Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of Succession.
While this week’s series finale ofSuccessionfocused on who would become the next Chief Executive Officer at Waystar Royco, one of the lingering threads from the series never had a proper conclusion. Roman (Kieran Culkin) always had a special relationship with Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), but the pair could never maintain a healthy bond due to the circumstances surrounding what they had. During a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly, Smith-Cameron talked about what she would’ve liked to see between the two characters after the show came to an end. “That would be very off-brand for Jesse Armstrong. Yeah, I know. Too bad,” she said regarding the possibility of a happy ending for Roman and Gerri. She continued, saying: “I could see maybe down the road those two having a drink together, now that that dynamic has rearranged, and Gerri has the upper hand. I think she could stomach it.”
Over the course of the first three seasons, Roman and Gerri were implied to have an intimate connection that they kept secret from everyone else. Asthe series moved forward, it was confirmed that they shared a twisted, intimate relationship and that things would change if anyone happened to find out. After all, it would be very inappropriate because Gerri had known Roman for many years due to her position as one of Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) trusted executives. During another interview withTime Magazine, Smith-Cameron went into further detail regarding her perspective on the relationship between the pair:
“I’ve never understood whether Gerri would consider a romantic relationship with him. I think when she was working with him, she absolutely wouldn’t and that she was completely nonplussed about it for the longest time, like not even getting it. It was so crazy and out of left field that for the longest time she didn’t take it seriously and was like, ‘You’re just f-cking with me and being disgusting.’ And she kind of enjoyed pulling his chain but didn’t take him seriously as any kind of partner.
But then I always said to Jesse, and I don’t think Jesse necessarily felt this way, but I felt that in spite of herself, Roman got under her skin. When she was trying to groom him to be a dynamic duo with her, I think she really believed together they could have run Waystar. That was a great way to channel Roman’s energy. I don’t know at what point she’d thought about it as a romantic thing, except if somebody young and wealthy and charismatic had a silly crush that they kept insisting on when they were around you, you’d have to be made of stone to not eventually respond to that. I could see them getting tipsy and making out in a bar once he’s not her boss. I don’t think they could have a relationship because they’re just too much an odd couple.”
RELATED:‘Succession’s Finale Promises the Roys Will Continue in Power — For Now
Just when Roman thought no one would find out about what he shared with Gerri,he got too confident, and one of the funniest incidents in the entire show would take place. During a board meeting withthe most valuable players of Waystarpresent, Roman sent an intimate picture of himself to Gerri. However, he noticed that her phone never received a notification and, upon further inspection, he realized he had accidentally sent the picture to his father. Realizing what had happened, Logan asked Roman to have a private conversation with him in a separate conference room.
Roman and Gerri Go Their Separate Ways
After Logan’s death, Kendall and Roman decidedto be co-CEOswhile a better plan was formulated by the board of the company. Due to their lack of experience, the duo constantly made bad decisions for the business, leaving the rest of the board extremely concerned about Waystar’s future. One of these bad choices was firing Gerri after she constantly tried to give good advice regarding how to run one of the biggest media conglomerates in the world. The event would ruin the relationship between Roman and her, deeply hurting their feelings. But according to Smith-Cameron, there’s always the possibility for reconciliation. She told Time, “And then Roman’s little mysterious smile at the end when he’s drinking his martini, how did you interpret that?”
