Technically speaking, it was a good finale. Things fit together, even from the first season, and it simply makes sense. Still, you can't help but feel somehow duped after 5 years of loyal following.
Unlike other great series like Better Call Saul, here we never see change. The world might change, but people don't. Worse, we don't see anything like evolution, redemption, not even degradation. Once you finished watching episode 1, you have essentially watched everything in the show, including the finale. And that cycle happens over and over again every episode, every season. We did see very well-crafted stories of victories, defeats and comebacks; but again, each character remains stagnant, relying on their own same tools and means, and never changing. It doesn't mean is not a good finale or show, totally the opposite, but I must admit I would not eagerly watch another show by Jesse Armstrong.
Now on defense of Jesse Armstrong, some decades ago, it has become very uncommon to portrait flattery they way he did. At some point in the 20th century, we lost interest in that aspect of humanity and power, maybe because we would like to believe flatterers are not as successful or influential as they actually are. But they are. And Succession rubs it in your face. Unlike GoT, here adulators are not masterminds, just bootlickers. Like in real world, they are mostly average people, sometimes highly educated, that could see opportunities to move up and took them. An ode to bootlicking and to remora-ism; attach to the most likely winner horse to be part of their success. Kudos to Jesse Armstrong to remind us of that.
It might be slightly farfetched to consider this series a representation of the western world decadence. Highly effective, but depraved psychopaths running transnational big companies, flawed rich yet influential children trying to find their own identity and life meaning, charming grovelers, politicians trying to get their piece of the pie... A western world where there are no heroes nor villains, just people with specific goals or not, some obsessed by success. At the end, everyone look pretty similarly pathetic, and you may conclude the only difference is one's upbringing, education, connections and being focused.
That said, I cannot tell if that representation is faithful, or if it ever was... Can the world be different than that? In The Wire, we kind of see the same patterns: almost no change on people and world; roles stay, performers are swapped; heroes and villains selfishly pursuing their own goals; but unlike it, there is no sense of relief at the end... well, maybe Roman experiences some. You can easily envision a 5th season, another attempt for the kids to grew up, and that's why I don't see this episode as a perfect finale, maybe because the world is not?
Overall, the show is a 9/10, and this final episode a 8/10.
Unlike other great series like Better Call Saul, here we never see change. The world might change, but people don't. Worse, we don't see anything like evolution, redemption, not even degradation. Once you finished watching episode 1, you have essentially watched everything in the show, including the finale. And that cycle happens over and over again every episode, every season. We did see very well-crafted stories of victories, defeats and comebacks; but again, each character remains stagnant, relying on their own same tools and means, and never changing. It doesn't mean is not a good finale or show, totally the opposite, but I must admit I would not eagerly watch another show by Jesse Armstrong.
Now on defense of Jesse Armstrong, some decades ago, it has become very uncommon to portrait flattery they way he did. At some point in the 20th century, we lost interest in that aspect of humanity and power, maybe because we would like to believe flatterers are not as successful or influential as they actually are. But they are. And Succession rubs it in your face. Unlike GoT, here adulators are not masterminds, just bootlickers. Like in real world, they are mostly average people, sometimes highly educated, that could see opportunities to move up and took them. An ode to bootlicking and to remora-ism; attach to the most likely winner horse to be part of their success. Kudos to Jesse Armstrong to remind us of that.
It might be slightly farfetched to consider this series a representation of the western world decadence. Highly effective, but depraved psychopaths running transnational big companies, flawed rich yet influential children trying to find their own identity and life meaning, charming grovelers, politicians trying to get their piece of the pie... A western world where there are no heroes nor villains, just people with specific goals or not, some obsessed by success. At the end, everyone look pretty similarly pathetic, and you may conclude the only difference is one's upbringing, education, connections and being focused.
That said, I cannot tell if that representation is faithful, or if it ever was... Can the world be different than that? In The Wire, we kind of see the same patterns: almost no change on people and world; roles stay, performers are swapped; heroes and villains selfishly pursuing their own goals; but unlike it, there is no sense of relief at the end... well, maybe Roman experiences some. You can easily envision a 5th season, another attempt for the kids to grew up, and that's why I don't see this episode as a perfect finale, maybe because the world is not?
Overall, the show is a 9/10, and this final episode a 8/10.