Succession director Mark Mylod still worries about Kendall Roy

The following article discusses the finale of Succession

Logan Roy (Brian Cox) wouldn’t describe his son Kendall (Jeremy Strong) as a serious person, but Succession director Mark Mylod might disagree. Since the show’s finale, the cast has frequently commented on the fates of their characters. Last month, prior to watching the final two episodes, Cox insisted that there’s still a chance Logan is still alive, presumably using a variation of the Never Found The Body trope. One must respect Cox’s cheery outlook that he brings to those delightful McDonald’s jingles (“bodum di papa”). Mylod might be channeling some of Cox’s trademark optimism in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on what he thinks Kendall is up to these days. Long story short: He just hopes he’s “still alive” and thinks he is.

Kendall’s future is a constant source of intrigue. Like any series finale worth its weight in Emmys, Succession’s conclusion is somewhat open-ended. Mylod ends the series with a close-up of Kendall staring at New York’s East River, and like Tony Soprano before him, there’s much debate over what happened next. On HBO’s Succession podcast, Jeremy Strong described at a cut scene where Kendall attempts to jump the rail into the river but is stopped by his driver, Colin (Scott Nicholson). “Sometimes you do things that don’t make it into the cut but are still there,” Strong told The Hollywood Reporter. While that might be there for Strong, he continues to believe “Kendall is stuck in a silent scream forever.” Ah, yes, More of that classic Succession sunshine.

For Mylod’s part, he wishes Kendall the best as he would any “relative or even a child who is experiencing problems with their identity and role in the world.” And like a troubled loved one, the director hopes Kendall finds his “place in the world.” That’s probably a lot more empathy than a character like Kendall deserves, but it also speaks to why Succession struck a chord with viewers. The cast and crew treated these despicable people with such love, and it obviously translated because Kendall Roy is now America’s #1 baby girl.

Unfortunately, no one had the heart to tell them that Kendall could live on, and as soon as Jeremy Strong and Mark Mylod start writing Kendall fanfic, we’ll be here to report on it. Meanwhile, Mylod believes Shiv (Sarah Snook) is Lady Macbeth-ing the hell out of Tom (Matthew Macfadyen). This show really could’ve just gone on forever, with the Roys continuing to jockey for the throne to diminishing results. We are very fortunate that didn’t happen.