonstrates how good the real ending is. Kendall's story is a tragedy, he lost his soul trying to be Logan. He doesn't get what he wanted, and he doesn't realize what he needs (to free himself from his father's shadow).
I found the season highly enjoyable, yet I couldn't help but wish that Logan's character hadn't met his demise. His presence brought a captivating and intriguing dynamic to the story.
It wasn’t ever about “the company” it was about winning Logan’s love.
He didn't want to be Logan at all. The only one who didn't enable him.
In the end of the day, Logan won, since Season 3 to be precisely when he sold the company to Mattson. Mattson is Logan's true successor and Tom is just a figurehead for Waystar and also Tom is Mattson's pain sponge. The kids never get it because they are spoiled and entitled brats and they think they deserved the company just because their daddy is the CEO. Therefore, they have a mentality, "My daddy is the CEO of the company, so I own this company"
But then, it's all too late for them as they have no responsibility, maturity, teamworks and also clueless of real world. When their father died, his legacy is also died.
A different death was a great take. Kendall's death changing the entire dynamic and path.
This is the only one that had me thinking another way. I do think the show's ending is great though
The
The first 😮
I bet the writers even considered this one strongly. I was genuinely wondering while watching the show if Kendall or Logan would die first
Kendall has 2 consistent character traits 1- he's a loser. every time someone asks if he can win he loses.
2- he self destructs. he is incapable of not self destructing when put under pressure.
To be fair, I disagree about part 2 - it is actually more of a Roman trait. When he is at the top, everything going super well, he always self destructs because of great expectations/pressure to keep it up that is put on him and mostly because of that (when noone expects anything from him, he usually does great). He clearly is a masochist, i.e. success is not his thing, he likes pain.
With Kendall it is different - he doesn't like pain, really likes success, wants it so much, so he only has a tendency to wallow in his unexpected failure up until a certain point, pitying himself. And then tries to get back to the top as soon as the CHANCE presents itself (while he still thought he had the chance to be the CEO of course - series is ended, so we are not going to see the continuation). Court hearings, end of season 2, big shoes speech are examples of that. It is exactly when there is NO pressure on him and he thinks that he has won, he becomes sloppy and shit happens. So yeah, kind of self-destructive brothers, but different patterns.
Shiv self-destructs too, but solely via the impatient words.
@@TanyaKuznena Both of them have a tendency to self destruct but for different reasons. For Roman he never really self destructed because of pressure but because of his own incompetence. He doesn’t like pain, he runs from it with the only exception being him running into the mob of protestors after he was completely emotionally broken. That’s why he “pre-grieved”, so he didn’t have to face the pain and grief of losing his father. Also why he overthinks things because he’s afraid of the repercussions if he fails. But he sabotages himself because of his own incompetence like sending Logan a d-k pic or his failed speech at Logan’s funeral.
While Kendall’s overconfidence plays a big part into his failures, he does have a tendency to crack under pressure multiple time throughout the series. Like when he got high/drunk at Shiv’s wedding because of the stress and the death of the waiter happened because of it. Pretty much all of season three was him cracking under pressure. Then in the series finale he cracked under the pressure of Shiv ruining his plans which led to him denying the death of the waiter. In turn leading to Shiv fully turning on him and even Roman being against him, not to mention the whole “I’m the eldest boy!!!” moment.
Agreed. I feel for Kendall. From the very first scene where we see him rapping in the car trying to hype himself up for that big deal, to how the deal actually goes down with him being insulted to the face by Laurence, and then finally being reprimanded by his father for being a weakling. That set the tone for the kind of person Kendall is for the rest of the show. And he could never truly escape that fate.
Losing isn't a character trait lmao
@@wayothefro3249 oh no no Roman is totally a masochist and loves the pain, the humiliation, that is pretty obvious, he only got fully convinced to vote for Kendall after he hugged him too tight his stitches opened up lol, but that is not the only proof, asking Gerri to insult him to get off, getting hit by Logan multiple times, I mean, he was already weird as fuck since he was a child, the whole cage and eating chocolate as a dog thing is a paints a pretty clear picture of masochism
I'll really miss your breakdowns of this show. It was obvious that none of the siblings were going to run Waystar, since they were mostly vying for the position to get Logan's love. It makes sense that Tom would ultimately get the position, since Logan seemed to view him as a son.
