Why One Roy Deserved So Much More Than The Others in The Succession Finale

Without a doubt, HBO's Succession is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. It's a harsh, nasty look at power, money, and family problems, with the very unhappy Roy siblings in the heart. I enjoyed every cutting line and every nuanced look as a spectator. The last episode of the series, "With Open Eyes," provided us a clear ending. It wasn't nice, and the key characters weren't happy about it. Even while the ending of the program made sense given the subjects it addressed, I couldn't help but feel very sad for Roman Roy, who I think deserved a different ending.

The Roys were never going to leave. That was clear to everyone. Logan's shadow, their unending search for a job they might not even desire, and their inability to connect with others in a meaningful way affect their lives. Kendall's (Jeremy Strong) desperate desire to be CEO, Shiv's (Sarah Snook) repeated betrayal of herself for power, and Roman's (Kieran Culkin) internal battle with his own vulnerability and sensitivity were all done very well. But as the dust settled and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) took the throne, I felt the worst for Roman, whose trip seemed especially harsh.

It was both interesting and sad to see Roman fall apart over the course of the last season. He starts the season trying to be the "killer" Logan always wanted, but his fragile confidence swiftly falls apart as he takes over as CEO. He is striving to be someone he isn't and is always fighting against his own nature. His emotional vulnerability, which he typically masked behind crass comments, came to the front in a way that really hit home for me. By the end, he was the most open and honest of the siblings.

Roman Roy's weakness was always his vulnerability.

His siblings were different from him since he was in so much emotional pain.

Roman's character arc is sad because he is often torn between wanting his father's favor and being sensitive. He tried to be Logan, but he wasn't tough enough to be that way. One of the most devastating scenes in the whole series was when he broke down at Logan's burial. It showed how talented Kieran Culkin is and how deeply Roman was grieving. He was the only one who really let himself experience the pain, and it killed him.

Kendall kept going with a false sense of strength, and Shiv made careful motions to get through the rough waters. Roman, on the other hand, came apart. He found comfort, or maybe just a temporary escape, in Gerri's (J. Smith-Cameron) embrace. Their relationship was both frightening and strangely innocent in its own way. This showed how much he wanted to connect with others, even if it meant having bad relationships. You could always see how much he needed real human interaction and praise.

It was like he was giving up when he dropped out of the last GoJo vote. It was like he was finally admitting that he couldn't play the game like his brothers and sisters. He understood the truth about their lives: the never-ending cycle of abuse and hard work. He couldn't do it. He didn't want to fight, be with his family, or have authority. This might sound strange, but I think that Roman's moment of weakness was also a moment of clarity. He chose to protect himself, even if it meant being alone.

What a different ending could have meant for Roman

He Might Have Found A Way To Get Better Outside Of The Family Business

In the last scene, Roman sits alone in a pub with a drink in his hand and a small smile on his face. Many people saw this as a symbol of peace, as if he was finally liberated from the bad family business. I want to believe that, but I also think it's a very lonely calm. He is still a Roy and still very hurt. I hoped that Roman would be able to heal and maybe even live a life free of Waystar RoyCo's bad effects. He looked like he could really change if he had the chance.

What if Roman had really wanted to leave the corporate world and discovered something that made him happy? He has moments of startling insight and inventiveness throughout the presentation. He may have been the one to really get out of the cage Logan made for them. Instead, he just quit fighting. He was a defeated man, but maybe not completely free. He didn't feel like he had won when he got away; he felt like he had lost.

I think his journey should have had a clearer path toward something better. Kendall and Shiv were always going to be too ambitious or have bad relationships. Roman, on the other hand, experienced moments of something other. Even though they fought all the time, you could often see that he really cared about his brothers. He was generally the one to give consolation, even if it was embarrassing. He had more emotional baggage than others thought he did.

The Lingering Sadness For The Youngest Roy Sibling's Fate

His last scene made me feel like he could have done more.

It makes sense that Succession ends the way it does. The "kids" weren't ready to be in charge, and the business was always too big for them. Waystar's new owners chose Tom, the outsider who fit in and became a faithful, brutal lapdog. It's a realistic and cynical end. But for Roman, who was more open about his feelings than any other Roy, his calm, lonely tranquility felt like a hollow accomplishment. He deserved to be truly happy, or at least have a better chance of it.

I adore Succession because it shows power and its effects without holding back. It is proof of how well the characters were written and how well the actors did their jobs. But when I think of the last few minutes, I still see Roman Roy standing alone. He was the one who always attempted to find love and acceptance, even though he was messed up. He was also the one who seemed to hurt the most when it wasn't there. His character will always be a reminder of how much the Roy family has hurt people by always wanting more.