Connect with us

Cleveland, OH

How does ‘Succession’ end? Predicting the series finale

Published

1 year ago

on

How does ‘Succession’ end? Predicting the series finale


CLEVELAND, Ohio — “Succession,” HBO’s razor-sharp, highly addictive satire of the rich and power-hungry disguised as a modern-day Shakespearean family drama and the epitome of the Peak TV era, ends its four-season run this weekend. The supersized, 88-minute series finale, titled “With Open Eyes,” airs at 9 p.m. on Sunday.

• Get caught up: Watch every episode of “Succession” on Max

• Watch the finale for free: Sign up for HBO on Hulu + Live TV’s free trial

Logline: Ahead of the final board vote on the Waystar-GoJo deal, Kendall and Shiv try to shore up their opposing interests… and get a fix on the whereabouts of a physically and emotionally bruised Roman.

Advertisement

If it is to be said, so it be, so it is: Series finales tend to be all over the place. Some are great (“Breaking Bad”), some are bad (“Game of Thrones”), others are misunderstood (“Seinfeld”). But if you want to be part of the zeitgeist, you have to watch.

You’re too online, you’ve lost context: If it feels like the “Succession” craze is ending too early, that’s because many viewers only latched on to it recently. The series has won the Emmy for Best Drama Series twice, but the show’s average of 8.8 million viewers per episode this season is 40% more than at this point last season. In fact, the series has more than doubled its audience since its debut in 2018.

Big shoes, big, big shoes: The series finale follows last week’s riveting penultimate episode in which we said goodbye to Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the menacing patriarch behind Waystar Royco. It didn’t take long after burying their father in a tomb that would make Stalin or Liberace jealous for the Roy Boys — Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) — and Shiv the Shiv (Sarah Snook) to lay the groundwork for a nasty board fight over control of the family company. Kendall hatched a plan to sabotage Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) takeover bid, while Shiv made an appeal to President-elect (pending a grueling jurisdictional knife fight) Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk). Meanwhile, Roman, reeling from grief and shame, embarked on a path of self-destruction by baiting a crowd of anti-Mencken protesters. Elsewhere, Connor (Alan Ruck) pictured life in Slovenia, Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) continued to make himself indispensable and Tom (Matthew Macfayden) finally headed home for some much-needed sleep.

You can’t make a Tomlette without breaking some Gregs: Series creator Jesse Armstrong isn’t just smarter than the rest of us, he’s an expert at subverting expectations, too. Remember, he killed off Logan in the season’s third episode and then revealed Shiv’s pregnancy a week later. “We are in the midst of a genius who knows exactly how to make this satisfying,” Arian Moayed, who plays Stewy, told Variety. “The ending of this series is very satisfying. It’s kind of stunning, really.”

I love you, but you’re not serious people: Expect the series finale to be as unpredictable as a game of Bitey.

Advertisement

“Shiv wins” seems like the least likely outcome, yeah? In her eulogy, she said Logan “couldn’t fit a whole woman in his head.” It was a somewhat ironic statement considering some of the things the show’s writers have put its sole female lead character through over four seasons.

I could see Tom and Greg winning, I guess, if the series was really the “money corrupts, rich people are terrible, screw ‘em all” show that it appeared to be at times. There’s an interesting theory about Tom’s last name, Wambsgans, that could provide a clue to him taking out the three Roy kids and grabbing the Waystar throne for himself. The character shares the unusual surname with former Cleveland second baseman Bill Wambsganss, who, in 1920, made the only unassisted triple play in World Series history. Hmmm…

Still, for me, “Succession” has always been about how a son inevitably becomes his father, and signs have been pointing to Kendall succeeding Logan as head of the company since the first season. The latest hint was dropped in the funeral episode when Uncle Ewan (James Cromwell) revealed Logan carried the guilt for the death of their baby sister. The story parallels Kendall’s belief that he killed a waiter at Shiv’s wedding in S1, E10.

We here for you: I hope you pre-grieved because, no matter the outcome, be prepared to cry like a little slime puppy. “Oh, my God. Wow!” executive producer Adam McKay told Variety after watching the finale. “I knew what was coming. And still! Oh, my God. Wow.”

