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Warning: Contains SPOILERS for the Succession season 4 finale!In Succession’s climactic showdown between the siblings, Roman surprisingly turns on Kendall, making some pointed remarks about his children. In the climax of the HBO series’ final episode, Shiv exits the boardroom during the vote, pursued by her brothers, deciding to turn against Kendall. The episode had built them up to be allies until they arrive in the office and everything shockingly falls apart. Roman initially supports Kendall, but the confidence he has for him unravels as the conversation progresses. Roman eventually makes a revealing and indicative comment that leads Kendall to viciously attack him.
Succession season 4 was the series’ end, seeing the Roy siblings lose control of their father’s empire following his death in episode 3. The season had been unpredictable from the beginning, with factions and alignments changing drastically from episode to episode. From business negotiations to presidential elections, the final season covered all the bases of great dark comedy and satire, while the relationship drama kept a grounded perspective until the tragic end, challenging viewers to follow the Roy family through their worst moments. Here is the explanation for one of the episode’s most revealing moments.
The comment that leads Kendall to attack Roman regards the legitimacy of his children as proper heirs, revealing that they aren’t biologically Roys. Kendall tries to argue that as the “eldest boy,” he deserves to be CEO, because it’s proper in the line of succession. Roman counters this, saying he isn’t the bloodline, but Shiv is. While Waystar Royco isn’t a monarchy, Logan did have some old-fashioned views, and as Roman points out, didn’t view Kendall’s children as legitimate. By this logic, Tom and Shiv’s child is the continuation of the Roy bloodline, and Logan would’ve seen Tom and Shiv owning the company as a proper resolution.
It was previously theorized that both of Kendall’s children were adopted but in the Succession finale, Roman reveals that one of them was adopted, and the other was conceived with a sperm donor. This is powerfully revealing as, not only is it the final nail in the coffin for Kendall to freak out and lose the company, but it symbolically shows that he has nothing that’s really his. His children aren’t his by blood or by parenting, his relationships with his siblings and colleagues are built on facades, and he’s now lost the company that his father built.
Why Kendall’s Kids Didn’t Return For Succession Season 4
Kendall’s children, Sophie and Iverson, played an important role in Succession season 4, despite never appearing on-screen. In episode 8, Kendall makes a Faustian bargain with Jeryd Mencken in hopes of securing his position as CEO of Waystar Royco. Rava reveals to Kendall that his kids were clearly against Mencken, and that supporting him would essentially end his chances at having a relationship with them. Kendall pushes forward regardless, putting all of his chips into becoming the king. He makes his final stand, only considering himself, and by the time Logan’s funeral happens, Rava refuses to bring the kids to it, and he’s already completely alone.
Showing Kendall’s kids may have made the impact of Roman’s reveal more severe, but their absence importantly shows how alone Kendall is in the final season. Had Kendall gone with Jimenez and swayed the election, he may have been able to keep his honor and some connection with his children. Unfortunately, he is fully occupied by his desire for power. He ends up failing in that regard and now has nothing to turn back to. The events of the show were the most important years of Kendall’s life, and he failed to capitalize on everything he had and will never succeed in the way he expected himself to.
Did Logan Know Shiv Was Pregnant? Succession Twist May Have Changed His CEO Choice
The Succession climax suggests that Logan would have prioritized his bloodline being the future of Waystar Royco. Had Logan known Shiv was pregnant, he may have encouraged her and Tom to reconcile and play a larger role in the company. Shiv betrays Kendall not only because she doesn’t see him as a good fit, but also because she sees an opportunity for herself with Tom as the CEO and their child being the supposed “heir” to the company. The outcome of the series ends up being what Logan would have wanted.
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