In the end, the one with Logan's blessing won
It's dramaturgic.
Fair play to you man. Everyone is breaking down the ending. You’re the only one running every possible scenario like the RUclipsr equivalent of a chess playing robot
The final made sense. Kendal literally killed someone, Roman is a mess and Shiv is back stabbing. Tom was paradoxically the only one that understood his place rather than assuming it.
Tom got everything thanks to marrying an heiress. He didn't get anything himself. He is spineless, ready to cringe. It's just not his first time. He doesn't care who he serves. It was made clear to him that he would do the dirty work and possibly share his wife. The main thing for him is honors. By the way, in the first season he drove his employee to suicide.
@@arfa2023 have you considered this is the kind of attitude you need t have to get to the top? This is probably what Logan was like until he became powerful himself. We only see Logan at the height of his power, but he started off poor, more poor than Tom. You think Logan had the same attitude we see in the show when he was at the bottom? There's a reason Logan liked Tom, he saw the killer in him. He saw this is a man who will swallow his pride, do whatever it takes.
@@jewishmafiosiandganglord6930 Tom wasn't a murderer. The whole paradox of the film is that sometimes empty suits come to this position. The killer here is Mattson. Tom is a puppet in his hands.
@@arfa2023 Tom always gave priority to company's interest over his self-interest. He destroyed the cruise documents at the cost of putting himself in the line of fire. When he took charge of ATN he turned it into a hugely profitable cash machine. He was ready to go to prison for the sake of the company while Kendall just covered up the vehicular manslaughter. Logan was pissed at Kendall for leaving a deal midway to attend his birthday party whereas Tom missed Logan's funeral for work. Throughout this whole season Tom's sleeplessness and tiredness were repeatedly highlighted to show how much stress he takes and to what extent he remains absorbed in his work. So yeah, give Tom his due credit.
@@debi-w5g Tom set his interests. He burned the papers because all the blame could fall on him. He sent Greg on purpose to put all the blame on him. He didn't go to the funeral because he was afraid of losing his job. After Logan's death, he approached everyone and fawned over everyone. Don't look for a selfless person in him. And by the way, he drove an employee to suicide. It's just that Tom can be manipulated. Mattson told him to his face that he wanted to sleep with his wife. He is ready to share it. He agreed to go to prison when there was no way out. This was also a move, since it was clear that he would not sit down.
I like a scenario where Jerry plays a bigger role in the ending
@@dthbdbsfgh sorry English is my third language and I spelled it like a mouse oh no 😅
Tom wouldn't let Jerry walking arround freely, he would probably chase Jerry to death
@@LeoFazio doubt it he know Gerri is good at her job and it doesn’t seem in his character to try to chase someone who he knows is more competent than him. His whole character story has been about how he won because he was always willing to let more skilled people lead him around. That’s why mattesen picked him he knew shiv was right when she said that tom would always suck the biggest d in the room.
@@LeoFaziolmao
The one thing that made me think Tom might do ok at CEO is that he sees the value in Gerri and Catalina
1) I really liked the finale as it was, in part because I...want the writers to write THEIR ending, not mine. 2) I didn't have an ideal ending in mind, strangely. I sort of, again, felt like the people who created this world are the best stewards of it and not some randos on the internet . That said 3) I like how you approached this, coming up with ideas BUT THEN showing the issues with your own thoughts. That was very clever and I think gets us to the point where we understand that there is no "perfect," but instead only endings that feel faithful to the series as a whole, which I think the one we saw really managed to do well.
I honestly half expected to see Kendall falling past the office window while they were in the conference room signing the paperwork to finalize the deal
ME TOO!!!!! (but that soapy angle would have pissed me off)
I have to admit: If set up throughout all the seasons rather than just season 4, Dark Horse Greg could have been a stellar finale. Showcasing how each member of the royal Roy family mistreated and underestimated him could have been a really fun ending.
This is exactly what happened to Tom, however (even Greg betrayed him in the final moments) -- except these betrayals and dismissals were obvious and consistent from the start.
@@IDontWantThisStupidHandle Good point 👍
Tom really was the dark horse of the show and my favorite character. It couldn’t have been anyone but him.
I’m so sad this show is over for many reasons. One is that it means the videos on it from you are numbered. Your essays are always top notch!💀😭
Tom putting a dot on Greg’s head made the season, flaws and all, worth it. That was the funniest moment in the whole show.
what is the significance of the dot?
