Succession - Ep.4X10 "With Open Eyes" (MovieMan Reaction)

Well everyone, here we are. This is it. The SERIES FINALE of one of the greatest shows I've ever watched/experienced in my life. I cannot express enough the gratitude I have to each and every one of you who discovered me and my 'lil channel and have come along for the ride and helped it to grow. You have enhanced my experience more than I ever would've thought possible. Whether it be behind the scenes factoids or your own opinions and character insights, I have LOVED these conversations and varying viewpoints and you have ALL made my journey with "Succession" immensely memorable and special.
Thank you for your love and support, and I can't wait to watch more things with you guys and gals. Thanks for taking a chance and subscribing/following my content! Stay tuned for more!!
Insta @movieman101pro
Twitch @movieman101

[@kimjoree2809]

The fact that toy Kendal kept falling the whole episode

[@ais972]

✋ 😯 🤚 ABSOLUTE CINEMA!

[@Musicluvr4]

Pretty sure that as soon Tom missed Logan’s funeral for the company, that shot Tom to the top of the list for him

[@shahriachowdhury9552]

defo Mattson noticed and asked about Tom, Logan berated Kendall for celebrating his birthday instead of working in the pilot episode.

[@makalekishvili3385]

As genius as this finale is, it hurts a lot. Especially the moment when Roman emphasizes the fact that Logan believed that Kendall had no "bloodline" and then Kendall's reaction to it.

[@MovieMan101]

fr fr the show always hurt when it bounced back and forth between siblings teaming up, and then tearing each other down :(

[@jan123car]

I just love the clip of the dinner with Logan. You can really see a side of him that was never seen when he was around the kids. And I think it was a very painful realisation for them now after he's gone. At least Connor got to experience it. Although he wasn't taken serious by anyone most of the time he was actually the only one of the kids that Logan actually viewed as such.

[@OhWellWhatTheHell1]

I also think it’s a clever riff on the title sequence, pulling in home video of Logan to give him a final appearance

[@Serryy]

I love the detail of Roman asking if its legit, followed by Kens reponse. "Greg. 100%" They are so annoyed by their cousin, but during the entire show all his intel has been spot on to the point that Kendall and Roman consider him the most trustworthy source imaginable in the series finale.

[@MovieMan101]

I guess Greg did have a character arc after all XD

[@ktyy777]

this is late but it feels like they consider Greg so unimportant that he essentially became a fly on the wall

[@henrymcmahon295]

Thank you for this journey man. Never comment on KZbin videos (hence my GOVERNMENT NAME ON FULL DISPLAY), but this show is one of my all time favorites and it’s been a privilege to rewatch it along with you. Keep up the work.

[@MovieMan101]

Thank YOU for watching, AND for risking it all lol As a frequent "lurker" myself, I appreciate you poking your head out to say hi!

[@anais6654]

It was a great ride you are probably my favorite succession reactor

[@Whroopeck]

Yeah, I've seen many of them and his and maybe a Diegesis are by far the best

[@MovieMan101]

Thank YOU for watching! I appreciate your kind words, glad that my reaction to the show was enjoyable for you and others

[@LoreBeast]

One detail I like is Roman ordered Jerry's typical drink at the bar

[@sarahmayer1904]

I know exactly what you mean that it doesn't feel "final" for you. It felt exactly the same to me. But after really letting it sit and thinking about everything, watching a lot of essays an interpretations of the finale, it really made click and it feels like the perfect ending. So I'm exited how you are going to feel after really letting it sit for a while!

[@MovieMan101]

Diving into all the video essays now XD

[@erinmartin4058]

i finished succession last week and immediately needed to see what other people thought, you were great to watch and i appreciate how well you broke things down!!!

[@coffinflop]

crazy tiny detail but in the caribbean roman is wearing a tshirt that is from walmart and it was from the kids' section. when the succession fashion instagram account found it it went IMMEDIATELY out of stock

[@MovieMan101]

I believe it lol As I've been watching Succession video essays, I did see one called "The Fashion of Succession" so I'm sure during the show's "live" run, plenty of people were on the hunt

[@troyareyes]

I remember being so mad at the ending but also knowing it could have only been this Thanks for the content! Glad your channel popped on my algo.