Advertisement



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Cleveland, OH

City launches ‘Cleveland Moves’ initiative, seeks public input on 5-year transportation plan

Published

6 hours ago

on

August 2, 2024

By

City launches ‘Cleveland Moves’ initiative, seeks public input on 5-year transportation plan


CLEVELAND, Ohio — The city of Cleveland is seeking public input and engagement on its ambitious five-year transportation initiative that aims to enhance the safety, comfort and convenience of walking, biking and using public transit across the city.

In a news release Friday, the city said it hopes to harness the feedback and build upon the multimodal transportation plan, dubbed “Cleveland Moves,” which includes five key components:



Source link

Continue Reading

Cleveland, OH

Orioles vs. Guardians Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Friday, August 2

Published

14 hours ago

on

August 2, 2024

By

Orioles vs. Guardians Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Friday, August 2


Two powerhouse contenders are squaring off this weekend in Cleveland, part of a massive four-game series that is going to help answer some questions about what we may see come October. The Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians are well in contention for a championship and it takes center stage all weekend long.

The Orioles continue a titanic battle in the American League East with the Yankees at 65-45, while the Guardians continue to shine with a current league-best 66-42 record. Both teams have surprisingly impressed this season, especially the young but mighty Guardians. Here’s how to play this Friday matchup.

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line:

Advertisement

Moneyline:

Total:

Colton Cowser: Part of the rich youth pool of talent, the Orioles may have found a true gem with Colton Cowser. The 24-year-old left fielder has extended his active hitting streak to 14 games, recording one in each game since the all-star break. His average has increased from .219 to .247 in that span, along with 4 home runs and 13 RBI. His hitting streak is tied for the 2nd most active one in all of the MLB, behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (14) and Ezequial Tovar (17). Cowser is making 2024 a memorable inaugural full season.

Jose Ramirez: There may not be anyone hitting the ball better right now across all of the MLB like Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez. He opened this series on Thursday with a 2-run blast, marking his 3rd consecutive game with a home run. Ramirez has a ridiculous ledger of 3 home runs and 8 RBI in his previous three games. His 28 home runs and 90 RBI this season place him in the top 10 across all players. He continues to provide the power on this feisty, young team. Ramirez is the offensive spark the Guardians must turn to in their run to the postseason.

This is an exciting change of pace to the normal juggernauts that we have seen through the years in baseball. While we don’t quite know if these two will be near the top of the standings in October, all that matters is that both are positioning themselves for it. A pair of unlikely division leaders are battling for a little summer glory in Cleveland.

Advertisement

Dean Kremer takes the hill for the Orioles on Friday. A lot of uncertainty surrounds this start as he’s amassed mixed results for much of 2024. Currently at 4-7 with a 4.20 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 14 home runs allowed, it hasn’t been pretty but at least is passable. Kremer anchors the No. 4 spot in this rotation and has yet to find much consistency. Last time out on Saturday against San Diego, he tossed 6 innings, allowing 4 runs (1 earned), 7 hits, a walk and 7 strikeouts. The Orioles have not provided him the best run support lately, with the team being 2-5 in his last seven outings.

Carlos Carrasco holds the fort down for the Guardians in this one. It’s been a lackluster season with a 3-9 record, a 5.68 ERA and 79 strikeouts. The month of July was very unkind to him, allowing 19 earned runs and 6 home runs across a total of five starts. Carrasco additionally has allowed 6 runs in each of his prior two outings. He is currently 20th in all of the MLB in home runs allowed (17), but a lower walk rate with just 27 free passes allowed. The 37-year-old is clearly beginning to hit a decline, and likely will finish his career here where he has so many great memories.

Both teams certainly check a lot of marks offensively and Thursday’s 10-3 Guardians win backed that up. We have another pitching matchup that is not pretty, so it’s absolutely fair to expect a lot of offensive fireworks. The Orioles are superior on paper, ranking 1st in home runs per game, 4th in hits and 3rd in runs. 