I found it very heartwarming and romantic in a bromance type of moment.
@@stygiantwst It was the sticker the siblings used to mark what they wanted to keep at Logan’s old house. Tom wanted to keep Greg😌
What flaws?
@@berserk4soulsA toxic bromance.
The show ended with a pitch perfect finale.
Each of these alternate endings is fascinating in its own right, and I'm grateful for this video essay for allowing me to step into them. Because none of them feels quite as right as the ending we got.
Which only speaks volumes to the impressive consistency of the writers.
I agree completely. Even though some of the first alternative endings was not that bad as I thought it would be…but they where not at all as good as the real ending. But the three or four last endings was terrible. They would have destroyed the entire series. Especially the last ending ”happy family”… what the hell kind of ending would that be. Anyone wanting what they think is a happy ending must really think what such an ending means. It is good also that they went for Kendall winning ending the most wanted ending of those that did not want the ending we had. I did not want the Kendall winning ending and I was truly worried of that ending since it would not just fit. I think this alternative ending just highlights that… it is a very bad ending.
All really interesting ideas. Here’s my favourites:
1) The Kids Slay the Dragon
2) Shiv’s New Man
3) Happy Families
Honourable mention: Dark Horse Greg
Infinitely thankful for this marvel of content! Your Succession run is unbeatable!
I consider this to be one of those rare instances in which the ending succeeds spectacularly in wrapping up the story, while simultaneously giving us endless threads to chase in our imagination. In short, it was a PERFECT ending. I honestly don’t believe it when I hear that people were upset. How could anyone have been upset? Were they watching the same show? Anyone who understood what this show was about in the slightest would’ve been (at the very least) satisfied. It was such a wonderful ending.
Man, I’ll miss this show til my dying day.
i’ve never been this early omg!!! i’ve been a devout watcher of your succession and breaking bad vids for over a year!! thank you always for your analyses and keep up the incredible work ❤
mechi thing- the devourer
This was super interesting and fun. Thanks for taking the time to come up with these alternative endings and sharing them!
Dark Horse Greg would have sent me into the fucking stratosphere in the best way possible, I would pay so much money to see Kendall's dream stolen away from him by his "bumbling" cousin. It also would've delivered on a moment at the end of S1 when Kendall see's that Greg is a competent player when he uses Cruises as leverage to ascend w/ Kendall in charge. "greg the mf egg"
Before watching the series finale, I wanted Dark Horse Greg to be the result because it would have required very clever writing (I trust Jesse to achieve that) and it would have been an excellent twist, but there are too many viewers out there who felt Greg "winning" the CEO position would have ruined the ending because "it makes no sense". Nah, it can be argued Greg learned A LOT from Tom, and it is in-character for Greg to become "meat puppet" for Mattson after a one-to-one behind closed doors.
*Spoiler*
It would have been nice to see Greg get payback and they hinted to it by putting his name on the will as well.
They’re not “serious people.” Logan didn’t want any of them to take over, and it’s pretty obvious that Mattson’s pick is the same as Logan’s. Tom would have succeeded Logan.
I think the ending we got was pure perfection, but I love seeing all the ways it could’ve gone! While I had a hunch the kids wouldn’t win, the entire season had tons of misdirects. Never ever thought Logan’s death would come so early
Well done. I like your speculations, my friend.
IRL: Tom Ending
1: United Siblings Ending
2: Bad Ending
3: Greg Ending
4: Kendall Ending
5: Roman (Dark) Ending
6: True Ending
7: Shiv Ending
8: Good Ending
Can't wait for Succession the Video Game
In terms of realism
1. True ending
2. Kendall Ending
3. IRL Ending
4. United Siblings Ending
5. Good Ending
6. Bad Ending
7. Shiv Ending
8. Roman Ending
9. Greg the Egg Ending (no surprise).
ive really appreciated your analyses of succession! excited to see what you look into next!
All these endings are incredible. You sir are very talented
The ending was completely satisfying for me and I believe the correct choice narratively, but I am so excited to hear your alternate endings! Different hypothetical timelines are always a fun thought experiment. Dark horse Greg was my theory going into season 4, but he was too far down the totem pole and didn’t have enough agency or big power plays this season to make it reasonable.
I had thought about a mystery buyer coming, but Greg did not fit into the equation. Showed nothing during the four seasons that designate him a leader of anything.
@@annkey4091 He was not degenerate enough.
so in the end, LOGAN was the winner. even from the grave, he beat them all. he wanted to sell the company, and that's what happened.
I for one would argue that the siblings, Shiv and Romulus included, did lose more than their pride. Kendall lost his one main purpose in life, the chance to carry on his father's legacy, something he was burdened with since the age of 7, making it arguably the most important thing in his life. But so did the other two Roys.
Roman in my view was the one sibling who always craved to be loved by the others and to be recognized. It is hinted that since his childhood he went great lengths to get his siblings to like him and to like having him around, for instance letting himself be locked in a dog cage and pretending to enjoy it. Later on in the series, you can see that he is the happiest when he spends time with his siblings while they are also on the same page and on good terms with one another, like when they are attempting to start their own business with The Hundred or when they're messing around in their mother's kitchen. He is the one who is very reluctant when Ken and Shiv decide to pursue PGM against their father as he clearly fears it will suck them back into the war with Logan and break their own independent plans - and relationship - once again. Now at the end of the series, the relationship between all three siblings is broken perhaps beyond repair. There is little hope for them to ever be in one room with one another without major fights breaking out, hence one could say that Roman lost his most important thing in his life - a chance for a loving relationship with his siblings.
As for Siobhan, it is clear that as a woman she always had the need to prove herself in a world of men. She always wanted to be her own thing, successful and independent, not just someone's wife. Thus the one thing that defined her relationships was dominance. She always had the need to be the one in control, whether it was in her relationship with Nate, her one night stands, and especially Tom. At the end of the series, it is clear that the positions of power have completedy reversed. Now she is the one in the relationship, who is at Tom's mercy, and not the other way around. She lost the most important thing in her life - dominance over the other person and was essentialy reduced to the one thing she didn't want to become - just someone's wife.
What an interesting exercise. Thank you, I loved this video!
Scenario number 4 resembles The Godfather too much. It’s not bad just a story that was told very nicely before. The transformation of a “good person” into a godfather. Personally I feel that finale was satisfying and brought something new to the conversation. Centuries old “fathers and sons”.
I would have been so interested in a season where Logan didn’t die and to see how the show would have gone. He was such an incredible character.
Man, you should have hanged out with Jesse Armstrong before he decided to call it the final season! I was living most of these different scenarios in my head space since the finale (trying to cope with the fact that the greatest ballad ever written for the screen is no longer!) I love no. 3, I put all my money on the dark horse since he was sneaking snacks in dog poop bags, but to have the dark horse prevail it'd probably have to go for twice as many seasons of impeccable writing and gregging! What a time of golden television we're living! Buckle up!
This video is just amazing. Thank you ❤️
I cannot believe how much more I like the ‘slay the dragon’ than the actual ending the moment your start pitching it.
A great job of coming up with plausible alternative endings, thank you. Also totally amazed by Jesse Armstrong making the perfect call with the ending provided - hardly surprising given his talent creating and writing this incredible series.
I was angry at the ending before now after watching countless video essays and ending explainations i am convinced the beauty of the show is also the tragedy of the show
Some of these are great. I had one I told to my friends and you’d probably call it the Connor ending.
At the board meeting Ken has all his votes needed and shiv is still a no vote having been screwed by Tom and Mattson. As they’re getting started Connor walks in and sits down. Nobody except Frank and Gerry understand why he’s there. Ken presses him for answers and he smugly tells him he’s there representing Logan’s vote in absentia. A part of Logans will purposely hidden from the other 3 kids. As Ken tries to sway Connor the board forces the vote and Connor votes to sell stealing victory from Ken with Logans last maneuver. In the closing shots ( all still the same ) we see at the very end in the home video Logan pulling Connor to his side and telling him he’s his number one boy….panning out we still frame on Logan looking at the camera smiling. The end
You evil genius, you!!!!!
That's a fun thought experiment but would be terrible for the show. It's subversion for shock value. Connor's essence is that he doesn't get involved, he's not competent and he knows it.
However an ending like that could be done in theory but A LOT of development and slight retcons would have to be embedded. A twist is fascinating not because you didn't see it coming but because you should have & it becomes more clear in retrospect.
