After months of speculation, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong finally confirmed that the HBO series will end with Season 4, and let’s just say that fans were not prepared to learn that this upcoming season with the Roys would be their last. According to Armstrong, the decision was made back in November/December 2021, and no, it had nothing to do with Jeremy Strong’s method acting. At the end of the day, Armstrong just wanted to ended the series while it was still “muscular” and not drawn out by mini-seasons or just overstaying its welcome.
Via The New Yorker:
We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks. Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference. I went into the writing room for Season 4 sort of saying, “I think this is what we’re doing, but let’s also keep it open.” I like operating the writing room by coming in with a sort of proposition, and then being genuinely open to alternative ways of going. And the decision to end solidified through the writing and even when we started filming: I said to the cast, “I’m not a hundred per cent sure, but I think this is it.” Because I didn’t want to bullshit them, either.
While fans will ultimately appreciate Succession going out on its own terms, that doesn’t mean they were ready to hear that Season 4 is the last ride with the wildly dysfunctional Roy family. Here are just some of the reactions pouring in:
Current mood now that Succession is ending: pic.twitter.com/sOMR3lLOvq
— High Yield Harry (@HighyieldHarry) February 24, 2023
jesse armstrong choosing to announce the end of succession in the new yorker is objectively funny im looking at silver linings
— jay (@kendallhosseini) February 24, 2023
We will be getting the last episodes of succession, ever, in about a month… pic.twitter.com/66vr5y3mbh
— succession clips and reaction videos (@successionreact) February 24, 2023
me for the rest of my life after succession ends pic.twitter.com/2nKYiHqkaX
— dio (@hunterfiIm) February 24, 2023
Me making Jesse Armstrong write SUCCESSION S5 pic.twitter.com/v8uFaabLNL
— Zoë Rose Bryant (@ZoeRoseBryant) February 24, 2023
Every other Emmy contending Drama Series finding about about Succession ending pic.twitter.com/waFRLDlp9j
— Ryan Aguirre (@aguirreryan) February 24, 2023
To make things worse, a couple of fans did the math and it looks like Succession will be ending right around the same time that Ted Lasso could also be ending, and that started a whole new wave of Kendall crying reactions:
If Succession and Ted Lasso air their series finales in the same week I’ll have to sent to a room w/ padded walls. pic.twitter.com/PiFyUYz80K
— Mariana (@spiceymemory) February 24, 2023
ted lasso and succession both ending at the same week what the fuck pic.twitter.com/i1SRhg30Vc
— toni (@roykeeleys) February 24, 2023
Elon was worried about the World Cup and Super Bowl but is Twitter prepared for the last week of May when the last threads of the internet are on fire from Succession and Ted Lasso ending? pic.twitter.com/ZUE1kpPXAw
— sam (@burritoprophet) February 24, 2023
Succession Season 4 premieres March 26 on HBO.
(Via The New Yorker)