Expect the “promise in the title” to be fulfilled.
Succession will end with its upcoming fourth season, showrunner Jesse Armstrong has confirmed.
The news has come as a shock to fans, with earlier comments from executive producer Georgia Pritchett suggesting the acclaimed drama could stretch to a total of five seasons – an outcome that was deemed likely due to its astronomical popularity.
However, Armstrong revealed in an interview with The New Yorker that he has decided to wrap things up with season 4, which is due to premiere on HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK next month.
“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,” he explained.
“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?”
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The series follows media baron Logan Roy (Brian Cox), who faces pressure to name a successor to his family-run media empire amid deteriorating health and old age.
Having always intended to keep the business in the family, he looks first to his three children – Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) – but doubts the suitability of each for differing reasons.
Armstrong continued: “I got together with a few of my fellow writers before we started the writing of season 4, in about November, December 2021, and I sort of said, ‘Look, I think this maybe should be it. But what do you think?’
“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.”
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He added: “Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference.”
Anticipation was already high for Succession season 4 but now it has soared through the roof, with speculation about who will end up on top sure to be rife as the final episodes air.
Succession season 4 is coming to Sky and NOW on Monday 27th March 2023. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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