Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for the Succession series finale.Among the many questions raised in the brilliantSuccessionfinale, one has a much more significant thematic meaning hidden in its answer: what song is Karl (David Rasche) singing in that surprisingly touchinghome video playing in Connor’s (Alan Ruck) inherited New York penthouse? The answer: an old Scottish folk melody with lyrics from 18th-century poetRobert Burnstitled “Green Grow the Rashes.”
Because this isSuccession, few things are justthere, and most things have some sort of wider meaning woven within them. Karl’s song, of course, is no different, and while the scene initially serves as an emotionally complex moment for the Roy family (more on that later), it also works as a delicious bit of irony considering that the song was sung in the presence of media tycoon Logan Roy (Brian Cox). Not only is it fitting because of Logan’s Scottish heritage, but its meaning works to skewer the Roy family’s insatiable rush for more and more wealth.
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Karl’s Song in the ‘Succession’ Finale Has a Deep and Ironic Meaning
The general synopsis ofSuccession’s four seasons could be oversimplified as follows:an ultrarich American familycontinues their absurd pursuit of more money (and power) at the cost of all things that actually matter. Yeah, of course it’s all a lot more complicated than that, but money is such an integral part of the show that it shows up in virtually every goddamn scene. This is all why Karl’s soulful rendition of “Green Grow the Rashes” is all the more important to the finale’s summation of the show’s key themes. The song tells of two different types of people: those able to enjoy simple earthly pleasures, and those relentlessly in pursuit of monetary gain, i.e. virtually every character inSuccession.
The song begins with lines describing a narrator enjoying the company of women while living a carefree, simple life: “the sweetest hours that e’er I spend, are spent amang the lasses…”. There’s an idyllic image of lush greenery (the titular green rashes) placed alongside the narrator’s description of the sweetest hours, showing that he was able to find great pleasure without having money. In other words: the best things in life are free. The narrator then goes on to criticize the opportunists and capitalists for passing by life’s greatest pleasures in favor of financial gain: “the war’ly race may riches chase, an’ riches still may fly them… an’ tho’ at last they catch them fast, their hearts can ne’er enjoy them.” Like Logan, and more specifically his kids,these folks can never become satisfied with what they have. Evenwithall the riches they so feverishly pursued, there’s little for them to enjoy.
They’ve got essentially everything they could ever need, but they’re still unhappy. Karl singing this song in the final hour ofSuccession, particularly in the company of Logan (who claimed Karl was “butchering” it), feels like an ironic little raspberry aimed in the direction of the show’s core characters. Few series have characters as fabulously wealthy and miserable asSuccession, which kind of just proves the point of this 18th-century song.
That Home Video Scene Sums Up Many of ‘Succession’s Themes
Karl’s song shows up in the final hour ofSuccessionwhile Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (KieranCulkin), and Shiv (SarahSnook) have once againteamed up to combine their powers for a mutual goal. They’ve backstabbed each other countless times over the last four seasons, and even if the fourth started out with the sibs having formed an allied resistance against Dad, it took little time for the three of them to find ways to betray one another.
This is why the scene feels so particularly bittersweet. It’s a beautiful, tranquil moment tucked amongst nearly forty hours of people treating one another like shit. Coming straight from Kendall eating a “meal fit for a king” (prepared lovingly by his dear siblings), it almost seems for a moment that things might actually work out for the Roy kids after all. They’re actuallygetting along, a phenomenon appearing with alarming infrequency throughout the show. They’re sitting together as functional siblings do, all teary-eyed, watching footage of their late father being the monumental presence that he was.
Only, the Dad that they’re seeing on Connor’s video isn’t the Dad that they knew. Not really. If anything, Connor’s roast-like impression of his father (“I ama little teapot…fuck off!”) feels like a more adequate encapsulation of Logan than the inviting, even jovial host that the sibs see on the video. Here he is, surrounded by his inner circle,smilingif you’re able to actually believe it, and maybe even enjoying himself. It’s the type of guy that might actually make decent company, unlike the absolute “brute” that Logan presented himself as while around his kids. It’s a tragic moment disguised as something tender. That’s the power of that home video scene. It shows the Roy kids grasping again at the memory of their father, who never quite showed them the love that they needed. They might be grabbing what they can of Dad’s valuable material belongings, but they don’t have what really matters.
The Final Scenes of ‘Succession’ Divide the Family Once Again
The finale ofSuccessionis arguably one of the most emotionally-crushing endings in television history. The final twenty minutes find the sibs fractured once again, with Kendall losing his vote against GoJo’s acquisition of Waystar and the company falling into the hands of the wretched Swedish tech guru Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard). Tom (Matthew Macfayden) becomes CEO and Shivreluctantly attempts to rekindle their icy marriage. Roman has his millionth mental breakdown, and essentially nobody (except Mattson and Tom) seems very happy.
In a sense, though, it’s also the happiest ending possible. The Roy children are all out of the company, having become even wealthier than they’d already been,the lingering presence of their father’s abusive ghost having finally begun to recede. So much of what caused them incessant pain the last several years, all the scheming and betrayals over who will be their father’s successor, has essentially vanished in an instant. Millions and millions of dollars later, they’re still miserable. Why? As suggested in a centuries-old song, the money isn’t enough. They aren’t even able to enjoy it.
It’s really only Roman who seems to finally understand something that he kinda seemed to be figuring out in the show’s pilot before his dad’s health scares set off a volatile power grab between the siblings and Logan’s inner circle. Back then, Roman didn’t give a shit about being CEO of any company. He didn’t care whowas CEO of any company. He was just content to be an egregiously rich spoiled little brat that had nothing but time and money on his hands. The last we’ll ever see him, he’s in a bar somewhere, sipping what we can presume is a lavishly overpriced cocktail, at long last smiling to himself. He gets it:they’re all bullshit. They’d all be better off just enjoying the sweetest hours of their life.
