Brilliant and tragic: Twitter erupts with hilarious memes after 'Succession' finale

Truly, there will never be another show like 'Succession'


Entertainment Desk May 30, 2023

A hallmark of excellent television, Succession took its final bow with its series finale, With Open Eyes. The final episode of the fourth and last season crowned a new leader to the Roy empire, and boy, was it full of twists and turns.

As soon as the episode aired, Twitter was flooded with memes and fan reactions to the shocking farewell that left audiences struggling with a plethora of emotions. Without further ado, here are the best reactions to the Succession series finale. 

SPOILER ALERT: Tweets contain spoilers 

One Twitter user combined one of the most iconic dialogues from Game of Thrones and juxtaposed it with Tom Wambsgans' (Matthew Macfayden) eventual fate in the show (if you know, you know)

Interestingly, one Twitter user drew yet another parallel between the two shows, with Tom and Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) rising to the top as unexpected victors. "HBO has done it again," they tweeted.

Parallels between Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) were also drawn, with HBO being blamed for robbing the apparent heirs with a delightful twist.

One Twitter user summed up Kendall's protests in the finale.

HBO itself chose to pay homage to the one-of-a-kind show. "Affix your stickers to objects you covet," read the tweet, which was accompanied by a pivotal point in the show. Tom can be seen placing a sticker on Gregory Hirsch's (Nicholas Braun) head.

The scene paid tribute to the tumultuous friendship shared between Tom and Greg, but it also further highlighted the newly established power dynamic, which placed Tom leagues ahead of Greg, thereby also making Greg a perpetual target.

Twitter users also paid tribute to Gerri Kellman (J. Smith Cameron), who always came out on top, despite all hardships. "I’m so pleased she came out on top. You can’t keep her knocked down for long. She’ll always claw her way back up. She knows how to play the game," wrote the fan.

Some moments from the show were immortalised. For instance, Twitter users could not get over Kendall yelling, "I am the eldest boy!"

One particularly gut-punching tweet highlighted Siobhan Roy's (Sarah Snook) arc, where she eventually turns into the mother she resents. A quote by author and scholar Bonnie Burstow accompanied an image of Tom and Shiv.

It read, "Often father and daughter look down on mother (woman) together. They exchange meaningful glances when she misses a point. They agree that she is not bright as they are, cannot reason as they do. This collusion does not save the daughter from the mother’s fate."

Another Twitter user utilised images from the title song and stills from the show to highlight how Shiv was always overshadowed by the very men she sought to uplift.

One user of the microblogging site simply made fun of the Roy siblings, stating, "How to lose a company in 10 days starring Kendall, Roman, and Shiv." (Roman Roy is played by Kieran Culkin).

Another user highlighted the sheer brilliance of this Shakespearean show, quoting the example of William Adolf Wambsganss, who is best remembered for making one of the most spectacular defensive plays in World Series history, an unassisted triple play. Is it a coincidence that Tom shares the same surname?

People also couldn't get over how the audience was 'Wambsgansed,' calling the finale a 'tragic ending but brilliantly made.'

Users of the site also highlighted the many spoilers a particular photoshoot contained. "The Shiv poster with Tom reflected in her back being the biggest spoiler of the finale," they penned.

Roman's 'fragile' state at his mom's house after his breakdown at Logan Roy's (Brian Cox) funeral and the attack by protestors was also made into a meme. His casual, beaten-down look was juxtaposed with Michael Yagoobian from Meet The Robinsons.

Shiv changing her mind at the most pivotal moment was also turned into a meme. A clip of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) from The Office repeatedly threatening to end his life was turned into Kendall's response to Shiv second-guessing her vote.

One Twitter user summed up the fates of one of the Roy siblings, with Roman potentially coming out on top - mentally, that is. "It's easy to say that everybody lost, but when the dust settles, Roman will be the most fine. Kendall had it right: he didn't want it; he only wanted it because his father set that expectation in his abuse cycle. That smile is the tell. He is free (and filthy rich)," they wrote.

Finally, this user perfectly summed up the fates of all three siblings. "Shiv having to re-live her mother’s life. Roman's melancholic smile because he was free from all of that. The last shot with Ken and the bodyguard: the two men who lived for Logan, wandering around and having nothing lined up. Wow. Succession, I will miss you," they stated.

Truly, there will never be another show like Succession. We tip our hats and bid farewell to one of television's finest offerings.

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