That’s the way I lean with this prediction. I get the feeling both teams will feed off each other’s energy all weekend long, especially with a lot on the line in this series. I’ll happily back the total to go over 9 runs in Friday’s contest at -115 (FanDuel), especially with a pair of starters that have been less than ideal for most of the year. 

Pick: Orioles-Guardians OVER 9 Runs (-115)

Advertisement

Note: Game odds are subject to change.



Source link

Continue Reading

Cleveland, OH

Northeast Ohio road construction: What new delays can driver’s expect?

Published

20 hours ago

on

August 2, 2024

By

Northeast Ohio road construction: What new delays can driver’s expect?


CLEVELAND, Ohio — There will be plenty of overnight lane closures over the next several weeks for various construction projects in Northeast Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has released an updated list of lane closures and delays for Cuyahoga County and other regions.

I-90 westbound just east of Columbia Road will be in a bi-directional traffic pattern beginning Tuesday and continuing through September for bridge deck replacement. All lanes of traffic are maintained. However, one lane of westbound traffic will be maintained on the I-90 eastbound side separated by a concrete barrier wall. Two lanes of traffic are maintained on the existing westbound side using a lane shift.

U.S. 422 westbound ramp to I-271 northbound will be closed from 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday. The detour is I-480 westbound to Miles Road to I-271 north.

Advertisement

Harvard Road entrance ramp to I-271 north will be closed from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Chagrin Road entrance ramp to I-271 north will be closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Chagrin Road entrance ramp to I-271 south will be closed at 8 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday.

Westway Drive over I-90 will be closed from Aug. 12 through mid-September for bridge repairs. The detour will utilize Wager Road

I-271 southbound ramp to U.S. 422 eastbound will be closed 8 p.m. Aug. 9 through 6 a.m. Aug. 12 for bridge repairs.

Advertisement

The following closures will be in place each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Tuesday until Thursday for pavement work.

I-71 northbound to I-480 westbound. The detour is I-480 east to Tiedeman Road to I-480 west.

I-480 westbound to Ohio 237. The detour is Ohio 17 east to Ohio 237.

The following ramps will be closed for resurfacing from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11. All ramps will not be closed at the same time.

Ohio 176 north ramp to I-90 east. The detour is I-490 east to I-77 north.

Advertisement

I-90 east ramp to I-71 north. The detour is I-90 east to I-77 north.

I-90 east/I-490 west ramp to I-71 south. The detour is Ohio 176 south to Denison Avenue to Ohio 176 north to West 14th Street to I-71 south.

Ohio 700 just south of Tavern Road has been reduced to one lane maintained by a temporary traffic signal beginning through early September for culvert replacement.

Ohio 91 (SOM Center Road) between U.S. 20 and Ohio 2 has various lane restrictions through mid-September for bridge repairs.

U.S. 6 between Rockefeller Road and Bishop Road will be reduced to westbound traffic only beginning Aug. 10 through early September for resurfacing. The detour for eastbound traffic is Bishop Road to Eddy Road to Rockefeller Road.

Advertisement

Ohio 615 between Andrews Road and Center Street has various nightly lane restrictions between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. through October.

I-277/U.S. 224 westbound between I-76/Kenmore Leg and I-77 will have various lane restrictions beginning Aug. 12.

I-277/U.S. 224 westbound between I-77 and I-76/Kenmore Leg will be closed from Aug. 19 through Aug. 28 for resurfacing. The detour will be I-77 northbound to I-76 westbound to I-76/Kenmore Leg.

Brush Road over Ohio I-77 will be closed beginning Aug. 14 through late August for bridge repairs. The detour is Brecksville Road to Boston Mills Road to Black Road.

Ohio 303 under I-77 will be closed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night beginning Aug. 19 through Aug. 26 for bridge-beam placement. The detour is Brecksville Road to Wheatley Road to I-271.

Advertisement

Ohio 303 eastbound under I-77 will be closed from Aug. 21 through late November for bridge construction. The detour is Brecksville Road to Wheatley Road to I-271.

The ramp from Glenwood Avenue to Ohio 8 southbound will be closed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily beginning Aug. 19 through late August. The detour is Glenwood Avenue to Howard Street to Tallmadge Avenue.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending