Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 4 Episode 9 of Succession.Despite the 90-minute run-time ofSuccession’s finale, the show has a lot to wrap up following its penultimate episode. Obviously, much of the finale will center aroundthe Gojo acquisition of Waystar, but there are a number of plot points still hanging over the audience’s heads that we may or may not ever see the full conclusion of.
With such an ensemble of characters, each with their own intertwined storylines, it’s safe to say that some ofSuccession’s biggest questions will be left unanswered. As the hit drama reaches its dramatic climax, it’s important to remember some of the plot points that may never be concluded. After all, it’s these stories that have changed the Roys into the people they are in the show’s final act.
RELATED:‘Succession’ Season 4: Does Kendall Have What it Takes to Step into Logan’s Shoes Permanently?
Kendall’s Car Accident
In theSuccessionSeason 1 finale, appropriately titled “Nobody is Ever Missing,”Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Roy was involved in a deadly car accident after his sister Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) wedding. As Kendall and a member of the Roys' wait staff go in search of drugs, the vehicle lurches off a bridge, drowning the young waiter, leaving Kendall completely shaken and pretending that he was never involved.
This plot plagued the troubled Roy throughout Seasons 2 and 3,resulting in a hardened Kendall in Season 4, determined to end up on top, no matter the cost. Despite Kendall’s late father, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), being aware of the tragedy, the matter was never brought to public light. With only one episode remaining, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see this plot point addressed again as the fallout of such a controversial incident could take an entire season to wrap up.
Despite this open ending, we must acknowledge that the storyline was an integral part of Kendall’s journey. In Season 3’s finale, “All the Bells Say,” Kendall admitted the truth to his siblings, a moment that brought them together to take down their father in the lead-up to the final season and provided closure to Kendall’s grieving process. While we may never see him face external repercussions for his actions, the internal journey Kendall embarked on as a result of it made him the character that is today.
Will the Roy Kids Ever Be Good Parents?
Successionhas made a continued effort tocompare Kendall’s parenting to that of his father. “America Decides,” highlighted this, with Kendall suggesting that all the decisions he makes are for his family, an excuse shared by Logan in Season 1. We also know that Roman (Kieran Culkin) does have kids of his own, even if they disappeared along with his girlfriend after the show’s pilot episode. Now, with Shiv announcing that she has a baby Roy on the way, we have to ask, will we ever see the repercussions of it?
One ofSuccession’s main storylines has been Shiv and Tom’s (Matthew Macfadyen)toxic marriage. The two have used each other countless times over the course of the show, resulting in two heartbreakingly raw arguments in “Tailgate Party” and “America Decides.” With their relationship crumbling,the reveal of Shiv’s pregnancyhas threatened to tear them apart even more, Tom not even believing her at first. Instead, the sad puppy questioned whether it was some kind of Waystar scheme that she was employing.
WithSuccessiontaking place over such a short period of time, it’s doubtful that we’ll ever see a baby Wamsgams wreaking havoc at Waystar, or that we’ll ever see the long-lasting effects of how the crumbling couple tackle parenthood. However, Tom’s want for a family has been a large part of his character over the last few seasons, so the plot point may serve as a way to bring the characters back together or split them up for good. It’s likely the finale will address the fate of their relationship, with the consideration of the child being a large part of it. However, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see the two as parents on-screen. With Shiv’s maternal instincts completely none existent (seriously, she used the baby reveal as a jab at Tom), it would have been interesting to see how her parenting would compare to her father and brothers before her.
What Happened to Pierce?
SuccessionSeason 4 started out with one goal; toface the Roy kids off against Loganone last time. Obviously, that’s not exactly what transpired, with the sudden death of Logan being a bit of a curveball. However, the season’s premiere episode, “The Munsters,” saw the Roys outbid Logan in acquiring rival family media company Pierce. After spending the majority of Season 2 attempting to acquire Pierce, it was fitting that Logan would ultimately lose out on the deal to his own children, but since then, the show has seemingly had no interest in addressing the fate of the company.
Sure, the Roy kids have been a little preoccupied of late, but with so much screen time focused on developing the Pierce family throughout the entirety of the show, it would be a shame not to see what came of the company. Despite this, the kids “saying the bigger number” when acquiring Pierce was extremely fulfilling to watch and was the only time we ever got to see the war between father and children play out. So, while the acquisition did act as a form of conclusion to that story, the full extent of the acquisition will more than likely not see the light of day.
With a feature-length finale on the horizon, one would be surprised if these plot points were not at least referenced by the Roys as they embark on their final battle for the Waystar throne. There are plenty more examples of storylines that we’d love to see resolved (what happened with cruises in the end?), but regardless, it’s important to acknowledge that these stories served a purpose in shapingSuccession’s complex characters, even if we don’t see the full extent of their repercussions. Time will tell as to what truths the finale will unveil, but for now, we can only speculate.
