Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the series finale, Legacy.
“I love you, but you are not serious people.” It’s a phrase that’s been ringing in our ears and brewed in our hearts since last season. succession began. Logan Roy speaks devastatinglyBrian Cox) to their children, now that the series has come to an end, we retroactively realize that no matter who we rooted for, the inevitable, undeniable truth is that he was right. You should not expect changes from frivolous people and Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) were never serious people at all. But, for our amusement, is that really such a bad thing?
The Roys haven’t changed - and that’s perfectly fine
succession creator Jesse Armstrong previously said that he believes that people never change at their core. While this may not always be entirely true, it is certainly true of the world. succession he created, including our beloved (though unfortunate) Roy. Sometimes the best character arcs are non-existent because for some characters, like Roy’s children, change is just not possible. Take Kendall for example. fans succession spent years getting the “big boy” (sorry, Connor) to head Waystar Royco, but to use a word reintroduced into the zeitgeist by Strong himself, it just wouldn’t make sense. dramaturgically. Kendall is a tragic character who has a habit of climbing the highest peaks only to fall to the lowest of the lows moments later, so it was inevitable that he would end up flying too close to the sun one last time. His story should never have ended in triumph, and if it did, it would be wrong.
Dynamic characters are everywhere in movies and TV, and they are always irresistible. Watching a character grow and develop throughout the series is one of life’s greatest pleasures. But the mysterious ingredient that makes static characters so delightful (assuming they’re well-written) is that their values never change. So in the case of Swarms, they are always ready to make the wrong decision for their own benefit. Their static arcs and constantly self-centered efforts are what have made so many nights of great TV week after week, all of which culminate in what will likely be remembered as one of the greatest series of all time.
Dynamic characters will reach a point in their arc where they will change for the better (or worse) and so we can rely on their actions to follow suit. But, as we saw with the example of Shiva during the voting, even when we think that the decision taken is secondary, our succession the brood proves that they have not made moral ascension, as they shock us with their selfish actions, which are not really shocking at all. It’s Roy’s ambiguity that keeps the tension high, and we viewers are sitting on the edge of our seats.
Royce leave behind a legacy of irreparable
While this is an important theme throughout the show, the ending gave us the most in-depth look into Roy’s children’s childhood as they reminisced at Caroline’s (Harriet Walter) house in Barbados. Deciding that they needed to team up to keep the company from Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) clutch, they realize that they will have to appoint a single figurehead to lead the process and take over as CEO. Of course, each sibling feels it is their right and duty, individually showing that Logan promised them the position at some point in their lives. But Kendall “wins” the fight as he claims he was promised the role at age 7, talking about a vivid memory from his past. While he has the good sense to admit that his father shouldn’t have offered him the world at such a fragile age, he still remains his only driving force.
There has always been one constant in Kendall’s character: he yearns to take his father’s place as CEO. This is not a recent aspiration, but the work of his whole life. The moment Logan promised 7-year-old Kendall the role of CEO, the development of his character, stunted and frozen in time, was completed. Kendall is still that 7-year-old boy, only now he’s distanced himself from everyone who cares about him and doesn’t mind throwing a tantrum when things don’t go according to his plan. It is the similar arcs (or lack of them) between the characters of Roman and Shiv that make the finale and the series as a whole so impressive. The outcome of our protagonists may not be what we wanted or envisioned, but it is the most practical and realistic ending they could possibly have.
Shiv lived up to her name in one last betrayal that left our jaws on the floor, hearts in our mouths, and a reminder in our brains that she was not some feminist gladiator forging her way, but a hungry and selfish Swarm wanting sacrifice her valuables to earn some power, even if it’s only by proxy of her husband. Her character doesn’t develop, in fact she essentially regresses as she occupies the same position as her mother, whom she hated so fiercely. She is doomed to continue the cycle of succession through her bloodline in a loveless and decrepit marriage.
As for Roman, although he would never say it out loud, he never wanted the role of his father. All Roman wanted was the recognition and love of his father, so if he was really offered company, he would do it to make his father proud of him, but with Logan gone, Roman only mentions that he was offered the CEO to stay in the conversation along with his brothers and sisters. Roman always knew it would never be him, and it’s only fitting that his character arc ends where it began. He may never have progressed beyond snide comments and inappropriate jokes, but at least he’s sitting at the bar now, sipping Jerry’s (J. Smith-Cameron) drink of choice, he escaped the cage he could always leave, but felt compelled to stay in because of his father’s love.
These arcs are tragic, but the tradeoff is that they are completed and implemented. It feels right and in line with the tone of the series, and that’s the most important thing. For Armstrong to go against the notion of humanity that has served him so well over the last four seasons and give our characters a fairy tale ending (like the frenetic behavior we saw in Caroline) would be the opposite of what succession it’s all about. The swarms never needed to change. They have never been able to change. There was no other conceivable option but to leak poison.
Source: Collider
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