@@browniebear yeah idk the fact that he’s been uninvolved the whole time separate from the other kids would make it even less expected. Add to that Kendal claiming he’s the oldest number one boy all that ya know. I think it would’ve been one last contingency Logan had in place and one more way he was always two steps ahead of anyone trying to fk him. Would’ve been better than the ending we got imo. Actually just rewatched it the other night and the whole thing kind of falls flat. Everyone here saying it was a perfect ending would probably be saying the same thing about any of these other alternate endings lol
@@browniebear and your last point about should’ve seen the twist coming is exactly why I think it’d be so cool. Con always being the suck up daddy’s boy would’ve fit perfectly with Logan telling him he’s his number one boy lol
@@browniebear I feel like them all having that blow out fight where Kendal was gouging Romans eyes and sht was just cringe. The whole thing felt like generic manufactured shock value…to me. Idk maybe you liked it. I thought it was whatever 🤷♂️
I did not think that I would like this channel talking about Succession, but here we are, just wanted to say you do a GREAT job unpacking all of the elements in the show. Great job!
Succession looks pretty dammm good in b&w
I liked the ending we got but GOD. I would love to see these endings be put on screen. They’re all so good. Especially the Greg one, the Roman one and the one where Ken dies. They’re all so interesting and I like how different the season woukd be from the get go
This video must have Taken up a considerable amount of Time in the making - listening to all your alt endings, i actually felt like i was in the writers' room - massive congrats to you!
I feel like a darker Ken plot would really have seemed too much like the Godfather (especially with the estrangement from Roman). As for Dark Horse Greg, that would have worked out splendidly had the show continued for a couple of Seasons in my opinion. And although i find the "perpetuating the cycle" alt endings quite plausible, well the show was not called "legacy". To me the word succession really is about the children succeeding - in all its meanings. The one planning the succession is never the one actually doing it so it all Comes down to whether the successor accepts or rejects this label that they were given. And in this regard, i believe the show picked the best option, because it stayed on Its premises and what it ultimately entails - choosing to succeed in perpetuating the trauma or choosing to reject to be defined the way your father wanted you to be. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on the show, i've had a blast (re) watching all your analyses
Great video. It’s a compliment to the show that, while all of these outcomes are interesting, they all ring false. That’s a testament to the structural genius of the show’s storytelling. This ending was unpredictable and in retrospect inevitable.
I think the original ending reigns supreme but I THOROUGHLY enjoyed these alternate endings and all of your videos about Succession. Thank you!
Your videos are really superb 👌🏻😊 alternative endings were all pretty compelling
The ending was brilliant as it was keeping in the characters traits that all these kids aren't worthy of the title. They think they are because they have the name but none of them can do the job, and in the end other than Kendal they knew this and accepted it.
“Dark Horse Greg” would of been such a different turn in the series but so good at the same time
Yeah, it seems the real finale is really much more consistent than the others… I was team Kendall but to be honest Shiv turning on him made all the sense in the world, she even states the reasons on Season 1 episode 1.
Good job making this video, I like that you looked for different angles and a pull for each one.
I'm definitely in the camp of loving the ending we got.
It felt consistent with all of the characters so far and poetic. Any ending where the siblings "won" on their own, would feel shallow to me.
I also wouldn't sacrifice Logan's early death for any other ending. We were promised he'd die in the first episode and the show delivered.
Great job nonetheless! I'm sure it'll resonate with many people!
Thank you for this. I found listening to this very therapeutic lol. I would like any of these 8 endings more than what we actually got. What I was expecting was ending 4. I'm a Kendall fan so I wouldn't have liked the "Kendall dies" ending, though I'd prefer that to him being killed metaphorically as in the actual ending.
I was literally working on a video about Connor becoming president when you dropped this 😂 kudos, friend. Keep up the great content
The one big thing that doesn’t make sense to me is how they just waived the legal question of Waystar’s acquisition by a foreign company altogether. They briefly touched on CIFIUS, but that’s not even the problem here. It’s illegal for a foreigner (or dual-citizenship American) to own more than 20% of any TV/Radio broadcaster in the US. This is the reason why Murdoch gave up his Australian citizenship decades ago. Even with an American CEO, it would be illegal for Mattson to have a controlling stake in Waystar.
