HBO’s hit show “Succession” is set to bow out after the release of its upcoming fourth season.
Series creator Jesse Armstrong told the New Yorker he feels “deeply conflicted” and “sad” about the decision.
“I feel like I’ve done the best work I can do,” Armstrong told the outlet. “And HBO has been generous and would probably have done more seasons, and they have been nice about saying, ‘It’s your decision.’ That’s nice, but it’s also a responsibility in the end. It feels quite perverse to stop doing it.”
But while it might serve as surprising news to fans of the show, which first aired in 2018, it’s been a long time coming for the 52-year-old.
“There’s a promise in the title of ‘Succession,’” he said. “I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind. From season two, I’ve been trying to think: Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?
“I got together with a few of my fellow-writers before we started the writing of season four, in about November, December, 2021, and I sort of said, ‘Look, I think this maybe should be it. But what do you think?’”
Armstrong, who executive produces and serves as showrunner, said he toyed with the idea of having a few “short seasons” but ultimately decided against it.
“Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks,” he continued. “Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference.”
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Armstrong said the show’s ending “needs to work on its own merits” but admits that pulling the plug on it was a “bit tortured.”
“I hope that no one ever thinks that we are outstaying our welcome — that we’re going to do a dud season, or be stretching it out. I hope those concerns never occur to people,” he said.
“Who knows about the psychological reasons, but the creative ones were that it felt really useful to not make the final, final decision for ages.”
Season 4 will return to HBO on March 26.