This Is How Long Brian Cox Thinks Succession Will Continue
As a wise woman once said, watching the Roy family melt down is one of the most deeply satisfying activities on the planet. For three seasons, viewers have been cackling maniacally at the clumsy maneuvers, vulgar insults, and Shakespearean-level folly "Succession" has beautifully perfected. Watching a gaggle of wealthy elites duke it out for ownership of a giant media conglomeration may not sound like a compelling watch, but if you've been on the internet for more than an hour, you've probably heard of the addictive power of HBO's witty drama. Never mind how bleakly it resembles our reality, "Succession" is hilarious, sharply written, and stacked with impeccable performers. If only we could inject the show directly into our veins. Alas, we'll have to settle for watching it on TV. But there lies the trouble: "Succession" is no workplace comedy or endless soap opera. This story has an ending in sight, so how much longer can the show continue?
Well, if three seasons of "Succession" have taught us anything (besides the rules of Boar on the Floor), it's that Logan Roy is basically the voice of God — mostly because if you ignore his will, he might smite you with his incomprehensible power. Playing the aging patriarch puts Brian Cox at the center of all the action, which gives him plenty of insight into the series' future.
Brain Cox has the answers
When Brian Cox spoke to GQ in October 2021, he revealed that season 4 was expected to film in June 2022 and could possibly be the final chapter of the Roy family's story. And when asked how much longer he'd like to don his chunky cable-knit sweaters as Logan Roy, Cox had a pretty firm answer:
"I would say possibly two more series and then I think we're done. But it just depends and may just be only one more series. It depends what the writers feel. I know they've got an endgame. They haven't told us what the ending is, but there is an endgame. So it's just how they get up to that endgame, whether it takes one series or two series."
On the bright side, there is a slight possibility it could go on longer than Cox indicated. While it's difficult to imagine the Roy saga without Logan's comfy sweaters, death glare, constant profanities, and somehow threatening eyebrows, it's quite possible that the show does go on without him. Logan's health has been deteriorating since the very first episode of the series, when he ended up in a hospital bed and his death seemed inevitable. Since then he's continued to be an absolute powerhouse, but he's also been forced to face that having a demonic personality doesn't make him immortal. All that being said, Cox lays out a pretty reasonable estimate: Another season or two is also what "Succession" writer Georgia Pritchett guessed.
The final chapter of Succession
All good things must come to an end, and "Succession" is no exception. This isn't the kind of show that can endlessly meander, and we probably wouldn't want it to. Sure, the daily exploits of Cousin Greg and his BFF Tom Wambsgans could no doubt fill hours of entertainment, but it's not quite the show we've been watching (don't sleep on the spinoff potential, though). The most obvious way to deliver on the promise of the title is for Logan to exit the picture and let somebody else take over the company, whether that be one of his disappointing children or a complete outsider. Or Greg, per the fan theories. But when has "Succession" ever done the expected?
That and so much more is what makes the show so incredible. It's also why the ending feels so complicated. As Cox said in the same interview, "Succession" has come into itself beautifully and letting it go won't be easy:
"I think it's going to be hard to let go of it this early... [Succession's] iconic nature is just hitting, I think people are going to want two more series, but they may only get one."
The first three seasons of 'Succession" are now streaming on HBOMax.