All good things must come to an end, or so we're told. In a move that adds to the growing anticipation of the fourth series, while simultaneously breaking the hearts of its fans around the world, creator Jesse Armstrong has just revealed that the upcoming series of Succession will be the last.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Armstrong let the cat out the bag, explaining that the show's fans deserve to know what's coming. The HBO satirical comedy-drama follows the lives of a dysfunctional, filthy rich and highly entertaining family who run a flagging media and entertainment conglomerate. The show's first three seasons have earned millions of viewers, 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 13 Emmys and 5 Golden Globes.
On revealing that season four marks the end of Succession, the show's creator said, 'I feel a responsibility to the viewership, and I personally wouldn’t like the feeling of, “Oh, that’s it, guys. That was the end.” I wouldn’t like that in a show. I think I would like to know it is coming to an end.'
Season three ended with a cliffhanger as the Roy siblings abandoned loyalties to their father and attempted to stage a coup to overthrow him and take over the company, when Shiv realised that her own husband Tom (Matthew Mcfayden) had double crossed her and was batting for both teams. Then came the infamous intro music as the audience prepared for another year of waiting and wondering.
But for season four – which begins on Monday, 27 March in the UK on Sky Atlantic, and a day before on Sunday, 26 March in the US on HBO – Armstrong revealed that 'it's pretty definitively the end'. Now, we don't want to read too much into what he might mean, but only one type of 'definitive end' springs to mind...
Armstrong is a hugely respected writer, having also worked on comedies including Peep Show and Fresh Meat. He therefore knows too well that many shows milk their success dry and wind up compromising their integrity – and he says that's not his game, explaining, 'I hope that no one ever thinks that we are outstaying our welcome – that we’re going to do a dud season, or be stretching it out. I hope those concerns never occur to people.'
He added: 'It felt really useful to not make the final, final decision for ages. You know, there’s a promise in the title of “Succession”. I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind. From season two, I’ve been trying to think: Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?
'I got together with a few of my fellow-writers before we started the writing of season four, in about November, December, 2021, and I sort of said, “Look, I think this maybe should be it. But what do you think?” And we played out various scenarios: 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 four sort of saying, “I think this is what we’re doing, but let’s also keep it open".'
Armstrong and the show's writers didn't know how or when the story would find its natural end for a long time. 'I think, growing from about season two, I started to know where I thought it should end. I don’t keep that secret because that’s what the writing room is there for: to test the ideas out. The show is an artifice – you are making up the story.'
As for what's in store for season four, we don't have too long to wait. All we know is that we need to savour every episode... and avoid spoilers on US Twitter.