Mencken said he'd handle all that, if he were to become President. But it's stated in the finale [iirc] that Mencken isn't going to be President. So, the deal Shiv and Matsson made with Mencken would be void. Jimenez probably isn't gonna play ball; maybe CIFIUS comes into play? now that you've pointed it out, is the deal even gonna go through?
My biggest issue with the show, they constantly drop plot lines and it goes nowhere. It’s a solid show but it ain’t top tier
@@20marvelman cause they not important anymore.
The president would probs pass a law to let it pass it
@@lucasb9285 this is FCC regulations that has been in place since the 1930s. If Murdoch couldn’t do it, there’s no way some tech bro could.
I think the people who dislike the ending is disappointed that Tom 'won'. But that's not the point. The point was the Roy kids lost.
I love 2! That’s what they ALL deserve!
Well these were better than I expected.
These are all AMAZING fanfiction ideas, can I just say? I hope someone actually writes them out.
This was a purposeful thought experiment which is leagues above fanfiction.
Most fanfiction is "vibes" and cliches and poor imitations of the creators of the stories said fanfics are based on. It's fine if ppl like that kind of thing tho no one should mistake it for being just as valid as artistic stories and thought experiments relating to them (like this video essay).
It's similar to when Scorcese said there are "amusement park movies" and then there is "Cinema". Ppl can like what they want but the 2 choices are definitively in different leagues.
@@browniebear No, honestly I disagree. Most fanfiction sucks, comparatively, in the same way most books suck and most movies suck (out of the hundreds that get produced every year). Of course, fanfiction is amauteurish so in comparison it's worse. But believe me I have read some fanfiction that is better than published books, with the same amount of effort and artistry of this video and more. You need to look for it, but it's there and it's wonderful.
I think #6 might be my favorite, what a twist that would have been
The writer's decisions were all right...from killing Logan in episode 3 to Matsson picking Tom over Shiv to Shiv voting to sale the company
I really enjoyed the original ending.
Then I got to the end of your first alternative ending and went “awww yeah, that’s actually really good”.
As each subsequent ending rolled past I repeated the same sentiment.
I think Messers Mylod and Armstrong would do very well in considering your input for whatever project they have coming up next.
Continuing my weekly plea for you to have a look at Mr Inbetween at your convenience.
This was a respectable amount of consideration….I can’t help but like the idea of the “happy families” outcome 🤷🏽♂️
"And Connor Roy can still be interested in politics until a very old age." Genius lol
Some fantastically inventive alternatives here. Well done!
5) Roman the Destroyer would have been an interesting one
I think a great ending would have been for Jeri to be the CEO, Ewan to have the final say so, Tom STILL double crossing Shiv, someone else changing their mind and Kendall still getting seat.
I think the real ending was great and fitting. It went exactly where it was supposed to! Anyone who wanted a "happy" ending clearly has never dealt with an abusive narcissist because if you do, you could tell that nothing good could ever come up of pitting siblings against each other especially in such a way as Logan had been doing through out the show.
Also I found it so weird that a lot of people were fine or onboard with the idea of Greg ever becoming the CEO. I know some people were just being funny but I got the feeling that a lot of them weren't just saying it to joke around. How is it possible in their minds that Shiv couldn't get to be CEO because of her lack of experience but to some it seem plausible for Greg to get there? I don't know… Even if you throw the manipulable puppet argument in there he still lacks A LOT of experience to even be consider. Not that I think Shiv deserve it but at least it made more sense. So I think we got an ending that makes a lot of sense and showed the consequences of their actions. No one in the family really got what they wanted.
I love this. All great endings, and the best thing it highlights how the true ending could not have happened any other way.
Really awesome analysis, while my personal favourite was 6 as it felt very conclusive and made for a beautiful narrative i still believe the original ending was the perfect send off that the show has been heading towards for 4 seasons.
I have heavily enjoy your succession videos, slowly picking through some your old stuff!
Great headcanons! I think the ending was really good; all of Logan's damage came to a head with the children's incapability to stick to their strategies, once allied, and either aim for the same business style or something else entirely. They always ended up splitting, trying to make the biggest cut and somehow never keeping things on the down low as they were planning
AO3 is gonna have a field day with alternate endings for this show
“Dark horse greg” could have taken this show so farr
I think the ending is perfect but seeing Greg as the winner would’ve been hilarious
Nice of you to do this although i liked the way the show ended, I agree with the Broken Family business where Kendall gets the Topjob but looses his soul and then continues the toxic family abuse that would have been a good alternatiive ending as it would still be a Tragedy which is the genre of the show and anyone would be satisfied regardless of bin a Kendall fan. I don't think anyone wanted a Happy Family ending i think most Succession fans very well knew it was a tragedy and had to have a tragic ending.
