This article contains major spoilers for the ‘Succession’ finale.
Succession star Kieran Culkin says he disagrees with creator Jesse Armstrong’s interpretation of how Roman Roy feels at the show’s end.
The lauded HBO show’s dramatic finale aired last month (May 28), with Culkin’s character Roman and his brother Kendall (Jeremy Strong) betrayed by sister Shiv (Sarah Snook), who backtracked on her pact with her brothers and cast the deciding vote to sell Waystar Royco to Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) GoJo company.
After the finale, Armstrong shared his thoughts on the characters’ headspace after the events of the finale, saying: “In a reductive, brutal way, Roman ends up exactly where he started. He is that guy still. And he maybe easily could have been a playboy jerk with some slightly nasty instincts, and some quite funny jokes.
“He could’ve stayed in a bar, being that guy. And this has been a bit of a detour in his life, I would say.”
In a new interview with Variety, Culkin said he has a different interpretation of where Roman ends up.
“[Armstrong] has said that he thinks it’s more of like, ‘Roman has gone back to where he was at the beginning. What’s really sad about that was all of this was for nothing. It’s been a waste of his time. Like, what’s the point? What did he learn? What did he gain?” Culkin said.
“Which is a cool interpretation, and that’s his, so that seems to be the one that’s right. But there’s mine, which has, I think, elements of that.”
He went on: “People inevitably do grow when they go through experiences like this. I think he has evolved as a person. I don’t think he’s gained nothing from this. I think there’s something he must have taken away from it, whether or not that’s for better or for worse.
“I think he not only just genuinely loves his family, I think he needs them. Now that it’s done, and he’s out, and they’re all out: When is he going to see them again? Who does he have? He has fucking nobody.
Culkin added: “That’s it. And siblings are out there, somewhere. And it’s not like we’re gonna get together for a beer. He’s very much alone. Have you ever seen Roman with a friend?”
Elsewhere, co-star Brian Cox has revealed that he hasn’t watched the final episode of Succession.
The actor, who played Logan Roy in the HBO series, explained during a BBC interview that the fate of his character in the fourth season meant he felt “disinclined” to watch the final episodes.
See how fans reacted to the Succession finale online here.
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