Warning! Spoilers ahead for Succession season 3
HBO’s Succession season 3 finale draws comparisons to the infamous Red Wedding from Game of Thrones. After nine episodes which could be starkly funny, but also acutely devastating, particularly with the focus on the mental state of Kendall (Jeremy Strong), the Succession season 3 finale seemed oddly optimistic… at least until the very last moments. Kendall, Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) come together – and for once remain united – as a team to confront their father Logan (Brian Cox) after learning that he’s agreed for Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) to acquire Waystar, essentially putting at risk any real chance that the Roy children have of taking over the family’s media conglomerate.
But the long-awaited united front, and Kendall’s emotional reconciliation with Shiv and Roman, turns out not to matter much. Upon meeting their dad, the siblings learn that Logan had already been tipped off about his children’s plans of confronting him. Logan, essentially, as always, has the upper hand and there is virtually nothing Kendall, Roman, or Shiv can do to stop it. Making matters worse, it’s revealed in the closing moments of the Succession season 3 finale, that it was Shiv’s husband, Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), who alerted Logan about the impending revolt of Shiv and her brothers. The episode ends with Shiv looking shocked as Tom looms nearby.
The finale, titled “All the Bells Say” has led many viewers to think of the iconic Red Wedding from Game of Thrones in which notable characters were gruesomely killed off at a wedding. “All the Bells Say” takes place at the wedding of Caroline (Harriet Walter), the siblings’ mother, who passively corroborates with Logan for her own ends. And again, bringing to mind one of the many graphic deaths from Red Wedding, a stunned Shiv tells Caroline: “You’ve just slit our throats, mom.” In the Red Wedding, of course, more than one character dies after their throat is slit. Fans and critics posted about these parallels between the two HBO dramas on social media.
The comparisons between Game of Thrones and Succession have frequently been discussed by viewers of both shows. Still, although both critically-acclaimed series partially gain their momentum from familial dysfunction, none of the Roy family have died violently. In its own way, critics argue, Succession is even more violent as it shows the decades of emotional and at times physical abuse that the Roy children have endured from their parents and then perpetuate among themselves and others. It’s what makes the ending to season 3 so wrenching, as the unity between the three siblings and Roman standing up to Logan barely seems to matter.
A criticism that could be leveled at Succession, despite its exemplary acting, writing, and direction, is that it doesn’t commit to its big finales. The show has, so far, tended to revert to a sort of status quo that allows the Roys to joke around and share scenes even after numerous betrayals. On one hand, that’s perfectly understandable since the chemistry and interplay between the actors are impossible to deny. On the other, after its own Red Wedding, change is hopefully on the way.