Ending 8 would have made me happy but it would indeed give the wrong message. I am actually content with how the show ended
It seemed Gerri always drank martinis, makes me wonder if (consciously or not) that’s why Roman was sipping one at the end. 🍸
Yes, definitely!
None of these are serious alternatives.
Ending 1) Logan would never attack each child because it would unite all of them together. Shiv would stop that sort of news coverage. The kids can't compete with Logan in the media space, he is too good at it. He built the entire company from the ground up, what do the kids have?
2) Not 100% of their net worth is invested in Waystar stock. Even if it was, they would still be set for life even if the stock went down 99% because they own so many shares.
3) Greg has no credentials. To the average outsider, he is unqualified to run the company because he lacks both the experience and education required to run the company. Not a viable candidate.
4) Every business decision Kendall has ever made has been wrong, from the very first episode with Vaulter. He doesn't have what it takes to run the company. Just because he becomes mean, doesn't mean he becomes a competent manager. No way the company survives another 20 years considering the core business is already in decline.
5) Like #4, Roman isn't competent enough to run the company. He lacks discipline and is too impulsive.
6) The most interesting alternative. But the two of them (even with Kendall's shares) don't own enough of the company for this to work.
7) Most plausible ending, but too similar to the existing ending.
8) A happy ending doesn't work for this show. It's a cop-out. The family is too volatile for this to be a sustainable alternative.
The existing ending sucks because the children receive a huge windfall from the sale of the company.
My ending would let the kids block the merger, allowing them to run the company for a few years. They would drive it into the ground, then go begging Lukas and other suitors to buy the company for pennies on dollar. You would need another season to do all of this, but it would be a very satisfying season to see the children become humbled and experience the real world without their father. Effectively destroying their father's legacy, they realize their father was right to sell years ago. Just as they impulsively kept raising the price for PGM, they are now panic selling, desperate to take any offer to get out of it. Some generic tech company buys Waystar for content and strips the company of parts. The Roy name is now irrelevant. Rome complains about not being a billionaire. Kendall starts a new media company in an attempt to rebuild his father's legacy. Connor goes bankrupt but finds happiness. Shiv can't get a job in Washington without her media connections. The 5th season would basically be the Roy children getting humbled.
Amazing, I wish all these endings were filmed
I like all the ideas, but how it ended is simply perfect, it beats every other ending.
1. The kids couldn’t compete with Logan because they’re not capable. And couldn’t trust each other to build a business together either
2. One of the show’s thesis is that rich people are insulated from the consequences of their actions. A social/legal backlash wouldn’t affect their personal wealth
3. Greg is two faced and conniving but doesn’t have any practical business skills. He’s not intelligent on that level.
4. This would need Ken to be as he was in s2, ruthless. But Ken could only perform like that because Logan gave him orders. Ken isn’t capable of both ruthlessness and strategic judgement. He’s a traumatised addict who’a best days on the job came from mania rather than emotional stability.
5. Roman isn’t skilled enough to perform as CEO. In s4 his most effective work was destructive and borne out of trauma. The sackings of the studio boss and Gerri, the ATN election night call -all effective but done with no strategy and causing bigger problems later
6. This one would cause the whole show to change, as it demands Shiv and Roman to make personal growth, as well as develop business skills. The problem with most of these scenarios is the same: the sibs are not serious people and it’s not realistic that they would change in a short period. They would need to overcome a lifetime of trauma and lack of practical experience due to their coddling from wealth
7. At Shiv’s core she is raging at the injustice of sexism that has kept her away from direct power. That’s why she resents Ken so much. I don’t think she’d put her trust in any man.
8. I actually like this one but it would only delay the Succession problem. Shiv wouldn’t accept a lesser job at Pearce. We know this from the show. Logan could never relinquish power. Kendall and Roman might be good at destroying a deal but couldn’t perform as CEOs.