[@rini6]

Jeremy Strong did drink the meal fit for a king and then vomited. He did several takes and then washed himself off in the ocean.

[@MovieMan101]

lol how fitting

[@kristopherheenk2710]

I've always read that Ken & Roman moment before the vote of Ken understanding his brother and the fact that he was starting to spiral down his well of self-pity, and that the thing he needed most in the moment was to exercise his masochistic tendencies. So while, yes, Ken pulled him in for a brotherly-love embrace, he also intentionally drove his shoulder into Roman's stitches to break them open and provide him with the physical pain he desperately wanted as a way to assuage his mental and emotional pain.

[@MovieMan101]

Damn.... dark as hell, but that does make sense :/

[@janehollander3843]

I could be wrong but has anyone else deduced that Logan underlined Kendall's name, but he crossed out the Roy. It's both, a symbol of Logan's conflicted feelings for his 'number one boy'.

[@TheMentalita]

Just a random comment passing through: I'm a Swedish person who has watched all the reaction videos for this show. Some ppl who do reaction videos, I cant stand. But right from the beginning I noticed that you picked up on all the important things about this show and also you had some great insights. I had actually already seen Suc-cession before this, but I will totally see The Bear now.

[@smichelle65]

I can't remember if it was late last season or early this season, but at one point Mattson asks Kendall how he slept the night before, and Kendall said he had a good night. Mattson then says "I never met a guy I respect who sleeps well" 😮😮

[@Grovelaar]

Succession & Severance. Oh by another great series awaits you! Can’t wait to watch it with you ❤

[@yuyuretro]

i was so mad at shiv until kendall did everything possible to prove her right LMFAO

[@smichelle65]

I've never clicked a video so fast!

[@HannahG-nk2mf]

This entire ride has been so amazing! You’ve been one of the best reactors to one of the best shows!! also Interview With The Vampire is superb! It’s a titillating toxic gothic drama 🎭

[@MovieMan101]

Appreciate the kind words

[@jennymarks499]

I have an idea for you…what if you just started watching Succession again, as a rewatch? Or watch your own reactions and react to them? Ok I’m (mostly) kidding! I have watched practically every Succession reaction video that exists because I love the show so much, and you are far and away my favorite. Your thoughtfulness, humor and intelligence has enhanced my experience of watching the show. I really don’t like trying new things, but I believe I will start watching Severance so I can continue the journey with you. Thank you for all you have shared with us, and remember you can never watch Succession too many times! 😂

[@MovieMan101]

lol honestly if I have all the time in the world that would be lowkey tempting XD Luckily, it's my turn to watch reaction channels and show this show to my friends, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to re-visit this series. Thanks for coming along and watching with me

[@Lauren_3000]

Thank you for your reaction. It's been amazing. I don't know if someone else already pointed this out, but an alternative ending was that the show ends with Kendall attempting suicide in the Hudson river. This is the quote Jeremy Strong gave about it: “I tried to go into the water after we cut - I got up from that bench and went as fast as I could over the barrier and onto the pilings, and the actor playing [bodyguard] Colin (Scott Nicholson) raced over,. I didn’t know I was gonna do that, and he didn’t know, but he raced over and stopped me. I don’t know whether in that moment I felt that Kendall just wanted to die - I think he did - or if he wanted to be saved by essentially a proxy of his father. To me, what happens at the board vote is an extinction level event for this character. There’s no coming back from that.”

[@MovieMan101]

Fascinating.... love how deep these actors get into character, to the point where it sounds like Jeremy was acting not as himself, but truly as Kendall in that moment...

[@maurissafields1095]

I'm glad Shiv voted no for Kendall because I will never forget what she told Kendall when they were in the hospital in Season 1 and she told him why he shouldn't be CEO, at first I thought she was being harsh but after watching all seasons she was right, he's not capable of being a CEO. Matsson and Tom was the better choice.

