r/SuccessionTV

I just finished the show, and was left dumbfounded. But the more I thought about the ending, the more I agreed with it. None of the kids were ever fit to actually takeover. It’s pretty clear the entire show how much the writers emphasized each of their damming flaws.

Tom getting the top spot surprised me, but again it made sense. Each season he makes a move to get himself higher on the totem pole. The fact that he doesn’t end with much power, but he gets to have the title, status, and money, which is what he was always after, is fitting.

I also like that Greg ends up keeping his job, by the end all stakeholders see him as useful in some capacity and too valuable to cut loose since he does the dirty work

What are the best theories on who put it there? Because the housekeeper had the face like he had no idea. That bewildered facial expression seemed so genuine it couldn't have been him.

Were there any hints as to who planned it during the episode?

I have to know because it's the only unsolved mystery in the whole show.

They’re all very well written but who does it for you the least so to speak? (And yes I don’t think Connor or Greg are necessary to include because they have less significance overall imo and I really want to hone in on these five. The Conheads are not gonna love this)

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On a rewatch I just noticed that Caroline (old money) consciously chooses to “marry down” class-wise, as does Shiv. Both of them end the show partnered with strivers.

Caroline delights in making fun of Peter’s tacky class aspirations. Before that she was with Rory who iirc seemed to be kind of a barnacle. And, before that, she married Logan, who was new money.

Shiv married Tom, a man “fathoms beneath her,” whom she later calls “striving and parochial. Striving and parochial is Peter Munion to a tee.

Shiv married Tom after a period of life where she was “all a mess,” her self-esteem lowered so that she married down to protect herself. Caroline seemed to move down each relationship, going from powerful, rich, new money Logan to Peter, as presumably her self-esteem took hits from Logan’s infidelity and her children choosing him over her (allegedly).

I find it interesting how Shiv’s choice of Tom seems to echo her mother’s choices of partner.

And also, Why did they even let Gregg in? I do appreciate the actor was able to portray such an unbelievably intolerable character so well.

I saw a post the other day about Tom being a midwesterner. They reference it several times so it's definitely an important hang up for everyone regarding Tom.

I am in the UK so probably don't quite get the connotations completely. I get that he'll always be an outsider but can someone explain why a wealthy midwesterner will never be as a good as a wealthy Manhattanite? What are the midwestern stereotypes (wealthy or otherwise)? And, from anyone familiar with both places, what would the be the UK equivalent?

The show-runner and writing room are all in England. I'm curious about how much help they would get to really nail these subtleties of US society.

(I also love it when they nail UK culture and how much of that might go over US viewers heads. I'm thinking especially of Caroline 'they buy their own furniture' / 'watch out for the lead shot in the pheasant')

For me I think Roman was probably abused by a nanny or something, but I don’t think it was Moe or that camp counselor he mentioned once. I def think he’s a CSA victim though and imo it was probably a woman. Him having been molested by a woman would explain his oedipus complex, alt right grifting, and overt misogyny (addition to Logan’s abuse ofc). I also could see a scenario in which Shiv was in a predatory relationship with an older man when she was a teenager and it’s part of why she belittles/tried to control Tom so much (again in addition to Logan’s lifelong abusive obv) but that’s more reading into the lines and my own personal speculation. It’d totally reframe her convincing that woman not to testify imo. And I think part of Logan’s resentment towards Ewan is because Logan took the brunt of the abuse from Noah for whatever reason (maybe Rose was part of it once that happened) and Ewan wouldn’t defend him as much as Logan would’ve liked. Also I read a theory once that Kendall is sterile because of using drugs from a young age and that would actually fit his character very well imo, always self sabotaging and ruining his chances of ever impressing Logan. And lastly, Logan 100% is a sex abuser. Not only did he hang around and cover for the “Wolf Pack” so much but honestly I feel like he might’ve been the one setting the temperature for all those things so to speak and in season one when he instinctively grabbed Shiv while delirious said a lot. We never explicitly get confirmation that he thought it was Marcia and while I definitely don’t think he knew it was Shiv, I think in his delirium he saw a woman and instinctively put his hands on her. Even if he did think it was Marcia it would still kind of be a violation of her. TLDR for this whole section I think Logan was more than complicit in Moe’s shenanigans and Cruises.