All told, the show’s real ending was the best one because it was true to its characters
Amazing, thank you
Wow. What great ideas. I can see them all. I have no idea which one is the best. I was kind of hoping that Kendall winning and becoming Logan would happen. But it didn’t make as much sense. I’m glad they ended it after four seasons. We have a perfect time capsule and self contained work of art to cherish forever.
Scenario 4 is what I was hoping for
How awesome was the difference between the two scenes with the sibs - first seeing them goof around in their Mum’s kitchen vs then seeing them literally attack each other in the boardroom. Wow!
I liked the alternative greg ending most, it’s like a mix of what was said in the other video about the meaning of the ending with the perspectives of being born at the finish line vs having to race there as well as nepotism bc greg benefits from both. But I also do like the original ending most. It’s very fitting, and it’s quite tragic, but that’s what makes it so fitting.
The end of Succession was absolutely perfect the way it is, Shiv always thought she was above Tom, she undermined him and even ridiculed him for his provincial ways and upbringing, but he won in the end and proved to her that she underestimated him, and Logan wouldn't have wanted children with silver spoons in their mouth to take over, even though I don't think he would've chosen Tom either, but he did sacrifice his freedom and Logan appreciated the loyalty, so the end was perfect that Shiv has to stand beside him rather than lead him.
End of the script 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.
Honestly I feel Logan would've been a bit relieved to see the company in the hands of Tom who is mostly self made rather than the dumpster fire trio
Thank you for this wonderful video! A fascinating take on such a good series ❤
By mid way into S03 I was wondering if the Dark Horse Greg was going to be the way the show went! Agree it would have been in line with the shows ethos and Greg’s seeming ability to get himself into the room at every major turn was quite telling. While I learned to love Tom over the course of the entire series it would have been quite gratifying to see Greg decimate his biggest torturer.
That was really fucking good. Can you do 10 more alternative endings? 😂😂
Many of us rooted for Kendal, but seeing him win arguably the darkest ending is eye-opening.
Personally what we got was very close to what I wanted.
“We’re Bullshit” Was a great moment that came too late for Kendall. Had it come earlier and the kids realized themselves that none of them were fit to rule and anointed Tom to be CEO for them rather than Matsson, it could have been a happier ending.
Still, what we got was brilliant.
Tom is no more competent than Kendell in terms of business acumen, he’s just an opportunist who was at the right place at the right time. He’s definitely more mentally and emotionally stable than Kendall, though.
@@therealc.t.7085 I can see your point. But I do wonder if it’s business acumen that they lacked, or an ability to read people.
I felt like what made Logan such a presence in the show was his ability to read/manipulate people and it was that ability that made him so successful.
And it was precisely that ability that Kendall and Roman lacked.
@@TheAlphaLegionnaire I don’t think anyone on the show was Logan’s equal in terms of the whole package and he certainly had a great ability to read people and gauge situations but I think it was also his coldness and willingness to go to extremes that separate him. Logan was a degenerate, I mean that all are but Logan did so many evil things.
@@therealc.t.7085 Absolutely.
He was a monster. Even manipulating his children wasn’t beneath Logan. The scene where Logan gaslights Roman after hitting him comes to mind.
I wouldn't have changed anything about the finale but part of me did think that Greg could have come out on top if he played his cards right.
I loved the original ending. Its just perfect
This was really nice. Well thought out. I kind of thought we were headed into 1)“Slay The Dragon” this season, but none of the Roy kids really have any skills in business OR banding together. Really would have loved to see 3) “Dark Horse Greg” or 7)”Shiv’s New Man” play out. 2) “They All Go Broke” would have also been hilarious.
#7- Damn, that part with Greg thanking her for her services is COOOOOOLD!!!!🥶🤣🤣🤣
(Also, realizing now that Logan’s “You married beneath you just to avoid betrayal” truthbomb might have actually been yet another deliberate “keep them separated” move to make sure no one gangs up on him AND set the betrayal fire under Tom’s eager ass…which worked fabulously, of course)
I do not understand why some people were disappointed, why should we expect a normal finale (one of the children taking over the company) in an outstading and bold show?
I like #6 a lot. I didn’t envision an optimistic or even really a bittersweet ending, but if there was to be an ending that’s somewhat positive, this one would work for me!
The others were fun to consider but overall I still appreciate the original ending we received. Thanks for the video!