[@jimin-ssibangtansmind7230]

also, Kendall S4 was acting like Logan. He stopped babbling, threatened Rava with custody, said repeatedly that he was doing this for the sake of the children, his siblings, gave his approval to support Mencken, yelled and confronted Shiv on several occasions. All of this before he was even CEO. So even if Shiv was motivated by jealousy, spite, or malice, this prevented Kendall from ending up like his father. In the end, Logan died seeking the company of his children and he didn't even get to have that.

[@OhWellWhatTheHell1]

A couple stray thoughts: - Kendall claiming he made up the story with the cater-waiter is the ultimate self-betrayal - he broke off from Waystar after Logan said the waiter was NRPI (no real person involved), and he's now "NRPI-ing" the waiter himself. Also loved the reveal of Kendall's paternity at the end - the show has always been a show about medieval royalty transposed to the modern world, and this talk of illegitimate children and bloodlines serves as an ugly reminder of how much of those prejudices still carry forward in some circles. - There's a repeated motif in this show of love being intermingled with dominance, and it's super present throughout this episode - Shiv and Roman "crown" Kendall by symbolically poisoning him and then dumping the brew on top of his head. Kendall hugs Roman to comfort him but also to burst his stitches.Tom tells Greg "I got you" - and it's not clear whether this is a statement of love or sticker-based-ownership, more likely a bit of both. - Loved the title of the episode as a triple entendre - it's a snippet of Dream Song 29 (as the other finales have been), it's a statement on where the characters stand at the end of the show, and it's also a reference to Roman in particular, whose stitches on his eye get literally repeatedly, painfully opened by Kendall in the episode. - A lot of people interpret the ending as Kendall being possibly ready to end it all, but I think Kendall is going to be "okay". IMO the point of that final scene with Colin standing behind him is to show that (similar to the scene on the roof at the end of Safe Room) no matter how dark his mental state gets, he lives in a world with a million guardrails. Colin is symbolically equal parts servant and surveillance, equal parts protector and jailer, both a reminder of his father's embrace and an albatross around his neck reminding him of his own guilt.

[@MovieMan101]

Very well said. Insightful thoughts. Thanks for sharing and watching with us

[@Emilbarrit2]

Your final thoughts reminded me of my own reaction. I really thought and hoped Kendall was gonna finally pull it off 😂 but after some reflection i do appreciate this endings excellence. Tom was really the secret main character, he got the arc and the W in the end.

[@rhps7276]

Thank you for this journey man! I rarely left comments in general but have been here from the start and absolutely loved your reactions

[@MovieMan101]

lol thanks Papa Dragon XD Appreciate the kind words and I'm glad you came along for the journey, hope to see you pop up again in my future watch-throughs!

[@benhackett4]

Great show, great reaction. I'm learning the finale is still depressing as hell on a rewatch. I do sometimes think this is the best thing for Ken, if he ever wants to really change for the better. I find myself grappling with whether or not I agree with Jesse Armstrong. I want to believe people can change. I wonder what most people think. I haven't seen any of the shows you'll be watching next (at least yet), but I'll try to stick around in case I get around to finally watching Severance or Attack on Titan, or if in the future you happen to land on a show I've already seen. Cheers.

[@jimin-ssibangtansmind7230]

Diré muchas cosas, así que prepárense. Inicié este show hace un par de años, pero no me quedé al terminar la primera temporada. Volví y me vi el programa completo. Obviamente me hice fan a muerte de Kendall, así que al haberme comido un montón de spoilers estaba insegura de querer terminar la cuarta temporada, me tardé mucho debatiendo si hacerlo o no. La terminé ayer, y honestamente en un punto estaba cansada, creo que entendí mucho a Roman cuando quiso que ya todo terminara, que vendieran y pudieran liberarse. Y aunque encontré terrible el final "prematuro" de Kendall no lo sentí tan trágicamente devastador a como pensé sería. Me fui a dormir sin cenar tras ver el episodio, algo que no hago desde nunca. Así que eso debe decir algo de esta serie LOL, pero entre más lo pienso, siento que es un final con bastante sentido, y pienso que el final no es tan desolador. Por lo menos esta vez Kendall está seco y en una banca que en un mar o piscina sin tanta esperanza. No suelo hacer segundas rondas de programas de televisión, pero esta serie la vería una y otra vez. Todavía recuerdo cuando volví a ver la primera temporada y lloré como nunca con el final de temporada, y luego vi la segunda temporada y lloré todavía más, y estaba tan emocionada por el final que tuve que buscar varias reacciones de youtube y así fue como llegué aquí por ser de las más genuinas. Me alegra haber encontrado este vídeo hoy. He pasado todo el día leyendo foros de reddits, tik toks y vídeos del cast. Honestamente me encanta esta serie, hay frases que uso en mi vida, y pienso hacer un ensayo en mi diario porque no creo olvidarlo tan rápidamente como quisiera

