‘Succession’ finale: How fans reacted to last episode, ‘With Open Eyes’

Throughout the series, three siblings can be seen running behind the crown. The three siblings were: Kendal, played by Jeremy Strong, Roman played by Kieran Culkin, and Shiv, played by Sarah Snook. Another sibling who ran for the CEO race was Connor, whose role was played by Alan Ruck.

‘Succession’ spoiler alert!

The 88-minute-long finale episode, With Open Eyes, was aired on Sunday evening. The episode’s conclusion left viewers reeling — because none of the Roy siblings won. In the episode, Shiv Roy took a final turn against her brother Kendall, blowing up his plans to keep their late father’s company and become CEO by voting to let their media empire be acquired by a Swedish tech giant, GoJo.

The series showcased the long tussle between the three key siblings and how it turned into an actual tussle between them. In the closing shot of the final episode, Kendall stares in despair towards the water, and the credits roll.

“I put my marker down on Tom and Greg,” said Jennifer Gould, an Oregon-based trusts and estates lawyer, minutes after she finished watching the show, “and I was right,” reported AP.

Succession trending no.1 on Twitter

The show was always more about the membership of its audience and not its size and popularity among the coastal media and agenda-setting groups. That’s why the show’s finale leaves a cultural mark.

On Sunday night, #Succession was trending No. 1 on Twitter, followed by Shiv, Kendall, Greg, and Tom Wambsgans, reported AP.

The award-winning show beautifully showcased and engages its viewers into the discussion around the debt limit in Washington on Sunday when a deal was reached just hours before the finale aired. A White House official ended a call with reporters by telling them to “enjoy Succession.”

There were many questions left unanswered by the last episode of ‘Succession’ on Sunday. Did far-right US presidential candidate Jeryd Mencken win? Will the GoJo deal be finalized? Were Tom and Shiv able to make their marriage work?

Fans reacting to ‘Succession’ ending

Pamela Soin, a management consultant in New York City, used to watch all the “Succession” episodes with a serious ritual, but Soin chose to enjoy the final episode with her father — a new convert — because of the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the U.S.

“I feel like it was the closest thing to a succession if they didn’t pick one of the siblings,” Soin said.

On the other hand, Soin’s father was hoping to see the show end with a family reunion to save their dad’s company.

“Where we left it is Those three kids with all their personalities — they lost control of everything due to their characters and who they are as people,” Soin told AP.

Time has seen how even big hit series and shows left their audiences anguished and frustrated with a disappointing ending.

The bloody 2013 ending of Walter White’s story in “Breaking Bad,” and Don Draper’s more zen ending in “Mad Men” in 2015 generally satisfied their finicky fans. But the 2019 conclusion of ‘Game of Thrones’ was a big miss for the series. The ‘Succession’ ending was a shocker for Kendal fans.“A lot of people will be very upset with this ending,” Soin said.

Suraj Nandy, a 20-year-old college student from Bengaluru, India, was counting every minute to watch the show which aired at 6:30 a.m. local time. The unfathomable craze for the show reflects its large audience base which is not limited to the USA but also goes to other countries.

(With AP inputs)

Updated: 29 May 2023, 11:27 PM IST