WARNING: Spoilers for Succession season 4Succession star Jeremy Strong teases Kendall’s mindset heading into the series finale with a Game of Thrones reference. Succession‘s penultimate episode followed Logan’s funeral and throughout the episode, Kendall puts himself in a position to become his father’s true successor if he is able to successfully stop the GoJo sale. After Roman is unable to deliver Logan’s eulogy, Kendall steps in his place and delivers a grand monologue, putting on a show for the second time during the final season.
Appearing on the latest episode of HBO‘s official Succession podcast, Strong was asked what Kendall’s mindset is heading into the Succession series finale. The Emmy-winning actor responded with a reference to another acclaimed HBO show, Game of Thrones, calling it “a Dracarys moment for Kendall.” Read Strong’s long-winded but thoughtful explanation below:
It’s kind of like a Dracarys moment for Kendall. Starting from the end of episode six, really, I think he can see the endgame. A lot of things happen in the ninth episode. Him feeling blamed for the election and his culpability in making this kind of Faustian bargain, really, he’s compromised himself utterly, and he knows it. I think he’s in turmoil. The real moral jeopardy that we see in the previous episode. But Rava calling him on that and taking the kids out of the city, and then Jess also defecting.
In a way, his assistant Jess, I mean she’s such a fantastic character and Juliana Canfield is a brilliant actor, and I love that they gave her this great scene. But she is in a sense one of the only people that Kendall has left. Everyone else is gone. Shiv has a relationship with Tom; other characters we see in relationship with people. And Jess is sort of the one place that Kendall feels safe, so for it to come from there is a real mortal wound for Kendall. He keeps pressing on, but he’s really, I think, unseated by that a bit, which only sharpens his need to get what he wants. So I think he’s just doubling down.
Or listen to his comments on the Succession podcast, starting at 32:04
What The Game of Thrones Ending Could Reveal About The Succession Series Finale
By “a Dracarys moment,” Strong is seemingly referring to the Game of Thrones penultimate episode, “The Bells,” in which an enraged Daenerys burns down King’s Landing on the back of Drogon, killing many civilians in the process. Afterward, Dany essentially becomes queen of the ashes and is killed by Jon shortly after. Succession‘s penultimate episode, “Church and State,” doesn’t include as many literal casualties, though Logan’s funeral does represent a similar coronation moment for Kendall. Afterward, he begins enlisting many of Logan’s old allies, including his former security guard Colin and makes Hugo his “dog.”
Similar to Dany’s “Dracarys moment,” which was partially motivated by her losing Jorah Mormont and Missandei, Kendall’s big moment also comes after he’s lost some people closest to him. Before Logan’s funeral, Kendall’s ex-wife Rava takes their kids out of the city and his assistant Jess tells him she’s moving on. If Kendall does end up as sole CEO during the Succession series finale, he will likely end up like Logan and Daenerys – estranged from everyone around him and destined to live the rest of his life in misery.
Source: HBO