[@LambdaHDvideo]

Yoooo you gotta do Attack on Titan man! It was the same story for me, I had it on my wanna-watch-someday list, and then finally I went for it and damn. Top 3 show of all time for me. Either way though, every show you have lined up is a banger so I'm not complaining either way heh

[@HoundsBane]

Loved your reactions & discussions man! Such an easy, funny, & often insightful watch of your content. Definitely sticking with channel man!

[@MovieMan101]

Thank YOU for watching! Appreciate the kind words, and I'm very grateful that you're sticking around for more

[@piabeans]

I have enjoyed rewatching this series with you 🫶🏼

[@MovieMan101]

Thank for coming along for the ride

[@Chlo255]

I came for Succession but I'll stick around for Interview With the Vampire! I love that series

[@troyareyes]

50:15 real shit

[@Whroopeck]

Hawk tuah, spit on that thing

[@paulcarlsen5787]

RIP Kendall

[@spooony2714]

Jesse Armstrong doesn't really do character arcs, his characters never become "better people", Peep Show and Fresh Meat are exactly the same as Succession in that respect, there characters just are who they are.

[@Arthur-nr5ci]

Really enjoyed your reactions to this show. I've watched pretty much all the reactors to this show and you've done it so much justice. Can't wait to watch the recap, live stream?

[@MovieMan101]

Most likely yes! I'll be uploading a video soon announcing what day I plan on streaming/uploading a LIVE Succession Retrospective video. Nothing too fancy, but some final thoughts and conversations. Perhaps even a ranking if I can arrange it....

[@Arthur-nr5ci]

@@MovieMan101 Nice, I've got notifications on, so I'll be looking out for it!

[@cammy11]

just finally got around to this cause i was travelling 😭 but re: jesse's opinion, tbh i sort of disagree with - i think what we've seen in the show is definitely cyclical but at the same time it's not unchanging. re: roman - kieran disagrees with the creator's comments entirely too. calling roman a playboy is so funny, after every thing we've seen.

[@jimin-ssibangtansmind7230]

Playboy... that's would be real if he could actually interact with women who were not his family

[@ARWG]

I'M THE ELDEST BOY!

[@neonoires]

This is apparently an unpopular opinion but I am a bit more hopeful with Tom and Shiv at the end because Shiv did that thinking that her and Tom were done for good due to the conversation they had and the fight at Logan's place. When Tom reached out his hand it felt more like he was extending an olive branch to her. Tom becoming CEO was their original plan and I personally think that Tom is a decent enough person to not punish Shiv for things that happened largely because she's having his kid and Tom is not Logan. People say Shiv turned out "just like Caroline" and besides being married to the CEO of Waystar their similarities within their marriage kind of end there. She can walk away from Tom and Tom could walk away from Shiv. I saw their ending like they were both giving it another chance because of where things left off with them. It seemed very much over, it'll be different if this was back in season 3. But I like what Jesse said about Shiv being in the place of non-victory, non-defeat.

[@janehollander3843]

Kendall had to lie about the kid. Shiv was evil to bring that up. Ken could never trust that she wouldn't turn him in or tell everyone else at that point. Lose/lose scenario.

