Creator Jesse Armstrong recalls suggesting, ‘What would it be like if we didn’t give a successor? Could that be interesting?’
If Waystar Royco appointed a new CEO and nobody saw it, did it ever really happen?
In an interview with the New York Times, Succession creator and five-time Emmy Award winner Jesse Armstrong admitted he considered keeping viewers in the dark about who wins control of the company.
“That would be the sort of question I might come into the writers’ room with, like, ‘What would it be like if we didn’t give a successor? Could that be interesting?'” he explained.
Luckily, his fellow writers helped persuade him against the “annoying” way to end the show, and fans got to watch the Roy siblings (more or less) get what they deserved.
“Through a process of discussion with smart people, we were like, ‘No, that would be annoying. Let’s not do it,'” added Armstrong. “One of the reasons for ending the show is that it starts to become either ridiculous or annoying if you continually defer that decision.”
After four seasons and eight Emmy Awards, Succession aired its series finale on May 28, 2023. In a major upset for the Roy children, the concluding episode saw Tom Wambsgans ascend to the proverbial throne.
Inspired by the Murdoch family, the drama followed the ruthless patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as he decides the fate of his company media and entertainment empire, while his grown children (Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin) make their plays for the keys to the kingdom.
Armstrong told the Times it was “never really a consideration” that audiences might empathize with Logan and his filthy rich family. “That may be a defect in our working process,” he said. “Maybe I could try to elicit the audience’s sympathy for someone, but I wouldn’t want to with this show. It would just feel so fake.”
Succession’s fourth and final season is currently nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. The show is now streaming in its entirety on Max.
