The following contains spoilers for Succession Season 4, Episode 10, "With Open Eyes," now streaming on Max. The following also contains mention of suicide.
The Succession series finale promised shocking twists and turns. While it seemed like the Roy siblings would team up and ensure Matsson's purchase of Waystar Royco wouldn't go through, Shiv scuppered the deal.
It robbed Kendall of the chance to become Logan's (played by Brian Cox) successor. It is, as some would say, karma for Kendall's narcissism and manipulation. However, given Kendall's past and what the creative team has revealed in the wake of the finale, there could be a fate much worse that fans won't see.
What Happens to Kendall Roy in Succession's Finale?
Kendall is left torn to pieces in Succession's emotional finale after he could have felt his hands on the trophy. Shiv couldn't stomach him, ergo why she voted against her egoistical older sibling. To compound his misery, Kendall's show of violence towards Roman reinforces he is indeed as toxic as Logan.
This has Kendall retreating to watch the sunset near the sea as his comfort. Water, after all, has played a key role in Kendall's big moments. Season 3 had him falling off a float and into a pool, leaving fans unsure if he was drunk or, as his family thinks, trying to kill himself. This depression is something he has never hidden, which is why it seems like he U-turns on a buoy in the Barbados ocean before the board vote. As his siblings unite and anoint him CEO with a disgusting smoothie, it feels like water moves from being a sign of death to a symbol of life again.
Alas, it's brief because once they get back to New York, Shiv backstabs him spiritually so that Tom and Matsson can run the company. Thus, the way he's looking back at the water, it feels as if he's staring into the abyss. With Logan's bodyguard, Colin, watching, it's a truly sad moment because Kendall knows he's defeated and that there's no coming back as the credits roll. He's alienated his own family, lived up to his middle name of Logan, and has Colin alone in a life filled with unfulfilling sacrifices.
Kendall Roy's Succession Fate Could Have Been Much Worse
After not waiting around to see Matsson signing the deal, many did assume Kendall would have jumped into the water. The way Colin shadows him is ominous as Colin knows his secrets and demons from the past. Series creator Jesse Armstrong admits Kendall has his coldest fate being alive because he could have gone to start another company.
He does need something to feel accomplished because Shiv's husband is CEO while Roman is glad to be free of the empire. But Armstrong also notes Kendall no longer has the opportunity to be as big as Logan, which is the ultimate punishment. And he also confesses Kendall would always feel inferior. It's why the actor who plays Kendall, Jeremy Strong, says on HBO's Succession podcast they actually filmed a piece where Colin had to pull him off the water's edge: he wanted to jump. They improvised the scene, but it wasn't used.
Instead, the series leaves Kendall's fate after the park up to fans' interpretation. From Strong's words, though, there's a huge chance Kendall could have spiraled into drugs and suicidal thoughts. Visually expounding this would have been harshly on the nose, but it would have fit Kendall's arc. As Strong says, Kendall is the corporate Icarus who flew too close to the sun, with the job being his sole purpose. It's something he was conditioned by Logan to feel entitled to since he was a kid, so this is an irreparable defeat that's personally defining Kendall as a failure. Ultimately, the biggest red flag is Kendall telling Shiv he may die if he never got to lead. That's not a power play or a fake threat; it's a not-so-subtle sign that without Logan's throne, Kendall ultimately prefers death to fading into obscurity.
Succession Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Max.