[@nolaw7949]

You can think the name was crossed out but 100% it was intended to be underlined by the writers, albeit deliberately ambiguous

[@MovieMan101]

*punching the air right now* < me

[@Emilbarrit2]

🫡🫡🫡😭😭

[@hmad001]

Goat reactor

[@MovieMan101]

Goat viewer ;)

[@nolaw7949]

Roman mocking Ken for adopting and saying his kids aren't his is absolutely worthy of Ken's response imo.

[@august3046]

team ken forever

[@Serryy]

2 thoughts about the whole ending thing. 1. Ken had it. He fucking had it. He gave it away, being cocky, being on his manic high once again. Frank basically begs him to give his pitch. He doesnt vote for Matsson because he wants to, he says that he cant vote against it in good consciousness. If Ken at least tries to convince him, Frank might flip. He loves Kendall, he was always on Ken's side. Not to mention Shiv not being capable of seeing Ken acting like a king already, feeling himself sitting on Logans throne, going full Logan when Roman votes "no". If Kendall manages to at least keep the facade up until the vote is done, then he wins. 2. I love how we see the power dynamic in Shiv's and Tom's relationship slowly reversing since season 3. Even in the third season, Tom has grown more calculated until he betrays Shiv. In season 4, we see him standing up to Shiv completely. In the last scene, hes the big man, shes the wife with the last name and a lot of money and not more. Shes a trophy wife basically. He tells her the car is ready, she takes it. He holds out his hand in the car, she hesitates, but in the end she has no choice. Because what is she now, aside from being rich, something that they all are since their birth, something that doesnt even matter for them. Shes the wife of the CEO. Shivs and Kens downfalls are so satisfying to watch. Romans downfall already happened of course, at least hes moving on now. As long as he doesnt use his money to stay relevant in politics, something I can sadly see happening, he will live a good life and probably keep in touch with Shiv and Connor. God, i pity Tom's and Shiv's child. A father who will be absent their entire life, Logan 2.0. basically, hopefully not with the same anger issues tho. And a mother who will always resent her husband for taking "her" throne, who will become bitter and probably not be the best mother given her personality traits. In the end, nothing ever changes. The Roy siblings grew up like that, the new child will probably grow up like this. Edit: Jesus, I almost forgot my favourite character, Connor. Oh no. Im buying into Ken's eldest boy propaganda! Anyway, Connor is great. I dont want any spinoffs of this show except one: Connor as ambassador.

[@anoushkas8726]

I think you've got it completely wrong about Tom and Shiv. Extrapolating on the show's philosophy of people never change, Tom is actually a reasonable husband and will definitely be a good father. A little power dynamic shift to restore the balance in their relationship will actually do them good and restore their chemistry. As for Shiv, I don't see her becoming a good mother, for sure but she's definitely not in the same place as her own mother. she will grow out of this defeat and do something better with the approximate 2 bil she got.

[@Serryy]

@@anoushkas8726 Have you ever seen Tom behave reasonably in a position of power? Hes bullying everyone whos beneath him while sucking up to those who are not, thats his whole shtick. Im also confused by you saying that in the show, people dont change, which is something I agree with, but then you say Shiv will grow from the events of the last season 4 episodes.

[@anoushkas8726]

@@Serryy Grow out of this defeat meaning recover from this defeat and start working again instead of staying at home, not grow as person. Secondly, you're highly mistaken if you think Tom and Shiv have that much power imbalance that he will start treating her like Greg. If the show trajectory is anything to be believed, they will more or less end up with same dynamics as Tom is a puppet ceo who can be voted out any moment due to 1. He's discardable for Mattson 2. A court case is already underway to challenge Meynken. If Jiminez becomes president, the first person to go to jail is Tom. 3. Even if that doesn't happen,Tom is at best a short term ceo which any board will vote out at first chance so give him 10 years max. 4.Shiv has incredible leverage on Tom knowing he destroyed the evidence in Cruise ship case and overall she's way richer than Tom with watertight Prenup. So, there, I guess that should explain it.

