The profanity-riddled dialogue and whip smart writing of “Succession” finally came to a close on Sunday night with one last extremely dramatic finale episode, ending with the highly anticipated answer to the series-long question over who will take over the Roy empire. With the end of the HBO series, which has grown to become a core part of the cultural zeitgeist since it first premiered five years ago — earning thirteen Emmy’s (so far) in the process — fans can now return to their favorite scenes through Jesse Armstrong’s published book of scripts, which has shot to the top of bestseller lists following Sunday night’s finale.
“Succession: The Full scripts,” comes in four volumes, for each season of the series, and features introductions written by Armstrong in addition to other members of the writing team like Frank Rich. Anyone who’s watched the show knows that its scripts are worthy of a celebrated release. Its pages are filled with its Roman and Shakespearean references, metaphor-cloaked insults and many, many penis jokes. It’s as much a source for literary criticism as it is comedic entertainment.
In addition to the show’s most memorable zingers and one-liners, the book also includes deleted scenes, alternative dialogue and character directions that shed a light on how the cast transformed each scene from the page to the screen. Some of the most emotional moments from the show were improvised or the result of the actors taking liberty with the script — one such moment is the embrace between Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) after Logan’s sudden death in episode 3, which director Mike Mylod said was improvised by the actors.
“In the same way, one of my favourite moments in the episode just happened, too,” Myold told GQ “Right at the end of the episode when Sarah’s character has just done the press briefing, and the three of them fall into this three-way hug before going their separate ways. That wasn’t in the script.”
The beloved HBO series hit viewership highs with its fourth season, bringing in 2.3 million viewers to its premiere and reaching a record 2.6 million viewers for its fourth episode.
In her review of the finale, PvNew TV critic Alison Herman wrote, that “we’re left with the certainty that divesting themselves of their father’s company hasn’t liberated them from the trauma that makes up their true inheritance. Look no further for proof than the final shot. This isn’t the first time Kendall has stared into the abyss, and it won’t be the last.”
Buy “Succession: The Complete scripts” below:
Succession: The Complete scripts
Succession: Season One: The Complete scripts$29.95$26.95Buy Now On Amazon
