Warning: spoilers ahead
One of the most anticipated series finales in recent times, the outcome of “Succession” was the exact opposite of what many people had imagined. If it seemed obvious that the final chapter of the series would reveal which of Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) sons would be his successor, the production decided to play the trick. Yes, this conversation is happening and is happening, but in an empire with so many interests at stake, parasitic characters won’t allow decisions to be made so easily.
With a duration of an hour and a half, the final episode takes place at a fast pace, with revelations and betrayals at every turn. The latest of them falls to Schiff (the stunning Sarah Snook) who, in a flash of conscience, decides to punish Kendall (Jeremy Strong) for past misdeeds, showing that millionaires don’t necessarily need to get away with it. But the decision isn’t made just for that reason: it happens because, deep down in his soul, when he finds out that Tom (Matthew MacFayden) will take the CEO position he once had, the character seems to resign himself more to the position of the former. A lady who is supportive of the brothers.
In the end, the bad guys won. Those who had no money but blind ambition were rewarded with parasitic positions. “Caliphate” ended tragically for its heroes, but perfectly for the viewers. There was no lack of emotion, there was no lack of a flawless script, and there was no lack of twist. The series should participate in the awards next season of awards, without a shadow of a doubt, and it deserves to be highlighted by the work of Kieran Culkin, who had, with Romain Roy, a beautiful epiphany: in the end, even the rich, nothing, are the jokes.
For HBO, the challenge now will be to get a series that mobilizes as large an audience as this one can. The Caliphate certainly made history and will be among the greatest modern dramas.