[@mheusler]

No offense to your take on the show because we all interpret it our own way……I highly recommend that folks who really want creator insight, read the scripts which are available and include deleted scenes etc….i also, think it’s bizarre to discard what the creator of the show intended…….i.e…..the cross out…….Armstrong specifically had the it look one way because he knew what the character (he created) intended. Of course you can disagree but then at that point why listen to anything the creators of a show say? And of course hey if you want to make your own cannon…..it’s not a crime.

[@MovieMan101]

Several people have pointed this out to me. It's not that I.... "disagree" with the creator/writer's official declaration so much as I begrudgingly accept it at this point. It may be a fact and canon in the universe of Succession, but to me (personally) it really seems visually more like a cross-out than an underline. Plus it's fun to me to play up the "controversy" of the question

[@annkey4091]

I know what the writer said about his characters, but there were times when I thought that Armstrong and the directors gave their actors some leeway in their interpretation of the characters, follow their instincts.

[@SiennaBelic]

This ending made me hate Shiv so much, I don't care what anyone says. They were finally acting like siblings, and she destroyed their relationship, she destroyed the company, and her life - she became exactly what she never wanted to be. She has become a stay at home wife/mother to a powerful man, and she never even wanted to really be a mother, and allowed herself to be pressured into it. I will always stand by the fact that Ken would have been great in running the company. He is a good man after all is said and done, and has a lot of knowledge. I find it so interesting that you have so little empathy for Ken, and are so hard on him, but approve of horrible Roman's behavior the whole time and Shiv's as well. What she did is not the same as what Ken and Roman did to her, it's a 100 times worse. And I will never understand why Shiv did what she did in the end. No logic at all.

[@MovieMan101]

To be fair, if you go back to my earlier reactions videos with Kendall, I do state MANY times that I was hoping for Kendall character arcs, and genuinely wanted to root for him. I started to side with him in S1 during the "vote of no confidence" and then especially at the start of S3 when he's on the warpath to take over Waystar. But then Kendall, like all his other siblings, shows his true colors frequently and keeps making (in my opinion) questionable and often outright deplorable decisions. Granted, yes, my opinion swings back and forth on EVERY character in this damn show, but I'd like to think that I tried to hold them accountable. Yes, I may have sympathized/empathized a tad more towards Roman's character (for personal reasons) toward the end, but I also still acknowledge that he isn't a good person in general. I think if I had to choose one of the Roy children, I would ultimately have chosen Kendall. But at the end, I don't believe that any of them truly "deserve it". Plus yes, Shiv frequently self-destructs her prospects as well, I really do wish she wouldn't chosen one basket to keep her eggs in...

[@annkey4091]

Since when does a woman with Shiv's resources have to stay at home? Logan wanted the company sold. This is what she voted to do. Logan told them to make their own pile. This sale gave them resources to do just that. Perhaps, she wanted to blowup her blood family. Believe it or not, sometimes family is your worst enemy. They were not acting like siblings --- just parts of a transaction. I have not seen Shiv really happy in the four seasons that show has been on. By the way, Tom works FOR Matsson as long as he wants him. If the board found out that Ken was in an auto accident where someone died and, between he and his father they covered it up, he would be out; Shiv tampered with a potential witness in cruise line scandal, she would be out; if they found out Roman's provocative pictures he would be out; if Tom's destruction of evidence came out, he would be out. Shiv did what she because WHEN YOU ARE WOMAN, YOU GO WITH BEST OFFER. She went with the potential emotional security of her husband, who she knows wants their baby (I think that still loves her, which he said in "Tailgate Party" episode). With Kendall or Roman, she was taking her chances. They all got the same $$$ financial payout. For once, they are all even in the corporate power game --- they are OUT.

[@jimin-ssibangtansmind7230]

HE´S A GOOD MAN SAVANNAH LOL. You're Kendalling too much I see. I love Ken but you clearly missed the whole point. Shiv would never be a stay at home mom. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? do you hear yourself typing all these nonesense?

[@freedomm]

I'm one of the few who didn't like the finale or the outcome.. I've always hated the new CEO.

[@Lust4life15]

Will DEFINITELY be sticking around for the interview with the vampire reactions! Cannot wait