Spoilers below
The last thirty seconds of this week’s episode of Successionwere truly something: drama, comedy, intense scenes, and probable suicide. We watched as Kendall Roy’s bored children leave the pool, him remaining in the water below. Then, being clearly drunk, he drops an empty beer bottle and allows his face to slip below the water, the camera lingering as he appears to stop breathing, but his death remains unconfirmed. The cliffhanger has left fans with some questions like ‘what on earth is going on?’, ‘did Kendall die?’, ‘did anyone save him?’ and again, ‘what is going on?!’
After Kendall's actions in the Season 2 finale, viewers thought the third season would confirm our sometime favourite Roy sibling as the ‘killer’ that his father Logan Roy once claimed he wasn't. But that didn’t happen. Week after week, Kendall continuously sustains several losses. Fans of the show are worried that we witnessed his death in the most recent episode of the show.
The most recent Succession episode, titled ‘Chiantishire’ ends on a brutal cliffhanger. Kendall Roy (portrayed by Jeremy Strong) appears to drown himself in an Italian pool in the last moments of the show. For weeks, Kendall has been struggling and it seems he’s hit rock bottom. Though we don’t see his death for sure, fans are concerned.
One fan wrote ‘I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact or even the possibility of Kendall being dead’ on Twitter, while another posted ‘No, Kendall cannot be dead. I can’t cope with that.’
‘Kendall dead’ was even trending on Twitter yesterday, but we won’t know for sure until the next show confirms it.
So, did Kendall die? Here’s all the evidence we have of his possible death.
Kendall’s death has been foreshadowed (kind of)
For weeks, the show has been hinting that a big death is on its way. As much as we don’t want to believe it, Kendall is a clear choice for a brutal death as he has been struggling with suicidal thoughts for pretty much the whole season, and he’s been suffering from several losses throughout too.
Most of the show’s early foreshadowing seemed to point to the death of Logan Roy with Matsson point blank asking Roman. when Logan will die and with Kendall pointedly telling his father he’ll be “broken” when he dies.
But, after that striking conversation, Logan’s death would be way too obvious. Logan was likely a red herring, and the show’s producers were always planning on killing off one of the sons instead.
Succession has also been dropping disconcerting images of Kendall in or around water for a long time. Season 2 opens with Kendall in a hot tub, fully submerged except for his eyes and nose which peak over the water. He’s hiding from the world and suffering from debilitating mental health problems, just about able to float in the water.
Season 3 similarly opens with Kendall suffering a panic attack while lying fully clothed in an empty bathtub. It makes sense that these images would lead to him dying in water.
What’s more, Kendall’s 40th birthday party he threw himself was nothing short of extravagant and strange (he had guests literally enter through a giant womb) and it also foreshadowed his possible death. The episode was titled ‘Too Much Birthday,’ hinting at the possibility of this being his last. The random crucifix in the background seemed to sell this idea too.
Some of his own dialogue was self-deprecating, showing his growing depression and perhaps, a desire to no longer be here. ‘It just feels like an asshole’s birthday party,’ Kendall Roy lamented halfway through the celebrations. At another point, ‘I was… home’ but it seemed like he was about to say ‘dead’ and quickly changed his words.
All in all, his insistence on throwing himself the greatest birthday bash ever, seemed like he was planning to go out with a bang. Perhaps Kendall knew this was his last party?
An upsetting ending was hinted at
Succession star J. Smith-Cameron recently hinted on Watch What Happens Live at a dramatic ending to season three, telling fans ‘oh god, [the finale] is going to be very upsetting. It’s going to be a little shocking’.
Unfortunately, Kendall Roy drowning would fit that description.
Kendall drowning would be poetic
The other reason why it seems that Kendall is dead is that the camera pointedly lingers on the breath leaving his body. His kids are inside the house, meaning he is totally alone with no one to pull him out of the water. It would only take a short amount of time like this to put Kendall’s life at risk.
And... It's a poetic repetition of how Kendall killed the kid in Season 1 by drowning. TV loves a bit of poetic justice, so this seems pretty likely.
Kendall is not in the episode 9 trailer.
HBO also released a teaser for Succession Season 3 Episode 9 in which Kendall doesn’t appear at all. There’s a comment that the family is dealing with something and that Logan’s power is waning. All this seems to suggest that Kendall is dead.
Or… is he? There is some evidence alluding to Kendall possibly being alive.
Some fans think they can see Kendall in the trailer.
The wedding scene
Fans are flocking to Twitter to share that they think they can see Kendall Roy in this future scene of his mother’s wedding. I can’t see it, personally, but he’s supposed to be ‘the one in brown’ sitting with his siblings.
Plus, as much as Caroline hates her kids, it’s unlikely she would go ahead and enjoy a Tuscan wedding in the aftermath of her son’s death.
Initially, all the signs were pointing to Kendall’s demise, but the potential of his appearance in the trailer really changes things. Kendall could well be alive, and the ‘upsetting ending’ could entail the family’s reaction to his attempt on his own life, and the fallout that comes from that. But we’ll have to wait for Succession Season 3 Episode 9 to debut on December 12 to find out for sure.