Season 4 of Succession is going to be the show’s last (cue the internal meltdown). Now, once you’ve made it through denial, anger, and whatever other stages of grief you’re going through upon hearing that news, please meet me over here where we’re very calmly, very maturely asking “But WHYYYY?!”
^ Me upon realizing that season 4 is *really* the end.
Creator Jesse Armstrong confirmed his choice to end the show in an interview with the New Yorker, saying of the decision, “You know, there’s a promise in the title of Succession. I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind. From season 2, I’ve been trying to think: Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?”
But if it makes you feel any better, the final season of the show was just nominated for nine Golden Globes. The critically acclaimed HBO series landed noms in major categories including Drama TV Series, Actress in a Drama TV Series, and Actor in a Drama TV Series. In fact, three of the show’s actors—Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong—are up for Actor in a Drama TV Series, which means the show is well on its way to sweeping the ceremony.
But back to the decision to end the show, before the writers of season 4 started working on a script, Armstrong said he raised the idea of making season 4 the final part of the Roy family’s story. “And we played out various scenarios: We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks,” Armstrong told the New Yorker. “Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference.”
Going out strong hasn’t always been the way for HBO shows (I’m looking at you Game of Thrones and Entourage) so even though it’s sad that we won’t be getting more seasons of Succession, the reasoning is respectable.
There is one teeny tiny glimmer of hope for those of us wanting more, though. Armstrong said he has a strong feeling that “there could be something else in an allied world, or allied characters, or some of the same characters.” If you’re telling me there’s a chance of a Greg spinoff, then I will start clearing my schedule immediately to make sure I can watch it the second it comes out. But until then, we’ll just have to sit back and savor season 4 in all of its glory.
Laura is a NYC-based freelance writer. When she’s not binging the latest true crime docu-series, she’s obsessing over all things Harry Styles, RHONY, and John Mulaney. You can follow her on Instagram @lauraehanrahan