Nobody was that surprised – the show has “success” in the name,after all. But it did trigger questions of a succession plan. Backstage,cast and creators were peppered with questions about whether a spin-off show could be in the works.
The Succession cast (from left):Alan Ruck,Sarah Snook,Alexander Skarsgard,Brian Cox,Nicholas Braun,Kieran Culkin,Matthew Macfayden and J. Smith-Cameron.AP
“It’s nice to think there could be,isn’t it?” Mark Mylod,who won the Emmy for best directing forSuccession,teased. “I like the idea of a musical,that could be nice.”
However,Mylod’s joking manner then turned serious,potentially pushing a dagger through some fans’ desperate hopes. “Let’s leave it on a high. Let’s not come back and flog it. But if somebody comes back with a great idea,let’s all come back. If Jesse writes something,we’d all come running.”
Matthew Macfadyen,who played Sarah Snook’s on-screen husband,Tom Wambsgans (and won the Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama series),contributed to the backstage speculation,saying he would “never say never”,but that a spin-off was nonetheless highly unlikely.
“It would all depend on what Jesse Armstrong wanted to do,” he said. “I think Jesse’s instinct,and all our[collective] instinct,is that we ended it just at the right place. And we sort of didn’t tie it up,we just left them to carry on in their strange and frightening world.”
Matthew Macfadyen,winner of the best supporting actor in a drama series for Succession.AP
The end might be a hard pill for fans to swallow,particularly given the victory lap the show has been doing since awards season commenced. Its headline-making final season also raked in four trophies at the and three at the Critics Choice awards.
Succession’s four seasons had rusted-on fans who are trading theories online and have created dedicated to the characters’ famous one-liners (remember “you can’t make a Tomelette without breaking some Gregs”?).
And other shows with a similarly dedicated fan base have been lucky enough to witness an unexpected revival.Veronica Marsfans petitioned for another show for years after the original series,which ran for three seasons,ended abruptly in 2007. The efforts paid off in 2019,when Veronica (Kristen Bell) and her father returned to solve crimes under a more traditional crime noir genre. Could a similar fate awaitSuccession?
The crew’s responses may not fill us with hope,but that shouldn’t stop us from imagining what a spin-off series within theSuccession universe could look like. Perhaps a drama-fuelled look into the next generation of the Roy family,or a prequel that tracks Logan Roy’s rise to media mogul fame?
Meanwhile,other top Emmy-nominated titles are guaranteed to return.The Bear,which also won six Emmys on Tuesday,will return for a third season this year. Mike White’s dramaThe White Lotusscooped only one award – for Jennifer Coolidge in her supporting role as Tanya McQuoid – but could be in the running for more at future award shows,as it prepares to film its third season in Thailand.
Netflix’s riveting road-rage dramaBeef won five awards,and though it is a limited series,creator Lee Sung Jin hinted at a potential return.
“We always pitched the season to buyers as an anthology series,” Jin told at the 81st Golden Globes.
“There was always going to be new characters. Whether it stays limited or turns as an anthology,or we continue existing,that’s really up to Netflix. But whatever they decide,I’m definitely ready.”
So,in summary? It’s unlikely we’ll see aSuccession spin-off. But if we learnt anything from the show,it’s that you should always expect the unexpected.
Find out the next TV,streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees..
