‘Succession’ Creator Jesse Armstrong on Why [SPOILER] Had to Win

Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for the series finale, Legacies.

The question of which of Roy’s children will win the corporate game of thrones and take over as CEO of WaystarRoyco has finally been answered and it’s… none of them? successionThe series finale was brutal, and then some of the misfits walked away with the crown, and according to the series’ creator, it’s been in development for quite some time now.

Matthew MacfadyenTom Wambsgans played his cards right and thus earned the trust Alexander Skarsgarddastardly Lukas Matsson and was named the new CEO of WaystarRoyco, now owned by GoJo. Ultimately, it was Tom’s whimpering desire to “please people” that led to the victory over Matsson. And in a delicious piece of ironic pie, Tom’s wife Shiv (Sara Snook) unwittingly gave Matsson the green light to approach him, telling him that “Tom will suck the biggest dick in the room.” stop Matsson when he offers to sleep with Shiv, he made a deal, becoming the successor to the promised title.

Although in practice the deal, according to Matsson, is likely to involve a lot of dirty work with very little input, Tom is thrilled to receive the crown. According to the show’s creator Jesse Armstrong, it was a natural choice, as he explained in the “Controlling the Narrative” featurette that aired alongside the finale. Tom’s lack of selfishness and penchant for respect in the pursuit of power made him an ideal opponent for Matsson.

Tom knows what makes him strong

Armstrong said:

“The idea of ​​Tom being a possible successor was what I thought was the right ending for quite some time. Even though he is not the most powerful monarch you will ever meet, his power comes from Matsson. Those figures that drift upwards and make themselves malleable to powerful people are all around.”

Macfadyen, for his part, learned the conclusion after the fourth episode and, as he concluded the series, praised Armstrong for the work he had done on the series, confessing to a mixture of emotions in the process. “It was very sad. There’s also some relief from ending because it was a long time ago and you can’t play the same role forever,” he said. “I don’t want to, and no one wants to. But six years have passed, and a lot of very, very, very talented, nice people. It’s a dream job and Jesse is a great guy.”

completeness succession currently streaming on Max. You can watch inside a short film of the final episode below.